Recent Ship to Gaza turmoil

TubbaBlubba

I'm sure you've all heard about it - a substantial group of people, most of them being peace advocates and the like - have been attempting to ship some food, tents, concrete and other supplies to gaza via a completely peacefull convoy.

Of course, Israel's military doesn't like this, and attacked the vessels, I believe 6, on international waters. So far I've heard numbers of around 20 seriously injured people, some of them possibly being among the top muslim peace advocates.

I haven't heard very much specifics, and the Israeli military is very strict with letting any information out regarding injured, dead, etc.

To me, this basically constitutes an essential form of state terrorism. I don't know how much longer the west will condone Israel's actions, but I don't hope it's much longer. And I dread to see how Iran and the like will react to this.

It's just such a pity that they couldn't just get there and help people, instead the Israeli military has to turn this into some weaponized conflict...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/10195838.stm - BBC says "more than ten" dead.

Geigerclick

They had a blockade, and a group which knew this, had protesters ready before the ship ever "sailed" decided to do this. The IDF acted in typical fashion, which is to say, with jack-boots. The issue of who reacts here, is going to be Turkey, not Iran. Turkey is PISSED.

That said, these people who organized this "relief vessel" (read: propaganda tool) knew that the Israeli government couldn't afford to let this slide. They are getting exactly what they want, attention for their "cause", and the fact that they took this terrible risk to get it didn't stop them. The IDF used overkill, but the people who chose to set this into motion are ultimately to blame in this.

This is a political stunt at the expense of lives on the part of several pro-palestinian groups, who stood to win if Israel backed off their existing blockade, or win in the case of the use of force. Israel should learn that this is not an effective way to conduct business, but when a country has a military blockade and you sail into it... you're taking your life into your own hands.

This is a stunt by The Free Gaza Movement, and IHH, and I find it disgusting.

TubbaBlubba

I see your point. Obviously they were hoping for Israel to react this way, but that in no way condones Israel's actions.

Geigerclick

Agreed, it takes a degree of stupidity to play into the hands of groups such as this, and unless some proof of violence started by the ship's passengers is shown, this would seem to be a case of grotesque overkill. I don't understand why the IDF chose to board the ship, instead of using naval assets to keep it offshore.

TubbaBlubba

The problem in all of this is that the west tends to be RIDICULOUSLY apologetic to Israel to a point of sheer absurdity, in particular the US.

Whether this has to do with religion, holocaust guilt or just general hate of muslims, I don't know.


Though it seems to have gotten to a point - Even our (Sweden's) foreign minister, Carl Bildt, in my opinion a rather egotistical and conservative man who's mostly interested in his own business in oil and weapon dealing, has been somewhat critical of Israel, and he supported the invasion of Iraq.

OmCheeto

I've been following the story for about a week on Al Jazeera. I'd seen no mention of it on any other news media until today. Here's what I know:

Both Israel and Egypt offered to allow the ships to land outside of Gaza, have the cargo inspected by UN officials, and allow non-weapons to enter.

The flotilla organizers refused the offers.

[Judgement]I'll let god decide who gets to go to hell over this mess.[/Judgement]

signerror

Complete lies. The "peace advocates" instigated the conflict with vicious assaults.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomac...ch-us-1.293089

But you don't need to rely on their word alone: here's two separate video recordings. (WARNING: real violence). This is one is from an IDF helicopter at short range (excellent bird's-eye view):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU12KW-XyZE

(YouTube channel is official IDF representatives)

And here's a Turkish camera on the ship:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/mid...t/10195838.stm

See e.g. 0:10 and 0:22 to see IDF soldiers getting beaten with crowbars by "unarmed peace activists".

waht

9 people were killed

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100531/...l_palestinians

and also another site reported that on that ship was a retired US army colonel, an 80 year old holocaust survivor, and a Nobel laureate. But we don't know whether or not they were killed.

signerror

By the way, none of this was unexpected. Here's a series of articles in Haaretz (Israeli newspaper), all of which predate the incident:
MESS Report / Aid flotilla won't alter the humanitarian situation in Gaza

(Prescient!)
Hamas: Flotilla shows whole world opposes Gaza siege

IDF vows to block 'Freedom Flotilla' aid convoy to Gaza

Israel will try to block flotilla from reaching Gaza, but will let aid through

Count Iblis

A stupid action by Israel. It is true that Israel was provoked, but then that's the whole point of all demonstrations/potests. Unless Israel can prove that this was a weapon shipment that would have posed a significant threat to Israeli security had it been allowed to go ahead, Israel has violated international law.

Compare what Israel has done to the actions we see off the coast of Somalia, where force is only used if it is really necessary and very often the Somali pirates are free to go after the are disarmed. I would then say that the Israeli action looks far more like the action of the Somali pirates than that of the NATO forces.

waht

Israel controls Gaza's coastline (legally or illegally) and so how does one reconcile the fact that a ship is heading to Gaza (legally or illegally)?

Flat

Here is the story from yesterday about the convy: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/...est/index.html

So in other words this was more of a publicity to try to provoke Isreal (success).

shoehorn

I suppose that makes the murder of perhaps nineteen people okay then.

tiny-tim

(nineteen or nine?)

Seems to have been self-defence …

the BBC has been running a video showing quite clearly, amongst other things, these "peace activists" beating one fallen israeli soldier with iron bars.

pallidin

Sometimes, cutting-off "humanitarian" supplies cut's-off a relief to terrorists.
I have no problem with that.
It's a bastard situation, after all.

OmCheeto

Perhaps if the "Peace" activist's had not assaulted with steel pipes, stabbed, and shot the Israeli soldiers, there would have been no repercussive "murders".

Perhaps these "Peace" activist's should have taken some hints from American "Peace Activist's".

OmCheeto

There never was a cut off of "humanitarian" supplies.
The United Arab Emirates routinely sends in truckloads of supplies to Gaza.

But I agree with your assessment, that this is a bastard of a situation.