.
HAARETZ BREAKING NEWS:
Netanyahu cancels Obama meeting in wake of deadly Gaza flotilla clashes
Israel attacks Gaza aid fleet
(al-Jazeera) – Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country’s siege on Gaza.
Up to 16 people were killed and dozens injured when troops stormed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, the Israeli Army Radio said. The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast.
Footage from the flotilla’s lead vessel, the Mavi Marmara, showed armed Israeli soldiers boarding the ship and helicopters flying overhead. Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal, on board the Mavi Marmara, said Israeli troops had used live ammunition during the operation.
The Israeli Army Radio said soldiers opened fire “after confronting those on board carrying sharp objects”.
Free Gaza Movement, the organisers of the flotilla, however, said the troops opened fire as soon as they stormed the ships. They also said the ships were now being towed to the Israeli town of Haifa, instead of Ashdod to avoid waiting journalists.
Earlier, the Israeli navy had contacted the captain of the Mavi Marmara, asking him to identify himself and say where the ship was headed.
Read more on the Gaza Aid flotilla in shergald’s diary:
LATEST NEWS ON GAZA AID FLOTILLA – 10 peace activists killed
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s Foreign Ministry says at least 2 people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in an Israeli raid on an aid ship in the Mediterranean (International waters).
The ministry condemned Monday’s raid on the ship carrying pro-Palestinian activists, called it unacceptable and demanded an “urgent explanation” from Israel. It says Israel violated international laws and will suffer consequences.
Reports: Israeli ships attack aid flotilla, 2 dead
No News On Indonesian Volunteers Aboard Mavi Marmara Ship
Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara
(al-Jazeera blog) – We’ll be live-blogging the aftermath of this incident throughout the day; keep checking back for international reaction, news from our correspondents on the ground, photos and video.
Update, 8:05am: Turkish media are reporting protests throughout the country, particularly in Istanbul (several of the ships, and many of the activists on board, are Turkish). 300 people tried to storm the Turkish consulate in Istanbul early this morning; a larger protest is planned for 12:30 local time (9:30GMT).
“Massive” security is reported around the Israeli embassy in Ankara, and around the residence of Gaby Levy, the Israeli ambassador.
There are also reports of a small demonstration outside the US consulate in Adana, a city in southern Turkey.
.
Recent article about Sheikh Raed Salah …
(al-Jazeera) – Sheikh Raed Salah, a leading member of the Islamic Movement, has been acquitted by a Jerusalem court in connection with rioting in the city three years ago. The ruling comes four months after he was sentenced to nine months in jail.
Salah was found guilty for assaulting a police officer during 2007 protests against archaeological excavations near the holy compound in Jerusalem’s old city known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Salah remains free as his lawyers appeal the January ruling.
In regards his acquital though, the Jerusalem Post quoted Salah as saying that he believed the court’s ruling “described the truth”.
“The police should be blamed, and if true justice is sought, all of the four remaining cases against me should be closed,” the paper quoted him as saying.
Freedom Flotilla massacre: 19 dead, 60 wounded including Sheikh Raed Salah
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
(JPost) – In Canada, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was getting constant updates on the clashes, a foreign ministry spokesman told Army Radio. Netanyahu is in Canada as part of a trip that has him slated to meet Tuesday with US President Barack Obama.
The IDF and police were preparing for the possibility of demonstrations and violence among Palestinians as well as Israeli-Arabs on Monday, amid reports of up to 15 dead.
Northern District police chief Cmdr. Shimon Koren completed an evaluation of the security situation in the North on Monday morning, and ordered a high state of alert and instructed police officers to be ready “for the possibility of any scenario or attempt to cause a disturbance.”
He called for restraint in the northern district, home to a large number of Arab Israelis.
Also Monday morning, Israeli NGO Gush Shalom was set to demonstrate in support of the “Free Gaza” convoy, according to an email circulated by the group.
The demonstrators intend to converge outside the center in Ashdod where the detained international aid activists are supposed to be held.
Free Gaza flotilla subject to coordinated Israeli government media campaign & military action
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."This is an Act of War against the International Community. The international community should respond not with war but by demonstrating that alternatives to war are possible and effective. What should happen:
1. A UN (not an Israeli) sponsored investigation into the precise circumstances of the attack – to issue initial findings within 6 weeks
2. Suspension of diplomatic relation with Israel by all UN members in the interim
3. If the findings of the initial report confirm an unprovoked attack in international waters full economic sanctions should be applied to Israel.
4. A UN force should supervise future aid shipments to Gaza.
5. Gaza and the Occupied territories should be declared a UN protectorate and sanctions maintained until such time as Israel recognises their separate sovereignty and works to fully restore their infrastructure and economic viability.
A resounding yes to all your suggested actions, Frank!
1. A UN (not an Israeli) sponsored investigation into the precise circumstances of the attack – to issue initial findings within 6 weeks
However, the Israeli authorities wouldn’t care one way or the other:
Barak: Goldstone report ‘false, distorted, and irresponsible’
That’s why sanction are required. I wonder will Obama/Clinton grow a backbone? However Europe/Nato have to take the lead on this and this is also a test of European leadership.
european leadership is highly skilled at failing those sort of tests.
And the U.S. is even more skilled at refusing to even TAKE the test.
“ I wonder will Obama/Clinton grow a backbone?<“
No. Clinton will appear some time soon to declare Israel’s latest criminal acts “unhelpful”, and Obama will continue to seek “all the facts” until this incident is eclipsed by something else.
Goldstone who?
Yes Obama is Israel’s poodle, but the UN sometime acts like Obama’s poodle.
.
(The Independent) – Turkey told Israel that it would “suffer the consequences” after at least 10 pro-Palestinian activists were killed when Israeli commandos boarded a convoy of aid ships heading to Gaza.
About 300 people waving Palestinian flags and wearing black-and-white kaffiyeh headscarves rallied outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul after news of the operation emerged.
“Down with Zionist, Israeli imperialism,” protesters shouted as police backed by armoured vehicles and water cannon barred them from moving towards the building.
Other chants called for Turkey to send troops to Gaza and for the Turkish ships to be released.
A diplomatic furore between Turkey and Israel, which have maintained close military ties, broke out after Israeli commandos stormed a ship with 700 people on board who were accompanying eight other vessels carrying 10,000 tonnes of medical supplies, housing material and other aid to Gaza.
“Israel once more, clearly showed it ignores human life and peaceful initiatives by targeting innocent civilians. We strongly denounce Israel’s inhumane interception,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It called the Israeli action unacceptable and warned of possible “irreparable consequences in our relations”. Ankara had called Israel’s ambassador to the ministry.
Television images showed dozens of people gathered outside Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy’s residence.
The convoy was organised, among others, by a Turkish human rights organisation, the Istanbul-based Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH).
Turkey had urged Israel to allow it safe passage and said the 10,000 tonnes of aid the convoy was carrying was humanitarian.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
(EU.com) – On Monday the Spanish Presidency of the EU condemned the Israeli attack on the “Freedom Fleet”, a group of six boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has described as `serious’ and `worrying’ the events which took place early this morning in international waters, close to Gaza, when various ships carrying humanitarian aid were attacked by the Israeli army.
The Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido, condemned the events and added that the Spanish Presidency considers the deaths caused by the Israeli attack on the “Freedom Fleet” to be “unacceptable”.
The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs has today summoned the Israeli Ambassador in Spain, Rafael Schutz, to ask for an explanation of the “extremely serious” attack on the “Freedom Fleet”.
The announcement was made by the Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido, in statements made to the press before attending the opening of the 43rd Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the EU (COSAC) in Madrid.
“Israeli commandos dropped from helicopters on the high seas were met with deadly violence: activists with sticks, rods and even knifes.”
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."It was nice to be able to read all these stories in one place. So, will anything actually be done to punish Israel for this?
.
Soon the international community will force a two-state solution on Israel to achieve peace amongst nations of the Middle-East. An UN peacekeeping force is all that Israel will get in the state of Palestine to preserve a sense of security. Israeli outposts will be cleared, the Jordan valley must become part of Palestine. Netanyahu cannot hope for another attack on the Twin Towers. His Neocon buddies have been discredited or banished to the Crawford ranch.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Gosh, Oui, I never took you for someone prone to nice fantasies! :o}
Nope.
I wish that weren’t true. This is an outrage.
Yes, it is, but as Israeli outrages go it isn’t the biggest, and I am not sure why more people seem to be more – well, outraged – by it than, they were by, say the massacres and ethnic cleansing of around a million Palestinians in 1948, the ethnic cleansing of another few hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 plus the cleansing of the Golan heights of 95% of its Syrian population, the various massacres and destructive rampages throughout the occupation, the murderous and unprovoked 18 year invasion and occupation of Lebanon, the horrific actions in Lebanon in 2006, then Gaza 2008-9, and so on and so on. I am GLAD people are starting to sit up and take notice, but for those who have been noticing all along it is a bit mystifying why certain things seem to tweak people’s consciences while other things not so much.
Israel again makes clear to the world that it is a rogue state with no consideration to international law.
The spin has obviously already started:
How pathetic an excuse. Israeli commando forces boarded the ships in international waters. If the crew and/or passengers on board did offer resistance that was surely entirely within their rights. But there is no reason to trust the statements of the Israeli government or the IDF one bit. They have long proven that they are serial liers.
This was an unprovoked attack in international waters and Israel must bear full responsibility for any injury or loss that occurred.
“Danny Ayalon, Israeli deputy foreign minister: “The organisers’ intent was violent.”“
That’s a brazen lie. The Israelis have enough experience with the Free Gaza movement and their attempts to bring aid to Gaza to know they are non-violent. The Israelis also know that the ships, cargo, and passengers undergo rigid inspections at the port of departure before they are allowed to leave in order to ensure that there are no weapons, explosives or “terrorists” aboard.
Also worth considering:
Israel’s attack tests NATO Doctrine
This si truy ugly. And isn’t Netanyahu due for another WH visit tomorrow?
.
not opportune.
(Haaretz) – PM Benjamin Netanyahu decided to cancel his visit to the United States, where he had been invited to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, in the wake of the deadly clashes that occurred after Israel Navy troops stormed a convoy of international activists carrying aid to the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said earlier Monday that the organizers of the Gaza aid flotilla were to blame for the violent events aboard the ship.
In a press conference hours after the incident, Barak said that Israel was prepared to accept the consequences of its actions and would continue to protect its autonomy.
Barak voiced regret for the deaths, but called the flotilla a political provocation and said the sponsors of the flotilla were violent supporters of a terror organization.
White House and State Silent on Lethal Israeli Attack
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
CHICAGO – President Barack Obama voiced “deep regret” over Monday’s deadly Israeli commando raids, and the White House said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed by phone to reschedule White House talks “at the first opportunity.”
In a statement issued by presidential aides in Chicago, where Obama and his family have been spending the Memorial Day weekend, the president was said to have “expressed the importance of learning all the facts and circumstances” surrounding the incident involving aid ships seeking access to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
“He said he understood the prime minister’s decision to return immediately to Israel to deal with today’s events,” the statement said. Netanyahu had been scheduled to meet with Obama Tuesday at the White House.
At the State Department, spokesman P.J. Crowley said, “We support expanding the flow of goods to the people of Gaza. But this must be done in a spirit of cooperation, not confrontation.”
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Obama: “the importance of learning all the facts and circumstances”
I said it before: as one Democrat I will not be voting for Obama again.
.
See FP diary by BooMan – Israel Massacres Pro-Palestinian Activists – and comments on the ME politics and Obama.
The IDF has been releasing their footage of activists throwing stuff, using batons, slingshots with marbels and throwing commandos back to sea? IDF attack took place in international waters where the Law of the High Seas presides. I wonder how far the jurisdiction of the captain reaches in a case the vessel is attacked. Nevertheless, Israeli cabinet ministers and PM Netanyahu are claiming they acted in self-defence.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Great coverage.
Hope you will start cross-posting at WWL!
Diane
.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Wrong intelligence, wrong guns, wrong tactics. Israel’s military acknowledged big mistakes on Tuesday during the bungled boarding of a Gaza-bound aid ship in which elite troops killed nine international activists.
Though Israelis rallied to their conscripts in the face of foreign fury, the domestic recrimination — with “Foul-up” and “Fiasco” dominating newspaper headlines — betrayed an erosion of confidence recalling the setbacks of the 2006 Lebanon war.
OVER THE TOP
Some of the troops wielded paintball rifles — non-lethal weapons designed to bruise, beat back and mark suspects for later arrest, but which apparently proved of limited use against activists who had the protection of life-jackets and gas masks.
“It’s clear that the equipment for crowd-dispersal with which they were issued was insufficient,” Israel’s armed forces chief, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, told reporters.
There was little question of calling off the raid once the first Israelis were in the fight and vulnerable, though the navy said some commandos opted to escape by jumping overboard.
Israel said seven marines were injured, one after activists pitched him over a railing and two with gunshot wounds, possibly from backup pistols that were wrested away from them.
“A number of the fighters who understood the situation, the threat posed to their lives, reoriented themselves and simply worked with live (ammunition) weapons as soon as they came down,” the marines lieutenant said.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."