Israel Attack Humanitarian Ship, 10 men killed

[Pangurban]

Vent your rightful indignations about this appalling act of Murder and Piracy, and then accept your impotency in the face of zionist and American power. Nothing meaningful will be done  to hold those responsible accountable, the U.N. will issue a few pious platitudes, Western and Arab governments will add an Amen, and the whole incident will be put too bed quietly.

[theskull1]

Is a modern day Archduke Ferdinand lurking somewhere?

I'm trying to read between the lines as well muppet. Could be just paranoia. But I would not be surprised if long term strategists in these administrations are not looking at the other states natural resources and choreographing the situations that will bring about a conflict which would in their eyes provide them with justification to go in all guns blazing 

[ziggysego]

Just after listening to dixie's piece on Talk Back earlier today. Fair John, you didn't let the Israeli representative away with any of his bullshit.

Couldn't believe some of the texts coming in though.

"I don't follow it on the news, but..."

"Well done Israel for standing up to terrorists"

and the most depressing was the fella that went off on a bible ranting about Christ returning to his people in Israel and anyone who condemns them will be judged at the gates of heaven. I mean... WFT, catch a grip!!!

[muppet]

Just after listening to dixie's piece on Talk Back earlier today. Fair John, you didn't let the Israeli representative away with any of his bullshit.

Couldn't believe some of the texts coming in though.

"I don't follow it on the news, but..."

"Well done Israel for standing up to terrorists"

and the most depressing was the fella that went off on a bible ranting about Christ returning to his people in Israel and anyone who condemns them will be judged at the gates of heaven. I mean... WFT, catch a grip!!!

Read a book, or at least I started it, by a Jewish writer who travelled around the area talking to people from both sides of the divide. I had to stop reading as it wrecked my head. People were quoting Jacob, Job and Bill Clinton in the same sentences regarding local politics. They gave the writings of these Biblical prophets the same weighting in their arguments as Clinton and co.

It would be like us quoting Brian Lenihan, Niall of the Nine Hostages and Saint Patrick when discussing the Banking Crisis.

The Arabs interviewed didn't come across much better as everything discussed had to fit into their own Islamic ideology.

[Hedley Lamarr]

Day of disgrace for Israel
By URI AVNERY | ARAB NEWS

Published: May 31, 2010 22:51 Updated: May 31, 2010 22:51

This morning a crime was perpetrated in the middle of the sea, by order of the government of Israel and the IDF Command. A warlike attack against aid ships and deadly shooting at peace and humanitarian aid activists was carried out.

It is a crazy thing that only a government that crossed all red lines can do. "Only a crazy government that has lost all restraint and all connection to reality could do something like that — consider ships carrying humanitarian aid and peace activists from around the world as an enemy and send massive military force to international waters to attack them, shoot and kill.

"No one in the world will believe the lies and excuses which the government and army spokesmen come up with," said a Gush Shalom activist.

Gush Shalom activists together with activists of other organizations are to depart at 11:00 from Tel Aviv to protest in front of the prepared detention facility where the international peace activists will be brought.

Greta Berlin, the spokeswoman for the flotilla organizers located in Cyprus, told Gush Shalom activists that the Israeli commandos landed by helicopter on the boats and immediately opened fire.

This is a day of disgrace to the state of Israel, a day of anxiety in which we discover that our future was entrusted to a bunch of trigger-happy people without any responsibility. This day is a day of disgrace and madness and stupidity without limit, the day the Israeli government took care to blacken the name of the country in the world, adding convincing evidence of aggressiveness and brutality to Israel's already bad international image, discouraging and distancing the few remaining friends.

Indeed, today a provocation took place off the coast of Gaza — but the provocateurs were not the peace activists invited by the Palestinians and seeking to reach Gaza. The provocation was carried out by Navy ships commandos at the bidding of the Israeli government, blocking the way of the aid boats and using deadly force.

It is time to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, which causes severe suffering to its residents. Today the Israeli government ripped the mask of its face with its own hands and exposed the fact that Israel did not "disengage" from Gaza. Real disengagement from the area does not go together with blocking the access to it or sending soldiers to shoot and kill and wound those who try to get there.

The state of Israel promised in the Oslo Accords 17 years ago to enable and encourage the establishment of a deep water port in Gaza, through which Palestinians could import and export freely to develop their economy. It's time to realize this commitment and open the Port of Gaza.

Only after the Gaza port will be open to free and undisturbed movement, just like the Ashdod and Haifa ports, will Israel really have disengaged from the Gaza Strip. Until then, the world will continue — and rightly so — to consider the Gaza Strip under Israeli occupation and the State of Israel as responsible for the fate of the people living there.

— Uri Avnery is a former Knesset member and also an activist in the Gush Shalom movement.

[mylestheslasher]

Hedley - he did remove it but you, stew and Myles (the other one) have continued to quote it - hence his original post is alive within yours! Can I again ask that you all remove this piece from your posts as they bring this important thread into disrepute.

[Zapatista]

As citizens of our individual countries, we at times become extremely frustrated by the policies of our governments that we deem unjust. We oftentimes feel powerless to change them as more and more of the governments and the politicians who run them become increasingly subservient to global corporate and banking interests. There is, however, one powerful weapon that if utilized collectively can accomplish far greater positive change than marches, protests and demonstrations. The weapon is the boycott of well targeted products

http://home.pacbell.net/halnet/Boycott%20Israeli%20Products%20Campaign.htm


The Ireland-Israel commercial relationship dates back to the foundation of the State of Israel. In terms of bilateral trade, growth has been steadily increasing as the two economies have developed.

http://www.moital.gov.il/NR/exeres/11E76928-6E01-4067-A49A-91172862977C.htm

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=366251123289


Ireland has spent nearly €14m on Israeli weapons in the last five years, new figures show.

But despite the apparent use of fake Irish passports in a murder carried out by Israeli agents, the Government does not intend to exclude Israeli companies from taking part in tender competitions.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/state-bought-836414m-of-weapons-from-israel-2161819.html

[theskull1]

Listening to a maratime law professor from UCL on the radio there

Basically said that there was the "san remo manual" which covers armed conflict in blockade situations. Stated that IF the blockade of Gaza was deemed to be legal then Israel trying to enforce the blockade by boarding ships in international waters would be legal deemed as well. If the blockade was illegal (it's illegal if the blockade has a significantly negative impact on the well being of the people inside the area) then the boarding of the ships would be deemed illegal as well

The reasonable force argument was separate to this but again "basically" even if the blockade was legal they alway had to ensure that they used reasonable force to enforce it. So it would all come down to the intent of the commandos once they boarded the ship. If they boarded the ship with the intentions of harming those on board without provication then that act would be deemed as unreasonable force used to enforce the blockade. If on the other hand after being attacked they acted in self defense, then that would be a separate issue in law.

http://www.icrc.org/IHL.nsf/52d68d14de6160e0c12563da005fdb1b/7694fe2016f347e1c125641f002d49ce!OpenDocument

Isn't it amazing how the law has this all sown up 

[mikasas]

Was watching the news last night and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Its a disgrace that they will get away with this, the problem is though, that they will. The soldiers were attacked as soon as they stepped onto the ship (shouldn't have been on it in the first place-international waters etc), it gives the Yanks a get out clause. The soldiers who boarded came under attack and were defending their lives, this can be justified by the fact that a soldier was clearly seen being thrown overboard. What happened after was plain wrong in every sense but because of the attack on the soldiers this will be brushed under the carpet.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Was watching the news last night and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Its a disgrace that they will get away with this, the problem is though, that they will. The soldiers were attacked as soon as they stepped onto the ship (shouldn't have been on it in the first place-international waters etc), it gives the Yanks a get out clause. The soldiers who boarded came under attack and were defending their lives, this can be justified by the fact that a soldier was clearly seen being thrown overboard. What happened after was plain wrong in every sense but because of the attack on the soldiers this will be brushed under the carpet.

I think he/she was thrown from an upper to a lower deck rather than into the sea.

[Hedley Lamarr]

As citizens of our individual countries, we at times become extremely frustrated by the policies of our governments that we deem unjust. We oftentimes feel powerless to change them as more and more of the governments and the politicians who run them become increasingly subservient to global corporate and banking interests. There is, however, one powerful weapon that if utilized collectively can accomplish far greater positive change than marches, protests and demonstrations. The weapon is the boycott of well targeted products

http://home.pacbell.net/halnet/Boycott%20Israeli%20Products%20Campaign.htm


The Ireland-Israel commercial relationship dates back to the foundation of the State of Israel. In terms of bilateral trade, growth has been steadily increasing as the two economies have developed.

http://www.moital.gov.il/NR/exeres/11E76928-6E01-4067-A49A-91172862977C.htm

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=366251123289


Ireland has spent nearly €14m on Israeli weapons in the last five years, new figures show.

But despite the apparent use of fake Irish passports in a murder carried out by Israeli agents, the Government does not intend to exclude Israeli companies from taking part in tender competitions.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/state-bought-836414m-of-weapons-from-israel-2161819.html

The vast majority of those goods/labels are readily available in the ME, so if they are not going to boycott them.....

[Zapatista]

Regardless of the legal jargon this was wrong.

There will always be justification for Israeli actions by our leaders. They are corrupted. It's time for the people to act.

The vast majority of those goods/labels are readily available in the ME, so if they are not going to boycott them.....

Take a lead FFS.

[Hedley Lamarr]

Regardless of the legal jargon this was wrong.

There will always be justification for Israeli actions by our leaders. They are corrupted. It's time for the people to act.

The vast majority of those goods/labels are readily available in the ME, so if they are not going to boycott them.....

Take a lead FFS.

You are missing my point.....the Arab/Muslim world should be boycotting them.

[Zapatista]

You are missing my point.....the Arab/Muslim world should be boycotting them.

Why? This is a Human Rights issue not a religous one.

[magpie seanie]

What does anyone expect from Obama?  The US president will always be a puppet of the power-brokers in the US most of whom are Jewish!

I can't help but think that we have this the wrong way round. Israel is a puppet of the US and the West in general. Nobody could give a f**k about the Jewish right to their own State or the Zionist wackos. Israel is one big Embassy and Military Base slap bang in the middle of one of the wealthiest parts of the world. It is mantained to suit the west not to suit the Jews.

The West being the sometime occupants of The White House, but not the current one.

Israel are trying to embarrass Obama and Hillary and are succeeding.

What happens next determines whether Obama passes or fails.

As an aside there seem to be lots of apparently unconnected events happening around the world at the same time. North Korea sinking a warship, India's internal strife, riots in Greece, economies on the brink worldwide etc. all added to the usual basket cases that are Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Israel.

Is a modern day Archduke Ferdinand lurking somewhere?

I was thinking this (the bit in bold) myself. Good to hear it from someone else.

Excellent post and more than slightly worrying.