Biejat, a deputy Speaker of Poland’s upper house, the Senate, spoke on Tuesday at a news conference in Warsaw alongside representatives of Global Sumud Polska, the Polish section of the international flotilla movement.
She said Polish institutions should issue a clear official position supporting those taking part in the flotilla and calling on Israel to respect international law.
“We should call on Israel to respect international law and to respect the right of flotilla members to move through international waters,” Biejat said.
She noted that Poland had previously supported Palestinian statehood and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In her view, Warsaw should now say in formal diplomatic language that Israel’s actions are unlawful and that Poland stands with the people sailing in the flotilla.
The Global Sumud Flotilla says its aim is to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and open a humanitarian corridor to the Palestinian enclave.
Israel says the blockade is legal and needed to prevent supplies from reaching Hamas.
Rafał Piotrowski, a spokesman for Global Sumud Polska, said Israeli forces had intercepted dozens of boats from the flotilla, while several vessels were still heading toward Gaza.
He called on the Polish government to support the mission, protect boats still at sea and provide full consular assistance to Polish participants.
Polish organizers said Israeli authorities had detained members of the Polish delegation, including Łukasz Kozak and Agata Wisłocka.
Later reports from the Polish section of the flotilla said Kareem Awad, a Polish delegate and medical student with British citizenship, had also been intercepted.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór said on Monday that Polish citizens were among the flotilla participants.
He said Poland’s consular services were in contact with other European Union countries and remained ready to help Polish citizens.
Israel’s foreign ministry had earlier called on the flotilla to change course and turn back immediately. It said Israel would not allow any breach of what it described as the lawful naval blockade of Gaza.
Israeli soldiers then boarded boats from the flotilla, according to both the organizers and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The flotilla left the Turkish port of Marmaris last week, headed for the Gaza coast.
Organizers say the voyage is part of a broader effort launched in Barcelona on April 12 to challenge the blockade and deliver humanitarian support.
A similar flotilla involving nearly 500 people was stopped by Israel last year. Participants were detained, taken to Israel and later deported.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP