http://www.starbulletin.com/news/breaking/95371634.html

Honolulu woman detained in Israeli raid on Gaza aid flotilla

By Star-Bulletin Staff

POSTED: 01:32 p.m. HST, Jun 01, 2010

Honolulu peace activist Ann Wright was one of about 700 people taken into custody by Israeli defense forces after a raid on a flotilla of boats carrying aid to Gaza that left nine people dead, friends of Wright’s confirmed.

Kyle Kajihiro of the American Friends Service Committee, and Arnie Kotler, publisher of a book on Gaza by Wright, said they recognized her in a video of the detainees being led into detention in Ashdod. The video was posted on YouTube and several Israeli newspaper sites.

News reports said all detainees would be deported immediately, reversing an earlier plan to hold about 20 of them on criminal charges.

Joanne Moore, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said it had no information yet about specific Americans who may have been detained.

The raids have met widespread condemnation from the international community.

Wright’s plans to join the flotilla were well-known. She has been active in Gaza issues over the past two years, Kotler said.

Wright published an article Thursday on the website CommonDreams.org describing the trip. She predicted that the Israeli Navy would fire over the bows of the boats, or possibly ram and try to board them.

Israel has said its commandos fired on passengers aboard the lead vessel when confronted by knife- and club-wielding activists, a characterization denied by the activists. The flotilla was organized by a group called Free Gaza.

Local peace groups will be holding a rally outside the Federal Building on Punchbowl Street protesting the Israeli action today at 3 p.m.