Israel Attack Humanitarian Ship, 10 men killed

[seafoid]

They couldn't comprehend why were doing this.

The brain-washing works extremely well. I watched a current affairs programme on TV in California a few years ago. It was a discussion between an ordinary Joe type presenter and a 'Middle Eastern expert'.

The presenter reasonably asked why would young people living in Gaza, with all of their lives a head of them, volunteer to blow themselves to pieces? (this was when there were lots of suicide bombings)

The 'expert' went on a rant calling them less than human and said he couldn't understand why they didn't go to college like everyone else!

In the 12th century Welsh writer Giraldus Cambrensis wrote that the Irish were "so barbarous as to not have any culture. A wild and inhospitable people who live like beasts, are devoted to laziness, barbarian (although incomparably skilled in music), treacherous and vicious. Their coronation ritual was detailed. "The King copulates with a white mare which is then slaughtered and boiled- the king washes in the water and his people eat the meat and drink the soup. " 

http://books.google.ch/books?id=ihGBk8dTW9IC&pg=PA292&lpg=PA292&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false

We have heard all this colonial bullshit before and we don't buy it.  Israel is just another coloniser.

In all fairness he only ever got as far as Tyrone.

I though the bit about the horse was very good.
They don't eat horse in England today either. 

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

In all fairness he only ever got as far as Tyrone.

You should remember though, that we were all angels before that AI semi-final in '96!

[Tyrones own]

Exactly...hence the reason I'm not a Republican and needless to say, would never ever toe the
line set forth by Democrats 

[Tyrones own]

However I acknowledge your blaming of Clinton (or Bush or whoever you want) for Iraq as an admission of guilt on behalf of the States.

Fcuk... Finally an admission of blinkered ignorance on the part of the blame everything on Bush, Gobshite brigade on here
after all these years or are you simply just moving the goal posts.... again

[give her dixie]

Turkey begins trial of Israeli military over Gaza ship killings


A court in Turkey is to put four former Israeli military commanders, including the head of the army, on trial in absentia this week for the 2010 killing of nine Turkish citizens on a Gaza-bound aid ship.

The trial, which begins in Istanbul today, will further test relations between the one-time strategic allies and has been dismissed by Israel as a "show trial" and "political theatre".

Relations between the Jewish state and what was once its only Muslim ally, crumbled after Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara aid ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists on board.

The rift has continued despite US efforts to encourage a rapprochement between the two regional powers whose cooperation it needs to address changes sweeping the Middle East.

Israel and Nato member Turkey, which both border Syria, once shared intelligence information and conducted joint military exercises, cooperation which has since been cancelled.

A Turkish state prosecutor is seek multiple life sentences for the now retired Israeli officers over their involvement in the nine killings and the wounding of more than 50 others.

The indictment names Israel's former chief of general staff Gabi Ashkenazi, former navy commander Eliezer Marom, former air force commander Amos Yadlin and former head of air force intelligence Avishay Levi, seeking prison sentences of more than 18,000 years for each of them.

Among the charges listed in the 144-page indictment are "inciting murder through cruelty or torture" and "inciting injury with firearms".

A total of 490 people aboard the ship during the raid, including activists and journalists, are expected to give evidence. Normally barred from courtrooms, the trial will be officially recorded by television cameras, although proceedings are not expected to be broadcast.

"The 'Blue Marmara Trial' due to commence on November 6th in Istanbul, clearly falls under the category of a Show Trial; an act which has nothing to do with either law or justice," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement. "This 'trial' does not qualify under any facet or foundation of a lawful judicial system, and is merely a propaganda display. It would be in Turkey's interest to deal with this issue through bilateral dialogue."

A Turkish foreign ministry official declined comment, saying the incident was now a matter for the judiciary.

Ties between the two states began to unravel even before the Mavi Marmara raid after Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan stormed off a stage he was sharing with Shimon Peres at a World Economic Forum in 2009, saying the Israeli president knew "how to kill", a reference to the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza offensive.

But relations hit a new low when Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador and froze military cooperation after a UN report into the Mavi Marmara incident released in September last year largely exonerated the Jewish state.

That report was meant to encourage a rapprochement between the two countries but ultimately deepened the rift when it concluded Israel had used unreasonable force but that the blockade on Gaza was legal.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in July Israel and Turkey needed to repair their relationship, but attempts to rekindle the strategic relationship have failed.

Turkey has demanded a formal apology, compensation for victims and the families of the dead and for the Gaza blockade to be lifted.

Israel has voiced "regret", short of the full apology demanded, and has offered to pay into what it called a "humanitarian fund" through which casualties and relatives could be compensated.

IHH, the Turkish Islamic humanitarian agency which owns the Mavi Marmara, has said it expects the Turkish court to issue arrest warrants for the retired officers who would be obliged to be extradited to Turkey, a claim dismissed by Israel.


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1106/breaking6.html

[give her dixie]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/03/201332215412102859.html

Israel PM apologises for flotilla deaths


Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said he "expressed apology" to Turkey for any error that led to the death of nine Turkish nationals in 2010 in the Gaza flotilla incident.

Netanyahu also said on Friday that Israel has also agreed to compensate the families of the victims.

In a phone call between Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the "two men agreed to restore normalisation between Israel and Turkey, including the dispatch of ambassadors and the cancellation of legal steps against IDF soldiers," the statement said.

"In light of Israel's investigation into the incident which pointed to a number of operational mistakes, the Prime Minister expressed Israel's apology to the Turkish people for any mistakes that might have led to the loss of life or injury and agreed to conclude an agreement on compensation/nonliability."

Netanyahu also told Erdogan that Israel had "substantially" lifted restrictions on the entry of civilian goods into the Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

During the phone call, Erdogan underlined the importance of strong cooperation and friendship between Turkey and Israel, his office said.

"Erdogan told [Israeli premier] Binyamin Netanyahu that he valued centuries-long strong friendship and cooperation between the Turkish and Jewish nations".

At a joint press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah II, President Barack Obama said his administration has worked for months to reach the deal.

Obama said that the "moment was right" for Israel and Turkey to resume diplomatic relations.

In a separate statement from the White House,  Obama said the US "deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security".

Obama has reportedly arranged the call at Ben Gurion airport just before he left Israel for Jordan.

Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston, reporting from Jerusalem, described Netayahu's apology as "an incredible development" adding that it would be seen as a "huge achievement" of the Obama administration.

Johnston also said that it is a "great win for Turkey," which has been demanding the apology.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera's Elif Ural, reporting from Istanbul, said that Hamas has sent a message expressing disappointment that Turkey has accepted the apology.

Commando raid

On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos boarded a flotilla of six humanitarian ships on their way to Gaza.


Nine Turkish activists were killed on the lead ship Mavi Marmara, sparking international condemnation and contentious diplomatic dispute between Israel and Turkey. 

An inquiry into the incident said Israel broke international humanitarian and human rights law.

The inquiry, which was later endorsed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, found "clear evidence to support prosecutions" for crimes including "wilful killing; torture or inhuman treatment; wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health."

Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Cairo, said Turkey got "almost everything it wanted" from the apology, including acknowledgement of Israel's "operational errors" and offer of compensation.   

"This is an extraordinary event and a completely unexpected one," our correspondent said. "This has been enormously damaging schism between these two countries [Israel and Turkey]".

Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since June 2007 after the Palestinian group Hamas took control of the territory.

Though the Israeli restrictions have been eased, Israel still enforces a naval blockade on the territory.

The lifting of the blockade, which Turkey has also demanded from Israel, is not covered in the apology, according to Al Jazeera's McNaught.

[Ball DeBeaver]

Well done Bibi. A simple private apology and relations improved with Turkey. One less problem.

[Itchy]

Well done Bibi. A simple private apology and relations improved with Turkey. One less problem.

What did he apologise for? I thought the people on the boat were all armed terrorists? I thought you agreed with that.

[Ball DeBeaver]

If Israel has to make an apology to improve relations with Turkey, then so be it. Bigger picture.

[seafoid]

If Israel has to make an apology to improve relations with Turkey, then so be it. Bigger picture.

Israel apologises for executing 9 muslims with shots to the back.of the head. What operayional errors?

[muppet]

If Israel has to make an apology to improve relations with Turkey, then so be it. Bigger picture.

Israel apologises for executing 9 muslims with shots to the back.of the head. What operayional errors?

Obama made a wee boy of Netanyahu.

[give her dixie]

While I wouldn't hold much hope for an eventual prosecution, this news is something positive.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/icc-prosecutor-opens-initial-probe-gaza-flotilla-192132769.html#SMT6HxQ

ICC prosecutor opens initial probe into Gaza flotilla

The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary probe into Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010, the prosecutor's office said Tuesday.

"My office will be conducting a preliminary examination in order to establish whether the criteria for opening an investigation are met," Fatou Bensouda said in a statement issued from the court based in The Hague.

Nine Turkish nationals died when Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on a six-ship flotilla seeking to bust Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip on May 31, 2010.

Bensouda said she had met Istanbul-based lawyers who are acting for the government of the Comoros, which referred the case to her office.

The ship on which the activists sailed was registered in the Indian Ocean island country, which has been a state party to the ICC since 2006.

"After careful analysis of all available information, I shall make a determination that will be made public in due course," Bensouda said.

Israel imposed its blockade on Gaza in 2006 after militants there seized an Israeli soldier, who was eventually freed in 2011 in a trade for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The blockade was strengthened in 2007, when the Islamist Hamas movement took control of Gaza, then eased somewhat following an international outcry over the killing of the Turkish activists.

The maritime assault severely wrecked relations between the former regional allies, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the raid victims, as well as the lifting of the blockade.

Bensouda's office receive numerous requests every year for probes into alleged crimes like genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

According to the Rome Statute, the court's founding document, prosecutors may now gather initial information about the case.
If Bensouda believes she had enough evidence, she may then approach judges for the go-ahead to open a full investigation which could lead to a future trial.

Prosecutors are also busy with initial probes in several other countries like Afghanistan, Colombia and Nigeria, but so far no decision whether to ask judges for permission to open full investigations had been made following these investigations.
Established in 2002, the ICC is the world's only permanent independent tribunal, set up to try the world's worst crimes.

[Ball DeBeaver]

Good. Let's get the whole story out in the open. Warts and all.

[give her dixie]

Hard to believe its 3 years ago today that the Mavi Marmara was attacked and 9 people were murdered by Israel for daring to sail to Gaza with humanitarian aid. While no one has been charged with their murders, the pressure builds day by day in the hope that some one will be held accountable. I will not be holding my breath though.



3rd anniversary of fatal Mavi Marmara raid

Three years after the Mavi Marmara incident, in which eight Turks and one Turkish American were killed by Israeli troops, Turkey and Israel have yet to agree on the conditions of a reconciliation.

Exactly three years ago, on May 31, 2010, a humanitarian aid flotilla on a mission to the Gaza Strip was raided by Israeli commandos in international waters. Following the attack, Turkey described the raid as a violation of international law "tantamount to banditry and piracy" and called the killings of activists "state-sponsored terrorism." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even said the attack on the Mavi Marmara ship, which was a part of the aid flotilla, was a "cause for war," but Turkey chose "to act with patience."

Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel in the immediate aftermath of the raid, leaving the embassy operational at the level of envoy. But after waiting for 15 months for Israel to formally apologize for the killings with no result, Turkey announced in September 2011 that it had downgraded diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv to the lowest level of second secretary and put on hold all military contracts and ties with the state.

Turkey's move came right after details of a UN report on the attack was leaked and made public that month. The report conceded that the use of force by Israel during the raid was unnecessary and disproportionate, but it justified the Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza.

The report's recommendations failed to meet Turkey's demands, so the state announced the package of sanctions against Israel, stipulating that for bilateral diplomatic relations to be normalized once more, Israel must apologize, pay compensation to the victims' families and lift the blockade on Gaza -- which, in contrast to the UN report, Turkey considered to be illegal. The report was initially intended to be released in February of that year, but it had been delayed to give Israel and Turkey time to reach an agreement without a disruption of relations the findings might have caused.

Since the attack, Israel has made numerous attempts to normalize diplomatic relations with Turkey, but all efforts initially failed because, though Israel had expressed regret several times, it refused to offer a formal apology.

In late March this year, the Israeli government agreed -- through the mediation of US President Barrack Obama -- to apologize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's apology to Erdoğan over the telephone was well-received by Turkey.

"All our demands have now been met, the apology offered the way we wanted," Erdoğan said in a speech a day after the phone call. "I accepted the apology in the name of the Turkish people," he added.

Since then, substantial progress in talks between the two sides seems to have been made, but hurdles on the way to complete reconciliation still exist. This week, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç made it clear that what's important for Turkey in regards to the steps Israel is expected to make is that, along with the apology, compensation and the lifting of the Gaza blockade must be implemented altogether. "Israel needs to take a positive step, particularly in regards to the third [demand, the removal of the blockade]," Arınç revealed. The issue of compensation is not yet totally settled either, the deputy prime minister also admitted. There are one or two issues that still need to be worked out. "We will continue working on these," he said.

The families of the nine victims have taken the attack on the Mavi Marmara to court in and outside of Turkey. In the court case in Turkey, which was launched against the aggressors in November of last year, the indictment prepared by İstanbul Specially Authorized Prosecutor Mehmet Akif Ekinci seeks 10 aggravated life sentences for the four top Israeli commanders, including the country's chief of General Staff, who were involved in the 2010 Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

The attack also has recently been taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Lawyers of the victims' families filed a complaint in mid-May against Israel at the court in The Hague. "If this case fails to produce a result, this will show that this court is under the hegemony of certain countries and is used only to make some countries toe the line politically," Ramazan Arıtürk, one of the lawyers of the victims' families said.

The families are determined to pursue a criminal court case against the Israeli commanders involved in the raid, although Israel wants the lawsuits against its soldiers to be dropped as part of the agreement on compensation.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=110216

[seafoid]

Martin Luther King on why his daughter wasn't allowed to go to a whites only

kids park in Atlanta in the 1960s

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmIzmUfYB5Y



Segregation at Superland: Separate days for Arab and Jewish students at amusement park

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/segregation-at-superland-separate-days-for-arab-and-jewish-students-at-amusement-park.premium-1.526705#


Jaffa schoolteacher says he encountered policy of segregation at Israeli amusement park when attempting to book tickets for a class trip.

By Ilan Lior | May.30, 2013 | 2:21 AM | 24

A teacher at a Jaffa school accounted encountering a policy of segregation between Arab and Jewish students while attempting to book tickets for his class at the Superland amusement park in Rishon Letzion.

Khaled Shakra, who teaches seventh grade at the Ajial school in Jaffa, called Superland on Tuesday afternoon with the aim of booking tickets for his class to have a fun end- of-term day out. He says that a Superland representative offered him three options: the 17th, 18th and 19th June.

He asked to reserve 25 spaces for his students on the 18th, but was asked to provide the school's details before the reservation could be confirmed.

Shakra says that the moment the representative heard the name Ajial – and realized it was an Arab school – he was suddenly put on hold. Another representative was put on the line who told him that the dates he was interested in were not available.

A few minutes later he called and introduced himself under the name of Eyal, who was enquiring on behalf of a Jewish organization. The Superland representative offered him the same dates that only a moment before had been unavailable.



Following the reports, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni contacted Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Tuesday night with a request that he examine whether Superland has discriminated against Arab students. "If these allegations are proved to be correct, then this is a symptom of a sick democracy. Any incident such as this must be severely dealt with," Livni said.

     

On Wednesday, Shakra posted a letter on his Facebook page that described the sequence of events and his feelings on the matter. "I have experienced another sickening, racist, event and something within me is screaming to be released. Another stain, another wound has today been etched into the depths of my soul, and I am trying, unsuccessfully, to make sense of what has happened. How can I supress my anger and the deep bitterness I am currently feeling?"

He described the moment the Superland representative discovered the name of the school. "She suddenly fell silent and then asked me in confusion: 'what? What is that?' 'Ajial!A-j-i-a-l,' I answered confidentially. I didn't understand if the letter 'j' bothered her or the city of Jaffa bothered her, but I suddenly had the sober realization of what it was that was going through her head. I panicked and stopped abruptly. She responded "just a moment, sir!' And I suddenly heard the hold music. I can't put into words my feelings and thoughts at that exact moment, but for some reason the faces of my students popped into my head."

After waiting on the line for three minutes, Shakra was transferred to another representative who claimed that there were no free spots on June 17th or 18th, and offered that he come on the 19th. "I didn't hesitate, and told her that the 19th wouldn't be a problem. But less than a minute later she said 'I apologize, but we don't have any free spaces on the 19th either." A few minutes later, he called again. "This time I said my name was Eyal, and that I was interested in reserving some tickets for the Jewish organization I work for. 'Eyal? the 17th, 18th and 19th are free, which option would you like?' was the response."

"I ask myself whether the Arab feels he is discriminated against in all walks of life, is pushed to the sidelines politically, socially, culturally and feels, quite rightly, that he is being controlled instead of being included? No, my question is not [intended to be] provocative, but it is a harsh reality, and therefore it raises tough questions and presents complex and difficult problems," he wrote. He concluded: "Peace between two peoples, between two national movements, and the ability to heal the wounds both sides have incurred after all the wars are the heart's desire of every Arab. My dear students, I apologize in advance! I have no idea what your reactions will be but I really did try. During a whole year I tried to instill you with values. Acceptance of others is first and foremost, but the reality out there says otherwise."

The Ajial school in Jaffa has a middle school and high school for Arabic speaking students. "This is unacceptable, racist segregation," said the school's principal, Jalal Tuhi, on Tuesday night. "This is a special school in terms of its students and teachers. It has a mixed faculty. There are Jewish teachers, and Muslim, Christian and even Druze teachers...this is how we see the future of this country and this city. I asked the teacher not to remain silent about this because we are fed up of this segregation and this racist treatment, full stop. I want my students to know that they need to fight for their rights, and not give up."

In response, Superland's management told the Walla website on Tuesday: "we open our gates to all of Israel and all sectors of the public all year round. Everyone can buy a ticket through the website, or directly through the ticketing office...however, in June we hold closed events for the school year end. The schools dictate which schools will enter the event. There are reservations for closed days held by Jewish schools. There are reservations for closed days held by Arab schools."

Six months ago, a similar incident was reported at the Soho restaurant in Rishon Letzion. Arab citizens who tried to place an order at the restaurant recorded conversations with employees that showed that when the couple tried to order a table under an Arab name they were fobbed off with a variety of excuses. A short while later they succeeded in making the same booking using a Jewish name.