Whatever ultimately happened during the Israeli assault of the Freedom Flotilla boats, according to the Free Gaza Movement, one of the flotilla’s organizers, extensive preparations were made to ensure that the participants would be nonviolent. Says a press release published today on Free Gaza’s website:
All ships were thoroughly searched by local port authorities in Greece and Turkey prior to their departure. Additionally, the coalition hired an independent security firm to search the ships and certify that no weapons were on board. All passengers went through nonviolence training and were likewise searched for weapons prior to boarding. The Turkish government, a member-state of the NATO alliance, vetted all the Turkish passengers to insure there was no one with ties to extremist groups. These precautionary steps were deliberately taken to prevent Israeli propaganda officials from ever being able to claim that the Freedom Flotilla posed any ‘security risk’ to Israel.
There was a live satellite feed broadcasting the voyage from the Mavi Marmara, as well as GPS transponders showing the exact location of the flotilla at all times to anyone viewing the coalition website. The intention of the Freedom Flotilla was never to ‘provoke a confrontation,’ but simply to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza, and in so doing to draw attention to the brutal Israeli policies that are forcing the Palestinian people into a state of impoverished dependency.
Another boat, the Rachel Corrie, is now headed for Gaza, expected to approach this weekend. For more up-to-the-minute information, video, and passenger manifests, see FreeGaza.org and WitnessGaza.com.
It seems some folks have proven a number of the Israeli photos of supposed weapons aboard the Mavi Marmara to be false. This blog isn’t particularly professional, but it gives a rundown on where some of the photos came from (in most cases, they are a few years old).
Yes I would have waited before you started accusing those on board, who had no chance to tell their side of the story. The propaganda one is up against is a big machine (used like a weapon), not always correct (see the fake photos used as mentioned above and in the link below) but they seem to convince some people and governments.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/israel-mfa/4662343805/meta/in/set-72157624179998488
I am disappointed in this, so I will not be curious anymore as to the opinion of this blog. See also your article on Honduras.
@ Anna pics of the weapons on board the ship and consistent with the video evidence of the IDF soldiers being beaten as they came down the fast ropes and video by some of the protesters.
If reality, the facts do not conform to your WISHES (that the Israelis committed cold blooded murder), and that does not make it false or propaganda. World headlines and many world leaders condemned the Israelis before the facts came out.
What is with the: “I am disappointed in this, so I will not be curious anymore as to the opinion of this blog. See also your article on Honduras.” That sounds like a 5 yo child taking her ball and going home if she doesn’t get her way. If you don’t agree with a position, use some critical thinking and challenge it and not use vapid threats of boycott. I agree with very little here, but I started reading because I am curious and use it to broaden my view on various subjects. I doubt you do the same if it is slightly out of your comfort zone or preconceptions.
The previous post by the author was rational in light of the facts. The author may not like with conclusion the facts present, but he presented them none the less.
Cheers
Those on board were accused of nothing in our previous posts, Anna. It was made clear that I was dealing in hypotheticals, of which there is some evidence, but not conclusive evidence.
Oh dear, I don’t know if the “Rachel Corrie” is the best name for a ship approaching an Israeli force…
@Eli…let’s home the crew of the Corrie use more common sense than Miss Corrie did…
Apparently the courage of the Rachel Corrie crew in continuing to sail towards Gaza offered yet another opportunity to teach the Israeli’s ‘militarily powerful’ navy how ‘truly powerful’ non violence can be. Every Israeli news report I came across emphasized the Israeli’s boarded this ship “non-violently”.
Non-violence unmasks violence, and shows how fruitless it can be.
At last we get to the underlying question of when true engagement can occur. Can one engage another without recognizing the other’s humanity?
Creative minds should be able to come up with more viable solutions than blockades and collective punishment. I find I am least creative when bound by fear. In that I discover I am not unique.
Somehow true peace has to be more valuable than retribution for conditions on the ground to change. What can Americans do to ease fears or at least not exacerbate them?
Katherine, I wouldn’t exactly call the Israeli navy ‘militarily’ powerful…unless you’re comparing it to a couple of cruise ships or decrepit freighters. For the record they boarded the other ships “non violently”…the violence started on ONE ship when part of the crew decided to club the Israeli commandos and throw them off the ship…VIOLENTLY.
The Corrie offered another chance to illustrate that Israel is committed to defend itself and that the non-violence folks don’t have the courage to face the problem head on. The activists are oblivious to the real issues more interested in getting in their picture in the paper.
“Non-violence unmasks violence, and shows how fruitless it can be.” What in God’s name does this mean? Is this a Noam Chomsky quote? Violence likely always will have a fruitful place in the events of man. There will always be individuals who can only be confronted by violent means to prevent further violence.
What could America do? What is does now, allow Israel to defend itself.
The problem is simple. Syria, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah want Israel to be destroyed. Iran uses Hamas and Hezbollah to fight as proxy war against Israel. If the those actors in the region really wanted to have peace, it would be easy to do. Formally acknowledge Israel. Renounce the violence against Israel and the calls for its destruction. Broker the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel and Palestine live happily ever after. Unfortunately, they have no desire to do so as they are not rational actors.
Dear D Kill.ion,
Tell me, please, how do you envision true peace in Israel?
What would it take to ensure personal safety in the state and what amount of money would the U.S. need to invest? Any idea, how many years Israel would need that support?
My concern is that Americans will lose interest in providing any military support if all it does is embolden further conflict. I would be interested in hearing Israel talk about their peace investment. If they are not invested, what’s the point?
A purpose of the Israeli violence, including the intimidation of civilian vessels in international waters, was to control the story.The response of the passengers, given the overt and pre-emptive violence on the part of the Israeli commandos, was understandable. The standards for nonviolent people are very tough.
Paul McGeough and Kate Gagarty, a photographer, were onboard Challenger II working for The Sydney Morning Herald. Paul McGeough’s report was published today -you will hear his Irish accent.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/prayers-tear-gas-and-terror-20100603-x7ew.html
Note, according to this report, some passengers on the ship sought to protect the Israeli soldiers against the violence of other passengers. Since this is not the behavior of “terrorists” these events do not intrude into the official Israeli narrative.
No, the purpose of the Israeli violence was self defense after it’s soldiers were being attacked in the course of enforcing a blockade. No one seems to debate the fact the Israeli commandos were equipped like police on a raid. Non lethal rifle, flash/stun/gas grenades, tasers with a sidearm as last resort.
Police office pulls me after I run a police checkpoint. My four friends and I pull out baseball bats and beat the crap out of him. The police officer’s partner sees his partner being mauled pulls his side arm and shoots two of us. No one in their right mind would say that the police acted improperly. Unless of course, they were Israeli…
It wouldn’t be news if the “protesters” in the tradition of non violence, surrendered the ship when boarded after offering passive resistance. Of course, the combatants (when they started bearing weapons and attacking they stopped being activists or protesters) sought to provoke a newsworthy lethal response that such an assault would provoke.
The duplicity in the peace/nonviolence movement is simply hilarious.
Thank God the US Government doesn’t drink the kool-aid the pro hamas folks peddle (yet..).
Cheers