by Lurker
For those who are still uncertain regarding the precise nature of the "peaceful humanitarian activists" who populated the flotilla, here are a couple of videos that should help make things clear:
In the following video, the IDF warns a ship in the flotilla against entering the blockade zone. Make sure to listen to the peaceful humanitarian reply given by the flotilla leaders.
The flotilla was organized primarily by two organizations, "Free Gaza" and the Turkish group IHH. Of the two, the IHH is the larger, and contributed the largest of the ships and the most passengers. The IHH is a radical antisemitic, anti-American Islamic Jihadist organization, that maintains ties with Hamas, Al Qaeda, and several other terrorist groups. Here's a brief summary.
Here is video of a speech given last year in Gaza by the chairman of the IHH. Listen to as much as you can stomach, and bear in mind that you are listening to the head of the single largest group that organized the flotilla.
It's not difficult to grasp what motivates people affiliated with such an organization.
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Showing posts with label #Flotilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Flotilla. Show all posts
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Friday, June 04, 2010
When the Jewish Left become Useful Idiots
The other day I discussed the issue of the Gilad Shalit’s letter after one far left blogger found himself very confused regarding the truth.
The short version is that Gilad Shalit's family offered to support and mediate with the Israeli government on behalf of the flotilla to Gaza, provided that the flotilla “in addition to their demand that Israel lift its blockade they will urge Hamas to allow the soldier to receive letters and food packages from his family and allow international organizations to visit him.”
The Shalit family announced that the flotilla organizers outright refused their offer.
Afterwards, one flotilla passenger, Irish Senator Mark Daly said he was prepared to take the letters to the ICRC or UN representative in Gaza.
Apparently realizing their major PR blunder (one of many since then), the flotilla organizers have tried to use this to “disprove” that they denied the Shalit family request.
Now here is where our Jewish Useful Idiots come into action.
They began to question the account of the Shalit family. They began to say that RW bloggers were tellinglies untruths. They even claimed we merely use newspaper sources for our information (which I think anyone reading the detailed reports we’ve been first to release on this blog, long before the newspapers, know that to not be the case).
So our LW Jewish bloggers decided to get to the bottom of it. The Irish Senator Mark Daly was contacted and he responded.
The blogger writes as follows, Daly said that “he and two of his Irish parliament colleagues sent a letter to Noam Shalit offering to personally deliver letters and packages to the Red Cross in Gaza or to the United Nations Relief Works Agency in Gaza on behalf of their son Gilad. He said that in this letter he also committed to asking both agencies to do what they could to make it possible for Gilad to receive packages and visitors. Senator Daly also said he and his colleagues would "reiterate" their calls for Gilad's release while in Gaza.”
The LW bloggers are buying into this completely, while completely ignoring the very clear and actual differences between what was requested, and what was eventually offered.
It amazes me that these bloggers who will endlessly argue semantics over a single word to try to prove themselves right in any argument appear to be completely incapable of understanding the complete difference here between what was asked and what was offered.
The Shalit family offered a trade, a very straightforward trade:
Shalit requested: The flotilla would officially include as part of their official political position that Gilad Shalit should receive the most minimal of human rights given to any prisoner.
Flotilla refused: They would not include that message as part of their official position.
Daly offered: To take some letters and packages to the ICRC and UN – neither of whom have been permitted to see Shalit in 4 years. He promised that he and his 2 parliamentarian colleagues would “reiterate” their personal calls for Gilad’s release.
The official Flotilla website says, “Irish Senator Mark Daly (Kerry), one of 35 parliamentarians joining our flotilla, agreed to carry any letter and deliver it to UN officials inside Gaza.”
I know I need to spell it out in simpler language for those who willingly refuse to let it sink in, so here it is again.
Shalit asked that the Flotilla to add to their official position the message demanding Gilad Shalit’s basic human rights be granted.
The flotilla refused to add it.
A member of the flotilla agreed (as a PR gimmick) to pointlessly take some letters and packages to organizations that have absolutely no access to Gilad Shalit (and have already received numerous other packages and letters for Gilad that remain undelivered for years). Daly agreed to reiterate a personal message, that has ZERO connection to the flotilla’s official position and message.
I am trying to think how to make this even clearer, but it’s not possible. If someone wants to be fooled, and be a willing participant in this deception, there is not much one can do for them.
Anti-Semites, Jihadists, the radical Left and other who seek Israel’s (and Jewish) destruction are doing their best to delegitimize Israel through lies and deceptions, while leftist liberal Jewish bloggers become their accomplices by repeating those same arguments, even if they believe their intentions are for Israel’s own good.
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The short version is that Gilad Shalit's family offered to support and mediate with the Israeli government on behalf of the flotilla to Gaza, provided that the flotilla “in addition to their demand that Israel lift its blockade they will urge Hamas to allow the soldier to receive letters and food packages from his family and allow international organizations to visit him.”
The Shalit family announced that the flotilla organizers outright refused their offer.
Afterwards, one flotilla passenger, Irish Senator Mark Daly said he was prepared to take the letters to the ICRC or UN representative in Gaza.
Apparently realizing their major PR blunder (one of many since then), the flotilla organizers have tried to use this to “disprove” that they denied the Shalit family request.
Now here is where our Jewish Useful Idiots come into action.
They began to question the account of the Shalit family. They began to say that RW bloggers were telling
So our LW Jewish bloggers decided to get to the bottom of it. The Irish Senator Mark Daly was contacted and he responded.
The blogger writes as follows, Daly said that “he and two of his Irish parliament colleagues sent a letter to Noam Shalit offering to personally deliver letters and packages to the Red Cross in Gaza or to the United Nations Relief Works Agency in Gaza on behalf of their son Gilad. He said that in this letter he also committed to asking both agencies to do what they could to make it possible for Gilad to receive packages and visitors. Senator Daly also said he and his colleagues would "reiterate" their calls for Gilad's release while in Gaza.”
The LW bloggers are buying into this completely, while completely ignoring the very clear and actual differences between what was requested, and what was eventually offered.
It amazes me that these bloggers who will endlessly argue semantics over a single word to try to prove themselves right in any argument appear to be completely incapable of understanding the complete difference here between what was asked and what was offered.
The Shalit family offered a trade, a very straightforward trade:
Shalit requested: The flotilla would officially include as part of their official political position that Gilad Shalit should receive the most minimal of human rights given to any prisoner.
Flotilla refused: They would not include that message as part of their official position.
Daly offered: To take some letters and packages to the ICRC and UN – neither of whom have been permitted to see Shalit in 4 years. He promised that he and his 2 parliamentarian colleagues would “reiterate” their personal calls for Gilad’s release.
The official Flotilla website says, “Irish Senator Mark Daly (Kerry), one of 35 parliamentarians joining our flotilla, agreed to carry any letter and deliver it to UN officials inside Gaza.”
I know I need to spell it out in simpler language for those who willingly refuse to let it sink in, so here it is again.
Shalit asked that the Flotilla to add to their official position the message demanding Gilad Shalit’s basic human rights be granted.
The flotilla refused to add it.
A member of the flotilla agreed (as a PR gimmick) to pointlessly take some letters and packages to organizations that have absolutely no access to Gilad Shalit (and have already received numerous other packages and letters for Gilad that remain undelivered for years). Daly agreed to reiterate a personal message, that has ZERO connection to the flotilla’s official position and message.
I am trying to think how to make this even clearer, but it’s not possible. If someone wants to be fooled, and be a willing participant in this deception, there is not much one can do for them.
Anti-Semites, Jihadists, the radical Left and other who seek Israel’s (and Jewish) destruction are doing their best to delegitimize Israel through lies and deceptions, while leftist liberal Jewish bloggers become their accomplices by repeating those same arguments, even if they believe their intentions are for Israel’s own good.
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New from the Flotilla Choir
New from the Flotilla Choir: "We Con the World"
One-Click Pro-Israel Activism!
It takes just 1 Click to help Israel!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
One-Click Pro-Israel Activism!
It takes just 1 Click to help Israel!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Terror Flotilla Home Videos
You call that Humanitarian Aid!?
If you haven't yet read Jameel's amazing interview with the senior Israeli official of COGAT, the department responsible for transferring humanitarian aid to Gaza, you should do so now (as well as his followup article which will be posted later today).
In the meantime, besides expired medications, here are some more pictures of some of the "humanitarian aid" the flotilla terrorists were trying to deliver.
First we have the piles of humanitarian bullet proof vests (note the Turkish flag). I guess, considering the number of Gaza civilians that Hamas murders every week, it might count as Humanitarian aid. Though I don't see how it would help against Hamas's habit of kneecapping opponents.
Then we have the rifle scopes and night vision equipment. I'm having more difficulty explaining that one away as humanitarian aid. Can anyone help?
UPDATE: One of the (many) cameras used had an incorrect time stamp on it (only viewable in its internal EXIF file). The terror supporters are using that to claim the photos of the equipment found on the terror flotilla was faked.
So here is a video that shows all the captured equipment right next to the captured boat.
As you can see, the video starts with the captured boat and then slides on over to the captured weaponry where you can see the vests, scopes, knives, etc.
Clearly us tricky Jews managed to fake all the equipment standing next to the boat.
I'm sure that won't be proof enough to the anti-Semites. Not that we have to prove anything to them.
But there is a big surprise coming up.
We'll soon be posting some of their own home videos. Wait to you see that material!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
In the meantime, besides expired medications, here are some more pictures of some of the "humanitarian aid" the flotilla terrorists were trying to deliver.
First we have the piles of humanitarian bullet proof vests (note the Turkish flag). I guess, considering the number of Gaza civilians that Hamas murders every week, it might count as Humanitarian aid. Though I don't see how it would help against Hamas's habit of kneecapping opponents.
Then we have the rifle scopes and night vision equipment. I'm having more difficulty explaining that one away as humanitarian aid. Can anyone help?
UPDATE: One of the (many) cameras used had an incorrect time stamp on it (only viewable in its internal EXIF file). The terror supporters are using that to claim the photos of the equipment found on the terror flotilla was faked.
So here is a video that shows all the captured equipment right next to the captured boat.
As you can see, the video starts with the captured boat and then slides on over to the captured weaponry where you can see the vests, scopes, knives, etc.
Clearly us tricky Jews managed to fake all the equipment standing next to the boat.
I'm sure that won't be proof enough to the anti-Semites. Not that we have to prove anything to them.
But there is a big surprise coming up.
We'll soon be posting some of their own home videos. Wait to you see that material!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
An Interview with JoeSettler
A Q&A with JoeSettler blog on the Flotilla interdiction.
The flotilla blogging to date has been a joint JoeSettler-Jameel effort. This particular interview is with JoeSettler only. Jameel may have different answers and opinions to these questions. In fact, tomorrow Jameel may post his own (perhaps different) answers to these same questions.
Q. I suppose the question on everyone’s mind is, “Did Israel make a mistake?”
A. Most definitely not a mistake.
In terms of interdicting the flotilla and preventing its direct access to Gaza, this was 100% the right action both legally, militarily and politically.
Q. So you’re saying there were no mistakes?
A. There were a number of mistakes on the operational level, but not on the overall decision.
Q. And those mistakes…?
A. PR for the most part, and for not connecting some of the dots.
It was no secret that the IHH was heavily involved with this operation. The IHH has ties with Hamas, Al Qaeda, and other Global Jihadist groups. The IHH has even been linked to an attempted terror attack in the US.
In advance Israel should have called Turkey on the carpet before the flotilla went out – demanding them to explain their support of a group with known terror links. And emphasized to the press those links and those groups.
Israel has had enough experience with Leftwing violence within Israel, and they knew the radical organizations were involved and on board. They should have expected deadly violence when legally boarding the ship, and they should have gone in with more troops and been prepared for more force – they put our troops in danger, just like they previously did in Jenin – in order to be politically correct in the eyes of the media.
And finally, the IDF had a lot of videos, pictures, and facts, some they are still only now releasing. This stuff should have been released immediately. That is still a major FUBAR.
The operational wing of the IDF is apparently not passing information fast enough to the IDF spokesman's department, which is doing incredible work disseminating what they get.
Q. So is Israel at fault for the 9 militants that were killed?
A. Only in so far as they should have overwhelmed the ship first with more force, before the soldiers could have been attacked in the first place.
By going in under the assumption they were peaceful activists/pacifists, when there was no indication that that was the case, they allowed the terrorists the opportunity to act first against them and downspiral the situation.
There are videos from before the raid, some were displayed on this blog, where these terrorists were calling for Jihad, and saying they are prepared to be martyrs for the cause – these aren’t empty slogans, they mean it. They even wrote out wills.
I think the IDF dropped the ball when it came to linking what these terrorists said and what they were prepared and expecting them to do it.
Q. So then you’re saying Israel is at fault for the 9 deaths?
A. Absolutely not.
Putting aside for the moment, the stabbings, the beatings, and throwing the soldier overboard, the terrorists started the shooting, they started the live fire. We posted that video here yesterday.
The flotilla terrorists emptied out 2 entire pistol clips! For all we know (and perhaps we’ll find out soon enough) they may have even killed their own people.
Q. Moving on, is the Gaza blockade justified and is it effective?
A. I think we need to just look at Lebanon to answer that question. In Lebanon, under UN and international supervision, Hezbollah has completely rearmed itself with some serious long range missiles, far more than they had before the war, despite the UN, 1701, and international assurances – clearly if Israel isn’t running the blockade, it’s completely ineffectual.
Egypt is making a half-hearted effort. It’s not in their interest that Hamas gets too many weapons either, enough to hurt Israel, but not enough to eventually threaten the Egyptian regime.
Meanwhile humanitarian aid, food, medicine, and other supplies, flow freely into Gaza from Israel and Egypt. What is kept out is weapons and dual-use equipment which is automatically deployed first for their war effort – except what they succeed in smuggling in through the sea and the Egyptian tunnels.
If Gaza were not interdicted, we’d see regular Karine A shipments and many more weapons and terrorists going in.
For that matter, at least 50 people on the boat have been so far tentatively identified as connected to Al Quada. Should Israel really have let them in?
Remember the Hamas government in Gaza has sworn to destroy Israel.
Q. A leftwing Jewish blogger is accusing the Muqata of lying regarding the flotilla’s refusal to accept a letter and package from Gilad Shalit, any response?
A. For accuracies sake, I think that far-leftwing blogger has deleted the word “lie” and replaced it with something more politically correct.
The Muqata blog accurately reported and sourced what was reported in all the leading newspapers – including the far left Ha’aretz.
The Shalit family’s lawyer Nick Kaufman said that he approached the flotilla organizers and they flatly turned him down.
From our research, it was only after this was reported and very much publicized and the flotilla took a surprise PR beating, did flotilla organizers and members then made various claims that they didn’t turn them down. Only after it as publicized and they were taking a PR beating.
If I were cynical, I’d say the flotilla organizers recognized their huge PR mistake and tried to correct it with their press releases - after the fact.
It’s very important to note, that to date, Shalit’s attorney Nick Kaufman and the Shalit family have not changed or modified their statement in any way and have not said that they received any official offer from the flotilla. If they say otherwise we will report it.
Noam Shalit is anything but a right winger. He offered to support them completely. He is desperate to get word to and from his son. Honestly, do you really think he would turn down the opportunity to get a letter to his son?
It’s his word against theirs, so unless you’re a kneejerk far leftwinger, what we have here is what appears to be nothing more than a flotilla of people associated with terrorists trying to fix a PR mistake on their part – after the fact.
But unfortunately some bloggers are quick to brandy about words and accusations if and when it doesn’t fit their politics, or if they don’t hear a response about a topic that is near and dear to them.
Q. Speaking of near and dear, what about Obama’s reaction?
A. Regarding the flotilla? I don't think he initially said anything important.
And whether it was Obama or Bibi who canceled the meeting, I’m sure Bibi was thrilled to not have to waste his time in the White House and give Obama the photo-op he needs for the upcoming democratic elections.
Meanwhile, we have Clinton’s official statement yesterday where the Obama administration did their moral relativism thing. Something we’ve come to expect from this administration. No surprises there.
But the real problem here is not the problem Israel has with Obama, we merely need to bunker down a bit until his term ends. It hurts, it causes problems, but we’ll survive his one term.
It’s the Arab states and the region that are in big trouble.
Turkey is moving to join Iran because Obama’s US is no longer viewed as a consistent or reliable ally. Certainly not one who will protect them from Iran. Turkey supported the flotilla to show it’s allegiance to Iran.
The question is, even if Obama understood that message, would he do anything about it? It’s not like the Democratic Party needs donations or statements of support from Turkish Democrats in the US.
Q. Will there be a Goldstone II?
A. Obama is asking for one, NATO is asking for one, the UN is asking for one. I love the choice of words they all use now, in a sense admitting that Goldstone I was clearly biased. But this report wouldn't be any different. And despite it, Israel will still continue to defend itself, and hopefully not tie one hand behind her back while doing so.
Q. A number of LW bloggers are panicking and saying that next time the flotilla will be accompanied by the Turkish navy. What say you?
A. Not likely. Turkey isn’t yet prepared to go to war with Israel. They haven’t completely fallen off the fence they are straddling - yet, but they are close to it.
Besides, if they do accompany it, it would only be up to Israel’s territorial waters, because, unless they want to declare war, they won’t go any further than that. At which point the IDF interdicts the ships again.
Q. Speaking of which, more boats are coming. What happens next?
A. Assuming they actually get close enough and for some reason don’t break down at sea, they will be stopped. This time the IDF will be prepared for major violence and will take appropriate measures in advance.
Q. So in short this was not a fiasco as some initially and quickly claimed?
A. Israel was slow in releasing the videos. Israel didn’t go on the offensive ahead of its actions. As a result, we had to catch up. Those were mistakes.
But now, with pictures like “Salad Knife Sam” floating around, and videos of the Fotilla terrrorists throwing the soldier off the deck, the media is reporting both sides and we have the truth and facts on our side. There are now even op-eds from confirmed leftists in the mainstream media that are openly modifying their positions in light of the newly released information.
Besides, let’s look at reality. Anytime Israel rightfully defends its population, we get criticized and attacked in the international arena. At some point you learn to brush it off and continue to properly defend ourselves. There’s no other option on the table.
Q. One last question related to our readers in the Diaspora.
A. OK.
Q. They claim they can’t defend Israel anymore. They claim they can’t defend the actions, positions or morals of the Jewish State. It’s too difficult. What do you say to them?
A. I say, look at that video of Daniel. This young boy is standing alone, the Leftwing/Islamic crowd (in the US) wants to kill him. If the police weren’t there he would have been ripped apart. You can hear someone screaming in the background, “Let’s get him!”
When the reporter later asks him how he knows the facts to defend Israel, he gave a simple, straightforward answer, “I stay informed”.
It’s easy to be ignorant and let the latest political fad wash over you, or if you are on the far left, drill down and then selectively argue semantics or whatever fits into your political ideology.
But a Jew, particularly Diaspora Jews need to understand that they can either be dupes, useful idiots of the anti-Semites and the radical Left, or they can be informed and defend Israel and themselves.
Of course Israel makes mistakes, who doesn’t? But it certainly is a question as to what might be considered a mistake. And Israel defending itself is never a mistake.
Israel has repeatedly proven itself to be the most moral country in the world even while facing the most deadly situations in the world.
American Jewry has its own internal problems of simply maintaining the relevance of their Jewish identity – because it’s simply becoming just another ethnic identity (often a mixed one too).
This is less of a problem in the Orthodox community as many are strongly connected to Israel and their religion.
Enough polls have shown that the average Diaspora Jew has problems identifying with and finding relevance to the State of Israel, so why should they bother looking at the big picture and consider how important Israel actually is to passing down even their limited Jewish ethnic identity for the next generation. They unfortunately have only a tenuous connection to their own identity as Jews.
Q. Sorry. One more. And when Jews on the Left argue against Israel?
A. I just simply look who else is arguing with the same exact arguments: Islamists, Jihadists, terrorists, radical Left, anti-Semites, etc.
If they’re comfortable using the same terminology and arguments as those who would kill them as Jews or “Zionists”, they really need to do some soul searching.
It’s nice to demand pacifism, turning the other cheek, retreat, looking the other way, and so on from Israel.
But as we learned from the implemented leftwing philosophies of Yossi Sarid, Yossi Beilin, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres and Ariel Sharon – the heroes of the left, those philosophies always lead to dead Jews and war.
Q. Thank you for your time.
A. Thank you too.
One-Click Pro-Israel Activism!
It takes just 1 Click to help Israel!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
The flotilla blogging to date has been a joint JoeSettler-Jameel effort. This particular interview is with JoeSettler only. Jameel may have different answers and opinions to these questions. In fact, tomorrow Jameel may post his own (perhaps different) answers to these same questions.
Q. I suppose the question on everyone’s mind is, “Did Israel make a mistake?”
A. Most definitely not a mistake.
In terms of interdicting the flotilla and preventing its direct access to Gaza, this was 100% the right action both legally, militarily and politically.
Q. So you’re saying there were no mistakes?
A. There were a number of mistakes on the operational level, but not on the overall decision.
Q. And those mistakes…?
A. PR for the most part, and for not connecting some of the dots.
It was no secret that the IHH was heavily involved with this operation. The IHH has ties with Hamas, Al Qaeda, and other Global Jihadist groups. The IHH has even been linked to an attempted terror attack in the US.
In advance Israel should have called Turkey on the carpet before the flotilla went out – demanding them to explain their support of a group with known terror links. And emphasized to the press those links and those groups.
Israel has had enough experience with Leftwing violence within Israel, and they knew the radical organizations were involved and on board. They should have expected deadly violence when legally boarding the ship, and they should have gone in with more troops and been prepared for more force – they put our troops in danger, just like they previously did in Jenin – in order to be politically correct in the eyes of the media.
And finally, the IDF had a lot of videos, pictures, and facts, some they are still only now releasing. This stuff should have been released immediately. That is still a major FUBAR.
The operational wing of the IDF is apparently not passing information fast enough to the IDF spokesman's department, which is doing incredible work disseminating what they get.
Q. So is Israel at fault for the 9 militants that were killed?
A. Only in so far as they should have overwhelmed the ship first with more force, before the soldiers could have been attacked in the first place.
By going in under the assumption they were peaceful activists/pacifists, when there was no indication that that was the case, they allowed the terrorists the opportunity to act first against them and downspiral the situation.
There are videos from before the raid, some were displayed on this blog, where these terrorists were calling for Jihad, and saying they are prepared to be martyrs for the cause – these aren’t empty slogans, they mean it. They even wrote out wills.
I think the IDF dropped the ball when it came to linking what these terrorists said and what they were prepared and expecting them to do it.
Q. So then you’re saying Israel is at fault for the 9 deaths?
A. Absolutely not.
Putting aside for the moment, the stabbings, the beatings, and throwing the soldier overboard, the terrorists started the shooting, they started the live fire. We posted that video here yesterday.
The flotilla terrorists emptied out 2 entire pistol clips! For all we know (and perhaps we’ll find out soon enough) they may have even killed their own people.
Q. Moving on, is the Gaza blockade justified and is it effective?
A. I think we need to just look at Lebanon to answer that question. In Lebanon, under UN and international supervision, Hezbollah has completely rearmed itself with some serious long range missiles, far more than they had before the war, despite the UN, 1701, and international assurances – clearly if Israel isn’t running the blockade, it’s completely ineffectual.
Egypt is making a half-hearted effort. It’s not in their interest that Hamas gets too many weapons either, enough to hurt Israel, but not enough to eventually threaten the Egyptian regime.
Meanwhile humanitarian aid, food, medicine, and other supplies, flow freely into Gaza from Israel and Egypt. What is kept out is weapons and dual-use equipment which is automatically deployed first for their war effort – except what they succeed in smuggling in through the sea and the Egyptian tunnels.
If Gaza were not interdicted, we’d see regular Karine A shipments and many more weapons and terrorists going in.
For that matter, at least 50 people on the boat have been so far tentatively identified as connected to Al Quada. Should Israel really have let them in?
Remember the Hamas government in Gaza has sworn to destroy Israel.
Q. A leftwing Jewish blogger is accusing the Muqata of lying regarding the flotilla’s refusal to accept a letter and package from Gilad Shalit, any response?
A. For accuracies sake, I think that far-leftwing blogger has deleted the word “lie” and replaced it with something more politically correct.
The Muqata blog accurately reported and sourced what was reported in all the leading newspapers – including the far left Ha’aretz.
The Shalit family’s lawyer Nick Kaufman said that he approached the flotilla organizers and they flatly turned him down.
From our research, it was only after this was reported and very much publicized and the flotilla took a surprise PR beating, did flotilla organizers and members then made various claims that they didn’t turn them down. Only after it as publicized and they were taking a PR beating.
If I were cynical, I’d say the flotilla organizers recognized their huge PR mistake and tried to correct it with their press releases - after the fact.
It’s very important to note, that to date, Shalit’s attorney Nick Kaufman and the Shalit family have not changed or modified their statement in any way and have not said that they received any official offer from the flotilla. If they say otherwise we will report it.
Noam Shalit is anything but a right winger. He offered to support them completely. He is desperate to get word to and from his son. Honestly, do you really think he would turn down the opportunity to get a letter to his son?
It’s his word against theirs, so unless you’re a kneejerk far leftwinger, what we have here is what appears to be nothing more than a flotilla of people associated with terrorists trying to fix a PR mistake on their part – after the fact.
But unfortunately some bloggers are quick to brandy about words and accusations if and when it doesn’t fit their politics, or if they don’t hear a response about a topic that is near and dear to them.
Q. Speaking of near and dear, what about Obama’s reaction?
A. Regarding the flotilla? I don't think he initially said anything important.
And whether it was Obama or Bibi who canceled the meeting, I’m sure Bibi was thrilled to not have to waste his time in the White House and give Obama the photo-op he needs for the upcoming democratic elections.
Meanwhile, we have Clinton’s official statement yesterday where the Obama administration did their moral relativism thing. Something we’ve come to expect from this administration. No surprises there.
But the real problem here is not the problem Israel has with Obama, we merely need to bunker down a bit until his term ends. It hurts, it causes problems, but we’ll survive his one term.
It’s the Arab states and the region that are in big trouble.
Turkey is moving to join Iran because Obama’s US is no longer viewed as a consistent or reliable ally. Certainly not one who will protect them from Iran. Turkey supported the flotilla to show it’s allegiance to Iran.
The question is, even if Obama understood that message, would he do anything about it? It’s not like the Democratic Party needs donations or statements of support from Turkish Democrats in the US.
Q. Will there be a Goldstone II?
A. Obama is asking for one, NATO is asking for one, the UN is asking for one. I love the choice of words they all use now, in a sense admitting that Goldstone I was clearly biased. But this report wouldn't be any different. And despite it, Israel will still continue to defend itself, and hopefully not tie one hand behind her back while doing so.
Q. A number of LW bloggers are panicking and saying that next time the flotilla will be accompanied by the Turkish navy. What say you?
A. Not likely. Turkey isn’t yet prepared to go to war with Israel. They haven’t completely fallen off the fence they are straddling - yet, but they are close to it.
Besides, if they do accompany it, it would only be up to Israel’s territorial waters, because, unless they want to declare war, they won’t go any further than that. At which point the IDF interdicts the ships again.
Q. Speaking of which, more boats are coming. What happens next?
A. Assuming they actually get close enough and for some reason don’t break down at sea, they will be stopped. This time the IDF will be prepared for major violence and will take appropriate measures in advance.
Q. So in short this was not a fiasco as some initially and quickly claimed?
A. Israel was slow in releasing the videos. Israel didn’t go on the offensive ahead of its actions. As a result, we had to catch up. Those were mistakes.
But now, with pictures like “Salad Knife Sam” floating around, and videos of the Fotilla terrrorists throwing the soldier off the deck, the media is reporting both sides and we have the truth and facts on our side. There are now even op-eds from confirmed leftists in the mainstream media that are openly modifying their positions in light of the newly released information.
Besides, let’s look at reality. Anytime Israel rightfully defends its population, we get criticized and attacked in the international arena. At some point you learn to brush it off and continue to properly defend ourselves. There’s no other option on the table.
Q. One last question related to our readers in the Diaspora.
A. OK.
Q. They claim they can’t defend Israel anymore. They claim they can’t defend the actions, positions or morals of the Jewish State. It’s too difficult. What do you say to them?
A. I say, look at that video of Daniel. This young boy is standing alone, the Leftwing/Islamic crowd (in the US) wants to kill him. If the police weren’t there he would have been ripped apart. You can hear someone screaming in the background, “Let’s get him!”
When the reporter later asks him how he knows the facts to defend Israel, he gave a simple, straightforward answer, “I stay informed”.
It’s easy to be ignorant and let the latest political fad wash over you, or if you are on the far left, drill down and then selectively argue semantics or whatever fits into your political ideology.
But a Jew, particularly Diaspora Jews need to understand that they can either be dupes, useful idiots of the anti-Semites and the radical Left, or they can be informed and defend Israel and themselves.
Of course Israel makes mistakes, who doesn’t? But it certainly is a question as to what might be considered a mistake. And Israel defending itself is never a mistake.
Israel has repeatedly proven itself to be the most moral country in the world even while facing the most deadly situations in the world.
American Jewry has its own internal problems of simply maintaining the relevance of their Jewish identity – because it’s simply becoming just another ethnic identity (often a mixed one too).
This is less of a problem in the Orthodox community as many are strongly connected to Israel and their religion.
Enough polls have shown that the average Diaspora Jew has problems identifying with and finding relevance to the State of Israel, so why should they bother looking at the big picture and consider how important Israel actually is to passing down even their limited Jewish ethnic identity for the next generation. They unfortunately have only a tenuous connection to their own identity as Jews.
Q. Sorry. One more. And when Jews on the Left argue against Israel?
A. I just simply look who else is arguing with the same exact arguments: Islamists, Jihadists, terrorists, radical Left, anti-Semites, etc.
If they’re comfortable using the same terminology and arguments as those who would kill them as Jews or “Zionists”, they really need to do some soul searching.
It’s nice to demand pacifism, turning the other cheek, retreat, looking the other way, and so on from Israel.
But as we learned from the implemented leftwing philosophies of Yossi Sarid, Yossi Beilin, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres and Ariel Sharon – the heroes of the left, those philosophies always lead to dead Jews and war.
Q. Thank you for your time.
A. Thank you too.
One-Click Pro-Israel Activism!
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Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Flotilla II
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - Muqata Reporting from Israel.
This post will be on top all day as we follow the Flotilla Terrorists and the IDF response. Refresh your browser and visit us often for updates around the clock.
9:10 PM Channel 1 reporting. 50 flotilla terrorists turn out to be suspected Al Qaeda mercenaries. Over $1 million dollars in cash found on the boat.
8:46 PM Israel TV reports that some of the flotilla terrorists were equipped with night vision equipment and ceramic vests.
8:24 PM Newly released IDF Spokesman Video/Audio (like 5 minutes ago!) of soldiers being attacked when they boarded Flotilla ships.
8:13 PM The MV Rachel Corrie is on its way to Gaza from Malta....how appropriate.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen described the vessel as Irish-owned and said it should be allowed to finish its mission. The ship was carrying 15 activists including a northern Irish Nobel Peace laureate. "The government has formally requested the Israeli government to allow the Irish-owned ship ... to be allowed to complete its journey unimpeded and discharge its humanitarian cargo in Gaza," Cowen told parliament in Dublin. (Reuters)
8:11 PM There have been pro-IDF demonstrations around the country over the past 2 hours (though unfortunately, not at Ariel, as some readers found out)
5:31 PM Did the Israeli Defense Forces Commandos Commit “Piracy”? Nope.
I tread warily into the debate over the Israeli commando raid on the Gaza flotilla. There has been no shortage of commentary and reactions abroad (here in the U.S., it seems most folks are unmoved by the whole incident). Of course, most of the facts are hotly disputed and, frankly, will remain hotly disputed. Still, let me start by advising IDF critics to drop the silly accusation that Israel committed “piracy,” which various folks have made here, here, and here. [Jameel; the following sentence is irrelevant because of the rest of the article which stands on its own merit] The IDF raid may well have violated international law governing disproportionate and excessive use of force against non-combatants (although the IDF claims their commandos were armed only with paintball guns). But whatever can be said about the legality of the raid, it was not, as a legal matter, piracy. Let’s go to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 101:
5:21 PM Own a boat, yacht, jetski or you can row pretty well?
The pro-Israel flotilla project is underway -- this coming Friday is the salute to IDF, pro-Israel flotilla. More details on their facebook page.
4:54 PM Who's Who on the Flotilla Passenger List?
Israeli officials said that about 50 of the 671 activists have been taken to Israel’s international airport for deportation. They say others have refused to identify themselves and will remain in detention.
So who are the lucky passengers? Lets take a look...
Henning Mankell, 62, Swedish author of the Inspector Wallander books. He was on board with eight other Swedes and had still not been contacted last night. Mankell is married to the daughter of the film maker Ingmar Bergman.
Anders Joerle, the Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that they were not all being held at the same place and some had been imprisoned while others had simply been taken into custody. “I think Henning Mankell is just being held in custody. I’m not sure. The Israelis have him in some kind of detention,” he said.
Some of the Swedes had been very slightly injured, Mr Joerle said. They have reportedly been given the choice between accepting deportation or to be tried in an Israeli court.
The former US Ambassador
Edward Peck, 81, a former US Ambassador to Mauritania, was expected to arrive home today after the Free Palestine movement ship that he was on was seized by Israeli commandos.
Ann Peck, his wife, said that she received a brief e-mail from the Israeli Foreign Ministry yewsterday informing her that her husband was fine and on his way home. The e-mail said he was likely to arrive today, but that did not have a mobile phone with him and would call from an unnamed New York airport when he landed, she said.
“He gets himself into these messes, and the phone is going to ring,” she joked.
Mrs Peck said that as of yesterday evening she had not spoken to US officials, nor had she been able to talk to her husband, since the raid. She had last spoke with him briefly by satellite phone just as the aid ships were leaving their rendezvous point.
“Knowing him I doubt there are regrets,” she said. “I think he was really hopeful of it making a difference.”
Mr Pek served as deputy director in President Reagan’s White House Task Force on Terrorism.
Joe Meadors, 63, of Texas, is a navy veteran. His wife Jean said yesterday evening that she believed he was safe, “but I’d like to hear that from him”.
She said his exact status, whether under arrest, detention or otherwise, was unclear.
Mr Meadors served aboard the US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty that was attacked by Israeli forces in 1967, killing 34 crew members.
“He hasn’t had much luck with the Israelis,” his wife said.
David Schermerhorn, retired television commercial producer of Washington state, was also on the flotilla as an activist with the Cyprus-based Free Gaza Movement, his daughter told The Seattle Times.
Kate Schermerhorn said US Embassy officials had told her that the 80-year-old was taken into custody by Israeli officials and was unharmed.
The MPs
Three German MPs and a Swedish MP were among those heading to Gaza with aid.
The Britons
Peter Venner, 63, a father of two from the Isle of Wight. He runs a wood yard and became involved in delivering aid to the Palestinians three years ago and last January drove a truck full of humanitarian supplies overland to Gaza. This was his first journey by sea.
His partner Rachel Bridgeland, 51, told the Daily Mail: “Peter is definitely not a violent man — in fact he is exactly the opposite. The last time I heard from him was Saturday. He was in high spirits. He told me he knew the Israelis would try and stop them. But no one knew it was going to be like this.
“I do not know what has happened to him. I am desperately worried that he may have come to harm.”
Denis Healey, 55, from Portsmouth, was the skipper of the Challenger 1 boat that carried 20 passengers including three German MPs, a Swedish MP and a former US colonel.
He has a longstanding involvement in the Palestinian movement and has captained boats on previous aid journeys into Gaza, including one two years ago in which the boat was rammed by an Israeli gunboat.
He is a marine engineer and now lives in the Cypriot port of Limassol with his British partner, Ruth Baker.
Paveen Yaqub, 39, from Huddersfield is a council worker and was on board Mavi Marmara, the lead boat in the flotilla.
The last message Paveen wrote on her Facebook yesterday read: “Something has kicked off; I gotta run up deck.”
Minutes later she wrote: “We are now surrounded by Israeli warships with helicopters circulating and following the convoy of ships heading for Gaza still. “We will not be stopping unless we are forcibly made to do so.”
Some of these people are simply foolish, eccentric, useful idiots who ended up on a boat ride they mistakenly assumed was a cruise trip of the Mediterranean.
See the whole list here at the UK TIMES ON LINE.
4:40 PM IDF Soldier's Testimony:
"They wielded clubs, axes and knives," he said. "I was the second to go down the cable, one of the guys from my group was already down there, and there were a few people on him. At first it was one-on-one, until more soldiers came down."
Regarding the troops' preparation for a more extreme scenario on the decks, R said they had prepared for both passive and violent resistance, but admitted he had been surprised by the strength of the resistance.
"We knew they were peace activists," he said. "Though they wanted to break the Gaza blockade, we thought we'd encounter passive resistance, perhaps verbal resistance – we didn't expect this. Everyone wanted to kill us. We encountered terrorists who wanted to kill us and we did everything we could to prevent unnecessary injury."
R said that some 75% of the people in the vessel resisted violently, "each one with a knife in his hand."
R. was the soldier who was thrown from the deck, as shown in the footage distributed by the IDF. "I was in front of a number of people with knives and clubs. I cocked my weapon when I saw that one was coming towards me with a knife drawn and I fired once. Then another 20 people came at me from all directions and threw me down to the deck below."
"Then I felt a stabbing in my stomach. It was a knife. I got the knife out, then somehow got down to the lower deck where there were more people. This was when the soldiers had got control of all the boat except the lower deck. Me and another soldier managed to get to the deck, and we jumped into the water, from where our forces collected us. Another soldier who was beaten hard lost consciousness. Other soldiers covered him until we managed to get him out." Read it all here.
4:38 PM Minutes ago, it appears an IDF missile hit near "Beit Lehiya" in the Northern Gaza Strip, targetting a Palestinian Qassam rocket crew who were preparing to fire on Israel. Palestinian sources report many killed, but as of now, none have been confirmed.
4:03 PM Video; Palestinians arrive in Jerusalem's Meah Shearim neighborhood for a demonstration.
2:45 PM 2 rockets land in open areas near Ashkelon. No injuries or damage reported.
2:41 PM "Color red" rocket warning system blaring in Zikim (North of Gaza Strip).
2:29 PM Arabs in the Shimon HaTzadik (Sheikh Jarrakh) neighborhood in Eastern Jerusalem -- opposite Jewish homes, display Turkish flags in solidarity with the Flotilla terrorists.
1:27 PM Professor Richard Landes: When an army that is vastly superior, but neither wants to be killed nor kill, meets an vastly inferior enemy who wants to kill and be killed, it behooves both participants and observers to understand why things go awry.
1:17 PM IDF soldier -- victim of brutal "peace activist" terror.
(CNN)
12:56 PM IDF Spokesman Blog posts new photos of weapons found aboard flotilla ships.
12:51 PM This morning, the IDF had to "face the music" at a meeting with a Knesset Defense subcommittee.
Two main points: The IDF is prepared for 2 more ships which are on their way from Turkey and should be arriving in our area within the next 48 hours.
Secondly, YNET reports; "Head of the General Staff's Operations Division Colonel Itzik Turgeman told a Knesset committee that the option of taking over the aid ship en route to Gaza was chosen after other options were ruled out, including the possibility of stopping the flotilla via other means.
He said it was impossible to stop the Marmara ship due to its size, strength and speed. He said the option of disabling its motors was ruled out because the time required to haul the ship to the shore would have been too long. He added that the two firearms found on the deck of the ship did not have bullets in them, since they had been fired. (Ronen Medzini)"
11:34 AM As world condemnation of Israel continues to grow (and not surprisingly from JStreet and "moderate" Jewish bloggers), here in Israel, there will be demonstrations supporting the IDF all over Israel starting at 6 PM today. A partial list is as follows:
Kiryat Shmona: Next to Egged Bus station
Teveriya: Lev HaGalil building
Hadia: Bat-Galim train station
Hadera: "kikar hadera" intersection
Afula: Next to Egged Bus station
Jordan Valley Highway 90: Hakibutzim intersection
Beit Shean: Binyamin Mall
Netanya: Coastal Road Netanya Interchange
Krayot: Tzabar intersection
Nahariya: Next to train station
Raanana: Tzomet Raanana, merkaz.
Bar Ilan University pedestrian bridge over highway 4.
Tel-Aviv'; Azreili Mall
Modi'in; Tzomet Shilat
Beit Shemesh: Tzomet "BIG"
Gush Etzion: Tzomet HaGush in the roundabout
Bat Yam: Next to Abarbanel Hospital
Ashdod: "Ad Halom" bridge
Ashkelon: Tzomet Ashkelon
Ariel: Next to the University
Ramat HaSharon: Kfar HaYarok intersection
Maalot: entrance to town
Jerusalem: Main entrance
Rishon LTzion: Rishon intersection
Sederot: Next to the shuk
Netivot: City Hall
Ofakim: Entrance to city
Kiryat Melachi: Kastina Interchange
Rechovot: Tzomet Bilu
Eilat: Next to shopping center.
If you can take photos of these, or any any pro-Israel demonstrations around the world -- please send them here for publication!
10:47 AM Released for Video testimony from IDF soldier, subtitled in English.
10:18 AM Refuah Shleimah to all our brave soldiers injured yesterday.
10:14 AM The IDF has video information in realtime. They could have released (or authorized the release) and showed the Flotilla terrorists' violence hours earlier when it would have been even more effective. Why the delay? Speed it up guys!
9:57 AM The 2 Gaza terrorists were killed.
9:38 AM 2 Peace Loving terrorists from Gaza are involved in a firefight with IDF troops at this time.
Earlier, Residents of four communities in the Eshkol region were instructed to remain indoors, due to a possible terrorist infiltration. Some of the roads in the area were also closed to traffic.
Two figures were reportedly seen crossing the security fence in the region. The IDF was combing the area for suspect (ynet)
9:35 AM Israel Reshet Bet Radio reports this morning that a new Flotilla Terror Convoy is due to arrive at Israel in the next 24-48 hours from Turkey.
9:32 AM The following is a speech by Jonathan Hoffman to the Israel Support Rally at Downing Street in London, on May 31, 2010. (Here)
8:56 AM Photos from last night's pro-Israel demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv.
photos courtesy M. Brener
8:00 AM Good morning and welcome back.
We have a lot of flotilla related photo, videos, and more which we plan to release on the blog today as soon as we get authorization and permission.
A reminder to all you pro-Israel twitterers. Make sure you include #Flotilla, #FreedomFlotilla and #Gaza in your tweets. It's driving the Flotilla terrorists nuts that links to photos and videos they don't want anyone to see or know about are coming up on top of twitter searches. We've gotten some very nasty feedback telling us its working well. Kol Hakavod to everyone.
At some point in the week (if we're not too busy) we hope to post our analysis of the successful operation to stop the Flotilla. We've noticed from other comments/posts on the internet that some people (Leftists particularly) see the world in black and white and really don't understand the complexity and background of what happened yesterday politically and militarily. They simply, in their knee-jerk fashion, believe Israel was either wrong or acted incorrectly. We have no hope for them. This analysis will be for everyone else.
And don't forget to repost the picture of the Flotilla's unarmed, peaceful humanitarian aid worker. A picture really is worth a 1000 words.
One-Click Pro-Israel Activism!
It takes just 1 Click to help Israel!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
This post will be on top all day as we follow the Flotilla Terrorists and the IDF response. Refresh your browser and visit us often for updates around the clock.
9:10 PM Channel 1 reporting. 50 flotilla terrorists turn out to be suspected Al Qaeda mercenaries. Over $1 million dollars in cash found on the boat.
8:46 PM Israel TV reports that some of the flotilla terrorists were equipped with night vision equipment and ceramic vests.
8:24 PM Newly released IDF Spokesman Video/Audio (like 5 minutes ago!) of soldiers being attacked when they boarded Flotilla ships.
8:13 PM The MV Rachel Corrie is on its way to Gaza from Malta....how appropriate.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen described the vessel as Irish-owned and said it should be allowed to finish its mission. The ship was carrying 15 activists including a northern Irish Nobel Peace laureate. "The government has formally requested the Israeli government to allow the Irish-owned ship ... to be allowed to complete its journey unimpeded and discharge its humanitarian cargo in Gaza," Cowen told parliament in Dublin. (Reuters)
8:11 PM There have been pro-IDF demonstrations around the country over the past 2 hours (though unfortunately, not at Ariel, as some readers found out)
5:31 PM Did the Israeli Defense Forces Commandos Commit “Piracy”? Nope.
I tread warily into the debate over the Israeli commando raid on the Gaza flotilla. There has been no shortage of commentary and reactions abroad (here in the U.S., it seems most folks are unmoved by the whole incident). Of course, most of the facts are hotly disputed and, frankly, will remain hotly disputed. Still, let me start by advising IDF critics to drop the silly accusation that Israel committed “piracy,” which various folks have made here, here, and here. [Jameel; the following sentence is irrelevant because of the rest of the article which stands on its own merit] The IDF raid may well have violated international law governing disproportionate and excessive use of force against non-combatants (although the IDF claims their commandos were armed only with paintball guns). But whatever can be said about the legality of the raid, it was not, as a legal matter, piracy. Let’s go to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 101:
Great article here.Piracy consists of any of the following acts:(a) any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:(i) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;(ii) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State;(b) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;
5:21 PM Own a boat, yacht, jetski or you can row pretty well?
The pro-Israel flotilla project is underway -- this coming Friday is the salute to IDF, pro-Israel flotilla. More details on their facebook page.
4:54 PM Who's Who on the Flotilla Passenger List?
Israeli officials said that about 50 of the 671 activists have been taken to Israel’s international airport for deportation. They say others have refused to identify themselves and will remain in detention.
So who are the lucky passengers? Lets take a look...
Henning Mankell, 62, Swedish author of the Inspector Wallander books. He was on board with eight other Swedes and had still not been contacted last night. Mankell is married to the daughter of the film maker Ingmar Bergman.
Anders Joerle, the Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that they were not all being held at the same place and some had been imprisoned while others had simply been taken into custody. “I think Henning Mankell is just being held in custody. I’m not sure. The Israelis have him in some kind of detention,” he said.
Some of the Swedes had been very slightly injured, Mr Joerle said. They have reportedly been given the choice between accepting deportation or to be tried in an Israeli court.
The former US Ambassador
Edward Peck, 81, a former US Ambassador to Mauritania, was expected to arrive home today after the Free Palestine movement ship that he was on was seized by Israeli commandos.
Ann Peck, his wife, said that she received a brief e-mail from the Israeli Foreign Ministry yewsterday informing her that her husband was fine and on his way home. The e-mail said he was likely to arrive today, but that did not have a mobile phone with him and would call from an unnamed New York airport when he landed, she said.
“He gets himself into these messes, and the phone is going to ring,” she joked.
Mrs Peck said that as of yesterday evening she had not spoken to US officials, nor had she been able to talk to her husband, since the raid. She had last spoke with him briefly by satellite phone just as the aid ships were leaving their rendezvous point.
“Knowing him I doubt there are regrets,” she said. “I think he was really hopeful of it making a difference.”
Mr Pek served as deputy director in President Reagan’s White House Task Force on Terrorism.
Joe Meadors, 63, of Texas, is a navy veteran. His wife Jean said yesterday evening that she believed he was safe, “but I’d like to hear that from him”.
She said his exact status, whether under arrest, detention or otherwise, was unclear.
Mr Meadors served aboard the US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty that was attacked by Israeli forces in 1967, killing 34 crew members.
“He hasn’t had much luck with the Israelis,” his wife said.
David Schermerhorn, retired television commercial producer of Washington state, was also on the flotilla as an activist with the Cyprus-based Free Gaza Movement, his daughter told The Seattle Times.
Kate Schermerhorn said US Embassy officials had told her that the 80-year-old was taken into custody by Israeli officials and was unharmed.
The MPs
Three German MPs and a Swedish MP were among those heading to Gaza with aid.
The Britons
Peter Venner, 63, a father of two from the Isle of Wight. He runs a wood yard and became involved in delivering aid to the Palestinians three years ago and last January drove a truck full of humanitarian supplies overland to Gaza. This was his first journey by sea.
His partner Rachel Bridgeland, 51, told the Daily Mail: “Peter is definitely not a violent man — in fact he is exactly the opposite. The last time I heard from him was Saturday. He was in high spirits. He told me he knew the Israelis would try and stop them. But no one knew it was going to be like this.
“I do not know what has happened to him. I am desperately worried that he may have come to harm.”
Denis Healey, 55, from Portsmouth, was the skipper of the Challenger 1 boat that carried 20 passengers including three German MPs, a Swedish MP and a former US colonel.
He has a longstanding involvement in the Palestinian movement and has captained boats on previous aid journeys into Gaza, including one two years ago in which the boat was rammed by an Israeli gunboat.
He is a marine engineer and now lives in the Cypriot port of Limassol with his British partner, Ruth Baker.
Paveen Yaqub, 39, from Huddersfield is a council worker and was on board Mavi Marmara, the lead boat in the flotilla.
The last message Paveen wrote on her Facebook yesterday read: “Something has kicked off; I gotta run up deck.”
Minutes later she wrote: “We are now surrounded by Israeli warships with helicopters circulating and following the convoy of ships heading for Gaza still. “We will not be stopping unless we are forcibly made to do so.”
Some of these people are simply foolish, eccentric, useful idiots who ended up on a boat ride they mistakenly assumed was a cruise trip of the Mediterranean.
See the whole list here at the UK TIMES ON LINE.
4:40 PM IDF Soldier's Testimony:
"They wielded clubs, axes and knives," he said. "I was the second to go down the cable, one of the guys from my group was already down there, and there were a few people on him. At first it was one-on-one, until more soldiers came down."
Regarding the troops' preparation for a more extreme scenario on the decks, R said they had prepared for both passive and violent resistance, but admitted he had been surprised by the strength of the resistance.
"We knew they were peace activists," he said. "Though they wanted to break the Gaza blockade, we thought we'd encounter passive resistance, perhaps verbal resistance – we didn't expect this. Everyone wanted to kill us. We encountered terrorists who wanted to kill us and we did everything we could to prevent unnecessary injury."
R said that some 75% of the people in the vessel resisted violently, "each one with a knife in his hand."
R. was the soldier who was thrown from the deck, as shown in the footage distributed by the IDF. "I was in front of a number of people with knives and clubs. I cocked my weapon when I saw that one was coming towards me with a knife drawn and I fired once. Then another 20 people came at me from all directions and threw me down to the deck below."
"Then I felt a stabbing in my stomach. It was a knife. I got the knife out, then somehow got down to the lower deck where there were more people. This was when the soldiers had got control of all the boat except the lower deck. Me and another soldier managed to get to the deck, and we jumped into the water, from where our forces collected us. Another soldier who was beaten hard lost consciousness. Other soldiers covered him until we managed to get him out." Read it all here.
4:38 PM Minutes ago, it appears an IDF missile hit near "Beit Lehiya" in the Northern Gaza Strip, targetting a Palestinian Qassam rocket crew who were preparing to fire on Israel. Palestinian sources report many killed, but as of now, none have been confirmed.
4:03 PM Video; Palestinians arrive in Jerusalem's Meah Shearim neighborhood for a demonstration.
2:45 PM 2 rockets land in open areas near Ashkelon. No injuries or damage reported.
2:41 PM "Color red" rocket warning system blaring in Zikim (North of Gaza Strip).
2:29 PM Arabs in the Shimon HaTzadik (Sheikh Jarrakh) neighborhood in Eastern Jerusalem -- opposite Jewish homes, display Turkish flags in solidarity with the Flotilla terrorists.
1:27 PM Professor Richard Landes: When an army that is vastly superior, but neither wants to be killed nor kill, meets an vastly inferior enemy who wants to kill and be killed, it behooves both participants and observers to understand why things go awry.1:17 PM IDF soldier -- victim of brutal "peace activist" terror.
(CNN)12:56 PM IDF Spokesman Blog posts new photos of weapons found aboard flotilla ships.
12:51 PM This morning, the IDF had to "face the music" at a meeting with a Knesset Defense subcommittee.
Two main points: The IDF is prepared for 2 more ships which are on their way from Turkey and should be arriving in our area within the next 48 hours.
Secondly, YNET reports; "Head of the General Staff's Operations Division Colonel Itzik Turgeman told a Knesset committee that the option of taking over the aid ship en route to Gaza was chosen after other options were ruled out, including the possibility of stopping the flotilla via other means.
He said it was impossible to stop the Marmara ship due to its size, strength and speed. He said the option of disabling its motors was ruled out because the time required to haul the ship to the shore would have been too long. He added that the two firearms found on the deck of the ship did not have bullets in them, since they had been fired. (Ronen Medzini)"
Kiryat Shmona: Next to Egged Bus station
Teveriya: Lev HaGalil building
Hadia: Bat-Galim train station
Hadera: "kikar hadera" intersection
Afula: Next to Egged Bus station
Jordan Valley Highway 90: Hakibutzim intersection
Beit Shean: Binyamin Mall
Netanya: Coastal Road Netanya Interchange
Krayot: Tzabar intersection
Nahariya: Next to train station
Raanana: Tzomet Raanana, merkaz.
Bar Ilan University pedestrian bridge over highway 4.
Tel-Aviv'; Azreili Mall
Modi'in; Tzomet Shilat
Beit Shemesh: Tzomet "BIG"
Gush Etzion: Tzomet HaGush in the roundabout
Bat Yam: Next to Abarbanel Hospital
Ashdod: "Ad Halom" bridge
Ashkelon: Tzomet Ashkelon
Ariel: Next to the University
Ramat HaSharon: Kfar HaYarok intersection
Maalot: entrance to town
Jerusalem: Main entrance
Rishon LTzion: Rishon intersection
Sederot: Next to the shuk
Netivot: City Hall
Ofakim: Entrance to city
Kiryat Melachi: Kastina Interchange
Rechovot: Tzomet Bilu
Eilat: Next to shopping center.
If you can take photos of these, or any any pro-Israel demonstrations around the world -- please send them here for publication!
10:47 AM Released for Video testimony from IDF soldier, subtitled in English.
10:18 AM Refuah Shleimah to all our brave soldiers injured yesterday.
10:14 AM The IDF has video information in realtime. They could have released (or authorized the release) and showed the Flotilla terrorists' violence hours earlier when it would have been even more effective. Why the delay? Speed it up guys!
9:57 AM The 2 Gaza terrorists were killed.
9:38 AM 2 Peace Loving terrorists from Gaza are involved in a firefight with IDF troops at this time.
Earlier, Residents of four communities in the Eshkol region were instructed to remain indoors, due to a possible terrorist infiltration. Some of the roads in the area were also closed to traffic.
Two figures were reportedly seen crossing the security fence in the region. The IDF was combing the area for suspect (ynet)
9:35 AM Israel Reshet Bet Radio reports this morning that a new Flotilla Terror Convoy is due to arrive at Israel in the next 24-48 hours from Turkey.
9:32 AM The following is a speech by Jonathan Hoffman to the Israel Support Rally at Downing Street in London, on May 31, 2010. (Here)
8:56 AM Photos from last night's pro-Israel demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv.
photos courtesy M. Brener8:00 AM Good morning and welcome back.
We have a lot of flotilla related photo, videos, and more which we plan to release on the blog today as soon as we get authorization and permission.
A reminder to all you pro-Israel twitterers. Make sure you include #Flotilla, #FreedomFlotilla and #Gaza in your tweets. It's driving the Flotilla terrorists nuts that links to photos and videos they don't want anyone to see or know about are coming up on top of twitter searches. We've gotten some very nasty feedback telling us its working well. Kol Hakavod to everyone.
At some point in the week (if we're not too busy) we hope to post our analysis of the successful operation to stop the Flotilla. We've noticed from other comments/posts on the internet that some people (Leftists particularly) see the world in black and white and really don't understand the complexity and background of what happened yesterday politically and militarily. They simply, in their knee-jerk fashion, believe Israel was either wrong or acted incorrectly. We have no hope for them. This analysis will be for everyone else.
And don't forget to repost the picture of the Flotilla's unarmed, peaceful humanitarian aid worker. A picture really is worth a 1000 words.
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Monday, May 31, 2010
Anti-Shalit Flotilla Updates
It's a new day. See the new post (or go to the main muqata page, http://muqata.blogspot.com) as we cover today's roundup of Flotilla news from Israel.
Monday, May 31, 2010.
This post will be on top all day as we follow the Flotilla Terrorists and the IDF response. Refresh your browser and visit us often for updates around the clock.
12:03 AM (Tuesday) Initial video from IDF Spox of some of the weapons found about the flotilla terror ships.
11:36 PM Initial photos of some of the weapons found aboard the flotilla terror ships:
courtesy: IDF Spox.
11:16 PM What Should Israel Do Tomorrow?
Best answer I've heard so far: publicly recognize the Armenian Genocide. It's the least we can do for a good friend and neighbor like Turkey.
11:14 PM Photos from the pathetic leftist demonstration in Tel Aviv this evening. (source)
All supporting their peaceful, good humanitarian friend:
11:13 PM No news yet on the "Rachel Corrie" boat getting crushed yet. But we're waiting.
10:40 PM Some items that caught my eye today:
Jenin on the High Seas: If Israel truly had wanted to “massacre” the Hamas sympathizers and fellow travellers aboard a six-ship Gaza-bound flotilla, the operation would not have been complicated. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would have used the trusty North Korean solution: Torpedo the ships and watch them sink to the bottom of the sea. That’s certainly what Hamas would have done to a boatload of Jews, if it got the chance.
Tikkun Magazine wants to say Kaddish for Flotilla Terrorists. This will definitely turn your stomach.
Reminder -- here's a photo of a J-Street hero:
10:15 PM One last Flotilla terror boat reported on the way after being delayed. Could be the "Rachel Corrie". Maybe the IDF will flatten it like a pancake.
8:14 PM As we start wrapping up today's events, its not surprising to see the world's condemnation of Israel. We expect it. Regardless of the non-lethal force the IDF was expecting to use, or the "peace activists" Israel was expecting on the ships, today's events spiraled out of control as terrorists brutally attacked IDF soldiers with intent to kill.
It should come as no surprise either as Israel gets blamed by self-righteous "moderate" Jewish bloggers, that seem to always line up with Israel's most radical leftists.
Right now Israel needs your support.
None of the "leftwing humanitarians" could care less about Gilad Shalit, nor were they willing to do even the bare minimum of delivering a letter to him from his family. Today's entire episode has nothing to do with Gazans or human rights. Its entirely about destroying Israel.
We'll update anything else of note...and we hope to be back to our regular Muqata programming tomorrow.
Regards,
Jameel and JoeSettler
8:11 PM Last Flotilla terrorist boat brought into Ashdod port.
7:23 PM Exclusive -- just released IDF Spokesman Close-Up Video of Flotilla Terrorists Attacking IDF soldiers
6:30 PM Updates from IDF Radio:
- None of the wounded IDF commandos currently have life-threatening injuries (thanks to surgery, treatment)
- There are about 30 wounded flotilla terrorists in Israeli hospitals now.
- A flotilla ship is being brought to the Ashdod port, under heavy guard. There are reportedly over 600 on board, and they don't want to be arrested, "quietly"
6:15 PM IDF Radio Hadas Shteif reports that hundreds of Arab residents of Um El Fahm are throwing rocks and rioting alongside highway 65. Car windows have been smashed, fires have been started alongside the sides of the roads, and the border police are firing tear gas and rubber bullets -- trying to disperse the Arab mob.
6:01 PM Thousands of Turks demonstrate against Israel in Ankara. (IDF Radio)
6:00 PM Reminder: To show solidarity with the brave wounded IDF soldiers who tried to board the Mavi Marmara peacefully early this morning and were met with violence, with tragic results that we have all seen, there will be a demonstration of solidarity with the IDF at 6pm tonight (UK time) in Whitehall opposite Downing Street.
5:59 PM IDF Reports that only 9 flotilla terrorists were killed today, not "more than 10, 16, 34, etc as reported by Al Jazeera".
5:38 PM Gaza flotilla participants created war atmosphere before confronting Israel -- Participants chanted Islamic battle cry invoking killing of Jews and called for Martyrdom
PMW reports: On the day before the Gaza flotilla confronted the Israeli navy, Al-Jazeera TV documented the pre-battle atmosphere created by men on board the flotilla, chanting a well known Islamic battle cry invoking the killing and defeat of Jews in battle:
"[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!"
Khaibar is the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. Many Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor for future wars against Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to be defeated and killed again by Muslims.
Al-Jazeera also interviewed a woman who said that the flotilla participants' goal was "one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza."
5:35 PM IDF Radio reports that Israeli Arabs in Umm Al Fahm are planning a demonstration at 6 PM alongside highway 65. Police are concerned the demonstration will turn violent and block evening traffic as motorists attempt to return home.
5:27 PM The IHH "Charity organization" helped organize the flotilla of terror. The CIA already noted its ties to terror as early as 1996. No surprise.
5:16 PM Peaceful Flotilla Terrorist brandishes his harmless salad knife prior to IDF soldiers boarding his ship.
5:05 PM: Demonstration in support of the IDF and Israel -- Whitehall, London -- 6 PM, UK time. Bring flags! In coordination with Police and CST. Get out and show your support!
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5:01 PM Official IDF Spokesman Video:
4:50 PM IDF Radio reports that masked Arabs are throwing rocks at cars and IDF border police at the Umm el Fahm interchange on highway 65. Troops are responding with tear gas and shock grenades.
4:32 PM The "media narrative" that the brutal ambush against IDF soldiers was committed by "peace activists" is already emerging. Reminder: The bloody violence was initiated by the Flotilla Guerrillas.
4:31 PM Reports that there are 600 flotilla terrorists on one of the ships that is refusing to cooperate. Apparently, there are wanted Hamas terrorists hiding among the flotilla terrorists on the ship.
4:30 PM Official Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
The Gaza Flotilla and the Maritime Blockade of Gaza
Legal Background – 31 May 2010
1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.
2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.
3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral States.
4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.
5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.
6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.
7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.
8. A State may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.
9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.
10. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel's intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.
11. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.
12. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.
4:18 PM Eyewitness Account: How the flotilla terrorists brutally ambushed the IDF.
...Navy commandoes slid down to the vessel one by one, yet then the unexpected occurred: The passengers that awaited them on the deck pulled out bats, clubs, and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked. The fighters were nabbed one by one and were beaten up badly, yet they attempted to fight back.
However, to their misfortune, they were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other “don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” even though they sustained numerous blows. More here at YNETNEWS.
4:06 PM Updates about the Flotilla from a pro-Israel viewpoint -- on facebook.
From commenter Rabelad:
The BBC interviewed Audrey Bomse,the rep of the Free Gaza Movement at the link here.
What I liked is that this BBC interviewer was uncharacteristically tough on Bomse, the anti-Israel terrorist-"activist". One of the inconsistencies of her story exposed in this audio clip is that she claimed to be unaware of any light weapons stashed by her "activists" yet at the same time she was absolutely convinced that there was no live fire there. How could she claim this, since she wasn't there to begin with, and over 600 people were on that ship. Even if she would have inspected each one personally there are still ways of taking them aboard surreptitiously. But being that it is seriously unlikely that she could know either one of those as facts for sure it means, not having been there, combined with her utter certainty about both details means she's feeding us lies.
3:52 PM As Israel defends itself against a barrage of international criticism, the following is being distributed on Israeli leftwing websites.
(source)
3:49 PM While Israel's left is planning a demonstration against the IDF at the Kirya, Tel-Aviv this evening at 7 PM, a pro-Israel, pro-IDF, pro- freedom and security counter demonstration is being planned for the same location and time.
3:47 PM Ashdod residents demonstrate on behalf of IDF soldiers at the Ashdod Naval Port.
3:42 PM The usual gang of antisemites joins the party, denying Israel the right to security and freedom.
3:38 PM According to the San Remo Manual it is permissible under rule 67(a) to attack neutral vessels on the high seas when the vessels “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.”
3:31 PM Photo of IDF soldier being evacuated for medical treatment
(Reuters)
3:28 PM Tapuz forum via Rotter reports that "Tzav-8" emergency call up orders being distributed to air force and navy reservists.
3:23 PM Reports of Arabs rioting in the Bethlehem -- over 100 Palestinians throwing rocks at IDF soldiers (walla) Right wing student attacked by Arab students at Haifa University (nrg)
3:21 PM Reports from the field that Jerusalem's Arabs are starting to riot in the area between the Lion's gate and Herod's gate of the Old City of Jerusalem.
3:15 PM Reminder: There is no humanitarian "crisis" in Gaza. See it all here.
3:11 PM Video showing leftists "peace activists" stabbing IDF soldiers. Note -- the IDF soldier was equipped with a paint gun.
hat-tip: Elder of Zion.
3:09 PM 16 of the Flotilla terrorists have been transferred from the Ashdod holding port to a jail in Beer Sheva. (ynet)
2:54 PM News1 reports that the IDF soldiers were not prepared for the violence that erupted from the flotilla terrorist peace activists. The soldiers testified that Sheikh Raed Salakh was among the violent attackers. military correspondents who accompanied the soldiers said the soldiers were given paintball rifles. When they boarded the ship, they were attacked with slingshots, metal balls, chairs and live fire. The terrorists threw soldiers overboard and tried to capture soldiers. This wasn't a freedom flotilla but one of terror. It was all too reminiscent of the Ramallah Lynching of 2 IDF soldiers by a Palestinian mob.
2:52 PM Israeli Arab media reporting that 2 of the dead flotilla terrorists are Arab residents of Haifa.
2:47 PM Nir Devori Reporter from Channel 2 TV: Devori reports that he personally saw Molotov cocktails ready to be thrown aboard the ship. He saw camera crews hit soldiers with metal bars, and then claim they were only camera crews. He saw demonstrators throw IDF soldiers off the decks of the boat, and then jumped afterward to give the appearance that they were thrown off.
2:43 PM Turkey's deputy prime minister says Turkey is withdrawing its ambassador to Israel, canceling three joint military drills and calling on the U.N. Security Council to convene in an emergency session about Israel. (ABC)
Good Riddance.
2:41 PM Intelligence reports that rocket attacks are likely in the immediate hours from Gaza. The Gaza seam communities have been instructed to prepare their bomb shelters.
2:38 PM Channel 2 TV updates accounts from the IDF Naval Commandos that boarded the ship. Soldiers recounted that the "peace activists" all fought with knives, axes, metal bars, box cutters, razor blades -- even among the "photographers".
2:28 PM Updates! Channel 10 and IDF radio report that the IDF commandos were equipped with paint ball rifles to ensure minimum casualties among the flotilla terrorists -- their hand guns were to be used as a means of last resort!
The terrorists tried connecting the steel cables from the overhead helicopters to the boat's antenna, in order to cause the helicopters to crash.
Only when the "peace activists" severely beat the soldiers with iron rods, stab them with knives, and tried to lynch them, did the soldiers respond. IDF soldiers were pushed down stairs, thrown overboard, and shot at.
Reported by Or Heller, Channel 10 TV.
2:21 PM Pro-Israel Demonstration outside Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv: Tonight at 7:30 PM, 202 Yarkon Street.
2:15 PM See video here of peaceful flotilla terrorists severely beating IDF soldiers (circled in red)
2:11 PM The second Flotilla terror ship has docked at the Ashdod port. First the "Challenger" ship and now another one. None of the flotilla terrorists are carrying identifying documents. The Challenger ship had nationals from Ireland, Holland, Belgium and the USA.
2:08 PM IDF Radio reports that Israelis are heeding the serious travel advisory to Turkey, and there are reports of mass cancellations.
1:55 PM Israeli Arabs Riot at "Mei Ami" Junction on the Wadi Ara highway (65) -- burning tires close the highway.
1:53 PM Video: The "nonviolent" Gaza Flotilla unleashes knives, clubs, and live fire on the Israeli commandos sent to prevent them from running Israel's internationally-recognized blockade on the Iranian-backed Hamas government.
Later in the video you see footage of them departing Turkey. They're chanting "Khaybar Khayber ya Yahud, Jaysh Muhammad sa ya'ud," which translates to "Khaybar Khaybar O Jews, the army of Muhammad will return." The reference is to the seventh century massacre and enslavement of Jews in the city of Khaybar by Mohammed.
1:27 PM Video of IDF Navy Warning Flotilla from entering Gaza waters.
1:15 PM Terror Flotilla Photos
source: Rotter.
1:07 PM Press Conference -- Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi.
When all our attempts to convince the flotilla to abandon their provocation failed, we had no choice but to act.
There is no connection between a Humanitarian flotilla and the behavior of the people on those ships.
There was brutal violence from the second our troops boarded the ships.
1:02 PM Press Conference -- Defense Minister Ehud Barak:
Israel tried countless times to convince the flotilla to allow its humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza via Ashdod, yet the flotilla was determined to create a hostile provocation.
More than 10 Naval commandos wounded from live fire, knives, metal bars and extreme violence.
There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza today.
This entire flotilla is a huge political provocation, supported by international terrorists under the guise of "humanitarian" support.
Israel will continue to do what is necessary to protect its citizens.
The entire responsibility for Gaza is that of Hamas.
1:01 PM Israel Army Radio definitely reports that Raed Salah is alive, and on one of the terror-flotilla ships.
12:55 PM Israel recommends citizens planning trips to Turkey cancel them.
12:54 PM Official report that 5 soldiers wounded. 1 serious, 1 moderate, 3 light.
12:51 PM Riots reported starting in Ramallah (and Amman!).
12:44 PM Latest numbers (unconfirmed): 19 flotilla terrorist dead. 28 flotilla terrorists injured. 15 IDF soldiers injured (2 seriously, 1 moderate).
12:43 PM Israeli investment house reports they are divesting from Turkey.
12:32 PM Hatzalah inform all EMS volunteers - recheck and prepare all your medical and radio equipment.
12:24 PM Muqata blog holding up well in face of today's traffic surge.
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12:18 PM Pistols used to shoot IDF soldiers snatched from IDF by Flotilla terrorists during operation. (Channel 2 reports)
12:12 PM Channel 2 reporting that Turkish parliamentarian may have been killed in fighting.
2 IDF soldiers in serious condition.
12:01 PM Radio news update: 15 IDF soldiers wounded. 10 Flotilla terrorists dead. Riots in Nazareth.
Reports of Raed Salach's death from Arab workers at hospital where Raed Salah was taken to. Radio reports he's alive. Official death announcement may cause major riots.
Other reports place Raed Salach alive and well on one of the boats.
11:57 AM VERY UNCONFIRMED. Rumors that Flotilla terrorist may have killed an IDF soldier. VERY UNCONFIRMED.
11:52 AM Arabs throwing stones in Jerusalem near Sha'ar Shchem (Damascus Gate) and other locations. Loony Left protesting in Ashdod.
11:49 AM #Flotilla #Gaza : First Hamas Flotilla Terror boat brought into Ashdod port.
11:44 AM IDF spokesperson informed the Muqata that we will be receiving exclusive videos later today.
11:33 AM Raed Salach dead (Raed Salah) - (Unconfirmed foreign media reports). Awaiting confirmation.
11:09 AM Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon: Israel did everything they could to prevent violence, including transport of humanitarian aid through proper channels. The flotilla was a pre-conceived provocation. There were readied weapons found aboard the ships.
10:56 AM Israel Tourism Ministry warns Israeli cruise ship to not dock in Turkey.
10:52 AM Arab MK Taleb A-Sanaa issued a press release Monday in which he called IDF soldiers "Nazis".
10:45 AM Flotilla terrorists had their own weapons. 2 emptied (used) pistols found on deck
10:43 AM Near Gaza Settlements (towns) told to open and prepare bomb shelters.
10:26 AM IDF spokesman reporting that gunfire began when Hamas Flotilla member grabbed a soldiers gun from him and started shooting it. (See 10:45 AM update - 2 fired pistols found on boat).
10:07AM IDF reporting that Hamas Flotilla lynch attack was premeditated lynch and provocation
9:50 AM IDF spokesman. "Humanitarian Activists" attempted to LYNCH IDF soldiers (that's not very humanitarian). IDF will be releasing videos and audios of the lynch attempt throughout the day.
10 Flotilla terrorists confirmed dead by IDF spokesman Col Avi Binayahu.
NYTimes has an opinion too.
IDF soldiers only opened fire after the lynch attempt. Operation still ongoing. IDF inspecting containers.
Raed Salach in critical condition.
9:18 AM Channel 10 reports Apache Helicoptors and (4?) F-15 circling around Hamas Flotilla.
Police preparing for mass Arab and Leftist violence throughout the country.
Ashdod port being prepared for Hamas flotilla arrival.
CNN reports Deputy Head of Turkish parliment on board Hamas terror boats.
9:14 AM Foreign Ministry preparing for media onslaught.
9:12 AM Police close highway near Um El-Fahm (Route 65 - Wadi Ara) and Temple Mount area.
443 still open to Arab traffic.
9:08 AM Unconfirmed report that Israel's envoy being evicted from Turkey.
CNN reports that soldiers were attacked with Guns, knives, axes, metal bars. Operation is still "ongoing".
9:06 AM Raed Salach officially listed as seriously wounded. Hamas Prime MinisterIsmael Haniyeh says this is a Crime against Humanity(he certainly should recognize those personally).
Emergency cabinet meeting going on right now.
9:02 AM 10 IDF soldiers wounded. 1 serious, 1 moderate.
Al-Jazeera (unreliable) reporting 16 dead, 50 wounded among floating Hamas supporters. (From 9AM IDF Radio report)
8:57 AM Israel Foreign Ministry tells Israeli tourists in Turkey to leave immediately.
8:56 AM MDA goes to highest alert level.
8:26 AM Arab media reporting Raed Salach in moderate condition and 6 IDF soldiers injured.
Confirmed reports on Galei Tzahal (IDF radio). 3 wounded transferred to Israeli hospital by helicopter.
8:18 AM 2 IDF naval soldiers reported injured in raid. 1 IDF soldier stabbed in stomach (by Humanitarian Peace Activist).
8:12 AM In Um el Fahm Israeli Arabs converge on Salach's home. Riots expected.
8:07 AM MUQATA EXCLUSIVE: Unconfirmed reports say that Raed Salach head of the Islamic Movement in Israel was killed on the boat.
The far left Gush Shalom announces solidarity rally at Ashdod port.
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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד
Monday, May 31, 2010.
This post will be on top all day as we follow the Flotilla Terrorists and the IDF response. Refresh your browser and visit us often for updates around the clock.
12:03 AM (Tuesday) Initial video from IDF Spox of some of the weapons found about the flotilla terror ships.
11:36 PM Initial photos of some of the weapons found aboard the flotilla terror ships:
courtesy: IDF Spox.11:16 PM What Should Israel Do Tomorrow?
Best answer I've heard so far: publicly recognize the Armenian Genocide. It's the least we can do for a good friend and neighbor like Turkey.
11:14 PM Photos from the pathetic leftist demonstration in Tel Aviv this evening. (source)
All supporting their peaceful, good humanitarian friend:
11:13 PM No news yet on the "Rachel Corrie" boat getting crushed yet. But we're waiting.
10:40 PM Some items that caught my eye today:
Jenin on the High Seas: If Israel truly had wanted to “massacre” the Hamas sympathizers and fellow travellers aboard a six-ship Gaza-bound flotilla, the operation would not have been complicated. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would have used the trusty North Korean solution: Torpedo the ships and watch them sink to the bottom of the sea. That’s certainly what Hamas would have done to a boatload of Jews, if it got the chance.
Tikkun Magazine wants to say Kaddish for Flotilla Terrorists. This will definitely turn your stomach.
We regret and deplore the killings which took place as Israeli troops, in defiance of international law, boarded and assaulted, wounded many and killed some of the participants in a flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza (itself a morally outrageous policy) to bring humanitarian aid. We ask all people of peace to dedicate at least fifteen minutes today (Memorial day in the US) to silent memorial for those peace activists who have been killed (and we call upon all synagogues around the world to say Kaddish for those people at their Shabbat services this coming weekend), and for prayer for the speedy recovery of all those wounded in this attack (mostly peace activists, but also the Israeli soldiers who boarded the boats with violence).
Remind the wackos at Tikkun to say a prayer for this "peace activist" as well:
J-Street Blathers on:This shocking outcome of an effort to bring humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza is in part a consequence of the ongoing, counterproductive Israeli blockade of Gaza. J Street has been and continues to be opposed to the blockade - believing that there are better ways to ensure Israel's security and to prevent weapons smuggling than a complete closure of the Gaza Strip.Such holy, holy people were those martyrs killed today on the ship, as they stabbed and shot at the evil IDF soldiers.
We express our condolences to the families of those killed and we wish the injured a full and speedy recovery. We hope that leaders on all sides will take immediate steps to ensure that this incident does not escalate into a broader round of violence - in Israel, in Gaza, or in the region.
Reminder -- here's a photo of a J-Street hero:
10:15 PM One last Flotilla terror boat reported on the way after being delayed. Could be the "Rachel Corrie". Maybe the IDF will flatten it like a pancake.
8:14 PM As we start wrapping up today's events, its not surprising to see the world's condemnation of Israel. We expect it. Regardless of the non-lethal force the IDF was expecting to use, or the "peace activists" Israel was expecting on the ships, today's events spiraled out of control as terrorists brutally attacked IDF soldiers with intent to kill.
It should come as no surprise either as Israel gets blamed by self-righteous "moderate" Jewish bloggers, that seem to always line up with Israel's most radical leftists.
Right now Israel needs your support.
None of the "leftwing humanitarians" could care less about Gilad Shalit, nor were they willing to do even the bare minimum of delivering a letter to him from his family. Today's entire episode has nothing to do with Gazans or human rights. Its entirely about destroying Israel.
We'll update anything else of note...and we hope to be back to our regular Muqata programming tomorrow.
Regards,
Jameel and JoeSettler
8:11 PM Last Flotilla terrorist boat brought into Ashdod port.
7:23 PM Exclusive -- just released IDF Spokesman Close-Up Video of Flotilla Terrorists Attacking IDF soldiers
6:30 PM Updates from IDF Radio:
- None of the wounded IDF commandos currently have life-threatening injuries (thanks to surgery, treatment)
- There are about 30 wounded flotilla terrorists in Israeli hospitals now.
- A flotilla ship is being brought to the Ashdod port, under heavy guard. There are reportedly over 600 on board, and they don't want to be arrested, "quietly"
6:15 PM IDF Radio Hadas Shteif reports that hundreds of Arab residents of Um El Fahm are throwing rocks and rioting alongside highway 65. Car windows have been smashed, fires have been started alongside the sides of the roads, and the border police are firing tear gas and rubber bullets -- trying to disperse the Arab mob.
6:01 PM Thousands of Turks demonstrate against Israel in Ankara. (IDF Radio)
6:00 PM Reminder: To show solidarity with the brave wounded IDF soldiers who tried to board the Mavi Marmara peacefully early this morning and were met with violence, with tragic results that we have all seen, there will be a demonstration of solidarity with the IDF at 6pm tonight (UK time) in Whitehall opposite Downing Street.
5:59 PM IDF Reports that only 9 flotilla terrorists were killed today, not "more than 10, 16, 34, etc as reported by Al Jazeera".
5:38 PM Gaza flotilla participants created war atmosphere before confronting Israel -- Participants chanted Islamic battle cry invoking killing of Jews and called for Martyrdom
PMW reports: On the day before the Gaza flotilla confronted the Israeli navy, Al-Jazeera TV documented the pre-battle atmosphere created by men on board the flotilla, chanting a well known Islamic battle cry invoking the killing and defeat of Jews in battle:
"[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!"
Khaibar is the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. Many Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor for future wars against Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to be defeated and killed again by Muslims.
Al-Jazeera also interviewed a woman who said that the flotilla participants' goal was "one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza."
5:35 PM IDF Radio reports that Israeli Arabs in Umm Al Fahm are planning a demonstration at 6 PM alongside highway 65. Police are concerned the demonstration will turn violent and block evening traffic as motorists attempt to return home.
5:27 PM The IHH "Charity organization" helped organize the flotilla of terror. The CIA already noted its ties to terror as early as 1996. No surprise.
5:16 PM Peaceful Flotilla Terrorist brandishes his harmless salad knife prior to IDF soldiers boarding his ship.
5:05 PM: Demonstration in support of the IDF and Israel -- Whitehall, London -- 6 PM, UK time. Bring flags! In coordination with Police and CST. Get out and show your support!
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5:01 PM Official IDF Spokesman Video:
4:50 PM IDF Radio reports that masked Arabs are throwing rocks at cars and IDF border police at the Umm el Fahm interchange on highway 65. Troops are responding with tear gas and shock grenades.
4:32 PM The "media narrative" that the brutal ambush against IDF soldiers was committed by "peace activists" is already emerging. Reminder: The bloody violence was initiated by the Flotilla Guerrillas.
4:31 PM Reports that there are 600 flotilla terrorists on one of the ships that is refusing to cooperate. Apparently, there are wanted Hamas terrorists hiding among the flotilla terrorists on the ship.
4:30 PM Official Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
The Gaza Flotilla and the Maritime Blockade of Gaza
Legal Background – 31 May 2010
1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.
2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.
3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral States.
4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.
5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.
6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.
7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.
8. A State may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.
9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.
10. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel's intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.
11. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.
12. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.
4:18 PM Eyewitness Account: How the flotilla terrorists brutally ambushed the IDF.
...Navy commandoes slid down to the vessel one by one, yet then the unexpected occurred: The passengers that awaited them on the deck pulled out bats, clubs, and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked. The fighters were nabbed one by one and were beaten up badly, yet they attempted to fight back.
However, to their misfortune, they were only equipped with paintball rifles used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin. The paintballs obviously made no impression on the activists, who kept on beating the troops up and even attempted to wrest away their weapons.
One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other “don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” even though they sustained numerous blows. More here at YNETNEWS.
4:06 PM Updates about the Flotilla from a pro-Israel viewpoint -- on facebook.
From commenter Rabelad:
The BBC interviewed Audrey Bomse,the rep of the Free Gaza Movement at the link here.
What I liked is that this BBC interviewer was uncharacteristically tough on Bomse, the anti-Israel terrorist-"activist". One of the inconsistencies of her story exposed in this audio clip is that she claimed to be unaware of any light weapons stashed by her "activists" yet at the same time she was absolutely convinced that there was no live fire there. How could she claim this, since she wasn't there to begin with, and over 600 people were on that ship. Even if she would have inspected each one personally there are still ways of taking them aboard surreptitiously. But being that it is seriously unlikely that she could know either one of those as facts for sure it means, not having been there, combined with her utter certainty about both details means she's feeding us lies.
3:52 PM As Israel defends itself against a barrage of international criticism, the following is being distributed on Israeli leftwing websites.
(source)3:49 PM While Israel's left is planning a demonstration against the IDF at the Kirya, Tel-Aviv this evening at 7 PM, a pro-Israel, pro-IDF, pro- freedom and security counter demonstration is being planned for the same location and time.
3:47 PM Ashdod residents demonstrate on behalf of IDF soldiers at the Ashdod Naval Port.
3:42 PM The usual gang of antisemites joins the party, denying Israel the right to security and freedom.
3:38 PM According to the San Remo Manual it is permissible under rule 67(a) to attack neutral vessels on the high seas when the vessels “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.”
3:31 PM Photo of IDF soldier being evacuated for medical treatment
(Reuters)3:28 PM Tapuz forum via Rotter reports that "Tzav-8" emergency call up orders being distributed to air force and navy reservists.
3:23 PM Reports of Arabs rioting in the Bethlehem -- over 100 Palestinians throwing rocks at IDF soldiers (walla) Right wing student attacked by Arab students at Haifa University (nrg)
3:21 PM Reports from the field that Jerusalem's Arabs are starting to riot in the area between the Lion's gate and Herod's gate of the Old City of Jerusalem.
3:15 PM Reminder: There is no humanitarian "crisis" in Gaza. See it all here.
3:11 PM Video showing leftists "peace activists" stabbing IDF soldiers. Note -- the IDF soldier was equipped with a paint gun.
hat-tip: Elder of Zion.
3:09 PM 16 of the Flotilla terrorists have been transferred from the Ashdod holding port to a jail in Beer Sheva. (ynet)
2:54 PM News1 reports that the IDF soldiers were not prepared for the violence that erupted from the flotilla terrorist peace activists. The soldiers testified that Sheikh Raed Salakh was among the violent attackers. military correspondents who accompanied the soldiers said the soldiers were given paintball rifles. When they boarded the ship, they were attacked with slingshots, metal balls, chairs and live fire. The terrorists threw soldiers overboard and tried to capture soldiers. This wasn't a freedom flotilla but one of terror. It was all too reminiscent of the Ramallah Lynching of 2 IDF soldiers by a Palestinian mob.
2:52 PM Israeli Arab media reporting that 2 of the dead flotilla terrorists are Arab residents of Haifa.
2:47 PM Nir Devori Reporter from Channel 2 TV: Devori reports that he personally saw Molotov cocktails ready to be thrown aboard the ship. He saw camera crews hit soldiers with metal bars, and then claim they were only camera crews. He saw demonstrators throw IDF soldiers off the decks of the boat, and then jumped afterward to give the appearance that they were thrown off.
2:43 PM Turkey's deputy prime minister says Turkey is withdrawing its ambassador to Israel, canceling three joint military drills and calling on the U.N. Security Council to convene in an emergency session about Israel. (ABC)
Good Riddance.
2:41 PM Intelligence reports that rocket attacks are likely in the immediate hours from Gaza. The Gaza seam communities have been instructed to prepare their bomb shelters.
2:38 PM Channel 2 TV updates accounts from the IDF Naval Commandos that boarded the ship. Soldiers recounted that the "peace activists" all fought with knives, axes, metal bars, box cutters, razor blades -- even among the "photographers".
2:28 PM Updates! Channel 10 and IDF radio report that the IDF commandos were equipped with paint ball rifles to ensure minimum casualties among the flotilla terrorists -- their hand guns were to be used as a means of last resort!
The terrorists tried connecting the steel cables from the overhead helicopters to the boat's antenna, in order to cause the helicopters to crash.
Only when the "peace activists" severely beat the soldiers with iron rods, stab them with knives, and tried to lynch them, did the soldiers respond. IDF soldiers were pushed down stairs, thrown overboard, and shot at.
Reported by Or Heller, Channel 10 TV.
2:21 PM Pro-Israel Demonstration outside Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv: Tonight at 7:30 PM, 202 Yarkon Street.
2:15 PM See video here of peaceful flotilla terrorists severely beating IDF soldiers (circled in red)
2:11 PM The second Flotilla terror ship has docked at the Ashdod port. First the "Challenger" ship and now another one. None of the flotilla terrorists are carrying identifying documents. The Challenger ship had nationals from Ireland, Holland, Belgium and the USA.
2:08 PM IDF Radio reports that Israelis are heeding the serious travel advisory to Turkey, and there are reports of mass cancellations.
1:55 PM Israeli Arabs Riot at "Mei Ami" Junction on the Wadi Ara highway (65) -- burning tires close the highway.
1:53 PM Video: The "nonviolent" Gaza Flotilla unleashes knives, clubs, and live fire on the Israeli commandos sent to prevent them from running Israel's internationally-recognized blockade on the Iranian-backed Hamas government.
Later in the video you see footage of them departing Turkey. They're chanting "Khaybar Khayber ya Yahud, Jaysh Muhammad sa ya'ud," which translates to "Khaybar Khaybar O Jews, the army of Muhammad will return." The reference is to the seventh century massacre and enslavement of Jews in the city of Khaybar by Mohammed.
1:27 PM Video of IDF Navy Warning Flotilla from entering Gaza waters.
1:15 PM Terror Flotilla Photos
Demonstrators outside the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Israeli Air Force Rescue Command
UNIT 669 brings injured IDF naval commandos to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.
UNIT 669 brings injured IDF naval commandos to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.
Demonstrations against Israel in Amman, Jordan
source: Rotter.1:07 PM Press Conference -- Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi.
When all our attempts to convince the flotilla to abandon their provocation failed, we had no choice but to act.
There is no connection between a Humanitarian flotilla and the behavior of the people on those ships.
There was brutal violence from the second our troops boarded the ships.
1:02 PM Press Conference -- Defense Minister Ehud Barak:
Israel tried countless times to convince the flotilla to allow its humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza via Ashdod, yet the flotilla was determined to create a hostile provocation.
More than 10 Naval commandos wounded from live fire, knives, metal bars and extreme violence.
There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza today.
This entire flotilla is a huge political provocation, supported by international terrorists under the guise of "humanitarian" support.
Israel will continue to do what is necessary to protect its citizens.
The entire responsibility for Gaza is that of Hamas.
1:01 PM Israel Army Radio definitely reports that Raed Salah is alive, and on one of the terror-flotilla ships.
12:55 PM Israel recommends citizens planning trips to Turkey cancel them.
12:54 PM Official report that 5 soldiers wounded. 1 serious, 1 moderate, 3 light.
12:51 PM Riots reported starting in Ramallah (and Amman!).
12:44 PM Latest numbers (unconfirmed): 19 flotilla terrorist dead. 28 flotilla terrorists injured. 15 IDF soldiers injured (2 seriously, 1 moderate).
12:43 PM Israeli investment house reports they are divesting from Turkey.
12:32 PM Hatzalah inform all EMS volunteers - recheck and prepare all your medical and radio equipment.
12:24 PM Muqata blog holding up well in face of today's traffic surge.
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12:18 PM Pistols used to shoot IDF soldiers snatched from IDF by Flotilla terrorists during operation. (Channel 2 reports)
12:12 PM Channel 2 reporting that Turkish parliamentarian may have been killed in fighting.
2 IDF soldiers in serious condition.
12:01 PM Radio news update: 15 IDF soldiers wounded. 10 Flotilla terrorists dead. Riots in Nazareth.
Reports of Raed Salach's death from Arab workers at hospital where Raed Salah was taken to. Radio reports he's alive. Official death announcement may cause major riots.
Other reports place Raed Salach alive and well on one of the boats.
11:57 AM VERY UNCONFIRMED. Rumors that Flotilla terrorist may have killed an IDF soldier. VERY UNCONFIRMED.
11:52 AM Arabs throwing stones in Jerusalem near Sha'ar Shchem (Damascus Gate) and other locations. Loony Left protesting in Ashdod.
11:49 AM #Flotilla #Gaza : First Hamas Flotilla Terror boat brought into Ashdod port.
11:44 AM IDF spokesperson informed the Muqata that we will be receiving exclusive videos later today.
11:33 AM Raed Salach dead (Raed Salah) - (Unconfirmed foreign media reports). Awaiting confirmation.
11:09 AM Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon: Israel did everything they could to prevent violence, including transport of humanitarian aid through proper channels. The flotilla was a pre-conceived provocation. There were readied weapons found aboard the ships.
10:56 AM Israel Tourism Ministry warns Israeli cruise ship to not dock in Turkey.
10:52 AM Arab MK Taleb A-Sanaa issued a press release Monday in which he called IDF soldiers "Nazis".
10:45 AM Flotilla terrorists had their own weapons. 2 emptied (used) pistols found on deck
10:43 AM Near Gaza Settlements (towns) told to open and prepare bomb shelters.
10:26 AM IDF spokesman reporting that gunfire began when Hamas Flotilla member grabbed a soldiers gun from him and started shooting it. (See 10:45 AM update - 2 fired pistols found on boat).
10:07AM IDF reporting that Hamas Flotilla lynch attack was premeditated lynch and provocation
9:50 AM IDF spokesman. "Humanitarian Activists" attempted to LYNCH IDF soldiers (that's not very humanitarian). IDF will be releasing videos and audios of the lynch attempt throughout the day.
10 Flotilla terrorists confirmed dead by IDF spokesman Col Avi Binayahu.
NYTimes has an opinion too.
IDF soldiers only opened fire after the lynch attempt. Operation still ongoing. IDF inspecting containers.
Raed Salach in critical condition.
9:18 AM Channel 10 reports Apache Helicoptors and (4?) F-15 circling around Hamas Flotilla.
Police preparing for mass Arab and Leftist violence throughout the country.
Ashdod port being prepared for Hamas flotilla arrival.
CNN reports Deputy Head of Turkish parliment on board Hamas terror boats.
9:14 AM Foreign Ministry preparing for media onslaught.
9:12 AM Police close highway near Um El-Fahm (Route 65 - Wadi Ara) and Temple Mount area.
443 still open to Arab traffic.
9:08 AM Unconfirmed report that Israel's envoy being evicted from Turkey.
CNN reports that soldiers were attacked with Guns, knives, axes, metal bars. Operation is still "ongoing".
9:06 AM Raed Salach officially listed as seriously wounded. Hamas Prime MinisterIsmael Haniyeh says this is a Crime against Humanity(he certainly should recognize those personally).
Emergency cabinet meeting going on right now.
9:02 AM 10 IDF soldiers wounded. 1 serious, 1 moderate.
IDF soldiers attacked with gunfire from Hamas Peace Activists flotilla members.
Al-Jazeera (unreliable) reporting 16 dead, 50 wounded among floating Hamas supporters. (From 9AM IDF Radio report)
8:57 AM Israel Foreign Ministry tells Israeli tourists in Turkey to leave immediately.
8:56 AM MDA goes to highest alert level.
8:26 AM Arab media reporting Raed Salach in moderate condition and 6 IDF soldiers injured.
Confirmed reports on Galei Tzahal (IDF radio). 3 wounded transferred to Israeli hospital by helicopter.
8:18 AM 2 IDF naval soldiers reported injured in raid. 1 IDF soldier stabbed in stomach (by Humanitarian Peace Activist).
8:12 AM In Um el Fahm Israeli Arabs converge on Salach's home. Riots expected.
8:07 AM MUQATA EXCLUSIVE: Unconfirmed reports say that Raed Salach head of the Islamic Movement in Israel was killed on the boat.
The far left Gush Shalom announces solidarity rally at Ashdod port.
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