“Freedom Flotilla” debacle condemned around the world, but what really happened?
Let’s get our priorities right: the first thing to say and think about the awful events this morning aboard the “Freedom Flotilla” ship bound for Gaza is to mourn the loss of life and the violence suffered by all sides.
Now, let’s get our facts right as hotheads around the world rush to judgement. How did this happen, and who is responsible? We can divide this into what we know for certain, what, on the balance of probabilities is likely to have happened, and what we simply do not know at this stage.
So, What do we know for certain?
1) Again, this is tragedy of terrible proportions for the families of the deceased.
2) The “Freedom Flotilla” and its organisers were looking for confrontation. Israel had made it clear that it would not allow the ships to dock in Gaza. This made confrontation of some description a certainty.
3) As I pointed out in a previous posting, many of the participants in the Flotilla are extremists. One of them was quoted in an Israeli newspaper last week comparing Israel to Nazi Germany and offering a rationale for terrorism in saying, “These people are doing what reality causes them to do.” If you are deliberately soliciting confrontation and carry among your number apologists for terrorism and people who call Jews Nazis, that confrontation is likely to be unpleasant.
4) This is a public relations disaster for Israel.
Now, on the basis of what we have heard and what we can piece together, what, on the balance of probabilities, happened?
1) It seems highly unlikely that Israeli officials are being anything other than truthful in saying that the members of the flotilla initiated the violence. Israel had literally nothing to gain from an outcome of this kind. The situation that led to the deaths was either forced upon the Israelis or their operation was botched. They would not have intentionally opted for the train of events which actually transpired.
2) Given the kind of people who we know were aboard the ship — fanatics in many cases, holding extreme views about the Jewish state — the notion that the activists initiated not merely violence, but potentially lethal violence is highly plausible. Early reports (and pictures) suggest that members of the flotilla attacked Israeli soldiers with axes, iron bars and hand guns and that in at least one case a flotilla activist wrestled a gun from an Israeli soldier and began spraying bullets around. Most of this will probably turn out to be true.
That’s about all we’ve really got at this stage. My feeling is that the best course of action is to wait and see what the investigation reveals. We simply don’t know the full context in which this tragic loss of life took place. We don’t know, for example, whether Israeli soldiers botched the mission to board the ship, found themselves pinned down and unable to get off the ship, and then had no choice but to defend themselves. Maybe one or more soldiers panicked and over-reacted. Maybe there is much more to be revealed about the level of violence used by the activists. We just don’t know. And that, at this stage, is where any sensible and level headed observer must leave it for now.
Postscript
There will be much more to say about all this, but the responses coming out of the EU are all too predictable, and indeed illogical. CNN is running a strap line saying EU condemns use of excessive force, calls for investigation. But why call for an investigation if you’ve already drawn your conclusion that the use of force was excessive?
That’s basically an admission that this is simply another any-stick-will do approach to Israel where blind prejudice immediately becomes the default position, even at the price of making inherently irrational statements…
Tags: Israel
May 31st, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Israel radio reports that all the violence occurred on the Turkish ship, and that Turkey has already recalled its ambassador. Are they about to declare war on Israel?
I am inspired to lead a force of supporters to the unfortunate oppressed Kurdish people in the east of Turkey.
May 31st, 2010 at 3:45 pm
What a load of tosh!
When one is morally bankrupt one becomes blind and cannot reason between falsehood and truth.It is very easy to justify any wrongdoing by propaganda and lies. But for how long?
How do you distinguish between freedom of speech and hate speech? Is it hate speech when someone criticises you? Or when someone openly incites violence or hatred, is this freedom of speech?
I invite you and your readers to read the article below, and then decide for themselves!
http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/israeli-butchery-at-sea-by-gilad-atzmon.html
Robin Shepherd says: You say it’s tosh, but you don’t say why. Arguments?
May 31st, 2010 at 4:38 pm
A window into the world of these peace activists and their supporters:
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2489.htm
http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2490.htm
May 31st, 2010 at 4:53 pm
In the end pealing off the layers of hypocrisy and lies, the only thing that matters is who will vote how in the UN, and more importantly, the UNSC.
For me it’s clear that Europe has ceased to exist as we knew it. The anti-Israeli countries will sure vote, well, anti-Israeli. I hope that Obama will veto and Canada, and some others will support Israel. Let the likes of Sweden, Ireland, France and most stand on the side of Turkey, Iran, Syria and North Korea. Let the utterly distasteful (and woefully incompetent to the point of ridicule) Ashton, Bildt, Kouchner, Moratinos and Company stand on the side of moral bastardization and pure evil.
I’m thoroughly convinced that this sorry episode is just the latest link in the chain of 2000 year old gentile (especially European) Jew-hatred. I have absolutely no doubt about this. Only a jew(ish person, who have learnt or expeienced the XXth century) — and Robin Shepherd, honestly and gracefully– can understand this. Is this something (virtually) genetically imprinted in the European genes?
We shall see what will happen…
May 31st, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Robin, excellent blog post, thank you!
The people on these ships were partly made up of Islamic terrorists and partly of terrorist supporters. No one in Gaza is starving, or has ever starved to death. How these westerners can conspire with terrorists who danced in the streets and handed out candies to other Arabs when innocent Americans were jumping out of windows to their deaths on Sept. 11th is beyond me. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrM0dAFsZ8k
These people are not humanitarians, they are leftist trouble makers and anti-Semites who were looking for a confrontation and knowingly went to commit a crime.
Israel offered to deliver any special food packages they wanted to enter Gaza with, with international observers, but the Flotilla ‘humanitarians’ refused and instead replied “F- you” (it is on audio to hear for those who don’t believe it) See: http://www.iba.org.il/bet/?type=aod&starting=haboker
and they opened fire on Israel security forces, defied the laws of a sovereign nation, and perpetrated a pre-meditated criminal act. Knives, clubs and LIVE ammunition were found on the flotilla boats. This is the cargo of peace-niks and humanitarians? If Gazans are so-called ‘suffering’, then people should blame the Hamas who is in power there.
For those that want more facts the media is not putting out there, you are invited to see my blog with more facts at: http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com/TAMAR
May 31st, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Anonymous “Firefly” – good luck citing from a probably Hitler-admiring, synagogue and Jews-as-corrupt-grubby-power-hungry propagandizing arch-anti-Semite Israeli-born neo-Nazi. Well done!
May 31st, 2010 at 5:07 pm
2006 Danish Research: IHH Tied to Al-Qaeda
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/187248
May 31st, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Firefly above, in sending us to an article by Gilad Atzmon to support his non-arguments, is akin to a German citing Lord Haw-Haw or Unity Mitford during World War II.
May 31st, 2010 at 7:10 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo&has_verified=1
Watch this to see the mob wielding metal bars.
A pity that the Israeli Navy didn’t throw a cordon around the flotilla and take it under armed escort to Ashdod-rather than relying on the commando raid.
Easy for me to be wise after the event but this comment is well meant.
I hope this video receives full attention from the media police.
May 31st, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Robin Shepherd says: As ever, I let this through merely to allow the mentality in question to reveal itself. I would recommend readers to take note and move on. But just so we know what we are really up against. Hitler himself could not have been more open about his true values…
———————————————————–
@Gábor Fränkl
According to recent articles,the IHH “allegedly” has ties to Al Qaeda. Read the following paragraph:
Its efforts have included taking humanitarian aid such as food and drinking water to Hurricane Katrina survivors in the United States (Why would Al-Qaeda supporters do this if they hated America with a passion?) and sponsoring cataract surgery in Africa, spokesman Izzet Sahin told The Associated Press.
Anonymous “Firefly” – good luck citing from a probably Hitler-admiring, synagogue and Jews-as-corrupt-grubby-power-hungry propagandizing arch-anti-Semite Israeli-born neo-Nazi. Well done!
PROVE THIS PLEASE!1 (Where did you get the Hitler admiring and Anti-Semite parts??)
Furthermore, Israel attacked in international waters which as far as HUMANITY goes is called “piracy”. If Israel wanted to defend its own country why not do it in its own waters?
With this i conclude and I have the made the decision not to reply to provocative idiots like yourself and Robin. Just remember Karma- “What goes around comes around”. One day you Zionists will get your recompense. God have mercy on you for you cannot be classified as humans. You are the spawn of Satan.
Have a good life ( I wish)
May 31st, 2010 at 8:02 pm
A very interesting post by William A. Jacobson, Associate Clinical Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, Ithaca, NY:
Useful Idiots Condemn Israel
[Extract]
“The left-wing blogosphere is full of useful idiots, who pretend that the flotilla which just was stopped by Israel was a humanitarian mission.
The flotilla was organized by the Islamist government in Turkey to aid Hamas with the goal of opening up shipping channels for Turkey’s new friend, Iran, to ship more and better weapons as it is doing to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran is busy turning Lebanon and Syria into one large missile launching pad against Israel, and a southern base in Gaza will complete the encirclement of Israel for the coming crisis over Iran’s nuclear program.
The Europeans on the ships were cover, and the placement of an 18-month old child on these ships was the utmost cynical use of a human shield.
If getting humanitarian supplies to Gaza really was the goal, this flotilla was not necessary. The supplies would have been off-loaded in Eqypt or Israel and then shipped in by land after being checked for hidden weapons.
And that is the rub, only sea-based shipping would provide Iran with the mechanism for almost unlimited armament of Hamas. There is a limit to the quantity and size of missiles and other armaments which can be smuggled through tunnels from Egypt. That is why the sea blockade must be broken for Iran to get what it wants.
But the useful idiots (no offense to idiots) in the left-wing blogosphere ignore this reality, and use the incident for their ultimate goal, which is the cut off of U.S. support for Israel.
Funny how the left-wing blogs always seem to take the side of Islamists against Israel, and pretend that Israeli self-defense takes place in a vacuum”
http://tinyurl.com/35733ap
Hat tip: Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/
June 1st, 2010 at 12:12 am
Robin
While the caution you advocate before making any judgment is to be welcomed in the current atmosphere of predictable anti-Israel fury, I believe your description of events as a “tragedy of terrible proportions for the families of the deceased” misses the essential truth here.
As you rightly point out and as the MEMRI clips show, these were Islamist fanatics. In their Judeophobic blood-lust they sought their own version of hate-driven martyrdom and, not to mince words, they got it. Now, you and other westerners empathizing with the relatives may picture them as distraught, but I believe they despise you for the condolences you extend. For even as they celebrate the entry of the dead into paradise, they are rejoicing in the worldwide condemnation of Israel.
And this is the whole point of the story. What Israel is fighting and what the West in general is facing is a studied and manipulative culture of death perfectly tailored to western postmodern sensibilities. From the point of view of that culture, their death, their enemy’s death – it doesn’t much matter: they win either way. They win because westerners fall into the diabolic trap set for decency by reflexively identifying with the dead and their relatives as victims. But they are not victims. Israelis and the truth – these are the victims.
Until we grapple with this fact, we cannot hope to win the war being waged against us.
June 1st, 2010 at 8:26 am
I challange you to USE your own name like me you coward loser.
(3 remarks: 1. the reason that they “help” others does not change an iota of fact I provided – countless front organisations resort to this tactic. That’s ONE. 2. The Katrina victims again doesn’t change anything vis-á-vis the true islamist-face of IHH.
3. As to Gilad Atzmon, even if it’s not you (OK, I said this half-earnestly) hiding behind the moniker, this is common currency, so much that even the hard-left Stalinist SWP denied any connection with him precisely on these grounds I said.)
June 1st, 2010 at 12:49 pm
“Hamas is bound to use the entire affair for its needs, and to try and ease the siege. Europe has been ripe for such a move for a while, and it remains to be seen whether the Obama administration will try to pressure Netanyahu. Either way, the Israeli failure to address a provocation by Islamist activists and radical leftists is now a strategic one”.
From Ha-aretz (today’s edition)
Hamas has sprung a trap : how will Israel escape ?
June 1st, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Thank you Robin for your honest and balanced reporting unlike Al BBC and co. I can not believe how what goes on in Zimbabwe does not merit attention when so many ordinary Zimbabweans starve and live under the represive and corrupt Mugabe. I have watched two recent documentaries and was moved to tears. How come Gaza has just built an Olympic swimming pool? They have a restaurant to rival the Ritz. I for one am rather sceptical of the humanitiarian crisis in Gaza. Abbas has recently banned Israeli goods. Seems to me if one’s citizens were starving one would not ban goods. Unfortunately Zimbabweans many of them resort to eating ants as they are genuinely starving unlike the Gazans who seem to have no shortage of weaponry or energy to wage war against Israel and her innocent citizens. I have even read reports of a donkey sustaining injury when they used cart pulled by donkey to try and kill Israelis. The media constantly castigates Israel while leaving out crucial facts as it rides the Arabist propaganda express gravy train. The hostilitiy against Israel is revving up to supersonic speed and once again Israel is dammned if she does and dammned is she does not. How come peace activists were carrying metal rods, knives etc. What about jihadi songs being sung on leaving port? This was not a massacre but was legitimate action carried out by Israel in an effort to try and protect her citizens lives and obviously had the army not retaliated each and every soldier would have been brutally killed with glee by so called peace activists.
June 1st, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Is any one organising a demonstration outside the foreign office and number 10 in support of Israel? There should be one as soon s possible on a sunday and with as many people as possible.
People should mnake sure they see the video of the fight on the ship to see for themselves the ‘peace activists’ beating the soldiers with metal bars which they ‘just happen to have about them’?? and then send it to as many people as possible.
June 1st, 2010 at 1:53 pm
No one on either side has denied that the boarding took place in international waters. With that in place, surely no one can be stupid enough to suggest that the people on the ships had no right to repel boarders by any means.
Why the Israeli navy didn’t wait until the ships were in their waters, then tell them to turn back or be sunk, I have no idea. Even if the ships were in Israeli waters, why attempt to board and get into a small arms fight? It makes no sense whatsoever.
June 1st, 2010 at 2:01 pm
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/05/12604/
What about this? How do you Israelis explain this? A person expressing their opinion gets shot??? You lot are barbarians!
June 1st, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Could this peace ship business be a tactic to divert attention rom what is being planned by Iran and its satelites Lebanon, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas. Look at the report and assessment by Maj.Gen Paul Vallely at standupamericaus.
June 1st, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Thank goodness for your balanced and reasoned comments on the situation. It is utterly depressing and very worrying. Please post more I am texting and emailing friends to read your blog. Have just finished reading your book “A state beyond the Pale” which also makes depressing reading. Just returned from Israel where i was attending a “One Family” charity trip lead by Alan Dershowitz . I showed him your book and recommended it.
June 1st, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Videos released by the IDF quite clearly show the level of violence used by the activists. It is the activists who provoked the confrontation, and opened fire on the soldiers – they stole two pistols – see here.
http://www.road90.com/watch.php?id=wwWD8qdKpa
The activists should accept their share of responsibility for the deaths.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:52 pm
This unquestionable support of israel is completely immoral. Fact: Israel occupation of Gaza and the West bank is illegal. Fact: Israel occupied these palestinean lands before the ‘terrorsit’ organisation of Hamas was formed and before Iran as we know it today existed. Fact: occupation and disperation lead to extreme actions by the oppressed poeple. Fact: The palestineans have the right to defend themselves against those who occupy them. Fact: Israel would have continued to oppressthe palestineans even if Hamas and Iran did not exist, it had done so for 23 years before Hams came to existence. Fact: Israel would do and say anything to protect it’s interest.
Don’t over analyse things. International law says that the occupation of Gaza and the West bank is illegal and therefore the blockade of these illegally occupied lands is illegal. I can’t help but feel that clouding issues and making them look complicated has become an effective method to allow Israel to get away with anything and everything. Your marale values are at risk if you continue to ignore the above.
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:10 am
Paul Freeman – I agree, and it seems to be conveniently overlooked now (and always) that these “martyrs” actively sought their martyrdom. It is one of the minor mysteries why those who so proudly announce their desire to die as martyrs are so savagely mourned when they get their wish.
As a little sidelight, there is an interesting clip on CiF Watch ( British naval expert analyses Flotilla lynching of Israelis)showing analysis by Peter Cook, apparently a maritime expert, who points out right at the end that the ship was registered in the Cormoros, not in Turkey, and the constant description of it as a “Turkish ship”, while probably correct in a non-legal sense, from a legal point of view is not correct.
Thus, Turkey may either have no standing in this matter, except for the fact that her citizens intended to aid and abet a proscribed terrorist organization and she did nothing to stop them – in fact, encouraged them – or knowingly hid behind the fig leaf of non-Turkish registration of the ship while making loud propaganda noises to the contrary.
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Firefly Said:
May 31st, 2010 at 7:20 pm
@Gábor Fränkl
According to recent articles,the IHH “allegedly” has ties to Al Qaeda. Read the following paragraph:
Its efforts have included taking humanitarian aid such as food and drinking water to Hurricane Katrina survivors in the United States (Why would Al-Qaeda supporters do this if they hated America with a passion?) and sponsoring cataract surgery in Africa, spokesman Izzet Sahin told The Associated Press.
Now you read this:
Turkey banned IHH from doing earthquake relief
June 2nd, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Biodegradable – yes thanks, I think C. Glick’s latest on JPost mentioned it. Very revealing about the current Turkey and Turkish society. But with a little bit of luck there might be a chance for them to have a change of gov’t next year. If not, then it’s a very big problem.