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Ship Exodus, captured by the British after a fierce firefight with Jewish passengers (N.Y. Times)
This is the Hebrew Wikipedia entry about the ship Exodus, which attempted to break the British blockade of Palestinians while filled with Holocaust survivors and others seeking a new life in freedom after suffering under the boot of Nazi tyranny:
At 2:30AM on July 18, 1947, a half day before the Exodus was scheduled to reach the shores of the land of Israel, it was rammed by British destroyers. At the time it was 20 miles from the port of Jaffa. The British succeeded in getting 50 soldiers on board in the midst of smoke bombs and tear gas grenades in order to capture the pilothouse. This plan failed because the ship’s captain piloted it from a second pilot house. The British were met with weapons prepared in advance and [the ship's passengers] opened fire. After a fierce struggle that resulted in three deaths including the first mate and tens of wounded, the ship’s captain, Yossi Harel, surrendered and the ship was brought to Haifa, where the passengers were forcibly boarded onto vessels and deported.
Mavi Marmara: Gaza Exodus ship
The N.Y. Times’ Lede Blog notes that the incident with the Exodus helped rally the sympathy of the world for the budding Jewish state and eventually led the British to end their Mandate. Israel’s attack on the flotilla could play perhaps a smaller, but similar role–especially if it helps end the notorious Gaza siege.
It seems that when the blockade runners are Jews fleeing Nazism, Israel sympathizes. But when the blockade runners are supporting the freedom of Gazans, it’s a horse of a different color. I wonder why?
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Tags: gaza-siege, Israel Defense Forces
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I think there is a difference still. The passengers of the Exodus were affected themselves. They fled Europe, they sought a new home where they can live their lives. So they have a greater reason to be desperate and fight back. They never claimed (as far as I understand it) to be peace activists.
The people on the turkish ship were not affected themselves by the siege of Gaza. They were underway on a political action they decided to do, but it wasn’t for themselves, but for people they think are in need (which is a honourable thing).
But they are not as directly affected as the passengers of the Exodus back then, so I think, this makes a difference.
These are meaningless distinctions. The Gaza flotilla activists were deeply affected by the suffering of Gaza, just as many Jews are deeply affected & intimately engaged in the suffering of Israelis. They had every right to do what they did. Those in Gaza are also attempting to make a new home for themselves in an independent Palestine. That’s the issue, not how directly affected the flotilla passengers were by Gaza’s suffering.
The difference between the two is obvious. One was a ship of refugees trying to reach their home. The other is group of political activists trying to accomplish some goal by deliberately provoking a violent engagement to be seen on TV. A circus, really.
The comparison between the two ships is really superficial. It would have had merit if the members of the convoy intended to live in Gaza for a long time, in effect to make Gaza their home as Exodus’ passengers did in Israel.
Somehow, I doubt there would have been a convoy if it’s purpose was to settle in Gaza and help them rebuilt and live normal lives. Hamas would have handed them a reality check really quickly.
That’s ridiculous. THey were EUROPEAN refugees, not Israelis. That’s why the British violently intercepted them. Which is similar to the way in which the Gaza flotilla was intercepted.
In the case of the Exodus, the passengers were fleeing persecution & seeking freedom. In the case of the flotilla the passengers were attempting to support an imprisoned people who seek their own home and nation. Virtually the same thing despite all yr sophistry.
What I find interesting is the need for some Zionists to always turn the narrative back to Jewish suffering. This narcissism prevents them from seeing clearly the reality of Palestinian suffering. And here it is again, the comparison of the Exodus to the flotilla, like comparing apples to oranges.
And it’s also similar to the Israeli tactic of acting aggressively and then somehow miraculously becoming the victims.
I didn’t say there were no similarities at all.
[comment deleted for comment rule violation]
@mary:
I think this is the basic pattern for both sides: Aggression and then playing the victim. I think one big step would be if we did not speak of Israelis and Palestinians, but of aggressors (the leadership and those who follow willingly) and the victims (those directly affected by the aggressions).
I think getting this distinction rather than Palestinian-Israeli distinction in people’s heads could add to solve the conflict.