http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9308.shtml 'According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 10.7 percet of Gazan children aged under five are now suffering stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. Dr al-Wahaidi describes the figure as "shocking," pointing out that neighboring Arab countries have child stunting rates of less than six percent.'
Israeli soilders boardered the ships armed with paintball rifles instead of live ammunition in order to prevent injuries of the activists. These soilders were met with dozens of "peace activist" weilding metal poles, knives, ax's and guns waiting to attack. Several Israeli soilders were stabbed and shot by the "peace activists".
Sure they did. And I'm the fucking Easter Bunny! :P
Just watch the videos that have been released the past couple of hours by the IDF showin the linch of several soilders seconds after boarding the ships.
No country in the world would allow ships to enter their territorial waters without proper screening and security cautions. Why should Israel be held to a higher standerd?
No Israeli soldier was lynched. Are you tripping on acid?
The aid ships weren't attacked in territorial waters. They were attacked in international waters. Israel has been accused of state terrorism, and rightly so. Those murdering bastards belong in the Hague. Stop making excuses for them and stop trying to justify the slaughter of civilians. It's a fucking disgrace.
I hope Turkey seizes the investigation, since they have the right to. Israel has no right to conduct any of this investigation and should hand over everything related to this that Turkey asks for.
Agreed, although a third party might be an even better idea.
already Turkey demand extraordinary council of UN..
From what the prime minister was saying, Turkey is not going to let it go...
THere are loads of vids all over the place. The news in various countries are also showing the footage of the soldiers being hit by the people on the boat defending themselves from the assault, so it's not like it's one-sided. Rafie... we see them, we have news channels that will show both sides. If one country is biaised, one looks at the news from another. Also, we all know that the ships had 'options' but these options were not really options were they? They were orders... you comply or we attack basically.
The ships' destination was Gaza, not Israel. Israel has absolutely no right to give ANY ship any order in INTERNATIONAL waters. Simple.
I guess Israel will say it's the world against them again and no one understands....
Sweet dreams - I'm sure little things like this 'squirmish' and the plight of Gaza won't trouble your sleep.
here we see footage of 10 different countries and israelin tv
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
These ships were repeatedly warned to not enter Israels waters. Israel repeatedly offered them to bring their payload to an Israeli port for screening in order to have the red cross deliever the supplies. If these people really wanted to deilever humanitarian aid, they would have done that. The organizers of this thing got exactly what they wanted: pictures broadcast around the world showin Israeli soilders stopping them. They never had any intentions of actually reaching Gaza. The whole point was the clash with the army.
Wow! I've really seen it all now. I never thought I'd see the Message Board sink so low. This really takes the biscuit.
already Turkey demand extraordinary council of UN..
From what the prime minister was saying, Turkey is not going to let it go...
Turkey have the best external policy in the world..let it go??not a chance!!i actually have a job cos Turkey react all this year with they way that we need so much Airforce..
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I don't see any problem in stating my opinions on any board, especially this one! I am sad to say that most of the time these boards are not a place for legitimate debate, but for one sided hate mongering. As a proud jew and a proud Israeli I have no problem in the world defending my beliefs and ideals against people whose only interest is hate.
From what you say here, there is absolutely no problem in your mind that a prisoner is being denied basic human rights, such as a pair of glasses for example, simply because he is only one person. But on the other hand, Israel is expected to live up to all international treaties on the subject even though the palestinan leadership is not. If that is justice in your mind, i feel sorry for you...
Any one who has even the smallest knowledge of the Arab-Israeli conflict knows that things are not always so nice and one sided as some people and news agencies may have you believe. I am in no way justifying the taking of any human life, but people need to realize that this convoy was not 100% peace oriented. I am sure that most of the hundreds of people participating were doing it entirely for humanitarian reasons, but that still does not excuse those few dozens that had violence in mind.
I have never stated that I am "selling things". I am simply stating the other side of the debate. Any one who is trully objective will look at both sides of the story and decide for them selves.
Are you a Pearl Jam fan or just an Israeli internet stooge?
I see you've just posted 28 posts of Pro-Israeli bullshit. Do you think everybody on this forum is an idiot?
here we see footage of 10 different countries and israelin tv
Exactly. One is not relying on just one or two sources, possibly censored.
i saw bbc,tv5 tve,rai,israelin tv,al jazira..alot..
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I don't have a clue about the nationality of the casualties.
Just a reminder to the people who have forgotten, One of the MAIN reasons that there is any kind of blockade on the Gaza strip is the fact that for the past 4 years Hamas has been holding Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soilder kidnapped AFTER israel unilatterely evacuated the Gaza strip, without letting any humanitarian aid reach him and without letting the red cross see him. On the other hand, all of the palestinans imprisoned in Israeli prisons have visiting rights, have the option to achieve academic degrees, Have luxary items such as televions and daily newspapers...
That's not the reason for the blockade at all. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. The Gaza blockade came into effect as a result of Palestinians voting for the wrong party. The blockade is a crime against humanity. Period.
'The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay said the Gaza blockade amounts to collective punishment of civilians, which is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of warfare and occupation.
She cited the conventions' requirement that "no protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited."
Making excuses for the collective punishment of 1.5 million people is disgraceful.
( note; dated 19th of may, not sure if its already been mentioned here )
Although i enjoy his music I'm almost ashamed to say that i dont own any of his records, but his actions are certainly applauded, especially given the current situation.
I don't see any problem in stating my opinions on any board, especially this one! I am sad to say that most of the time these boards are not a place for legitimate debate, but for one sided hate mongering. As a proud jew and a proud Israeli I have no problem in the world defending my beliefs and ideals against people whose only interest is hate.
.
i dont see any reason for someone not be proud to be a jew and for his country
but is better to be ashane for this action last night..really better to think it a little..all the world see and understand this was unnecessary violence
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
( note; dated 19th of may, not sure if its already been mentioned here )
Although i enjoy his music I'm almost ashamed to say that i dont own any of his records, but his actions are certainly applauded, especially given the current situation.
Well then he certainly has a higher moral bar than Morrissey or Paul McCartney.
Israel accused of state terrorism after assault on flotilla carrying Gaza aid
At least nine activists killed and dozens more wounded by Israeli naval commandos
* Harriet Sherwood in Ashdod
* guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 May 2010
Israel was engulfed by a wave of global condemnation tonight after a botched assault on a flotilla carrying aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip ended in carnage and a diplomatic crisis involving the UN security council.
At least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed as Israeli naval commandos stormed the largest ship in the flotilla carrying passengers. Dozens more were wounded and evacuated by helicopter to Israeli coastal hospitals.
Israel said more than 10 of its troops were injured, two seriously, in the battle that began early yesterday morning in international waters, about 40 miles from the coast of Gaza.
The UN security council was due to meet tonight in emergency session and Turkey, whose relations with Israel have been severely strained since the war in Gaza in 2008-9, called for Nato to convene over the military assault. The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who ordered the recall of the country's ambassador to Israel, described the operation as "state terrorism" and said Israel had violated international law. "We are not going to remain silent in the face of this inhumane state terrorism," he said.
Israel immediately imposed a communications blackout on the detained activists while simultaneously launching a sophisticated public relations operation to ensure its version of events was dominant. Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who defended the assault, put off a meeting with US president Barack Obama at the White House scheduled for tomorrow to fly back to deal with the crisis.
Activists with less serious injuries began to trickle into Israeli hospitals late this afternoon. There were believed to be about 27 British civilians aboard the flotilla. Most of the dead were reported to be Turkish nationals.
The deaths and injuries were condemned by the UN, EU and other countries. The US, in contrast, was initially restrained in its response, expressing regret and saying it was "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy".
UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, condemned the violence and called for an investigation. "I am shocked by reports of killing of people in boats carrying supply to Gaza. I heard the ships were in international water. That is very bad."
The foreign secretary, William Hague, issued a statement "deploring" the loss of life. "There is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations," he said.
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, described the storming of the flotilla as a "massacre" and called for three days of national mourning. Israel's navy had promised to exercise restraint in dealing with the flotilla, and the bloodshed will inevitably leave Israel open to charges of a disproportionate response involving excessive force.
The government, however, was robust in defending its actions, saying its troops had been provoked and attacked by activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, the biggest of the passenger-carrying ships in the flotilla.
However, some Israeli commentators expressed reservations about the operation, fearing that it would leave Israel internationally isolated. Alon Liel, a former Israeli ambassador to Turkey, told the Guardian the situation could have been averted. "Definitely we made mistakes and in retrospect anything would have been better – including letting the boats reach Gaza," he said.
The assault began at 4.30am as the convoy was heading to Gaza to deliver its cargo of aid. According to a spokeswoman for Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Avital Leibovich, officers aboard its warships gave the activists several warnings before commandos were winched from helicopters on to the deck of the Mavi Marmara.
"We found ourselves in the middle of a lynching," she told reporters in the Israeli port of Ashdod. Around 10 activists attacked commandos, she said, relieving them of their pistols.
"We didn't look for confrontation but it was a massive attack," she said. "What happened was a last resort."
It was impossible to contact protesters on the ships, but the Free Gaza Movement, one of the organisers of the flotilla, said the IDF had started the violence, firing as soon as they boarded the ship. Leibovich defended Israel's action in international waters, saying it was permissible when a country's security was threatened.
The Mavi Marmara was brought into port at Ashdod, 23 miles north of Gaza City, tonight following the earlier arrival of two other passenger ships. The area was closed to the media.
Activists were expected to be processed in a large white tent on the quayside, where they would be offered the choice of immediate deportation to their country of origin or going through the lengthy process of the Israeli courts system.
The Israeli authorities gave no details of the injuries to activists. It confirmed that nine were dead, although government sources suggested the figure could rise.
The flotilla was trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been enforced for the past three years.
Israel advised its nationals in Turkey to leave the country for fear of reprisals. A luxury liner, Magic 1, was diverted from the Turkish coast to Cyprus.
Israeli police cancelled leave and the army was on high alert, saying it feared possible rocket attacks from Islamist militants in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
rafie's double standard is brilliant: on one hand, he tries to put the blame of the blockade on Hamas, and talks about how nice Israel was for "unilaterally withdrawing" from Gaza. On the other hand, he considers Gaza's territorial waters Israeli! which is it, rafie? Is Gaza under Israeli control or not? if Israel is occupying the Gaza strip, then it is responsible for the welfare of its civilians (80% of whom suffer from malnutrition). If it's not, then international peace activists should have the right to sail to Gaza to deliver humanitarian supplies without any Israeli interference.
rafie's double standard is brilliant: on one hand, he tries to put the blame of the blockade on Hamas, and talks about how nice Israel was for "unilaterally withdrawing" from Gaza. On the other hand, he considers Gaza's territorial waters Israeli! which is it, rafie? Is Gaza under Israeli control or not? if Israel is occupying the Gaza strip, then it is responsible for the welfare of its civilians (80% of whom suffer from malnutrition). If it's not, then international peace activists should have the right to sail to Gaza to deliver humanitarian supplies without any Israeli interference.
i dont see any reason for someone not be proud to be a jew and for his country
but is better to be ashane for this action last night..really better to think it a little..all the world see and understand this was unnecessary violence
Hello D, I never said that I was proud or happy that people got killed, but I am deffinately not ashamed. I agree with you 100% that the violance was unnecessary on both sides.
I am ignoring all the news commentary on the subject and base my opinions and writings here solely on the video footage that I have seen from the incidint. Please give me a link to footage you have seen, but until now I have not seen any footage of soilders opening fire directly after or before landing on the ship. Quite the opposite is true. Both the footage that the IDF has released and the footage I have seen taken by the activists clearly show that the soilders were brutally attacked once they landed on the ship. I will gladly eat my words if show otherwise but so far I have only seen that the soilders defended themselves in a life threatining situation.
rafie's double standard is brilliant: on one hand, he tries to put the blame of the blockade on Hamas, and talks about how nice Israel was for "unilaterally withdrawing" from Gaza. On the other hand, he considers Gaza's territorial waters Israeli! which is it, rafie? Is Gaza under Israeli control or not?
Gaza is not an independent country. The blockade on the Gaza strip is sanctioned by world powers. Even Egypt is actively participating in the blockade. There is no double standard here.
There is no Israeli presence in the Gaza strip. Whether you ike it or not, Israel supplies The citizans of Gaza every week with hundreds of tons of supplies - despite the fact that Hamas denies to acknowledge Israels right to exist. Israel is a nation just like any other in the world and was founded with the U.N. approval. The palestinians on the other hand do not yet have a nation or leadership of their own (hamas in gaza and the PLO in the west bank).I think that the best possible thing that could happen to Israel is for the Palestinians to have their own nation and to finally leave us alone. The problem with that is that Hamas leadership has repeatedly stated in the past that they will not rest until Israel is erased from the map. I am sad to say that there are quite a few people on this forum who would love to see that happen and continue to spew hate here in disguise of justice.
Still can't believe I met Mike Mccready at the Guggenheim and got a pic with him!!!!!
2010: 9/7/10 - Bilbao
2012: 26-27/6/12 - Amsterdam ~~ 29/6/12 - Werchter ~~ 4-5/7/12 - Berlin
2014: 25/6/14 - Vienna ~~ 26/6/14 - Berlin
well ... if rafie is living in Israel - it might explain why not much is being done domestically to solve the issue ... it's clear his entire perception of what has happened not just with this floatilla but in general is far different than ours ...
Even Egypt is actively participating in the blockade. .
I will just comment on this point because there is some news about this:
Reuters today: "Egypt opens Gaza border after Israel ship clash
Tue Jun 1, 2010 8:33am EDT
GAZA (Reuters) - Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, letting Palestinians cross until further notice amid a storm of international criticism of Israel's blockade of the enclave, officials in Egypt and Gaza said."
....It is the only point on Gaza's borders that is not fully controlled by Israel......
.....An Egyptian security source told Reuters: "Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to allow humanitarian and medical aid to enter the Strip.
"The border will remain open for an unlimited time," the source said, letting Palestinians enter and leave Egypt...."
Unfortunately, there are still restrictions: ""Hard materials" -- apparently including concrete and steel which Gazans want to repair damage from last year's Israeli offensive -- would have to go via Israel, the Egyptian source said. Israel has made clear since it halted a Turkish-backed aid convoy at sea on Monday that it will not ease its embargo." http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6502H820100601
It's a start. Maybe soon Egypt will have enough balls to ignore dictates by Israel and allow building materials in.
The blockade on the Gaza strip is sanctioned by world powers.
Oh dear Rafie, you got the wrong end of the stick again. The UN resolutions (to which Israel does not comply) call for the LIFTING of the blockade! So you see, world powers do not sanction this, do they?
Hello D, I never said that I was proud or happy that people got killed, but I am deffinately not ashamed.
You should be ashamed. You should be very ashamed. Spouting such bullshit in an attempt to defend the murder of at least ten civilian aid workers in yet another act of international terrorism by Israel is truly shameful.
I won't waste my time responding to the rest of your post as it's just pure horseshit.
I don't know nearly as much as some of you about this situation but one thing seems clear to me; rationalism is never going to be the solution. There is no logical and reason-based approach to fixing this situation. Even creating a Palestinian country is no solution because there would be disputes over what land they get, how much land, the quality of that land, more people would be displaced to create the country, and inevitably conflict will continue. The only solution is for people to evolve and realize we're all one (literally) and to forget all the bullshit ideologies that allow us to kill each other in the name of god or country. That might sound ideological but I firmly believe this is the way to peace. What is standing in the way of this evolution? - morality, prescribed nonsense, and the need for power and dominance. These are all functions of the ego, so peace means killing the ego. You know, they make chemicals that will do that extremely quickly.
Everything not forbidden is compulsory and eveything not compulsory is forbidden. You are free... free to do what the government says you can do.
Even creating a Palestinian country is no solution because there would be disputes over what land they get, how much land, the quality of that land, more people would be displaced to create the country, and inevitably conflict will continue.
There is an agreement, pre-1967 borders + right to return.
Even creating a Palestinian country is no solution because there would be disputes over what land they get, how much land, the quality of that land, more people would be displaced to create the country, and inevitably conflict will continue.
There is an agreement, pre-1967 borders + right to return.
An agreement between who? If there is an agreement why isn't it done?
(I know I'm displaying my ignorance on this subject)
Everything not forbidden is compulsory and eveything not compulsory is forbidden. You are free... free to do what the government says you can do.
An agreement between who? If there is an agreement why isn't it done?
(I know I'm displaying my ignorance on this subject)
because israel does not want to give up what it has taken ... there is a strong populace of right wing hardliners that are pro-expansion ... they have had significant influence in every israeli gov't for the last while ... they are not interested in making peace deals ... as we speak - settlers continue to expand into land that is not theirs ...
United Nations Security Council Resolution xxx (I can't remember the number and no time to google at the moment).
Agreement may be the wrong word as Israel does not agree to anything.
An agreement between who? If there is an agreement why isn't it done?
(I know I'm displaying my ignorance on this subject)
because israel does not want to give up what it has taken ... there is a strong populace of right wing hardliners that are pro-expansion ... they have had significant influence in every israeli gov't for the last while ... they are not interested in making peace deals ... as we speak - settlers continue to expand into land that is not theirs ...
LOL!!! kinda like the US and Mexico, not to offend but the whole world is fighting over lines in the dirt, someone said in another thread that world peace would be great and I posted "it will never happen" and this is why,every goverment and every people around the world want's that line in the dirt and do not want anybody else crossing it...not just the US but everybody it's called national pride or just keeping what people think is rightfully theirs, well it's just the way I see it happening :?
An agreement between who? If there is an agreement why isn't it done?
(I know I'm displaying my ignorance on this subject)
because israel does not want to give up what it has taken ... there is a strong populace of right wing hardliners that are pro-expansion ... they have had significant influence in every israeli gov't for the last while ... they are not interested in making peace deals ... as we speak - settlers continue to expand into land that is not theirs ...
They have disproportionate influence. Because Israel has ~20 different political parties, the parties need to form alliances to get any kind of majority power in the Knesset. So the right-wing orthodox who are responsible for the settlements and who only have maybe 12-13% of the vote end up wielding quite a bit of power. There are political parties in Israel who are against the settlements, etc, but they can't get anything done.
They have disproportionate influence. Because Israel has ~20 different political parties, the parties need to form alliances to get any kind of majority power in the Knesset. So the right-wing orthodox who are responsible for the settlements and who only have maybe 12-13% of the vote end up wielding quite a bit of power. There are political parties in Israel who are against the settlements, etc, but they can't get anything done.
The UN Resolution is 242.
Yes ... it doesn't matter who wins the election - it always seems to appear they need to court their support to hold power ... but at 12-13% as you say - that is a significant number considering the number of parties that exist ...
how cool would be to live both (israelian-palestinian) in the area in peace..how fuckin cool..
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
but at 12-13% as you say - that is a significant number considering the number of parties that exist ...
Yeah, very significant considering that elections there are won with less than 30% of the vote. Not so significant when viewed as a subset of an entire population.
Comments
Maybe that explains why Malnutrition rates in the Gaza Strip are as bad as those in sub-Saharan Africa?:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 68896.html
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9308.shtml
'According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 10.7 percet of Gazan children aged under five are now suffering stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. Dr al-Wahaidi describes the figure as "shocking," pointing out that neighboring Arab countries have child stunting rates of less than six percent.'
Sure they did. And I'm the fucking Easter Bunny! :P
No Israeli soldier was lynched. Are you tripping on acid?
The aid ships weren't attacked in territorial waters. They were attacked in international waters. Israel has been accused of state terrorism, and rightly so. Those murdering bastards belong in the Hague. Stop making excuses for them and stop trying to justify the slaughter of civilians. It's a fucking disgrace.
From what the prime minister was saying, Turkey is not going to let it go...
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Exactly. One is not relying on just one or two sources, possibly censored.
Wow! I've really seen it all now. I never thought I'd see the Message Board sink so low. This really takes the biscuit.
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Are you a Pearl Jam fan or just an Israeli internet stooge?
I see you've just posted 28 posts of Pro-Israeli bullshit. Do you think everybody on this forum is an idiot?
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
That's not the reason for the blockade at all. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. The Gaza blockade came into effect as a result of Palestinians voting for the wrong party. The blockade is a crime against humanity. Period.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539363,00.html
'The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay said the Gaza blockade amounts to collective punishment of civilians, which is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of warfare and occupation.
She cited the conventions' requirement that "no protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited."
Making excuses for the collective punishment of 1.5 million people is disgraceful.
( note; dated 19th of may, not sure if its already been mentioned here )
Although i enjoy his music I'm almost ashamed to say that i dont own any of his records, but his actions are certainly applauded, especially given the current situation.
but is better to be ashane for this action last night..really better to think it a little..all the world see and understand this was unnecessary violence
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Well then he certainly has a higher moral bar than Morrissey or Paul McCartney.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/ma ... tilla-gaza
Israel accused of state terrorism after assault on flotilla carrying Gaza aid
At least nine activists killed and dozens more wounded by Israeli naval commandos
* Harriet Sherwood in Ashdod
* guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 May 2010
Israel was engulfed by a wave of global condemnation tonight after a botched assault on a flotilla carrying aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip ended in carnage and a diplomatic crisis involving the UN security council.
At least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed as Israeli naval commandos stormed the largest ship in the flotilla carrying passengers. Dozens more were wounded and evacuated by helicopter to Israeli coastal hospitals.
Israel said more than 10 of its troops were injured, two seriously, in the battle that began early yesterday morning in international waters, about 40 miles from the coast of Gaza.
The UN security council was due to meet tonight in emergency session and Turkey, whose relations with Israel have been severely strained since the war in Gaza in 2008-9, called for Nato to convene over the military assault. The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who ordered the recall of the country's ambassador to Israel, described the operation as "state terrorism" and said Israel had violated international law. "We are not going to remain silent in the face of this inhumane state terrorism," he said.
Israel immediately imposed a communications blackout on the detained activists while simultaneously launching a sophisticated public relations operation to ensure its version of events was dominant. Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who defended the assault, put off a meeting with US president Barack Obama at the White House scheduled for tomorrow to fly back to deal with the crisis.
Activists with less serious injuries began to trickle into Israeli hospitals late this afternoon. There were believed to be about 27 British civilians aboard the flotilla. Most of the dead were reported to be Turkish nationals.
The deaths and injuries were condemned by the UN, EU and other countries. The US, in contrast, was initially restrained in its response, expressing regret and saying it was "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy".
UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, condemned the violence and called for an investigation. "I am shocked by reports of killing of people in boats carrying supply to Gaza. I heard the ships were in international water. That is very bad."
The foreign secretary, William Hague, issued a statement "deploring" the loss of life. "There is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations," he said.
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, described the storming of the flotilla as a "massacre" and called for three days of national mourning. Israel's navy had promised to exercise restraint in dealing with the flotilla, and the bloodshed will inevitably leave Israel open to charges of a disproportionate response involving excessive force.
The government, however, was robust in defending its actions, saying its troops had been provoked and attacked by activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, the biggest of the passenger-carrying ships in the flotilla.
However, some Israeli commentators expressed reservations about the operation, fearing that it would leave Israel internationally isolated. Alon Liel, a former Israeli ambassador to Turkey, told the Guardian the situation could have been averted. "Definitely we made mistakes and in retrospect anything would have been better – including letting the boats reach Gaza," he said.
The assault began at 4.30am as the convoy was heading to Gaza to deliver its cargo of aid. According to a spokeswoman for Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Avital Leibovich, officers aboard its warships gave the activists several warnings before commandos were winched from helicopters on to the deck of the Mavi Marmara.
"We found ourselves in the middle of a lynching," she told reporters in the Israeli port of Ashdod. Around 10 activists attacked commandos, she said, relieving them of their pistols.
"We didn't look for confrontation but it was a massive attack," she said. "What happened was a last resort."
It was impossible to contact protesters on the ships, but the Free Gaza Movement, one of the organisers of the flotilla, said the IDF had started the violence, firing as soon as they boarded the ship. Leibovich defended Israel's action in international waters, saying it was permissible when a country's security was threatened.
The Mavi Marmara was brought into port at Ashdod, 23 miles north of Gaza City, tonight following the earlier arrival of two other passenger ships. The area was closed to the media.
Activists were expected to be processed in a large white tent on the quayside, where they would be offered the choice of immediate deportation to their country of origin or going through the lengthy process of the Israeli courts system.
The Israeli authorities gave no details of the injuries to activists. It confirmed that nine were dead, although government sources suggested the figure could rise.
The flotilla was trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been enforced for the past three years.
Israel advised its nationals in Turkey to leave the country for fear of reprisals. A luxury liner, Magic 1, was diverted from the Turkish coast to Cyprus.
Israeli police cancelled leave and the army was on high alert, saying it feared possible rocket attacks from Islamist militants in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Hard to disagree with this logic.
Hello D, I never said that I was proud or happy that people got killed, but I am deffinately not ashamed. I agree with you 100% that the violance was unnecessary on both sides.
I am ignoring all the news commentary on the subject and base my opinions and writings here solely on the video footage that I have seen from the incidint. Please give me a link to footage you have seen, but until now I have not seen any footage of soilders opening fire directly after or before landing on the ship. Quite the opposite is true. Both the footage that the IDF has released and the footage I have seen taken by the activists clearly show that the soilders were brutally attacked once they landed on the ship. I will gladly eat my words if show otherwise but so far I have only seen that the soilders defended themselves in a life threatining situation.
Gaza is not an independent country. The blockade on the Gaza strip is sanctioned by world powers. Even Egypt is actively participating in the blockade. There is no double standard here.
There is no Israeli presence in the Gaza strip. Whether you ike it or not, Israel supplies The citizans of Gaza every week with hundreds of tons of supplies - despite the fact that Hamas denies to acknowledge Israels right to exist. Israel is a nation just like any other in the world and was founded with the U.N. approval. The palestinians on the other hand do not yet have a nation or leadership of their own (hamas in gaza and the PLO in the west bank).I think that the best possible thing that could happen to Israel is for the Palestinians to have their own nation and to finally leave us alone. The problem with that is that Hamas leadership has repeatedly stated in the past that they will not rest until Israel is erased from the map. I am sad to say that there are quite a few people on this forum who would love to see that happen and continue to spew hate here in disguise of justice.
2010: 9/7/10 - Bilbao
2012: 26-27/6/12 - Amsterdam ~~ 29/6/12 - Werchter ~~ 4-5/7/12 - Berlin
2014: 25/6/14 - Vienna ~~ 26/6/14 - Berlin
I will just comment on this point because there is some news about this:
Reuters today: "Egypt opens Gaza border after Israel ship clash
Tue Jun 1, 2010 8:33am EDT
GAZA (Reuters) - Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, letting Palestinians cross until further notice amid a storm of international criticism of Israel's blockade of the enclave, officials in Egypt and Gaza said."
....It is the only point on Gaza's borders that is not fully controlled by Israel......
.....An Egyptian security source told Reuters: "Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to allow humanitarian and medical aid to enter the Strip.
"The border will remain open for an unlimited time," the source said, letting Palestinians enter and leave Egypt...."
Unfortunately, there are still restrictions: ""Hard materials" -- apparently including concrete and steel which Gazans want to repair damage from last year's Israeli offensive -- would have to go via Israel, the Egyptian source said. Israel has made clear since it halted a Turkish-backed aid convoy at sea on Monday that it will not ease its embargo."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6502H820100601
It's a start. Maybe soon Egypt will have enough balls to ignore dictates by Israel and allow building materials in.
Maybe Israel can leave the Palestinians alone? What about that?
Oh dear Rafie, you got the wrong end of the stick again. The UN resolutions (to which Israel does not comply) call for the LIFTING of the blockade! So you see, world powers do not sanction this, do they?
You should be ashamed. You should be very ashamed. Spouting such bullshit in an attempt to defend the murder of at least ten civilian aid workers in yet another act of international terrorism by Israel is truly shameful.
I won't waste my time responding to the rest of your post as it's just pure horseshit.
Good night!
There is an agreement, pre-1967 borders + right to return.
An agreement between who? If there is an agreement why isn't it done?
(I know I'm displaying my ignorance on this subject)
because israel does not want to give up what it has taken ... there is a strong populace of right wing hardliners that are pro-expansion ... they have had significant influence in every israeli gov't for the last while ... they are not interested in making peace deals ... as we speak - settlers continue to expand into land that is not theirs ...
Agreement may be the wrong word as Israel does not agree to anything.
LOL!!! kinda like the US and Mexico, not to offend but the whole world is fighting over lines in the dirt, someone said in another thread that world peace would be great and I posted "it will never happen" and this is why,every goverment and every people around the world want's that line in the dirt and do not want anybody else crossing it...not just the US but everybody it's called national pride or just keeping what people think is rightfully theirs, well it's just the way I see it happening :?
Godfather.
They have disproportionate influence. Because Israel has ~20 different political parties, the parties need to form alliances to get any kind of majority power in the Knesset. So the right-wing orthodox who are responsible for the settlements and who only have maybe 12-13% of the vote end up wielding quite a bit of power. There are political parties in Israel who are against the settlements, etc, but they can't get anything done.
The UN Resolution is 242.
Yes ... it doesn't matter who wins the election - it always seems to appear they need to court their support to hold power ... but at 12-13% as you say - that is a significant number considering the number of parties that exist ...
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Agreed. Sadly.
Yeah, very significant considering that elections there are won with less than 30% of the vote. Not so significant when viewed as a subset of an entire population.