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- Organizers accused Israel and the United States of economic pressure on Greece
- An official of the Israeli Foreign Ministry called the allegation "ludicrous"
- The Israeli Government warned foreign journalists against being part of the flotilla
Jerusalem (CNN) -The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Sunday dismissed as "ridiculous" suggestions that Israel and the United States were using economic pressure to force fiscally strapped Greece in boats stop participating in an international flotilla to Gaza.
"These people have no evidence any claims?" asked the Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor Israeli. "Their entire activity turns to demonize Israel. What they say, we used all the Jewish bankers in the world to undo the bonds of Greece? What kind of fantasy world they live in? "
The organizers of a boatload of planning to join the fleet, U.S.-registered Audacity of hope, issued a statement on Sunday, asking the Greek Government to explain why the ship was prevented from running being rented out leaving a port in Greek.
Passengers and crew members say that they are told that the boat did not start because of concerns about its seaworthiness and the need for more inspections.
Participants travel rejected the explanation, arguing that the boat was in safe. They suggested the economic pressure was being exerted upon the Greece.
"Israel has said openly that it is pressuring Governments to try to stop the flotilla and clearly Greece is a key Government since many of the boats leave from Greece" passenger Medea Benjamin said in a press release from organizers of the boat. "It is inconceivable that Israel would take advantage of the Greek people are living to try to stop our boat or flotilla the economic hardship."
In the news release, the organizers of the boat-boat to Gaza-United States suggested without offering evidence that policy leverage has been used with the International Monetary Fund in an attempt to force Greece to block the flotilla of ships from the start.
Palmor acknowledged that Israel was using diplomatic channels to prevent what he calls "a flotilla illegal" arriving in Gaza.
"These are the diplomatic contacts with friendly countries," said Palmor. "With regard to their demands, are consciously and proudly to commit an illegal act and still have complaints? The charges are simply ridiculous. "
Meanwhile, Director of the Press Office of the Government of Israel, Oren Helman, sent a letter Sunday to foreign journalists based in Israel, warning that "the participation of the flotilla is a violation of Israeli law intentional and may cause participants is denied entry into Israel for 10 years, the seizure of their equipment and additional sanctions".
"I implore you to avoid taking part in this dangerous and provocative event, whose purpose is to undermine the right of Israel to defend itself and knowingly violating Israeli law," Helman wrote.
Foreign Press Association, representing journalists worldwide who work in the area, responded that the Government's letter, threatening punishment for coverage of flotilla "send a chilling message to the international media and raises serious doubts about Israel's commitment to press freedom".
"Journalists covering legitimate news event should be allowed to do their job without threats and intimidation," the Foreign Press Association said in a statement. "We ask the Government to revoke its decision immediately".
The flotilla, planned to sail soon, intends to challenge the Israel maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
According to the organisers, the flotilla is meant to commemorate the anniversary of a year of a similar flotilla which resulted in a clash in international waters with the Israeli Navy commandos which killed nine people including an American citizen.
In May 2010, the Flotilla-owned by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation or HHI and five other ships were on their way to Gaza with humanitarian aid and about 700 activists from different countries when the Israeli soldiers boarded.
An independent Commission, headed by a retired judge Yaakov Turkel, then discovered that the Israeli commandos "acted professionally and independently measured in front of the unexpected violence" when they seized the ship associated with aid to Gaza.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Friday that she didn't think the flotilla plan for this year "is useful or productive or useful to the people of Gaza".
"We have certainly encouraged that u.s. citizens not participating in the flotilla," said, "and we are urging that all precautions be taken to avoid any type of confrontation."
Clinton's comments followed a statement even harsher by State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland, in which she criticized what she called "irresponsible and provocative actions that risk the safety of their passengers."
Azrael CNN Guy has contributed to this report.
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