UPDATE VI: Israeli Channel 2 reports 20 murdered via Dimi Reider
UPDATE V: New Hasbara effort to blame victims for their murder. IDF claims activists attempted to wrestle IDF arms away from soldiers. I urge every journalist who reports this story to remember the history of lies for which the IDF is known in such embarrassing situations. This report is NOT verified or authenticated and should not be treated as such.
UPDATE IV: Bitter historical irony–remember the Holocaust survivors who ran the British blockade of Palestine in order to reach freedom? What has Israel done? What has it become? H/t Dan Sieradski
UPDATE III: Maariv reports IDF threatened use of live fire against Gaza flotilla before ships departed:
“We have a very great fear of acts of terror being perpetrated from these ships. We have no idea whether terrorists may’ve boarded these boats,” explained a senior officer. “We wish to avoid the use of force, but at the moment there is a danger to life for our troops, we will use live fire.”
In the language of the IDF, this was not a threat, this was a promise.
UPDATE II: The Hasbara apparatus is in full throttle. Maariv reports that foreign news sources (which it conveniently does not name) report that IDF soldiers were fired on by those within the ship. Others report 2 IDF soldiers lightly wounded. Israeli Army Radio reports IDF was confronted by attackers “with sharp objects.” This is true desperation. Blame the victims for their own murder.
UPDATE I: Haaretz reports via Turkish media that 10 have been killed. Dozens storm Israeli consulate in Istanbul in protest.
UPDATE: The BBC is reporting that the first group of six ships was intercepted by the Israeli navy 90 miles off the Gaza coast in international waters. This is certainly a violation of maritime laws as Israel has absolutely no right nor justification for such intervention. Israel itself had lengthened its claim to 68 miles offshore. The Twitter feed reports killed and wounded in the IDF attack. Haaretz reports that two have been killed (or I should say murdered since these were unarmed civilians and the IDF knew this). I have viewed a Turkish video feed which appears to show at least one dead boy on board. Let us add this to the list of Israeli crimes against international law. Other reports note that the ship attacks was Turkish, thus adding to the severity of the incident. Does Israel think that Turkey will take this lying down? And by the way, for those pro-Israel types who wish to claim Gaza is NOT occupied, this intervention gives the lie to this.
A large flotilla of about 10 ships carrying 700 international peace activists and 10,000 tons of supplies has set out to break the Gaza siege. The drama should be played out sometime this weekend as Israel mounts a massive military operation to interdict the dangerous insurrectionists who threaten the very fiber of the Jewish state. A Tweet from an hour ago says the lead ship has been contacted by the Israeli navy and expects “intervention” imminently. Check the WitnessGaza site for updates.
The Israeli press has been full of breathless speculation on the motivation of the Turkish government in fomenting this project which is designed, or so the story goes, to topple the Israeli government. The Israeli navy has been training divers and special ops personnel, they’ve activated the prison commandos and K-9 attacks dogs for the dangerous job of interdicting the ships and preventing them from reaching the land of Hamas, where they will surely put their expert hands to work building Qassams and exacerbating the reign of terror on southern Israel.
For a dose of reality, here is a report on the scene in Cyprus from reader Mary Hughes:
I am in Cyprus monitoring our flotilla boats as they are being hassled and threatened by Israeli gunships and helicopters in international waters. We understand Israel announced today it has extended its territorial water to 68 miles.
The phones are ringing off the hook as reporters from around the world try to get latest updates, which are coming in with some irregularity.
I myself didn’t get on one of our boats yesterday because the Greek Cypriot authorities, and later the Turkish Greek authorities suddenly decided it wasn’t in their best interests to let us leave from Cypriot waters. All of our previous boats to Gaza have left from here, though we know Israel has continuously pressured the authorities here to block our departure. So I am busy in the Free Gaza office in Cyprus
instead of on one of our boats as I had planned. We have two more boats that will follow (from other locations) in the next few days, and Insha’Allah I will be on board one of them.
Nsiyah tovah, Mary. Go in peace and return in peace.
For a small bit of Israeli sanity in a sea of stupidity read Gideon Levy on the flotilla.
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Can anyone explain how Israel gets away with this sort of violence and total disregard for International law? I understand the American political scene but why does Europe fund Israel and tighten relations with the EU and Israel. It cannot be guilt over the Holocaust, except perhaps in Germany, and I see no signs that Europe feels any guilt for its centuries of slaughtering in the various empires. I see no shame over a million Iraqi dead. It would seem financial concerns would allie Europe with the oil producers and the big populations of the Muslim world rather that this rogue paranoid and racist state. Common decency would suggest the same. What gives?
i believe that because of technical difficulties, on 6 ships were making the trip.
again richard, so far all we have is unconfirmed reports
i know that this post wont make it on the blog, so let me ask you a question
when you say “pro israel types”, do you consider yourself anti israel?
so you arent just against the current israeli government, you are against the entire concept of israel
is that a correct understanding of what you just wrote?
Don’t be an ass, you know it’s not a correct understanding of what I wrote. If you lack the nuance to understand what I meant & to place it in proper context, go take a composition course in community college. Don’t waste my time.
RE: “Can anyone explain how Israel gets away with this sort of violence and total disregard for International law?” – Paul
MY COMMENT: Where is Professor Alan Dershowitz when we need him? Oh that’s right, I recall reading recently that he’s in Israel. I wonder what he has been doing over there.
KGO radio, an ABC station in San Francisco, has been reporting that “at least 15” have been killed in an “exchange of gunfire”. What I want to know is how you can have an exchange of gunfire when one of the parties is unarmed.
Exactly. There was no exchange of gunfire. Nobody on any of our boats would choose to or be allowed to carry weapons on board. On the Turkish boat there was an 18 month old baby, and it is ludicrous even for Israel, which is known to lie through its teeth whenever it is caught committing misdeeds, to claim that civilians sworn to non-violence, on a mission to bring humanitarian aid to people living under siege, would risk provoking violence by themselves using any kind of weapon.
And yes, Richard, we were shocked and saddened to learn that two innocent, unarmed civilians had been murdered. The possibility that the number is far higher is beyond comprehension.
What kind of idiot brings a 18 month old baby on a boat that will likely be involved in a hostile situation with armed military? It seems pretty obvious this was a (successful) attempt to provoke a confrontation and foster further anger towards Israel. Too bad it comes at the cost of some absolutely stupid people’s lives.
Someone who believes strongly that Gaza should be free and wants their child to have those values as well. I guess you wouldn’t understand such emotions since you’re not Palestinians or Arab or even someone who has any sympathy w. the plight of 18 month old babies in Gaza who suffer fr. insufficient food and medicines.
If the protestors attacked the IDF they certainly weren’t being smart. But I’d argue that your intelligence isn’t much higher.
I understand stupid people needlessly putting young children’s live at risk or worse, exploiting their presence simply hoping to garner sympathetic press for a cause right or wrong. Which apparantly makes me a helluva lot smarter then you.
No, it just proves that you’ve never suffered as these people have, never lost hope as they have, never been deprived of a homeland, never suffered a trampling on your national rights as they have. When you experience any of that you won’t talk like an idiot as you are now.
I’ve never experienced a woman exploited and brainwashed to the point her life’s worth only blowing herself up in a crowded mall to kill as many civilians as possible. Of course, I don’t live in a small country surrounded by other nations full of people who are unwitting tools of their religious and political leaders who’d what to wipe said country off the Earth.
Historical note: This sorta thing worlked REAL well for the IRA, didn’t it.
In other words, you haven’t a clue what it means to be either Palestinian or an Arab or Muslim who supports their plight. Instead, you’re only interested in scoring propaganda pts mouthing stupid platitudes about Muslim terrorists & other jihadis. That’s very sad, but not surprising. And definitely not very impressive given how twisted yr view is.
I think they mean the IDF soldiers exchanged gunfire with ea. other except they only managed to hit peace activists in the process!
The hasbara explanation is that the unarmed protesters stormed the israeli commandos with sticks, forcing them to kill 19 and wound 60. Seems more likely that this was an exchange of friendly fire, that something got out of hand.
The insanity is not only in this murderous attack itself but also in their ludicrous expectation that they can get away with their lies when there were so many journalists on board. Incidentally, the Sydney Morning Herald journalist Paul McGeough, who came unscathed through his Iraq assignment, is missing. So is the Aussie press photographer Kate Geraghty.
My understanding is that they were on a different boat than the one upon which the slaughter took place and that others have not been able to communicate back either. Nevertheless if we don’t here by late tonight Melbourne time, I would start worrying.
The crowd that gathered in front of the Embassy started to march towards Taksim (it’s like the Times Square of Istanbul). The article states that there have been protests in 13 other cities. The streets leading to two synagogues in Bursa have been blocked by the police. I really hope no one tries to hurt any Turkish-Sephardi for retaliation.
http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetay&ArticleID=999816&Date=31.05.2010&CategoryID=77
The Chief Rabbinate has also expressed their grief over the situation and it was stated that “we agree with the reaction in our country to the manner that the attempt (by the activists) was stopped in such a manner and share our grief with the public. (It’s not a great translation but translating an Altaic language into English is really hard. I hope it was enough to reflect the general idea though.)
http://www.salom.com.tr/news/detail/15779-Gemiye-mudahele-kamuoyunun-uzuntusunu-paylasiyoruz.aspx
Thanks so very much for that reporting from Turkey esp. fr. the Jewish community there. Pls. keep commenting here with updates about what is going on there.
*we agree with the reaction in our country as the attempt (by the activists) was stopped in such a manner and share our grief with the public.
I really botched that one, sorry.
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Nice editing of the video there guys. I guess it doesn’t serve your cause to have opposing opinions or even facts exposing the truth here. Just cover your eyes and ears and chant “LALALALALA” and everything will be fine.
READ THE COMMENT RULES. If your goal here is to be snarky, score debating pts, grandstand, fight the hasbara wars, yr efforts will be better rewarded elsewhere. If you have a serious articulate point or argument to make, do so. If you don’t go where people’s IQs are lower than here. You’ll certainly be welcome there.
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Don’t get sucked into the 68-mile argument. It is perfectly legal to attack a ship that threatens you, even in international waters. The real two issues are:
1. How do unarmed civilians on unarmed ships threaten anybody?
2. Even if one assumes that a “blockade” of Gaza is justified, the blockading power has to come up with an alternative means to get stuff to civilians who are blockaded — not just subsistence but also the means to make a living, construction, etc.
Say for sake of argument that Israel does not want Gazans to have access to some construction materials that can be turned into munitions. Then Israel would have to allow alternative construction materials. Silly anyway (there’s plenty of scrap for munitions lying around in the wreckage of Gaza). But it suggests that if Israelis do not want young turks (I like the sound of that) getting involved they should be honest and forthcoming about the supplies themselves.
There will be plenty of video of onboard fighting, killing, etc. Some was shown on network TV Monday evening. Should be easy to prosecute IDF personnel who used unnecessary force (deadly or otherwise). The question is whether they will fall on their swords or implicate the planners of the foolhardy mission.
How about wood? Most houses I’ve seen outside my own country were built from wood.
I usually agree with your post Richard but I think this time you got carried by media manipulation.
I believe the total siege of Gaza is wrong, I think that there were other ways to deal with this and I sure agree that Israel has no right to act like this in international water if indeed this is the case.
I’m also ready to believe that out of the 600 on the ship 580 were peace loving activist, but there are videos of about 20 men attacking the soldiers with irons, clubing and smacking them and throwing them to the lower decks, those men wern’t peace activist, they had improvised weapon ahead of time, and I can’t blame the soldiers for firing in this case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LulDJh4fWI
WELL JOSE YOU WILL NEVER KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHY THAT WOMAN WHO YOU HAVE DESCRIBED AS EXPLOITED AND BRAINWASHED FEELS AND HER REASONS FOR DOING SUCH A THING. BECAUSE YOU DONT HAVE A PARENT,CHILD,OR ANY OTHER RELATIVE WHO HAS BEEN KILLED BY A TROOP , YOUR HOUSE HAS NEVER BEEN DESTROYED OVER YOUR HEAD , YOU HAVE NEVER STARVED TILL DEATH AND OF COURSE BECAUSE OF A COUNTLESS NUMBER OF REASONS I CANT TELL.