Catherine Ashton has said that the flotilla is not the right response to the situation in Gaza, but the EU's response is to continue to fund, through research grants, the Israeli armaments companies that make the weapons that kill Palestinian civilians.
Catherine Ashton a declarat că flotila nu este răspunsul corect la situația din Gaza, dar răspunsul UE este acela de a continua finanțarea, prin granturi de cercetare, a companiilor israeliene de armament care produc arme cu care sunt uciși civili palestinieni.