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Peace Ship Docked Near Beirut

August 10, 1978
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Abie Nathan, the peace pilot and owner of a peace ship, anchored his vessel this morning near Beirut outside the territorial waters of Lebanon. The ship was loaded with an ambulance, medicine, candy and toys which had been donated by Israeli Jews, Moslems and Christians for the Lebanese people in war-torn Beirut. Before sailing from Ashdod, Nathan said that “something must be done for the people of Lebanon.”

Nathan told Lebanese journalists who came by boats from the Lebanese capital to talk to him and his crew that the items on board were meant for civilians, not military personnel. He also said that he would wait outside the territorial waters for permission to come into the port and hoped that the Lebanese Red Cross would help unload the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items. If not, he would try to go to another Lebanese port where the goods could be unloaded. While the ship sat anchored, gun fire could be heard in Beirut coming from the Syrians.

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