Israel Matzav

Navy preparing surprises for flotilla

Turkey insists that it cannot prevent its citizens from attempting to break what is left of the Gaza 'blockade,' but says it 'will not accept' a repeat of last years incident on the Mavi Marmara, which took place one year ago today.

The IHH terror organization, which runs the flotilla, is talking big, claiming that Israel 'would not dare' to attack them again, and called on governments to ensure that there is no repeat of last year's incident.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people representing 100 countries (isn't it great how widespread Jew-hatred is?) are planning to set sail for Gaza during the last week of June (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

Some 15 ships will sail toward Gaza in the last week of June, carrying approximately 1,500 activists from about 100 countries. The first flotilla, which set sail in May 2010, contained about 700 activists from 38 countries on six ships. The Mavi Marmara will be among the 15 vessels carrying humanitarian aid, as well as medical, school and construction materials, along with other ships departing from the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Ireland.

“We do not believe that Israel will make the same mistake [as last year, to attack the flotilla]... We will sail peacefully, everything will be open,” said Hüseyin Oruç, a representative of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or İHH, which is one of 22 national networks in the coalition organizing the international flotilla.

Oruç also responded to the Israeli government’s efforts to get other countries’ governments to stop their citizens from participating in the flotilla. “We are living in democratic countries, where all rules are defined. No government has the right to tell us not to join the flotilla,” he said, adding that the activists are acting within the norms of both national and international laws.

“We are not violating the law. Israel needs to understand this is the democratic right of all people of the world,” Oruç said.

But Israel's Navy is preparing some surprises for this latest flotilla of fools. It will use force with the goal of non-violently taking over the ships, and it will not allow them to reach Gaza.

"We will order the ship to stop, but if they don't, we are prepared to intercept and board the ship," a senior officer told reporters.

...

The Israel Navy has been asked by the government to prepare an operational response to prevent the flotilla from breaking the sea blockade that Israel has imposed over the Gaza Strip. Under the blockade, Gazan fisherman are allowed to sail three kilometers off the coast of Gaza but no further. Ships are not allowed to enter waters that are twenty kilometers from the Gaza Strip.

According to international maritime laws, however, the Israel Navy is allowed to intercept and take control of a ship that declares its intentions to sail to Gaza even before it enters the waters that are under the blockade.

The Navy has been conducting training exercises in recent weeks in conjunction with the Air Force and in line with the lessons learned from last year's flotilla. Members of Israel Police and the Prison Service, who specialize in quelling civilian protests and violence, will participate in the operation to stop the flotilla together with the commandos from the Navy Flotilla 13, better known as the "Shayetet."

The senior Navy officer said that Israel was preparing a number of "surprises" for the ships that are expected to participate in the flotilla.

He said that soldiers were under order to use force to neutralize armed danger and neutralize attackers if necessary, but that in general, the objective and the goal would be to take over the ship non-violently and without casualties on either side.

What could go wrong?

Labels: flotilla of fools, Gaza plenty, Mavi Marmara, Turkish obsession with Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:25 PM