The Activist “Free Gaza
Movement” Seeks Martyrdom
To assist the Terrorist State Hamas Destroy Israel,
World condemnation of Israel is its ultimate Goal.
It is hoping its new flotilla meets a similar Fate,
To Justify Destruction of the State of Israel!
This IS NOT a Humanitarian Action of Love,
It’s a political act of hatred toward Jews
To JUSTIFY the world’s Condemnation!
June 2, 2010
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
I do not believe the current flotilla incident will start a Major Middle East War this year. The only way I could see a major war breaking out is for Turkish naval ships to come down to support the flotilla, and while they might threaten to do so, at this point in time I believe it would be a saber rattling bluff.
Begin Excerpt 1 from THE JERUSALEM POST
Peace activists? More like ‘peace’ militants
By ZVI MAZEL
06/01/2010
Activists were interested in damaging Israel
As expected, the provocation mounted by Muslim organizations in association with “peace activists” was successful beyond their wildest dreams: There were casualties. They can now continue pointing the finger at Israel and blaming it for everything under the sun.
The organizers of the flotilla, a fanatic Turkish organization known under the initials IHH and its European partners, had repeatedly and explicitly declared before setting out that their purpose was to break the Gaza siege and embarrass Israel.
The humanitarian supplies brought on board were just a ploy to hide their avowed objective. Israel did all it could to stop it. Appeals to Turkey went unheeded and that country let the flotilla sail and gave its assistance. Israel offered to have all humanitarian supplies brought to the Ashdod port where they could then be sent to Gaza through our crossings. Israel also asked the “peace militants” to transmit a letter to captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, who has been in Hamas custody for almost four years. The militants were not interested in any humanitarian operation. They wanted to carry out their joint Arab-European propaganda offensive against Israel in order to delegitimize the Jewish state, deepen its isolation and provoke an international outcry.
Weeks before the flotilla set sail the Arab media began broadcasting pictures of the preparations together with aggressive declarations by the organizers and the usual slanders against Israel. European governments and media did not react nor did they heed the warnings issued by Israel.
There were no recommendations of caution, and no honest reporting on the actual situation in Gaza. Yet all knew that the blockade had started because of the terror operations carried out by Hamas and the smuggling of weapons. All knew also that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza: Israel lets through dozens and sometimes hundreds of trucks laden with humanitarian supplies on a daily basis.
Unfortunately we are the target of an Arab and international propaganda offensive characterized by the deliberate refusal to present the Israeli positions and indeed anything positive about that country. This is “political correctness” in its starkest expression. The organizers of the so-called humanitarian operation understood only too well that they could go on with their plans secure in the support of the Arab and European media.
AND THEN it happened. These “peace militants” carefully planned their ambush.
After having said repeatedly that they would only pose passive resistance, they attacked the soldiers who boarded the ship with guns, iron bars and knives and led to the dire results they were looking for.
Once again, they were fully aware of the fact that Israel intended to lead the ships to the port of Ashdod, deliver the supplies to Gaza and send the participants back to their country of origin. Such a solution would have been acceptable to both parties. The militants would have claimed a moral victory and Israel would have sustained its legitimate policy of controlling what went to the Gaza Strip. But this is not the way of the “peace militants” whose hatred towards Israel knows no bounds.
They wanted to cause some damage, no matter the cost for them. After all, suicide bombing is the terrorist weapon of choice and the aim justifies the means.
Did Israel have a choice? It had to stop the flotilla since no one knew who the people on the ships were and what exactly they carried. Had the ships been allowed to go through, others would have followed, perhaps bringing weapons (and who knows, maybe terrorists) to Hamas, a terrorist organization which has made its intent to destroy the Jewish state clear.
Stopping the flotilla was Israel’s right under international law. One can also ask where all the peace organizations and their militants were during the eight years Hamas deluged the south with thousands of rockets.
Where were they when Schalit was taken? Where were they when Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in a bloody coup? Did they protest the slaughter that went on? Did they protest when so-called opposition leaders were thrown off the roofs of tall buildings
? Did they protest when other leaders had their kneecaps shot?
And so now we are facing a full-blown diplomatic crisis. Turkey will use it to the full to harm Israel. Arab states – and Iran – will add fuel to the fire and clamor for the UN to step in and condemn Israel. The European Union will, as usual, put the blame squarely on us – and us alone. In fact it has already started, without waiting for the whole picture to emerge.
It won’t be easy for us for two reasons. Our government failed to prepare adequately for the fallout and did not set in motion the media blitz which would have presented our case more forcibly before the flotilla set out.
And two – we can’t expect help or even assistance from anyone.
But if that’s the way it is,
that’s the way it is. The biblical words from Numbers 23:9 come to mind: “Lo, the people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations.”
The writer is a former ambassador to Romania, Egypt and Sweden and a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Begin Excerpt 2 from the Boston Herald via Associated Press and World News
Activists send new boat to challenge Gaza blockade
By Associated Press
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
JERUSALEM — Pro-Palestinian activists sent another boat to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and Egypt declared it was temporarily opening a crossing into the Palestinian territory after a botched raid on an aid flotilla that ended with Israeli soldiers killing nine activists.
The raid provoked ferocious international condemnation of Israel, raised questions at home, and appeared likely to increase pressure to end the blockade that has deepened the poverty of the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the strip. Turkey, which unofficially supported the flotilla, has led the criticism, calling the Israeli raid a “bloody massacre.”
The pro-Palestinian flotilla had been headed to Gaza with tens of thousands of tons of aid that Israel bans from Gaza. After days of warnings, Israel intercepted the flotilla under the cover of darkness early Monday, setting off a violent melee that left nine activists dead and dozens of people, including seven soldiers, wounded. Most of the dead were believed to be Turks.
Israel said 679 people were arrested, and about 50 of those had left the country voluntarily. Hundreds who refused to cooperate remained jailed and subject to deportation.
Israel says the Gaza blockade is needed to prevent the Iranian-backed Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets into the Jewish state, from building up its arsenal. It also wants to pressure Hamas to free an Israeli soldier it has held for four years.
Critics say the blockade has failed to weaken Hamas but further strapped an already impoverished economy. It also has prevented Gaza from rebuilding after a devastating Israeli military offensive early last year.
Egypt, which has enforced the blockade with Israel since Hamas militants seized control of Gaza three years ago, said it was opening the border for several days to allow aid into the area.
The governor of Egyptian’s northern Sinai district, Murad Muwafi, said it was a humanitarian gesture meant to “alleviate the suffering of our Palestinian brothers after the Israeli attack.”
Hundreds of Gaza residents quickly gathered at the border.
A steady stream of cars with suitcases on roof racks headed toward the border. Some families carrying packed luggage headed to the border by foot. Hamas police with assault rifles patrolled nearby to maintain order.
“We are working to help residents take advantage of this opportunity,” said Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab Ghussein. “We hope it will be open all the time, not just as a response to yesterday’s events.”
Greta Berlin said the Free Gaza Movement, which organized the flotilla, would not be deterred and that another cargo boat was off the coast of Italy en route to Gaza. A second boat carrying about three dozen passengers is expected to join it, Berlin said. She said the two boats would arrive in the region late this week or early next week.
“This initiative is not going to stop,” she said from the group’s base in Cyprus. “We think eventually Israel will get some kind of common sense.
They’re going to have to stop the blockade of Gaza, and one of the ways to do this is for us to continue to send the boats.”
Begin Excerpt 3 from THE JERUSALEM POST
IDF: Global Jihad on flotilla
By YAAKOV KATZ
06/01/2010
Israel concerned next flotilla will be accompanied by Turkish Navy.
Dozens of passengers who were aboard the Mavi Marmara Turkish passenger ship are suspected of having connections with Global Jihad-affiliated terrorist organizations, defense officials said Tuesday, amid growing concerns that Turkey will dispatch Navy warships to accompany a future flotilla to the Gaza Strip.
According to the defense officials, the IDF identified a group of about 100 passengers on the ship that could have terrorist connections with Global Jihad affiliated groups.
During its searches of the Mavi Marmara on Tuesday, the military also discovered a cache of bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles as well as gas masks. On Monday morning, nine international activists were killed during the Navy’s takeover of the Mavi Marmara which was trying to break the Israel-imposed sea blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The group of over 50 passengers with possible terror connections have refused to identify themselves and were not carrying passports. Many of them were however carrying envelopes packed with thousands of dollars in cash.
The military is working to identify the passengers and is looking into the possibility that some of them have ties with Global Jihad-affiliated terror organizations and that some were involved in past global terror attacks. Some of them are apparently known Islamic extremists.
“This is the group that was behind the violent lynch against the naval commandos,” a defense official said. “They came on board the ship prepared and after they had trained for the expected Navy takeover.”
IDF fears Turkey might send Navy ships with next flotilla
On Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister threatened Israel not to test Turkey’s patience.
“Turkey’s hostility is as strong as its friendship is valuable,” he said, adding “”Israel in no way can legitimize this murder, it cannot wash its hand of this blood.”
This comment, officials said, could signify a change in Turkish military action in the event that another flotilla is dispatched to the Gaza Strip.
One official said that the possibility that Turkey would send navy ships was slim – due to the country’s membership in NATO – but that the possibility was of great concern.
“There is a pposibility that is a definite possibility that we need to prepare for,” a senior defense official said on Tuesday.
The flotilla which arrived late Sunday night was comprised of six ships, and another two ships, including The Rachel Corrie, were expected to attempt to enter Israeli waters in the coming days.
Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement, which organized the flotilla, said that two boats, one of which was carrying another cargo boat was carrying about three dozen passengers, would arrive in the region late this week or early next week.
“This initiative is not going to stop,” she said from the group’s base in Cyprus. “We think eventually Israel will get some kind of common sense. They’re going to have to stop the blockade of Gaza, and one of the ways to do this is for us to continue to send the boats.”
Navy sources said that the coming ships would be intercepted the same way the flotilla was stopped on Monday morning although it had yet to be decided if the operation would be carried out by Shayetet 13, the Navy’s commando unit.
“We are tracking the ships and are under orders to stop them,” a top Navy officer said.
According to the sources, the Navy, in a future operation will use more force to prevent ships from reaching the Gaza Strip. “We boarded the ship and were attacked as if it was a war,” one officer said.
“That will mean that we will have to come prepared in the future as if it was a war.”
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