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Israel up to their shenanigans again
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| zoogla |
| quote: | Bloody Israeli raid on flotilla sparks crisis
By STEVEN GUTKIN
Associated Press Writer
May 31, 2010
Israeli commandos rappelled down to an aid flotilla sailing to thwart a Gaza blockade on Monday, clashing with pro-Palestinian activists on the lead ship in a botched raid that left at least nine passengers dead.
Bloodied passengers sprawled on the deck and troops dived into the sea to save themselves during several hours of hand-to-hand fighting that injured dozens of activists and six soldiers. Hundreds of activists were towed from the international waters to Israeli detention centers and hospitals.
International condemnation was swift and harsh as Israel scrambled to explain how what was meant to be a simple takeover of a civilian vessel went so badly awry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly canceled a planned meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington to rush home. The global reaction appeared likely to increase pressure to end the embargo that has plunged Gaza's 1.5 million residents deeper into poverty.
Most of the information about what happened on the single ship where violence broke out came from Israel, which cut off all communication to and from the activists and provided testimony and video evidence that its soldiers came under attack by activists armed with metal rods, knives, slingshots and two pistols snatched from the troops.
Passengers reached at an Israeli hospital and journalists aboard the ship accused the soldiers of using excessive force. One passenger, who identified himself as American, spoke briefly with reporters.
"I'm not violent. What I can tell you is that there are bruises all over my body. They won't let me show them to you," he said before he was pushed away by a security escort.
A soldier identified only as a sergeant told reporters at a military briefing that the activists on board "were armed with knives, scissors, pepper spray and guns." He said he was armed only with a paintball rifle. "It was a civilian paintball gun that any 12-year-old can play with," he said. "I saw my friends on the deck spitting blood."
The high-seas confrontation was a nightmare scenario for Israel, which insisted its soldiers were simply unprepared for what awaited them on the Mavi Marmara, the ship carrying 600 of the 700 activists headed for Gaza. Instead of carrying their regular automatic rifles, the Israelis said they went in with non-lethal paintball guns and pistols they never expected to use.
Israel intercepted the six ships carrying some 10,000 tons of aid for the isolated seaside territory, which has been blockaded by Israel for three years, with Egypt's cooperation. The Israeli government had urged the flotilla not to try to breach the blockade before the ships set sail from waters off Cyprus on Sunday and offered to take some aid in for them.
Israel has allowed ships through five times, but has blocked them from entering Gaza waters since a three-week military offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers in January 2009.
Key regional ally Turkey withdrew its ambassador on Monday, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency session, the British foreign secretary demanded an end to the blockade of Gaza, and Jordan called Israel's raid a "heinous crime."
An al-Jazeera journalist delivering a report before Israel cut communications said Israel fired at the vessel before boarding it. In one web posting, a Turkish television reporter on the boat cried out, "These savages are killing people here, please help" — a broadcast that ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, "Everybody shut up!"
The military said naval commandos descending from a helicopter onto the deck of a Turkish-flagged ship were assaulted by armed activists. Military footage showed activists swarming around the commandos as they rappelled from a helicopter one by one, hitting them with sticks until they fell to the deck, throwing one off the ship and hurling what the military said was a firebomb.
Speaking alongside the Canadian prime minister, Netanyahu expressed "regret" for the loss of life but said the soldiers "had to defend themselves, defend their lives, or they would have been killed."
Activists said Israeli naval commandos stormed the ships after ordering them to stop in international waters, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) from Gaza's coast.
A spokeswoman for the Free Gaza movement, which organized the flotilla, said the group's goal — beyond just bringing supplies to the impoverished territory — was to shatter the blockade.
"What we're trying to do is open a sea lane between Gaza and the rest of the world," Greta Berlin said in Cyprus. "We're not trying to be a humanitarian mission. We're trying to say to the world, 'You have no right to imprison a million and a half Palestinians.'"
Israel's international image had already taken a beating from allegations that it committed war crimes during its 2008-2009 winter war in Gaza, and from widespread global opposition to the blockade. Hamas was also accused of rights violations in that conflict.
Relations with Turkey, a key supporter of the aid flotilla but also until recently Israel's staunchest ally in the Muslim world, were badly damaged by Monday's events, possibly irreparably. Ankara announced it would recall its ambassador and call off all military exercises with Israel. Around 10,000 Turks marched in protest.
At the U.N., Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the raid "murder conducted by a state" and demanded an immediate Israeli apology, international legal action and an end to the blockade.
The bloody showdown came at a sensitive time for Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Netanyahu had hoped to receive a high-profile expression of support from Obama after months of strained relations over Israeli settlement construction.
Obama voiced "deep regret," over the raids, and the White House said he and Netanyahu agreed by phone to reschedule White House talks. The U.S. recently began mediating indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians following a 17-month breakdown in contacts.
Israel's immediate concern on Monday was what to do about the boats and their passengers. It ferried the wounded to hospitals by helicopter and towed the six ships to port, giving each of the activists a choice of deportation or detention.
By late Monday, about 150 of the activists — most from Turkey — had been taken off the boats, Israeli Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Haddad said, adding the process would continue into Tuesday. She said about 30 had agreed to be deported, and the rest would be detained.
A commando who spoke to reporters on a naval vessel off the coast, identified only as "A," said he and his comrades were taken off guard by a group of Arabic-speaking men when they rappelled onto the deck. He said some of the soldiers were stripped of their helmets and their pistols and some had jumped overboard to escape the violence.
A high-ranking naval official displayed a box confiscated from the boat containing switchblades, slingshots, metal balls and metal bats.
Turkey's NTV network showed activists beating one commando with sticks as he landed on deck. Dr. Arnon Afek, deputy director of Chaim Sheba Medical Center outside Tel Aviv, said two commandos were brought in with gunshot wounds. Another had serious head wounds, Afek added.
At Barzilai hospital in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, a few activists trickled in under military escort, claiming they had been beaten during the assault.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli "massacre" and declared three days of mourning across the West Bank.
Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the rival Hamas government in Gaza, condemned the "brutal" Israeli attack and called on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene.
After nightfall, Hamas-linked militants fired a rocket that exploded in Israel, the militants and the Israeli military said. Nobody was hurt. The militants said the rocket attack was in response to Israel's raid on the flotilla.
___
Associated Press Writers Tia Goldenberg aboard the Israeli warship INS Kidon, Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. |
http://www.ap.org
I mean, I can understand the use of force against knives and what appeared to be guns, because that's a perceived threat on a soldier's life, but there could have been more diplomatic ways to handle this attempt to break the blockade, especially when you have international public support for their cause (albeit -disturbing). Goes to my long held belief that Israel has to make another leap of faith to allow wealth sharing and trade with the Palestinians which will naturally take power away from the Hamas. Rabin knew what he was doing; Israel needs another far-sighted visionary to have peace. |
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| Rodrico |
| Im gonna go out on a limb here and say...you probably deserved it. |
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| Marcus Summers |
soon... |
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| zoogla |
| quote: | Originally posted by Rodrico
Im gonna go out on a limb here and say...you probably deserved it. |
Well, for some reason the rest of the planet is condemning it. Just sayin'. |
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| Rodrico |
| quote: | Originally posted by fayraree
Well, for some reason the rest of the planet is condemning it. Just sayin'. |
Dont be a follower, be a leader. You should be thanking Isreal. |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| quote: | Originally posted by Rodrico
Dont be a follower, be a leader. You should be thanking Isreal. |
I thank the jews for the nice weather we had today... Was about to get all 1940 on their ass for the rain this weekend though. |
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| The17sss |
| quote: | Originally posted by fayraree
Well, for some reason the rest of the planet is condemning it. Just sayin'. |
That's typical of knee-jerk media actually; all the sheep are taking the bait as usual. You're making it sound like they stormed an innocent boat without warning and, bloodthirsty pigs they are, raped and pillaged.
Luckily, the IDF filmed everything this time.... and what at film is was. The so called "humanitarians" on the boat in question were really members of the extremist group IHH and said they would plow through the blockade, refused several warnings, then refused a security inspection, and when the IDF boarded the boat, the pro-Palestinian "humanitarians" were waiting with ready made steel pipes, knives, and other weapons. It was pre-planned and the IDF are suckers for falling for the ploy. The videos show THEM opening fire on the IDF, stabbing an IDF soldier, overhwelming them and tossing one overboard, and they wrestled a rifle from an Israeli soldier and tried to shoot him with it, which is when he drew his handgun and shot him in self defense.
Tell me if this makes sense: the Israeli Navy requested the ships to redirect toward the Ashdod port where they would be able to unload their aid supplies and assurred they'd be transferred over to the Gaza Strip after undergoing security inspections. Knowing their supplies would reach the desired destination, they chose to go towards the blockade anyway. Why is this? Ask Gaza-Based Yemeni Professor Abd Al-Fatah Nu'man who said this: | quote: | | As Much As the Heroes on the Flotilla Want to Reach Gaza, the Option of Martyrdom Is More Desirable to Them – Al-Aqsa TV, May 28, 2010 |
This very thing was predicted 3 days ago by Israeli journalist Avi Trengo when he said this (that the IDF was sailing into a trap):
| quote: | Anyone who is yet to understand how Hamas controls Israel will have another opportunity to get it via the Gaza-bound flotilla organized by ISM provocateurs (who this time chose to call themselves "Free Gaza.") The move aims to illustrate to the world how brutal and stupid Israel's occupation is.
The problem is that because of the defense minister's childish conduct, the ISM will again defeat the IDF: Navy commandoes will raid the ships and the whole world will see an "upside down Exodus" – the activists will play the role of refugees, while we shall play the role of British thugs. Yet another photo to add to Israel's album of folly. |
Let me guess... you swallowed what Al Jazeera fed you hook, line, and sinker? |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| quote: | Originally posted by The17sss
That's typical of knee-jerk media actually; all the sheep are taking the bait as usual. You're making it sound like they stormed an innocent boat without warning and, bloodthirsty pigs they are, raped and pillaged.
Luckily, the IDF filmed everything this time.... and what at film is was. The so called "humanitarians" on the boat in question were really members of the extremist group IHH and said they would plow through the blockade, refused several warnings, then refused a security inspection, and when the IDF boarded the boat, the pro-Palestinian "humanitarians" were waiting with ready made steel pipes, knives, and other weapons. It was pre-planned and the IDF are suckers for falling for the ploy. The videos show THEM opening fire on the IDF, stabbing an IDF soldier, overhwelming them and tossing one overboard, and they wrestled a rifle from an Israeli soldier and tried to shoot him with it, which is when he drew his handgun and shot him in self defense.
Tell me if this makes sense: the Israeli Navy requested the ships to redirect toward the Ashdod port where they would be able to unload their aid supplies and assurred they'd be transferred over to the Gaza Strip after undergoing security inspections. Knowing their supplies would reach the desired destination, they chose to go towards the blockade anyway. Why is this? Ask Gaza-Based Yemeni Professor Abd Al-Fatah Nu'man who said this:
This very thing was predicted 3 days ago by Israeli journalist Avi Trengo when he said this:
Let me guess... you swallowed what Al Jazeera fed you hook, line, and sinker? |
And the Israelis want to starve out Hamas, which includes the civilians around them. it, its war. Its a shame the IDF helicopter didn't crash and burn into the sea in my humble opinion. |
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| Marcus Summers |
| The blockade is illegal. It's as simple as that. Israel. |
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| Abercrombie |
| The Israelis were dumb for falling for a suicide mission of the last boat which its purpose was to become martyrs (they declared death to the Jews before leaving port). They fell into the trap. It's way too early for this thread anyways... way too many knee-jerk reactions before evidence comes out like said before. |
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| aNYthing |
what really gets on my ing nerves is the two-facedness of the situation. Imagine any real "superpower": China, Russia, USA, England, etc. Now imagine a bunch of twats that were told: don't ing come here. Now, aforementioned twats get on the boat and say: you, your authority, your regulation - we don't recognize you and we'll do whatever we feel like.
Now, please point out ANY GOVERNMENT of any country that would stand by and allow this sort of trespass for any reason. Somehow, I imagine that had China, UK, Russia or US pulled similar type of reaction - the international community would be like "wag wag, tsk tstk, that's not cool". But the moment Israel does it - "Oh, them ing nazi jews, ing s, yada yada yada"
ING HYPOCRITES - ANY SINGLE ONE OF YOU THAT THINKS THAT ISRAEL WAS OUT OF LINE.
ing cunts wanted to create controversy, were told to GTFO or dock in Ashod to be inspected but they desided to go violent on special forces that boarded the ship after MULTIPLE WARNINGS.
If you stick your head in lions mouth, don't be surprised if one of these days he bites it off. Serves them right. Any sovereign nation has a right to control their borders and control the situation within these borders. If you disagree - you need a reality check.
These cunts were trying to de-legimatise Israel's government, were warned in advance, went violent and wonder why it turned out this way.
I wonder how many of you hypocrites here would react differently if it were your country that did the same, given the circumstances.
all ya two faced kunts that come in here to say that it is good for the goose but the gander for doing the same. |
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