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Wed, Dec 15, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Left: Iranian president Ahmadinejad at a ceremony to welcome the convoy at Teheran University, where he claimed that Israel's existence was "an insult to humanity" (ISNA News Agency, December 14, 2010). Right: Activists of the Asian convoy in Teheran (IRNA News Agency, December 14, 2010).

Asian Convoy in Iran: a Display of Hatred for Israel and the West^[1]

The Indian convoy which left on December 4 has reached Iran and is currently in Teheran, having visited the cities of Qom, Zahedan and Isfahan. According to the Iranian media, it is expected to be joined by a delegation from Pakistan, which will increase the number of participants to 200. The arrival of the Asian convoy in Iran was exploited for a display of hatred for Israel and the West. Convoy activists met with Iranian president Ahmadinejad at Teheran University, where he gave a speech in which he referred to Israel as “an insult to humanity” (Jerusalem Post, December 13, 2010).

On December 13 the activists were guests at a session of the Majlis, the Iranian parliament. They shouted anti-Israeli slogans, among them “Death to Israel” in four languages (Fars News Agency, Iran, December 13, 2010). Speaking to the members of the Majlis, convoy organizer Feroze Mithiborwala called Iran “the greatest obstacle in the path of the Zionist regime” and called American President Obama “an agent of Israel” (IRNA News Agency, December 14, 2010).

Left: Iranians welcome the convoy (IRNA News Agency, December 14, 2010). Right: Iranian president Ahmadinejad addresses the convoy's activists (IRNA News Agency, December 14, 2010).

Left: The convoy arrives in Iran. Right: Iranians welcome the convoy by burning the American and British flags. (IRNA News Agency, December 14, 2010).

Left: The mayor of Teheran welcomes the convoy (Iranian PressTV, December 13, 2010). Right: Two masked convoy activists at the ceremony in the Palestine Squad in Teheran (IRNA News Agency, December 13, 2010).

Convoy activists sit in on an Iranian parliamentary session. During it they shouted "Death to Israel" in four languages (Fars News Agency, Iran, December 14, 2010).

Convoy leader Feroze Mithiborwala said that the idea to organize a convoy was inspired by the May 2010 flotilla to the Gaza Strip, with Iran’s active support, and that its intention was to oppose “Zionism, which wants to create a hegemony in the world, in Asia in particular.” He said that the convoy expected to continue from Iran to Turkey, Syria and Jordan, and from there to continue by ship to El Arish. He claimed they had already received the necessary authorization from Egyptian authorities, who were cooperating with the convoy. He added that there were 80 participants in the convoy from all the countries in Asia. Other people would join them in Turkey and that some from Australia and New Zealand would come by plane and apparently join them later (Iran’s PressTV website, December 13, 2010).

Salim Ghafouri, convoy spokesman, said that it had representatives from 137 organizations in 50 countries, 15 of them from Asia. Among the countries he mentioned were Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Britain and Australia. The Jordan LifeLine committee (which has many Muslim Brotherhood members) said that the organization would join the Asian convoy (Al-Sabil, the Muslim Brotherhood organ published in Jordan, December 8, 2010). The convoy spokesman noted that “the war against the Zionists” was not only an “Islamic-Zionist” war, but also a showdown between the “truth,” as represented by “the free people of the world,” and the “lie” represented by Israel and its supporters (Hamas’ Palestine-info website, December 10, 2010).

Other Convoys

The “Turkish convoy:” Bülent Yildirim, IHH head, said that he intended to organize another flotilla to the Gaza Strip. He said it was expected to set sail on May 31, 2011, the “anniversary” of the Israeli takeover of the Freedom Fleet flotilla (Al-Jazeera TV, December 8, 2010).

A European initiative: Kenneth O’Keefe, a former Marine and a pro-Palestinian activist who participated in the Freedom Fleet flotilla aboard the Mavi Marmara and other initiatives to reach the Gaza Strip, sent his Facebook friends a message about his activity to organize a new ship to the Gaza Strip. He said it would carry a thousand passengers, “one from every country in the world,” and called on his friends for help in collecting money, communications and promoting the flotilla, and also with legal aid (Facebook, December 10, 2010).^[2]

A Syrian flotilla: Ahmed Abd al-Karim, chairman of the so-called Syrian Popular Committee to Support the Palestinian People said that a Syrian convoy of six vehicles and 120 tons of foodstuffs would be sent to the Gaza Strip via Jordan, with the assistance of the Hashemite Charity Association. The convoy is expected to reach the Gaza Strip at the end of December 2010 and will express Syria’s support for the Palestinian people against “the terrorist Zionist entity” (Al-Baath, December 13, 2010).

Notes:

[1] For more information see the December 16, 2010 article, “The Ideology Behind the Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan”.

[2] Kenneth O’Keefe played an active role in the violent events aboard the Mavi Marmara. For more information see the September 30, 2010 article, “Activist Aboard the Mavi Marmara Claimed that the Resistance Aboard the Ship Would not be Passive”. He also recently participated in a North African convoy to the Gaza Strip. For further information see the date bulletin, “News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 10-16)”.