UN Report on Gaza Flotilla

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Men have looked upon the desert as barren land, the free holding of whoever chose; but in fact each hill and valley in it had a man who was its acknowledged owner and would quickly assert the right of his family or clan to it, against aggression.

T. E. Lawrence

The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor.

T. E. Lawrence

A very wise man he was.

I love how these threads just totally don't prove a point about the people who post in them.

How old are you guys? I can only presume High School was barely a few months ago.

Gee... more ad hominem. I'm so surprised...

Further name-calling posts from you will be ignored.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Further name-calling posts from you will be ignored.

Do you really feel a need to say this, couldn't you just 'do' rather than say you will?

What's the point?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Business ‘in sync’ on Israel

The Turkish government’s tough stance against Israel has echoed through the world of commerce, with one businessman claiming “economic sanctions” could be in the pipeline.

In a written statement on Sunday, Selçuk Öztürk, head of the Konya Chamber of Commerce, said his organization supported the government’s position.

“The [May 31, 2010 Israeli military] operation against the Mavi Marmara vessel, which aimed to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, once again displayed the true face of Israel,” Anatolia news agency quoted Öztürk as saying. “Turkey’s efforts for Israel to apologize have yielded no results. Thus, we support the decisions taken against Israel, which were announced by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.”

The decisions will have repercussions in the sphere of economy, the businessman said. “As businesspeople, we may decide on economic sanctions against Israel.”

Trade ties between Turkey and Israel were on an upward trajectory despite diplomatic tension. In the first seven months of the year, bilateral trade volume has surpassed $2.5 billion. In 2010, the figure stood at over $3.4 billion, with Turkey having a rare trade surplus of $724 million.

Turkey’s top export items to Israel include automobiles, steel, electrical appliances, non-metal minerals and textile. Its top import items are raw materials and health care products.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=business-8216in-sync8217-on-israel-2011-09-04

[mawilson 2,133]

Israeli passengers authorities at Istanbul airport humiliated them and made them undress to their underwear; Officials in Ankara say Turkish tourists subjected to same treatment evening before at Israel airport.

I have traveled to Israel numerous times and been singled out for extra screening numerous times. I felt it was unfair and somewhat humiliating.

That said, Israeli security personnel at Ben Gurion International Airport have never, ever made me undress to my underwear. That's a new low for Turkey, and most certainly a retaliatory measure.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I have traveled to Israel numerous times and been singled out for extra screening numerous times. I felt it was unfair and somewhat humiliating.

That said, Israeli security personnel at Ben Gurion International Airport have never, ever made me undress to my underwear. That's a new low for Turkey, and most certainly a retaliatory measure.

No kidding.

Foreign Ministry officials said in response that the event is highly unusual and serious, and said that many of the Israeli passengers called the Foreign Ministry and said they felt fear during the questioning. The Foreign Ministry turned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and demanded an explanation, however the Turks said they were not familiar with the incident.

"At this time it looks like a local initiative of police in Istanbul, but we are still looking in to the event and mostly trying to understand what was the character of the investigation," said a Foreign Ministry official.

Officials in Ankara said in response that Turkish tourists were harassed in Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on Sunday evening, hours before the incident at Istanbul's airport the next morning.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I have traveled to Israel numerous times and been singled out for extra screening numerous times. I felt it was unfair and somewhat humiliating.

That said, Israeli security personnel at Ben Gurion International Airport have never, ever made me undress to my underwear. That's a new low for Turkey, and most certainly a retaliatory measure.

Ben Gurion security didn't make you undress, so you think it doesn't happen to others ?

Here again, straight from the Israeli Foreign Ministry:

Foreign Ministry officials admit: Turkey citizens routinely humiliated at Israel's airport

...

Foreign Ministry officials told Haaretz on Monday that over the past year, there were dozens of complaints on the part of Turkish citizens who claimed they were humiliated by Israeli security personnel at Ben-Gurion airport.

The officials also said that almost every Turkish citizen who arrives at Ben-Gurion airport undergoes a routine procedure of extensive, humiliating examinations that also include undressing to one's underwear.

"Turkish citizens are always separated from the rest of the passengers at the airport," said a Foreign Ministry official.

"When their luggage is thoroughly examined and they undergo extensive questioning they understand it comes from security needs, but when they get to the strip search part it breaks them and they are humiliated. Many Turkish businesspeople and tourists have complained about this in the past. This humiliation ceremony of Turkish citizens is a routine matter."

...

"The Ben-Gurion issue is known and as much as we try to fix it, it does not help," said a Foreign Ministry official. "One time the Turks decide to treat us the same way and everyone gets all worked up."

http://www.haaretz.c...irport-1.382663

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So was this incident an example of reciprocity or not?

[mawilson 2,133]

Ben Gurion security didn't make you undress, so you think it doesn't happen to others ?

I've never seen anyone else undress either. If stripping down to your underwear is a "routine procedure", they sure aren't having it performed in public view.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Lots of routine procedures are not performed in public view. This does not make them any less routine.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

So was this incident an example of reciprocity or not?

As I already said, I think there's probably more to it than that...

[mawilson 2,133]

So was this incident an example of reciprocity or not?

Certainly seems that way.

While Turkey certainly has the right to implement the same security measures that Israel has, why now?

Turkey expels Israel's ambassador and a few days later Israeli citizens are getting harassed at the airport?

"Security measures" my аss.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I've never seen anyone else undress either. If stripping down to your underwear is a "routine procedure", they sure aren't having it performed in public view.

"Performed in public view" ?? Where did you get that ? Because it's not in the article - in fact, the Israeli passenger quoted mentions being taken into a separate room for the search.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Reciprocity in light of recent political events and escalating tension between the two states? The relationship between the two states has gotten crumblier in recent days, that could very well explain why now.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

"The Ben-Gurion issue is known and as much as we try to fix it, it does not help," said a Foreign Ministry official. "One time the Turks decide to treat us the same way and everyone gets all worked up."

[sandinista! 1,816]

"Performed in public view" ?? Where did you get that ? Because it's not in the article - in fact, the Israeli passenger quoted mentions being taken into a separate room for the search.

He composes his own narrative on a regular basis.