Israeli Attack

[Master Khan]

More than 10 people have been killed after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army says.
Armed forces boarded the largest vessel overnight, clashing with some of the 500 people on board.
It happened about 40 miles (64 km) out to sea, in international waters.
Israel says its soldiers were shot at and attacked with weapons; the activists say Israeli troops came on board shooting.
There has been widespread condemnation of the violence, while the European Union has called for an inquiry to establish what happened.

'Guns and knives'

The six-ship flotilla, carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid, left the coast of Cyprus on Sunday and had been due to arrive in Gaza on Monday.
Israel says its soldiers boarded the lead ship in the early hours but were attacked with axes, knives, bars and at least two guns.
"Unfortunately this group were dead-set on confrontation," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC.
"Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that's 100% clear," he said.
Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.
A leader of Israel's Islamic Movement, Raed Salah, who was on board, was among those hurt.
Audrey Bomse, a spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement, which is behind the convoy, told the BBC Israel's actions were disproportionate.
"We were not going to pose any violent resistance. The only resistance that there might be would be passive resistance such as physically blocking the steering room, or blocking the engine room downstairs, so that they couldn't get taken over. But that was just symbolic resistance."


She said there was "absolutely no evidence of live fire".
Israel is towing the boats to the port of Ashdod and says it will deport the passengers from there. It says it will deliver the ships' aid to Gaza.
"Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that's 100% clear," he said.
Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.
A leader of Israel's Islamic Movement, Raed Salah, who was on board, was among those hurt.
Audrey Bomse, a spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement, which is behind the convoy, told the BBC Israel's actions were disproportionate.
"We were not going to pose any violent resistance. The only resistance that there might be would be passive resistance such as physically blocking the steering room, or blocking the engine room downstairs, so that they couldn't get taken over. But that was just symbolic resistance."

Turkish TV pictures taken on board the Turkish ship leading the flotilla appeared to show Israeli soldiers fighting to control passengers.

Condemnation
GAZA AID CONVOY

• Consists of three cargo ships and three passenger ships
• Casualties reported on the Mavi Marmara passenger ferry
• Mavi Marmara is one of three ships provided by Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a Turkish aid organisation with links to the Turkish government
• Other ships are organised by the Free Gaza Movement, an international coalition of activist groups
• Up to 600 mostly Turkish passengers, tonnes of cement and at least two journalists on board the Mavi Marmara

The footage showed a number of people, apparently injured, lying on the ground. A woman was seen holding a blood-stained stretcher.
Al-Jazeera TV reported from the same ship that Israeli navy forces had opened fire and boarded the vessel, wounding the captain.
The Al-Jazeera broadcast ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, saying: "Everybody shut up!"
Israel's deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said his country "regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome".
He accused the convoy of a "premeditated and outrageous provocation", describing the flotilla as an "armada of hate".
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's actions, saying it had committed a massacre.
Most of the people on board the boats were Turkish.
Turkey accused Israel of "targeting innocent civilians".
"We strongly denounce Israel's inhumane interception," it said, warning of "irreparable consequences" to the two countries' relations.

Danny Ayalon, Israeli deputy foreign minister: "The organisers' intent was violent."

Turkey was Israel's closest Muslim ally but relations have deteriorated over the past few years.
In Turkey, thousands of protesters demonstrated against Israel in Istanbul, while several countries have summoned Israeli ambassadors to seek an explanation as to what happened.
Greece has withdrawn from joint military exercises with Israel in protest at the raid on the flotilla.
Blockade
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".
Israel and Egypt tightened a blockade of Gaza after the Islamist movement Hamas took power there in 2007.
Israel says it allows about 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza every week.
But the United Nations says this is less than a quarter of what is needed.

[Master Khan]

Sometime has to be done with Israel now, this is a horrible act by them.
Hitler was right about these people.

[Palwasha]

Israeli Attack

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet, it was breaking news.

There were protests in downing street and a lot of outrage in Turkey.

At least 19 Palestinians killed.. Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un.

I won't post from the biased BBC, I chose a more reliable source instead (Al Jazeera).

Deadly Israeli raid on aid fleet

Israeli commandos have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships off the coast of the Gaza Strip, killing at least nine people on board.

Dozens of others were injured when troops raided the convoy of six ships, dubbed the Freedom Flotilla, early on Monday.

Israel said activists on board attacked its commandos as they boarded the ships, while the flotilla's organisers said the Israeli forces opened fire first, as soon as they stormed the convoy.

Organisers of the Freedom Flotilla say it was carrying 700 activists and 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid with the aim of breaking the Israeli siege of Gaza.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, gave his "full backing" to the military forces after the raid.

The raid by Israel troops "was to prevent the infiltration of thousands of rockets, missiles and other arms that could hit our cities, communities or people", he said.

"I give my complete backing to the army, the soldiers and commanders who acted to defend the state and to protect their lives." He also said Israel regretted the loss of life in the raid.

Protests worldwide

Israeli media reported that many of the dead were Turkish nationals.
Hamas, the Palestinian group which governs the Gaza Strip, said the assault was a "massacre" and called on the international community to intervene.

The Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniya, urged Arabs and Muslims to show their anger by staging protests outside Israeli embassies across the globe.

The call came even as demonstrationsdenouncing the Israeli raid were being held in many cities around the world, including the capitals of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

Thousands of Turkish protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul soon after the news of the operation broke.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, officially declared a three-day state of mourning.

The United Nations Security Council met on Monday afternoon for an emergency session to discuss the matter.

Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, the chief foreign policy official of the UN, called on Israel to end its "counterproductive" and "unacceptable" blockade of Gaza.

Live ammunition

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, on board the flotilla's lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, said in his last report before communications were cut off, that Israeli troops used live ammunition during the assault.

The Israeli military, 10 of whose soldiers were reportedly wounded in the operation, said troops opened fire after "demonstrators on board attacked the IDF naval personnel with live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs".

...the rest: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...252437484.html

[Muslimah]

It doesn't help that America is feeding Israel to fight against Palestinians!
Makes me sick!
I went to a very Jewish dominant university and there was an Israeli community centre next door..the day I started wearing hijab, one of them told me I was a terrorist and they're going to "give palestine what they deserve" and spit towards me. I was having a heart attack and super scared, but I just kept walking.
GRRR...poor palestinians. May Allah swt give them strength, patience, endurance and safety!

[BLS_1919v2.0]

hmmm jewish dominant uni in canada? UofT law school, Concordia or dare I say brock :-P

On a serious note. This is definitely a major event in an ongoing mess that is Gaza. This reminds of that Cynthia Mckinney event where she traveled with an aid filled ship to help the Palestinians.

[Palwasha]

It's actually ridiculous, only Israel would get away with this.

Here's a very interesting point of view, for anyone interested:

[Azmatullah]

Israeli forces have attacked aid ships attempting to break the blockade of Gaza.

Commandos lowered themselves from helicopters and onto the Mavi Marmara - the lead ship in a flotilla of six vessels which are carrying humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory.

Israeli Army Radio said up to 16 people may have been killed in the operation.

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal on board the Mavi Marmara sent this report before communications were cut.

[May, 31, 2010]

[Pakhtunzai]

Inna lilahi wa inna ilahi rajioon

I would have posted this in eventually but its too painful, all this zulm is occuring to most muslim countries..what can we do kana. We are stuck in our own problems let alone others. We cry time and time again about why this is happening to us as a muslim ummah the answer is that we are disunited and are out to screw each other up! Insha allah our justice will come..Where are you Al-Mehdi!!

[Muslimah]

hmmm jewish dominant uni in canada? UofT law school, Concordia or dare I say brock :-P

U OF T! HAHAHA! U got that one right on the nose!

[BLS_1919v2.0]

hahahha yupp its a known thing in Canada lolzz.

[abubaker]

Inna lilahi wa inna ilahi rajioon

I would have posted this in eventually but its too painful, all this zulm is occuring to most muslim countries..what can we do kana. We are stuck in our own problems let alone others. We cry time and time again about why this is happening to us as a muslim ummah the answer is that we are disunited and are out to screw each other up! Insha allah our justice will come..Where are you Al-Mehdi!!

exactly

[afghan]

why every one is moaning about palestenian here? they have only one enemy, israel will be swallowed by arabs if stops protecting itself, i wish we were strong like israel, i believe israel more humane than pakistan. palestenian are able to get the worlds attention, there is media, there is UN, they are getting more support from the international community than US.

[Master Khan]

America support these pigs

[afghan]

America support these pigs

america is helping pakistan as well.

[Gaia]

A good article on this issue, written by a History professor at the University of Tel-Aviv, engaged in movements that work to put down the racism and segregation in Israel.

The Lords Send in the Commandos

It's time to think about those who sit in offices and issue orders to continue the blockade—even at the price of killing; those who alternate between stoking and extinguishing the flames as needed; who prepare the lists of products that cannot be brought into Gaza—pencils, medicines, spices; those who ordered the attack on the Peace Flotilla; those who use pools of blood as a smoke screen.

The more the social crisis deepens, the more bloodshed, provocation, and escalation become the easiest and most accessible means by which corrupt elites attempt to dominate us; by fanning the smoke they temporarily unite the majority of the nation; by creating incitement against a common foe, they divert the public’s attention away from the ongoing theft of its rights and assets.

There’s nothing like political provocation to distract the public from the corruption of government leaders. There’s nothing like a security crisis to temporarily remove from the public agenda any serious discussion of the scandalous privatizations that have been carried out under Netanyahu, Ehud Olmert, Barak (each in his turn) and their cronies, who have given away to a handful of families control of enormous wealth at the expense of us all. There's nothing like exchanges of gunfire with Hamas and the nurturing of jingoism to keep public scrutiny far from the ever-increasing number of cases in which families, who have lived for decades in publicly administered properties, are evicted from their homes in order to clear the way for dubious real estate transactions.

The art of exchanging threats with Hamas or insults with protesters in Turkey are a true and tested means (but temporary, always temporary) of having many segments of the Oriental Jewish public forget that it was—and still continues to be—the victim of a distorted allocation of national resources. But both Jewish and Arab jingoism are even more tried and true means of preventing the coming together of dispossessed Jews and Arabs, populations oppressed by the very same interests.

There's nothing like talking about public shelters, security rooms, and civil defense exercises to hide the fact that, due to budget cuts, more than half the children defined as "children at risk" in Israel, those who daily face risk in their broken or dysfunctional families, cannot be accepted into after-school clubs designed to ensure their safety and welfare for several hours in the afternoon. After all, what’s social security when compared to "real security?"

Naturally, Hamas dances to the very same tune, creating periodical, even seasonal escalations which only serve its own narrow interest of retaining political power—and thereby contributes its part to the survival of the corrupt Israeli elite. The same can be said of other players in our region.

And yet most of us, the majority of people living in this country, not only do we silently bear the shocking results of each round of violence, but we tolerate the continued erosion of our social rights, our economic rights, our rights to negotiate and fight for what we had, or what should really be ours, while they, the wealthy few, those linked to power, continue to take more and more out of the hands of our two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian.

Gerardo Leibner is a member of the Judeo-Arab movement Hithabrut-Tarabut, in Israel, one of the founders of the Ta’ayush movement and PhD in History of Latin America.