(Reuters) - Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of Gaza-bound aid ships on Monday and more than 10 of the mostly international activists aboard were killed, provoking a diplomatic crisis and Palestinian charges of a "massacre."
World
The violent end to a Turkish-backed attempt to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip by six ships carrying some 600 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies raised an outcry across the Middle East and far beyond.
As the navy escorted the vessels into Israel's port of Ashdod, accounts remained sketchy of the pre-dawn interception out in the Mediterranean, in which marines stormed aboard from dinghies and rappelled down from helicopters. Israel said "more than 10" activists died. Israeli media spoke of up to 19 dead.
The bloodshed sparked street protests and government ire in Turkey, long Israel's lone Muslim ally in the region, which had supported the convoy. Ankara recalled its ambassador from Israel and Turkish President Abdullah Gul demanded that the culprits be punished.
The European Union demanded an inquiry and France and Germany said they were "shocked." The United Nations condemned violence against civilians in international waters.
Israeli officials said the marines were met with gunfire and knives when they boarded the ships, which included a large ferry flying the Turkish flag. Activists seized at least two pistols from the boarding party, the officials said.
Israel's attempts to maintain its three-year-old blockade on the Hamas Islamist-ruled enclave while avoiding bloodshed that would spark an international incident collapsed in spectacular fashion: "It's going to be a big scandal, no doubt about it," Israel's Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told Reuters.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said: "What Israel has committed on board the Freedom Flotilla was a massacre." He declared three days of official mourning for the dead.
Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, blamed the activists for the violence and branded them allies of Israel's Islamist enemies Hamas and al Qaeda. Had they got through, he said, they would have opened an arms smuggling route to Gaza.
There was no question of easing the blockade, he said.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that in addition to the dead, numerous activists and five soldiers were injured.
Israeli signal jamming and military censorship prevented much independent reporting of the drama at sea.
Turkish television aired video apparently showing a commando shinning down a rope and clashing with a man wielding a stick.
Israeli television showed video of an activist apparently trying to stab a soldier.
I mean, I know Israel thinks it's top-shit in the middle east due to their handing the Arab armies their arses on a platter years ago, but doing stuff like this is just going to turn people against them.
__________________
Ah, we are high school boys,
the miserable high school boys.
If we were girls, we could get popular by doing anything:
rock band, jazz band,
karate, kendo, mahjong, cyborg, synchronized swimming...
On the other hand, high school boys are
useless outside battle and sports anime.
But they're recklessly trying to make a slice-of-life anime about us.
Ah, we are high school boys,
the miserable high school boys.
This shit is far out. Before you know it, they'll be in the same league as North Korea, and we all know how that went; sinking ships because of a security breach...WTF? But Israel's taking the biscuit.
__________________
:
its a sex injury: im missing my left ear. dont ask.
I don't know. It occurs to me that it would have been a good idea to not try to breach a military blockade. And it's not as if they don't have good reason to stop traffic there.
Even so, Israel could have at least waited until it got out of International waters before barging in.
__________________
Ah, we are high school boys,
the miserable high school boys.
If we were girls, we could get popular by doing anything:
rock band, jazz band,
karate, kendo, mahjong, cyborg, synchronized swimming...
On the other hand, high school boys are
useless outside battle and sports anime.
But they're recklessly trying to make a slice-of-life anime about us.
Ah, we are high school boys,
the miserable high school boys.
How would that make a difference? The blockade starts at the border of international waters and once the boats reach that line, they're breaching the blockade.
For what it's worth, I'm no blind defender of Israel, especially with the current government and Prime Minister. I object to the building of new settlements and I'm really not a fan of the blockade. In fact, my first reaction on hearing about the Mavi Marmara was "What the fuck?! Why would they do something so stupid?", but having read all about all actually that happened on the boat, I can't help but admire the navy's restraint in these matters.
Here is an article that explains the events as they unfolded. A quick precis: When the Mavi Marmara was approaching the blockade, the navy requested that they instead go to Ashdod Port and from there the government would provide trucks to transport the supplies to Gaza under the protester's supervision. As you can see in the following video, they refused; they cared more about making a statement than any humanitarian act.
The commandoes planned to land on the boat, go to the bridge and redirect the boat to Ashdod. Unfortunately, they misjudged the nature of the people on board; thinking that they were just peaceful protesters, they came down holding paintball guns (it seems silly, yes, but they're less dangerous in close range than rubber bullets). Their handguns were holstered and they were only given the order to open fire after all the commandos were attacked and the first one was pushed off the main deck to one much lower down. Even still, the orders were to attempt non-lethal force and just shoot at their legs. Check out the following video to see what it was like (and be warned, the violence is quite sickening)
And if anyone still believes that the people on these boats had peaceful intentions, this last video will change your mind.
I didn't actually read but while scrolling I saw the word Muslim, damn muslims =( I keed
I hate you.
...
The thing that bothers me is that I'm more pro-Muslim and supportive of the Palestinian cause than any rabid leftie socialist who protests at the drop of a hat. For one thing, I've actually met Palestinians living in Palestine and I'm well aware of the issues they're facing. For another (and it's strange how people don't seem to recognise this), I want a Palestinian state simply because it's the best thing for Israel too.
I heard on the radio today that the Israeli soldiers merely acted in 'self-defence'. I'm sure Aid workers have a nasty reputation for attacking an armed squad of soldiers.
And of the nine people killed, they're only deporting six of the bodies and about 80% of the prisoners, most of them were Algerian I think.
__________________
:
its a sex injury: im missing my left ear. dont ask.
Last I checked, aid workers don't stand waiting on the top deck of a boat holding knives, metal rods, guns and wearing kevlar vests. They're also generally not members of organisations who support global jihad and have contact with terrorist groups like Hamas.
As for the chanting, that's besides the point. Aid workers from the other side of a faux-ideological war chanting that all jews should die shows hostile beliefs, not intentions.
__________________
:
“I always believe the movies I've made are smarter than the way they are perceived by sort of mass culture and by the critics,” Snyder said, a statement he immediately followed by saying, “Also, ‘It looks like a video game.’
In any case, if they really cared about getting supplies in to Gaza, they would have accepted Israel's offer of safe passage from Ashdod Port. What they really wanted (and acheived) was a publicity stunt and the possibility of martyrdom.
And I'm not saying that what they did was right, I'm saying that Israel could have and should have dealt with the situation better.
__________________
:
“I always believe the movies I've made are smarter than the way they are perceived by sort of mass culture and by the critics,” Snyder said, a statement he immediately followed by saying, “Also, ‘It looks like a video game.’
And I'm not saying that what they did was right, I'm saying that Israel could have and should have dealt with the situation better.
The only way they could have dealt with it better would be to have thrown tear-gas grenades on to the boat before they landed. If they had done that, they'd now be criticised for being aggressive and jumping to conclusions.
Given that the commandos landed on all the other five boats in the flotilla and managed to redirect them with no problems at all, why should the navy have thought things would be different with the Mavi Marmara? And once they were on the boat and being attacked, what else could they have done?
those were completely peaceful, their land has been taken, it's normal from them to hate the jews, and believe islam is just so misunderstood nowadays.
and i am a muslim for u who don't remember.
those were completely peaceful, their land has been taken, it's normal from them to hate the jews, and believe islam is just so misunderstood nowadays.
and i am a muslim for u who don't remember.
The situation in the Middle East has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with land and politics and propaganda-fueled bias. And, frankly, Gaza was completely returned to the Palestinians, so they can't complain about their land being taken.
what what what?
dude they are planing on destroying the al-aqsa mosque one of the most historical mosques in islam which is in jerusalem, what good will gaza do us if they took jerusalem.
dude they are planing on destroying the al-aqsa mosque one of the most historical mosques in islam which is in jerusalem,
Since when? That Mosque is under Muslim control even though it's a part of Israel's sovereignty. The Israeli government doesn't even allow Jews to pray there.
that's all shit dude, nothing is real dude it's under israeli control and it doesn't allow anything or anyone in, and not only is it important for muslims but for christians too.
that's all shit dude, nothing is real dude it's under israeli control and it doesn't allow anything or anyone in, and not only is it important for muslims but for christians too.
Okay. But that's just not true. Sorry.
Edit: And even if it was true, I wouldn't give a shit. That mosque was a staging point for a mass riot that cost the lives of quite a few people. If Israel wants to tear down a church that's on their own land, more power to them. Tear it the fuck down.
Abe619, the difference between you and me is that I've actually been to both Israel and the West Bank. I've spoken to Israeli people and Palestinians and I'm fairly well-educated in the issues that both groups face.
What's more, I've actually been up on what Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call the Haram El-Sharif, which is the location of the Al Aksa mosque. Israeli soldiers aren't even allowed inside the walls of the Haram; inside there is only Muslim Waqf control. It is purely a place of Muslim worship and the Israeli government has never changed that and never will.
make sure u see everything and not just one clip of them...
I've read through that entire site and I still don't have a clue what its point is.
Also, I don't think that they can really use the sentence "The series that took the world by storm" when no-one I know has even heard of it.
Also, also, I don't know how you can take seriously a series that uses images the Eye of Sauron, Al Pacino and the Genii from Disney's Aladdin in its trailer (what's more, they're in the same montage as Barak Obama, Hurricane Katrina and George W. Bush).
All jokes aside, my point is; what the heck is your point?
I too read through the website. As neither the video on their homepage, nor the 'About us' page was at all remotely informative, I was reduced to glancing at a few threads in their forums. It appears they are all a bunch of crazy religious people who are scared of the NWO (which I have taken to be an acronym for 'New World Order').
Israel being heavyhanded again, shoots up Aid workers
