Israeli Commandos Raid Gaza Aid Ship, At Least 9 Dead

Just as a few months ago the US media was suggesting Osama bin Laden himself was in..Iran!!!

Now the Israeli army is claiming that Al Qaeda (!!!) choose the well publized aid flotilla to sneak into Gaza (!!!)

What this shows

The US and Israeli governments believe you’re a moron.

They think by dropping the name “Osama, Al Qaeda, terrrorist’ into any situation you will automatically become blinded by fear and stop thinking.

Sadly 9 times out of 10…they’re right.

http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/06/under-scrutiny-idf-retracts-claims-about-flotillas-al-qaeda-links/

When placed under journalistic scrutiny, the IDF is being forced to admit that its claims about the flotilla’s links to international terror are based on innuendo, not facts. On June 2, the IDF blasted out a press release to reporters and bloggers with the shocking headline: “Attackers of the IDF soldiers found to be Al Qaeda mercenaries.” The only supporting evidence offered in the release was a claim that the passengers “were equipped with bullet proof vests, night vision goggles, and weapons.”

You make me laugh - Here you are posting on this very opinionated Gothamist board as if you know the "FACTS". All that is known is that whoever these activists are and the purpose of the Flotilla to GAZA has yielded a great victory for Israel Haters worldwide - it shows how the entire world has rushed to judgement before the facts were known and how truly hypocritical the world is when it comes to Israel...I don't think the Israel and US governments believe that we are stupid and I think those that don't see what is really happening in our world when it comes to terrorism is truly a moron and to believe that if Israel would just "go away" then there would be peace in the Middle East". Those who believe that are the TRUE MORONS!!!

the simple fact that Israel would suggest that AlQueda agents would choose, with no weapons to try and sneak into the militarily surround gaza aboard a ship filled with journalists is absurd.

if you dont see that as a blatent dropping of the Alqueda brand name to scare people eh...you've got a lot to learn...sonny.

same goes for the 'Osama' is Iran meme thrown out there a few weeks ago.

as for the root cause of terrorism. go back in history, when did 'islamic' terrorism start?

For the record I have located the following info-Israel is saying that the ship was backed by the Insani Yardim Vakfi (“humanitarian relief fund”), or IHH, an Islamist Turkish group which has provided financial support to Iran-backed Hamas and has ties to global jihadi networks and the Muslim Brotherhood – a global umbrella Islamic organization of which Hamas is a branch – as well as mujahideen groups in Afghanistan. In 2006, a study conducted by the Danish Institute for International Studies showed that the IHH was involved in planning an al-Qaeda attack against Los Angeles International Airport in 1999. The IHH reportedly acquired forged documents, enlisted operatives and delivered weapons to al-Qaeda in preparation for the attack, which was ultimately foiled.

The Danish study also cites a French intelligence report which stated that in the mid-1990s the IHH sent a number of operatives into war zones in Muslim countries to get combat experience. The report said that the IHH transferred money and “caches of firearms, knives and pre-fabricated explosives” to Muslim fighters in those countries.

You can choose whether or not to believe this or not - the fact is that whether its Hamas, Al Queda or IHH or whomever, I wouldn't make the judgement that the primary purpose of the Israeli govt to justify defending themselves in the eyes of the world is just to scare us??

Again - I repeat you seem to be suggesting that if Israel goes away then Islamic terrorism will go away and we become safe and sound????

Fuck The Jews !

youre logic is why we celebrate the sinking of the Lusitania every year on May 7th.

The sinking of the Lusitania was a coup for anti-German sentiment and caused great controversy.

The embassy decided to warn passengers before her next crossing not to sail aboard Lusitania. The Imperial German embassy placed a warning advertisement in 50 American newspapers, including those in New York (see illustration).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lusitania_warning.jpg

yeah, they placed an ad,,,israel must have a blog post somewhere, something about helping terrorists with food and antibiotics...yeah thats it!

Maritime law allows Israel to stop and board terrorist vessels.

On top of that you and the rest of your left wing /jihadi UN pals were SILENT when muslims were killing muslims all over the region in the last few weeks, it's only when Jews manage fight for their lives and win do you get up upset.

1:1 to Israel for fucked up operation and to Aid flotilla for great publicity buzz.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Israel supporter, but imagine this:

Say we are in US and we got another coal mine disaster and foreign aid organization (under mysterious umbrella) decides to help our coal miners (for example).

They going to send lots of stuff or at least claiming that they are going to. Certain positions are restricted due to illegal activity, could be anything - drugs or cement for example.

And this is done in disregard of customs or border policies. Then they will came to international waters and when... who cares if they have restricted materials on board and been warned not to have them. What if they got lucky and get through? If they don't and if they will be attacked, US will get tons of publicity, really bad publicity and then US will be blamed for everything.

Got the picture? What the fuck are they thinking?!

US borders will be locked and any attempts will be prevented at all cost.

I think similar scenario can be in place.

Yet still a few questions without answer:

1. Why there is no real cargo ships? I mean real ones, not passenger ferry. The that being attacked, looks like a ferry.

2. Why if you been warned a number of times, you would go directly to Gaza?

3. If this is a peaceful mission, why didn't you say so? I know it sounds stupid: We came with peace, we mean no harm, but... fuck, what are they thinking?

h20 I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you're comparing the embargo Israel has had on Gaza for 5 years to a coal mininig accident....you're missing the point.

imagine this.

imagine there were 2 million coal miners the us had holed up in the foothills of virginia. and the US said we're going to give them just enough food to live but not enough that they arent hungry, and we'll destroy their homes but not give them materials to rebuild. And imagine america did this to the coal miners for 5 years as part of an embargo.

For 40 years before that america harrassed them in other ways and stripped them of their rights as citizens. Imagine that. imagine too this was all because these people didnt share the official state religion.

imagine that.

then you can imagine and aid boat being sent to the coast of america from concerned countries. and then you can imagien the US govt boarding it, killing 9 of the humanitarians. Would you still side with the US?

are you still with me?

Well, at some point I would agree. Yet still some questions are without answers. For 10000 tonnes of cargo and 5 ships? Why? Isn't that cheaper to get a Handysize freighter or small Handysize cargo ship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handysize

This was done intentionally to paint Israel as terrorist country and blame all Israel allies as supporters.

I'd say both sides play their part well.

Oh... and all that sounds like Soviet propaganda.

Yes we are all entitled to our opinion Mondo..And yes I can imagine 2 million muslims who elected a terrorist organization as their political saviors whose very fabric is the destruction of Israel..A terrorist organization that channels a good portion of the humanitarian aid to not to build schools but to build bunkers in Gaza..An organization that stores caches of weapons in school building putting children in peril. I can also imagine a country when given the opportunity to live peaceably when the Israel Occupation ended just to move all of their weapons a few miles closer to the Israel border and shoot rockets..

You keep implying that Israel is discriminating against the Palestinians because they don't share the official state religion...What BS....this intifada has never been about islam its about security or else how do you explain those 1 million muslims living with the Israelis sharing equal rights...

Guns and ammo have been shipped in under cover of humanitiarian aid before - just how and why you can be certain that the smuggling of weapons is not happening is beyond me living in Gotham city...

if i could,i would go to isreal and help them defend their nation against any and all aggressors,especially iran.the bible tells us to defend isreal,and that's good enough for me.

people have to stop with the "international waters" bullshit. UN charter specifically allows a sovereign nation to stop, search and seize any vessel approaching it's shores it has evidence or reason to believe is carrying weapons, thus Israel's boarding the ships was legal. period, so any continued attempts to imply that it was an illegal act because of "international waters" is just so much racist bs.

the videos of the incident clearly show the people on the ship attacking the israelis with clubs of wood and metal pipes while they were rappelling down from the helicopters before any of them reached the boats and while their hands were holding the ropes (and not guns) and before any shots were fired. the videos make clear that no shots were fired until after the israelis were attacked with clubs.

the only "witness" to testify to any shootings claims the shots were fired at the boats before the israelis boarded (and the israelis missed? who believes that they fired on a shit and missed?).

this "witness" is a palestinian elected to the israeli parliament with a public past history of vocally calling for the violent overthrow of the israeli government, and publicly speaking in favor of Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions so that they can use them to coerce israel to give in to the palestinians' demands.

"international waters" bullshit. UN charter specifically allows a sovereign nation to stop, search and seize any vessel"

hehehehehe

please man there is NO law that allows Israel to stop and board ships going to gaza which they withdrew from and washed their hands of in 2005. the embargo like their fake withdrawal is illegal.

refering to un law in the context of israel is funny.

Israel is the target of at least 65 UN Resolutions nearly all of which it flaunts.

but lets move on.

lets learn a new word - Hasbara

Hasbara refers to the propaganda efforts to sell Israel, justify its actions, and defend it in world opinion. Using contemporary euphemisms, it is Public diplomacy for Israel, or using a pejorative interpretation, then it is apologia. Israel portrays itself as fighting on two fronts: the Palestinians and world opinion. The latter is dealt with hasbara. The premise of hasbara is that Israel's problems are a matter of better propaganda, and not one of an underlying unjust situation.

Check out the Habara Handbook: Promoting Israel on Campus pdf link. its a facinating guide

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hasbara

Check again: San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea. Below is the text from section five (67 a) Section V : Neutral merchant vessels and civil aircraft Neutral merchant vessels 67. Merchant vessels flying the flag of neutral States may not be attacked unless they: ... (a) are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture. Also, the soldier were caring FN 303, which are basically paint guns. Look it up.

"No one in the world will believe that Israel attacked ships in international waters carrying Israeli citizens, a Nobel Laureate, elected politicians, and noted humanitarians bringing medicines and building materials to Palestinians in Gaza, who have been living in the rubble of their homes without repairs or medicines since January 2009, without first clearing the crime with its American protector. Without America’s protection, Israel, a totally artificial state, could not exist. No one in the world will believe that America’s spy apparatus did not detect the movement of the Israeli attack force toward the aid ships in international waters in an act of piracy, killing 20, wounding 50, and kidnapping the rest. Obama’s pretense at ignorance confirms his complicity.

Once again the US government has permitted the Israeli state to murder good people known for their moral conscience. The Israeli state has declared that anyone with a moral conscience is an enemy of Israel, and every American president except Eisenhower and Carter has agreed.

Obama’s 12-hour silence in the face of extreme barbarity is his signal to the controlled corporate media to remain on the sidelines until Israeli propaganda sets the story..."

http://www.counterpunch.org/

Not Jewish enough, huh? Why don't you check the facts? Israel is over 20% Arab. Those Arabs are full Israelis, they have their own peaceful Arab villages and they enter the IDF to protect their own land and their own country just like the Jewish citizens. They put aside religious differences in order to protect the land that share. Israel isn't out to murder Muslims or take away their freedoms. They are protecting the land that they have been protecting from attacks from Palestinians for 50 years. Should people have died on those aid ships? Probably not. But I bet that whoever organized those aid ships was hoping for this exact result.

Pro-Israel rally tonight at 6pm outside the consulate. Long live Israel!

Pro-Humanitarian Aid rally tonight outside the Israeli consulate. 5-8

42d Street and 2nd Avenue.

Protest today outside the Israeli consulate. 5-8. Forgo your cocktails in the name of the hundreds Israel is holding, and however many it has killed/wounded, without identifying (Adam Shapiro: "I don't really trust the figures. Frankly we don't know... It's as if they're trying to make these people disappear."). Here's the facebook announcement. New York, 42d Street and 2nd Avenue.

Two great quotes from two great people come to mind:

"It's all gonna work out. Here's sports." - Bill Hicks

"Oh sky cake, why are you so delicious?" - Patton Oswalt

help me out, why is there a blockade,

why would commandos storm a ship of humantitarian aid?

wheres all the explosives and military weapons supposedly being snuck in?

isnt a blockade supposed to block ships?

try again, there will be more ships and people willing to lay down their life to help the imprisoned gazans.

time for bloomturd to take his nyc all expenses paid camera crew to israel for a photo video opp entering a bomb shelter from dud pipe bomb rockets in a blatant attempt to pander to his peoples and skew media version of events.

people hate this country because of our foreign policy and our constant bowing to israel's nazi-like actions in regards to the humantitarian rights of Palestine.

USS LIBERTY is a well documented screw up.

look it up kids.

How many times are we going to hear about the USS Liberty? It was a tragedy no doubt...but is it really any different than when US soldiers are killed by friendly fire??? I'm satisfied that mistakes happen..

The real question all of you Israel-bashers should be asking is when is Israel going to realize that the blockade of Gaza which was intended to rid Gaza of the HAMAS leadership isn't working and we must accept that the Palestinians would rather have terrorists speak for them and represent them in front of the world.

Israel had every right under international law to stop and board ships bound for the Gaza war zone late Sunday. Only knee-jerk left-wingers and the usual legion of poseurs around the world would dispute this. And it is pretty clear that this "humanitarian" flotilla headed for Gaza aimed to provoke a confrontation with Israel. Various representatives of the Free Gaza Movement, one of the main organizers of this deadly extravaganza, have let it slip throughout Monday that their intention was every bit as much "to break" Israel's blockade of Gaza as to deliver the relief goods.

The Israeli commandos who stormed the ship, where fighting erupted, badly mishandled the situation. But theirs was a mistake in pursuit of a legal goal, not a war crime. And as for calls for international investigations, they represent the usual hypocritical nonsense that will go nowhere. Except for those who routinely fool themselves about the judiciousness and effectiveness of action by the United Nations or the European Union, everyone understands their "investigations" will amount to nothing. Only the United States might do something useful—if the White House would only seize quickly the practical solution staring it in the face.

Regarding international law, blockades are quite legal. The United States and Britain were at war with Germany and Japan and blockaded them. I can't remember international lawyers saying those blockades were illegal—even though they took place on the high seas in international waters. There would be a general violation only if the hostile actions against the ships took place in waters under the jurisdiction of another sovereign state. Thus, for example, if the Israelis stopped the ships in Egyptian waters, that would have been a violation.

“If an armed group of Somali pirates had yesterday boarded six vessels on the high seas, killing at least 10 passengers and injuring many more, a Nato taskforce would today be heading for the Somali coast."

but ah its Israel so apologist like you come up out and spin the hasbara and pr machine makes it seem like bringing humantarian aid is a terrorist act!

please, spare me.

all the other bs about the legal rights is just lies...read on

"A word on the legal position, which is very plain. To attack a foreign flagged vessel in international waters is illegal. It is not piracy, as the Israeli vessels carried a military commission. It is rather an act of illegal warfare.

Because the incident took place on the high seas does not mean however that international law is the only applicable law. The Law of the Sea is quite plain that, when an incident takes place on a ship on the high seas (outside anybody's territorial waters) the applicable law is that of the flag state of the ship on which the incident occurred. In legal terms, the Turkish ship was Turkish territory.

http://mondoweiss.net/2010/05/attack-is-in-turkish-jurisdiction.html

at this point the world knows Israel doesnt follow 'laws'....but eh, whatever.

"My grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her home town a German soldier shot her dead in her bed. My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza. The present Israeli government ruthlessly and cynically exploits the continuing guilt from gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians."

youtube.com/watch?v=pwhrHoPv5O...

Gerald Kaufman British Jewish MP

Or maybe they can post a photo of soldiers being attacked by these "Free Gaza" terrorist-sympathizers. What most people here are forgetting is that the PEOPLE of Gaza elected and openly support Hamas- a terrorist group. Think America would be so open and free with 1.5 million people next door who elected a group dedicated to violence and who lob missiles into the country on almost a daily basis? I think not.

The Free Gaza people are anti-semite provacateurs and my only regret is the bad PR this is going to be for Israel.

'anti-semitism!!!!"

lets be serious. it doesnt exist.

Wheres your evidence of anti-semitism?

you have mayors, senators, court justices, mansions in boro park, the UWS, the UES, unequaled forgein aid for israel ...yet still you go on about anti-semitism?

How is it possible that the richest people in american can claim that everyone else is out to get them?

thats not opinion. its a fact. the wealthiest religion in the US is Judism.

http://www.good.is/post/transparency-america-s-wealthiest-religions

and good for Judism I say. Lets say that means a lot of people were struggling and studying to become successful.

But to then go on and on about how you're the victim of prejudice when people hold you to the same laws as everyone else? to pretend you're somehow a suffering minority? get off it.

you're just a bunch of rich people who decided it'd be exotic if you had a homeland in the middle east.

"The Itailians had italy, the irish had Ireland..why dont we have a homeland too?"

Like all colonial adventures you dont view the natives as equal to you. you kill them, you occupy their land, and you brand them terrorists when fight back!

boo-fcking hoo.

everyone deserves justice, even arabs.

"you're just a bunch of rich people who decided it'd be exotic if you had a homeland in the middle east."

You obviously have no knowledge of the History of Jews for the past 2000 years or even the founding of the Modern state of Israel to simply characterize it as something exotic and to purposely displace Arabs and steal their land...Let us review that Jews were always considered second class citizens outside of Israel for centuries...Some Jews thought it might be a good idea to live in the biblical homeland as Jews and not be oppressed. Those Jews that came to Israel actually paid the Arab absentee landlords for what they considered worthless land...Some Arabs stayed and continue to coexist and some left never to return. Those that did leave were promised land by the Arab nations such as Egypt, Syria and Jordan...when their attacks failed they lost..THEY GAMBLED and THEY LOST and they are now displaced....Try and be a little open minded and comprehend that this perpetual conflict is not a Black and White one where the Zionists are evil and the Palestinians are the oppressed good guys....its more complicated than that and your statements just show how ignorant you are about history...

Yes, yes, we all know the history of the "JEWZ" (gypsies). JEWS want to able to do what they are doing now, without any resistance (like other criminals who rob people). Why can't the JEWZ steal land, kill women, kill children, and then blame the Palestinians for defending themselves?

Im sorry, what? Who stole what land now?

Do you not understand that Israel pulled OUT of Gaza years ago, and left the Pals with a ton of land and a vibrant industry of greenhouses which the Pals, in all their self defeating wisdom, destroyed immediately?

You are a true moron, too bad you werent on that ship of fools that should have been sunk before it got to Israeli waters.

if they pulled out of gaza..how come they wont let aid into gaza?

the pulled out of gaza yet they feel they can still control the land/air and sea of Gaza?? They act as if gaza is part of israel.

Why not give the people in Gaza EQUAL rights as Israelis?

Oh thats right, the Israelis only consider people who are Jewish to be equal to them. So those millions of refugees will just have to stew in an open air prision for another 40 years?

sorry little man, your fascist ideology isn't going to stand up to the 21st century.

"Why not give the people in Gaza EQUAL rights as Israelis?"

Excuse me - It is not for Israel to give the people EQUAL rights as Israelis - Israel withdrew from GAZA in my view as a test to see if the Palestinians can rule themselves and they have proven that they are interested only in having HAMAS speak for them.

Oh that's right, the Israelis only consider people who are Jewish to be equal to them.

Oh yea that's right what about the 1.1 million Muslims, 130,000 Christians and 100,000 Druze that all live within Israel's borders - I do believe they have equal rights....Again the ignorance that some people show here is unfathomable...

again you ignore the obvious.

if they withdrew from gaza...then what right do they have to control their borders? why are they intercepting ships that come into land they withdrew from??

If Israel gave rights to the 4 million people whos land it controls in gaza and the west bank...then and only then they'd be a democracy. this these arabs can vote...these arabs are refugees...the arabs homes we bull doze...these we let live...its utter bullsh*t and you know it.

I'm not sure if that's supposed to be an argument, but all I see is you trying to side with intellects in order to mask your blatant stupidity followed by a string of nonsense. You're making a fool of yourself. Once you can form a logical argument you should post. Until then, you are just making your side of the argument look stupider.

I'm glad someone else has a sense of reality here. Mondoweiss.net - you are a disgrace to American ideals.

Im on the same side of Einstein, of Bertrand Russell, of Chomsky, of Genet, Said, Finkelstein...basically every intellectual of the last 50 years!

you can't rationalize what Israel is doing. save yourself and leave the dark side.

The tragedy of the people of Palestine is that their country was "given" by a foreign power to another people for the creation of a new state. The result was that many hundreds of thousands of innocent people were made permanently homeless. With every new conflict their numbers increased. How much longer is the world willing to endure this spectacle of wanton cruelty? It is abundantly clear that the refugees have every right to the homeland from which they were driven, and the denial of this right is at the heart of the continuing conflict. No people anywhere in the world would accept being expelled in masses from their own country; how can anyone require the people of Palestine to accept a punishment which nobody else would tolerate? A permanent just settlement of the refugees in their homeland is an essential ingredient of any genuine settlement in the Middle East. We are frequently told that we must sympathise with Israel because of the suffering of the Jews in Europe at the hands of the Nazis. [...] What Israel is doing today cannot be condoned, and to invoke the horrors of the past to justify those of the present is gross hypocrisy.[42]

—Bertrand Russell, 31 January 1970

Not to mention Britain has always been somewhat known for anti-semitism. See: http://www.george-orwell.org/AntiSemitism_In_Britian/0.html .

Written by George Orwell, an intellect himself.

I'm glad you like Orwell.

I agree with him, anti-semitism is bad, but we're not talking about that. We're talking about Israel. lets see what he says about Israel.

'To him the Jews were like invading white settlers much like the British in Burma. He deplored what he saw as anti-Arab prejudice even writing in the Partisan Review "many Zionist Jews seem to me to be merely anti- Semites turned upside down."

or yeah, I just remembered Ghandi sided with Palestenians too.

"Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the Arabs... Surely it would be a crime against humanity to reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews partly or wholly as their national home."

http://books.google.com/books?id=zsXsBxHgC4kC&lpg=PA319&ots=ybxqwudLeH&dq=many%20zionist%20jews%20seem%20like%20turned%20upside%20down%20orwell&pg=PA319#v=onepage&q=many%20zionist%20jews%20seem%20like%20turned%20upside%20down%20orwell&f=false

Not to mention Israel is only 75% Jewish. It is 20% Arab. And those people are full citizens, and they are proud Israelis. Just like the Jewish citizens, they all enter the military to protect their land and country at 18. So don't ever say that Israel only believes Jews should have rights. You ignorant POS.

Why are you overlooking the fact that Egypt has also had Gaza blocked off for the past 3 years? and what about the fact that in the time period since the IDF justly questioned a fleet of ships entering their territory (a ship that refused to stop and enter at a legal port of entry) there have probably been over 10x the amount of deaths that happened on those ships elsewhere in the form of suicide bombs from Muslims.

Seriously people, you need to look beyond the first headline and read into the story. This was a fleet of 12 ships that attempted to enter a blocked port. They knew they were going to be met with resistance. And they attacked the soldiers when they arrived, and provoked the 9 deaths. On purpose. In order to thrust Israel into the spotlight and bring out everyone who loves to hate Israel. The Palestinians have been kicking kids out of schools and the sick out of hospitals for years in order to shoot missiles from them into Israel, only to complain about the "blatant disregard for humanity" that Israel has when they fire back and destroy these buildings that are harboring militants.

I'm sure Israel would much rather have peaceful neighbors in the West Bank and Gaza than they currently have. But you can't open the borders to trade and give them land and open ports when they have proven through history they will immediately start attacking Israel again. Unlike America, they stand by their word and don't give people like the President of Iran chances again, and again, and again. Or should we just say "okay that attack was fine but no more". Because historically, that has worked as well.

Its as simple as it gets. Two sides to this. Isreal, which is constructed by the American media to look like the oppressed and the victims, but infact are the real terrorists, thieves, aggressors and oppressors. Palestine, which are the victims of Isreal's terrorism, thievery, aggression and oppression, but you would never know that if you just depended on the media, who only show when the Palestinians are preparing to defend themselves against the evil Zionist, which in the minds of the brainwashed robots who are mentally handicap, make the Palestinians look like the aggressors (they never show the action before the reaction)

The media plays on the mindless creatures' disability, who are unable to think for themselves. Like the people who call themselves patriotic, and the evil Zionists who cry "Anti Semite" whenever their aggressions, thievery, and terrorism is acknowledged and criticized.

People who cry "anti semite" only expose themselves for the mindless brainwashed pricks that they are.

I dont support the Iraq war and I hate our past slavery.

Does that make me anti American?

We will never have world peace with the likes of Isreal in our existence

Napalm, are you the star of those funny pictures of Pal demonstrators holding banners saying "IsrEAl is

My post got cut off. So are you the star of those pictures? Why do you and your pals/Pals spell Israel as Isreal? Just illiterate or is there something else behind it? I think I understand "Juice" more or less, what is the story behind "Isreal"?

Come on doof. I thought I explained that in my earlier posts. Isreal, "Is" the "Real" terrorist govt ect ect.

Hey! You're anti Semitic for not knowing that, and you're anti Semitic if you think otherwise. You're anti Semitic if you reply negatively

you are 12 yo, physically or mentally. and I try to be neutral on this whole issue.

The Turkish government is being overly dramatic just like many other Muslim countries looking to make some noise with not mush essence, “who me? I didn’t do anything, I support peace”. What about slaughtering 1.5 million Armenians? And the Kurds? In fact, I am organizing a flotilla to assist Kurds, how about that? What would happen, think the Turks would let us in? Think the American government would sit and wait for activist ships to do whatever they want? They’d bomb them from 100 miles away. Israel has a right to fight provocation. Muslim governments have shown in the past that they are evasive and not trustworthy. The next mega terror attack will most likely be carried out by Muslims, not Israelis, not Brits or Americans.

your logic makes my head spin.

I know, if my brain was so tiny it would hurt too. My point - Turkey would not welcome provocators on ships. Neither would your government. Of course, it is easy to put aside Turkey's murderous acts, jumping on Israel is more "sexy".

lol good one.

I wonder how many people on this board know that Turkey is a close ally to Israel, due in no small part to Israel's refusal to acknowledge Turkey's Armenian gnocide? Which is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!

I wonder how many people on this board realized I just criticized Israel and no one is rushing to call me an anti-Semite?

I wonder how many people realize that Turkey is NOT Israel's "closest ally in the region" (you're not even really a doctor, are you?), Israel also has diplomatic ties with its neighbors Jordan and Egypt (who also supports the Gaza blockade)?

I wonder if anyone on this board realizes they're calling for a boycott of Israel on computers using chips made in ... guess where?

I wonder how many people on this board actually know the facts, rather than just spewing the same old rhetoric from both sides -- wait, scrap that last question.

I already know the answer.

...proof that NY jews are even more brainwashed and irrational than scientologists.

I'm not an NY Jew, smart guy. What do you know about the region anyway? Easy to live here and criticize, isn't it? So what about that Kurd assisting flotilla, care to join me? Oh, and what about the "humanitarian" refusal to mention Gilad Shalit? Activists don't attack anyone and don't carry knives. 5 ships were not violent, the 6th chose to "attack". If the Israelis wanted to wipe them off they would have. More muslims were actually murdered by muslims.

Screw Gilad; he was an IDF storm trooper who was involved in genocide and murder. What kind of treatment should he expect? You have Palestinian children in prison for f*ck sake and your fascist military targets children for murder. Whatever happens to Israel and it's zionazi citizens now is absolutely deserved.

if anyone targets children it's Hamas - remember the bus bombings? The Israel army NEVER targets children, NEVER hurts children on purpose, unlike your terrorist friends who laugh before they blow babies up. LEarn yoru facts, oh, and SCREW YOU. Americans kills children in Afghanistan on a daily basis. I am going to sleep now - I need to go to work so lefties and libs liek you can afford not to.

The Turks are also a proud people, and harken back to Ataturk, and his principles of the founding of the modern Turkish state. They do not suffer from PCitis, and will call 'em as they see 'em. And by your reasoning that Israel has the "right to fight prococation", does Turkey now have the right to attack Israel? Israel just screwed over their closest ally in the region, and I really think they messed this one up. But, in their usual arrogance, they don't care.

There can't ever be a constructive conversation about Israel because either you have to agree with them wholeheartedly and defend even their worst behavior or you're an anti-semite.

I don't understand how Israel's actions can be defended. This was a humanitarian relief group in INTERNATIONAL waters but even that means nothing.

Humanitarians do not attack anyone, even if they deem the invasion to their ship unjust.

Israel will falsely claim the flotilla was carrying weapons based on some b*llshit photoshopped evidence that all the jewish supporters living in the US will believe due to the pro Israel media and US government-AIPAC propaganda, so they can once again rationalize murder and breaking international law. It would be justice if a flotilla could bring weapons into Gaza; it would be righteious to give the IDF storm trooper nazis a little resistance when they come in to murder women and children.

The real reason they attack us:

"Every Muslim is sick and his only remedy is in the Koran. Unfortunately the sickness gets worse the more the remedy is taken.”

-Arab thinker Jamal al Afghani

Mondoweiss.net was the garbage website where the editor made outageous false claims that Arabs cannot attend Israeli universities.

The same website that ignores the Jordanian destruction of Jewish Jerusalem & perpetuates the myth of impoverishment & despair in Gaza. Yet fancy restaurants are thriving in Gaza and they recently constructed an Olympic sized pool!

Imagine if the only news we heard about NYC were the shootings in Harlem & the Bronx, the crime on subways, domestic violence and only pictures of poor areas. We would be fooled into thinking that was The real New York, just as the sheep watching al-Jazeera are fooled about Israel and Gaza everyday.

How did gazans get enough concrete to build the new Olympic sized swimming pool in Gaza? I thought there was a blockade!

Who's eating at that expensive Gaza restaurant called Roots?

How did Hamas terrorist Mabhouh afford expensive Dubai hotel rooms when he snuck in and out of countries on fake passports?

New Yorkers are savvy enough to know that an apologist for terror is a supporter of terror. Only weak people would bow to violent gangs telling us to stop supporting a vital & loyal ally.

What's their next demand going to be? We don't want mohammed's oppressive laws on our brothers & sisters. Sharia law symbolizes the regression of civilization, going away from progress, it will never be implemented in my country!

All I can say to a brainwashed megaphone zionazi fascist twit like yourself who has no genetic ability to deal with reason, facts and truth is f*ck you.

it saddens me to think that during our lifetime there will be no end to the Isreal-middle east conflict.

:-(

Sure there will, either Israel will remove the last traces of Palestine off the face of the earth (look at the Palestinian land vs Israeli land maps over the past 50 years), and have their western friends (us mostly) remain powerful enough to force other nations not to act, or Israel will succeed in alienating their allies and eventually collapse under the weight of regional politics.

Honestly, I think that the second path is becoming more likely. I don't think that say 50 years down the line, America will be in the same superpower position it finds itself in today, not necessarily because america would get weaker, but because other entities will become stronger thanks to cheap and powerful technology and weaponry, like how the AK-47 meant that any group in any country had the basic capability to fight against established military systems and stand a chance.

Israel

That was not a particularly intelligent statement. I am an American so I don't get what I am suffering, but then again with no facts and only assumptions being made this is of no surprise.

Anti Semite and what year it is have no correlation dunbass. Why's next? You cannot be racist because segregation and slavery were abolished? Try a coherent thought. If proof comes out that these "humanitarians" were taken this " aide" to the correct port to be checked for security reAsons I will retract my previous statements. I do not believe these people wanted to die, but they knew what they were doing was going against Israeli law. And as with the Arabs who commit acts of terrorism this is about Israel not Jews. The hate on this site whether dealing with minorities in this city comitting crimes or this instance astounds me. Everyone should peacfully coexist.

Israeli law is fascist and racist law. Every business that supports Israel should now be boycotted by the international community; if you are going to identify with the oppressor, you should suffer its fate.

Puleeze don't boycott Katz's , I need my

Pastrami & heart attack fries.

Muslims have killed Muslims praying in

Mosques by the thousands most recently in Lahore India

where is the outrage against that?

The minute the Jews defend there selves here comes

the hatred, no I am not Jewish. whatever.

Religious wars are OK and as old as time itself.

There are a lot of businesses in NYC owned and operated by Israelis; it's a good time to begin boycotting them and any other businesses supporting apartheid in Israel.

Boycott!!! That is genius - yes let's do that and see how much of an impact it has on stopping Hamas from smuggling weapons into Gaza and firing rockets on those Israeli border towns into playgrounds and schools....

So funny how none of us know any details beyond what we knew a week ago and u go off and demonize Israel. That makes you an anti Semite. Play back to yourself however you want but hating without any evidence is prejudice.

Talk about 1967? Have a look at what the Isreli military consisted of. It could easily been a mistake. If this group was not looking for trouble they would have delivered the aid to Israel the way the government of that country told them to. That is Israels right. Egypt backed this blockade but please single out israel.

Now, to the ignorant fuck going on about the Jews controlling money, you are a fucking biggot. There are 16 million Jews in this world, how do we control the wealth of several billion. Ignorant piece of shit

This is the problem with the Israeli right. Any critique of Israel or Israeli actions is tantamount to anti-semitism or blasphemy. Truthfully, Israel is the only nation on earth that can claim racism to back up their actions. Even countries that have legitimately been negatively impacted in the past from the racist ideologies of other countries (say, Haiti for example) never dare raise their voice and play the race card.

I don't want to enter any political discussion on this board, BUT: criticizing Israel's behavior does not equal anti-semitism.

even a person from Israel can and should criticize Israel's behavior whenever (s)he feels like it.

How about we just nuke the whole middle east? Nobody will care if they keep fighting over an irradiated wasteland. Seriously though, the lunatics behind the "big three" religions will NEVER stop fighting over it - if you pulled out the Jews or the Muslims, Christians would run right in to take their place. The only real solution is to get rid of the "holy land" (hahaha, the biggest joke ever) for good.

so the question is:

Is Israel going to oppress his opponent for ever without totally killing him, but yet disabled and humiliated?

Where is Bloomberg and Kelly? No appearance in the news yet from either of them and right now NYC is vulnerable because of USA's support of Israel. Bloomberg, cut the blow&job short and come up to NYC NOW!!!!! we are your boss bytch and I am ordering you to return to NYC now!!!! :D

So where's the condemnation from our AIPAC wh*res Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden?

and King Bloomberg and Queen Ed Koch and their son Anthony Wiener??? and let's not forget Uncles LIEberman and Schumer.

Never happen. Be interesting to see if the US allows any effective action to come out of the UN Security Concil today.

Israeli foreign minister released in on Youtube?? LOL

America needs to reassess it's policy towards Israel but it will never happen because they control the money flow in this country. I don't see exactly what our blind commitment to Israel and the billions in aid and weapons buys us in return. I mean we help them tremendously, if not for us they'd probably be no Israel, but then what do we get in return but a rogue partner that commits atrocities that we are left to try to defend. Israel cannot survive without us but they don't respect us and do as they wish and their actions bring us, America, dire consequences. I'm not against Israel, as a sovereign state they can do as they please but do we need to support them? or should we support them? It seems to me that we don't get enough in return for our commitment to them. They're like the little brother that picks fights because they know their big brother, whether right or wrong, will always defend them.

My question is, and I'll be the first to admit I don't understand this enough to know the answer, is what do we get in return for our unwavering support of Israel, politically and financially? Because in my humble opinion it seems we, America, give them so much and get so little back in return, but we inherit a lot of their problems. Are we getting the short in of the stick?

These people are fucking morons and got exactly what they deserved. Lets see..Israel tells them to turn around or its gonna be on. They dont. Hmmm...Israeli commandos vs a bunch of jokers, I will take Israel and give the points.

how about they were in international waters and they legally dont have to take orders from anyone?

god, please tell me youre not one of those nut jobs who doesnt believe in international or maritime law.

according to the BBC the "humanitarian" flotilla was being run by the IHH which is "a Turkish aid organisation with strong sympathy among Turkey's ruling party, but is banned in Israel, which accuses it of links to Hamas and al-Qaeda."

that's a lot of degrees of separation there, stupid. can you at least attempt to answer my question coherently?

From the BBC

Arafat Shoukri, of the Free Gaza Movement (FGM) which helped organise the convoy, said those on board one ship had told them by telephone that Israeli helicopters had arrived.

"Then we started to hear screams, shouting, shooting everywhere," he said. "We heard some of them shouting 'We are raising the white flag, stop shooting at us'."

:O, sweetie, I think we agree on this one. oh noooooooo

US activist loses eye after being shot in face with tear gas canister. WTF???

http://palsolidarity.org/2010/05/12604/

This is not the first act of aggression by Israel on the high seas.

For those too young to remember, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident

In 1967, Israel sunk the USS Liberty, a US Navy research vessel flying the US flag near this same spot, 25 miles in international waters. It was not a mistake. Israel had been tracking it for days.

The Zionists claimed they didn't know it was an American ship. Right! Mossad doesn't know what an American flag looks like!

They killed 34 USA military personnel and wounded 174 others. It was the greatest number of US casualties in the midEast until the Marine barracks bombing 15 years later in Lebanon by different terrorists. Those were Arab terrorists. In 1967 it was state-supported Zionist terrorist, the same ones who killed the ten civilians yesterday.

Question:

Why would Israel attack an ally on purose?

Give me one logical reason.

You can't.

(It's a known fact that the U.S. didn't notify Israel of the ship being in the area)

Why would Israel offer medical support if it was anything but a friendly fire? The Liberty resembled an Egyptian ship that had previously fired upon Israeli land!

Why weren't there Arab or Hebrew translators on the USS Liberty?

And then there was silence................

Why don't you STFU and go back to the klan websites!

You should conspiracy theorize other friendly fire incidents like the when US bombers killed British troops on the ground a few years ago in Irraq.

I'll answer the Zionist one on one, when he doesn't have his bully-boys at the IDF backing him:

Q -"Why would Israel attack an ally on purose? Give me one logical reason. "

A - The same reason Israel sent in Pollard to spy on us!

Q - "Why weren't there Arab or Hebrew translators on the USS Liberty?"

A - As you know, the US is sorely lacking in Arab translators currently, let alone in 1967. Do they have translators nowadays on warships in the mideast? Should they have a polyglot crew to keep the likes of you satisfied? Don't talk stupid!

Q - "Why don't you STFU and go back to the klan websites!"

A. - Typical Zionist response to serious criticism of Israel: you're either an anti-Semite or a Nazi. The last refuge of a scoundrel! ROTFL

Face it, buster. The Mossad knows when a fart is laid in Gaza. They knew it was a US ship.

You should be ashamed to call yourself an American.

(Hmm, are you American or typing away in Tel Aviv?)

If Israel had more Mordechai Vanunus and fewer of your scummy ilk, it would be in much better shape. You're a disgrace to the Jewish people.

Adam Shapiro is on the board of the Free Gaza Movement. He said today: "CNN is looping footage of mayhem on one of the ships, but is not giving the context that the Israelis had killed someone already at that point. The ship was in international waters, there was no plausible rationale to take it over by the Israelis. The ships were not going to Israel, they were going to Gaza, they had no plans to enter Israeli waters. All this could have been avoided if Israel had let the ships deliver their aid to Gaza."

the link you provided says it was officially concluded by both sides that this was a mistake. It did also say that there were alternative versions and conspiracy theories, so I am waiting for a follow-up link from you saying that 9/11 was done by CIA.

Of course, Israel WOULD claim that the sinking of the Liberty is a mistake.

What do you think they would say? "One of the best intelligence services in the world tracked a US Navy ship for two days and ordered several of its military branches to fire on it purposely in order to sink it."

At least the Japanese admitted they sank the USS Arizona.

Of course, the USA eventually claimed it was a mistake. Otherwise, we would have to declare war on Israel or take some military action against them. The Zionist lobby in America would never allow that!

Face it. Israel has an amazing Intelligence service, the Mossad. The USS Liberty was flying the US flag and their radio signals were being intercepted by days by Mossad.

The Israeli govt took a calculated risk that the Zionist lobby here would defuse any military action against Israel. They were right.

While we are talking about Zionist treachery against their "allies", the US govt, I refer you to the Jonathan Pollard spy case. Pollard was also a Navy man, in Naval Intelligence, who sold this country down the river for Israel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Pollard

For decades, Israel denied he was a spy. They finally admitted it and came clean in 1998. Twenty years of Israeli lies to the face of the US govt!

Wonder when Israel will admit that the knew the USS Liberty was a US Navy ship or that they knowingly killed European civilians yesterday?

When will you admit it, for starters?

The Turkish sponsors of this flotilla have been supporting terrorists for years.

re the pic - nice to see our "allies" in POCKEESTAHN supporting jihad against America and Israel.

...but Free Palestine, the sponsor of this shipment, doesn't support terrorism. They were simply attempting to send aid to an impoverished land.

if so, then they had no reason to resist a search by the Israelis who were in contact with them the night before by radio and had challenged their captain for identification, and had communicated their intention by radio to board and search the night before, nor had they any reason to tell all the passengers to put on life preservers and stay below decks, because they were on a peaceful mission and had no reason to expect an attack, unless they were not on a peaceful mission?

5 star restaurants and an Olympic sized swimming pool aren't found in most "impoverished lands"

There's a blockade against all shipments to Gaza, from both Israel and Egypt. They knew it was illegal when they sailed into those waters, and the Israelis have no way of knowing if there's a hidden cache of weapons on board.

They could easily find out if there are weapons by waiting to stop the ships legally: Wait until they are in 'legal' waters, stop the ships and impound them. Search the things top to bottom, throw all the humanitarian aid into the sea.

Why did Israel opt to do this in international waters? Why did they choose to board in such an overly dramatic fashion?

I've seen the helicopter videos, the IDF did NOT start the violence. They reacted to it. They fought back. Much like they reacted to Gaza rockets in 2009, or Jordan's 19 year illegal occupation and desecration of Jerusalem.

The ships refused to identify themselves when asked to, after given several warnings, the flotilla was in breach of maritime law. Plus we all know they were planning to violate another nation's laws.

If there are 10 fewer muslim extremists alive to spread their hatred around the globe today, that is a good thing.

A rare voice of sanity here. It's so boringly predictable to see all the useful-idiot lefties make common cause with the anti-Semites to condemn Israel for enforcing its blockade against these terrorists.