"Gaza Island"

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

As I said at the start of this thread, what could go wrong?

Don't worry - there's still a good chance that the IDF will get to murder some of them !

Peace Activists Train for Flotilla

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/25571195?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="

training</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user7250091">Terje Carlsson & Bo Harringer</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p> Edited June 30, 2011 by wife_of_mahmoud

[mawilson 2,133]

Don't worry - there's still a good chance that the IDF will get to murder some of them !

Peace Activists Train for Flotilla

Yeah, they are very peaceful. We've all seen the tapes.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Yeah, they are very peaceful. We've all seen the tapes.

Which tapes ? The ones that the IDF robbed from the passengers along with all their cameras, video recorders, cell phones, etc. - and refuses to release ?

Last week, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights released a comprehensive report detailing its findings regarding the May, 2010, Israeli attack on the six-ship flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Israel-blockaded Gaza. The report has been largely ignored in the American media despite the fact (or, more accurately: because) it found that much of the Israeli force used "was unnecessary, disproportionate, excessive and inappropriate and resulted in the wholly avoidable killing and maiming of a large number of civilian passengers"; that "at least six of the killings can be characterized as extra-legal, arbitrary and summary executions"; and that Israel violated numerous international human rights conventions, including the Fourth Geneva Conventions (see p. 38, para. 172).

Even more striking in terms of U.S. media and government silence on this report is the fact that one of the victims of the worst Israeli violations was a 19-year-old American citizen. As Gareth Porter documents in an excellent article at The Huffington Post, the report "shows conclusively, for the first time, that US citizen Furkan Dogan and five Turkish citizens were murdered execution-style by Israeli commandos." In particular:

The report reveals that Dogan, the 19-year-old US citizen of Turkish descent, was filming with a small video camera on the top deck of the Mavi Marmara when he was shot twice in the head, once in the back and in the left leg and foot and that he was shot in the face at point blank range while lying on the ground.

The report says Dogan had apparently been "lying on the deck in a conscious or semi-conscious, state for some time" before being shot in his face.

The forensic evidence that establishes that fact is "tattooing around the wound in his face," indicating that the shot was "delivered at point blank range." The report describes the forensic evidence as showing that "the trajectory of the wound, from bottom to top, together with a vital abrasion to the left shoulder that could be consistent with the bullet exit point, is compatible with the shot being received while he was lying on the ground on his back."

Needless to say, the Israeli Government -- as it virtually always does when confronted with well-documented, official findings of its severe human rights violations -- attacked the source, accusing the report of being "biased and distorted." The U.N. investigators interviewed 112 witnesses and consulted with numerous forensic and medical experts, while Israel refused to speak with its investigators (though Israeli officials are cooperating with a separate group investigating the attack). There's no reason to take the findings of this report as Gospel: like everything, it's subject to reasonable dispute, but it's clearly well-documented, consistent with documentary evidence and overwhelming witness testimony, and is entitled to be taken seriously.

U.N. Report finds Israel "summarily executed" U.S. citizen on flotilla

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Delayed until next week...

The flotilla of boats planning to challenge Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip will set sail next week, a spokeswoman said on Friday, after repeated delays that activists blame on Israeli sabotage.

"Israel is doing its very, very best to make sure we don't get out of port," spokeswoman Greta Berlin said, speaking by telephone from Greece where some of the ships are moored.

...

Israel has denounced the flotilla as a provocation, but has denied allegations it sabotaged both the Irish boat and a Swedish vessel, which also reported propeller damage after berthing in a Greek port earlier in the week.

Activists: Gaza flotilla will set sail next week

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Keep 'em coming, Shayetet 13 are ready for you.

Let's see... an amateurishly-drawn bomb, sword & shield, with bat wings - BAT WINGS !!! - and a name stolen from the U.S. Navy Seals to try to cash in on their reputation....

This logo really says it all.

[mawilson 2,133]

Let's see... an amateurishly-drawn bomb, sword & shield, with bat wings - BAT WINGS !!! - and a name stolen from the U.S. Navy Seals to try to cash in on their reputation....

They have a better reputation than the US Navy Seals.

But by all means, keep bashing all things Israeli.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

They have a better reputation than the US Navy Seals.

ETA: BTW, the correct spelling is SEALs.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

They have a better reputation than the US Navy Seals.

But by all means, keep bashing all things Israeli.

I have posted innumerable "things Israeli" with which I heartily support and agree - B'Tselem, Uri Avnery, Gideon Levy, Amira Haas, Ilan Pappe just to name a few. The list goes on and on and on.

You whine about that, too.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

BTW, the correct spelling is SEALs.

Yes, thank you - it should be U.S. Navy SEALs.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Update -

According to the Flotilla's Twitter feed, the Greek Coast Guard has stopped the American boat 15 minutes after it set sail from Athens - "You are forbidden to leave Athens. Return to port now."

Edited July 1, 2011 by wife_of_mahmoud

[mawilson 2,133]

Update -

According to the Flotilla's Twitter feed, the Greek Coast Guard has stopped the American boat 15 minutes after it set sail from Athens - "You are forbidden to leave Athens. Return to port now."

Those goddamned Zionists - they control everything and everyone!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Those goddamned Zionists - they control everything and everyone!

You see how your mind works ?

I for one am 100% convinced that it was the Latvian government who sent teams to sabotage the boats, exerted every diplomatic and economic pressure that it could on the bankrupt Greek government, and even set up that obvious false front called the "Israeli Law Center" in Tel Aviv to launch the "private complaints" about the boats.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The Holocaust survivor onboard is Tweeting:

USBOATTOGAZA

less than a minute ago

RT @hedyepstein: I'm below deck surrounded by a doctor and a nurse and wonderful other people. Our spirits are high. I'm calm, unafraid, hopeful.

USBOATTOGAZA

less than a minute ago

RT @hedyepstein: Our wonderful captain negotiated with them. We were in a holding pattern for probably 3 hours when the commandos arrived with drawn weapons.

USBOATTOGAZA

about a minute ago

RT .@hedyepstein W/ great joy we left Parama pier. Under bright blue sky we traveled 33min in calm waters when CoastGuard arrived #flotilla2

[mawilson 2,133]

The Holocaust survivor onboard is Tweeting:

Tweeting

Poor woman. Someone could give her a sign that says "Nursing Homes Kill" and she wouldn't know the difference.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Tweeting

Poor woman. Someone could give her a sign that says "Nursing Homes Kill" and she wouldn't know the difference.

Seems she's quite aware what's going on...