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International athletes might join Freedom Flotilla 2

The European campaign to lift the siege on Gaza revealed that it will soon make contacts with a number of well-known international athletes, particularly in Europe, to explore the possibility of their participation in Freedom Flotilla 2, which is scheduled to sail to the Gaza Strip by the end of September.

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The European campaign to lift the siege on Gaza revealed that it will soon make contacts with a number of well-known international athletes, particularly in Europe, to explore the possibility of their participation in Freedom Flotilla 2, which is scheduled to sail to the Gaza Strip by the end of September.

Rami Abdo, a member of the campaign, said in a statement from Paris on Wednesday: “After a number of athletes expressed interest in participating in Freedom Flotilla 2, the European campaign will make during the next few days a series of phone calls in France and Spain with a number of well-known athletes, such as the captain of the Spanish World Cup team, Iker Casillas, to explore the possibility of their involvement in the Freedom Flotilla to break the siege on Gaza.” He explained that the move is meant to bring the public’s attention towards the humanitarian mission and Palestinian cause.

Abdo said that communications will be done in secrecy, particularly concerning the names of the athletes expected to participate in the aid mission, because of anticipated pressure on the athletes and their clubs by Israel, especially since Israel has already pressured European countries to prohibit their citizens from involvement in the flotilla.

Some web sites quoted Casillas as saying that he would not attend World Cup championship celebrations in Madrid, expressing his sorrow for what is happening in Gaza.

“You find it impossible for people to participate and laugh after seeing what's happening in the Gaza Strip,” Casillas said, asserting that Spain’s World Cup championship celebration is only partial as long Gaza remains under siege.

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal also condemned Israel’s 2008-2009 attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The campaign said that more than 35 news organizations have requested to participate in Freedom Flotilla 2, in an attempt to provide unprecedented news coverage to detect Israeli follies against international peace activists.

Freedom Flotilla 2 has been postponed till the end of September because of the extended base of participants, especially from European countries.