Deja vu all over again: As Syrians die, 'flotilla' to arrive in 'besieged Gaza' on Wednesday
Bashar al-Assad must be pleased. As millions starve in Aleppo, Syria, the world is focused on a 'flotilla' headed for the 'besieged Gaza Strip,' which is due to arrive on Wednesday evening.
The all women solidarity ship called “Zaytouna” -- meaning "olives" in
Arabic -- is expected to arrive in the besieged Gaza Strip in two days
after setting off from the shores of Barcelona, Spain last month as part
of the larger Freedom Flotilla aimed at disrupting Israel’s nearly
decade-long siege on the small Palestinian territory, according to a
statement released Tuesday by the International Committee for Breaking
the Siege of Gaza.
The committee said that the 13 women
activists on board are set to arrive in the besieged coastal enclave on
Wednesday evening or Thursday morning after traveling for nearly 2,000
miles, if the ship is not obstructed by Israeli naval forces en route to
the shores of Gaza. The committee called upon
international activists to work on conducting media, political, and
popular campaigns to exert pressure on Israel in order to guarantee a
safe arrival for the Zaytouna solidarity ship and the women aboard.
The
Freedom Flotilla initially consisted of another solidarity ship called
“Amal” -- meaning “hope” in Arabic, but according to the committee the
Amal ship would not participate in the solidarity mission after facing
"unforeseen circumstances" that were out of the control of the
organizers.
'Palestinian' media is reporting that the Israeli Navy has been ordered to stop the ship. And the women on board have been whining to the media that they fear an Israeli 'attack.'
The Zaytouna-Oliva, one of two vessels that set sail from Barcelona
in September in a bid to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, expects
to be 100 nautical miles off the shores of the Hamas-ruled area by
Wednesday morning, according to a South African passenger who talked to Agence France Presse on Tuesday. Leigh-Ann Naidoo told AFP, "We are not worried about what Israel plans on doing."
Spokeswoman
Claude Leotic told AFP, "We fear there will be an Israeli attack" to
prevent the boat from reaching Gaza's shores. As in the past, the
Israeli navy is expected to intercept the boat and escort it to the port
of Ashdod, arresting and deporting those on board.
By the way, there are at least two self-proclaimed Israelis on board. Because after all they're starving in Gaza.
Israel and Turkey agree to restore diplomatic ties
More than five and a half years after nine Turkish terrorists were killed in a battle with Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara, Israel and Turkey have agreed to restore diplomatic ties.
Israel has agreed to set up a compensation fund - unconfirmed reports put it at $20 million - and Turkey will bar Hamas representatives (or at least one Hamas representative) from its borders. The two countries will also exchange ambassadors.
I guess Erdogan is desperate. Really, really desperate.
'Surely you got lost and meant to help the Syrians being butchered'
Prime Minister Netanyahu has penned a very tongue-in-cheek letter to be delivered to the fools who are on their way to Gaza as part of the 'flotilla.'
The Prime Minister’s Office penned a letter to be given to the some 50
people on the boats expected to be towed into Ashdod, sarcastically
welcoming them to Israel and saying that they apparently got lost.
“Perhaps you meant to set sail for a place not far from here – Syria,” the letter reads.
“There the Assad regime is slaughtering its own people every day with the support of the murderous regime in Iran.”
By contrast, the letter reads, Israel is dealing with a reality whereby
terrorist organizations like Hamas try to attack innocent civilians.
“Against these efforts we are defending Israeli citizens in accordance to international law,” according to the letter.
The
letter spelled out the number of trucks, and tons of aid and material
that go into Gaza each day, saying it adds up to about 500,000 times
the number of boats in the flotilla. At the same time, he said, Israel
is not willing to allow the smuggling of arms to the Gaza Strip via the
sea, which has been done repeatedly in the past.
No, they're not lost. This is not about humanitarian aid. It's about Jew hatred, pure and simple.
Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called the flotilla of fools currently heading for Gaza 'not helpful.'
“[Secretary General Ban Ki-moon] continues to
believe that a flotilla will not help to address the dire situation in
Gaza and reiterates his calls on the government of Israel to lift all
closures, with due consideration of Israel’s legitimate security
concerns,” Undersecretary General Jeffrey Feltman said at a Security
Council briefing.
“The international community must send an
unambiguous message to the organizers and participants of these
provocations that such initiatives only serve to raise tensions in our
region,” Prosor wrote. “This attempt to challenge Israel’s naval
blockade of Gaza holds the potential for dangerous consequences The
flotilla’s sole purpose is to create provocations that pose security
risks, and constitute a breach of international law.”
Feltman said Ban was “closely following media reports” about the flotilla.
Ban is also 'deeply concerned' with the health of terrorists.
Feltman also said Ban was “deeply concerned”
about Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel, naming Islamic Jihad
detainee Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike for nearly two
months to protest his detainment under administrative detention, which
allows Israel to hold prisoners without charging them.
The Red Cross on Tuesday said Adnan faced “immediate risk of death.”
He wouldn't be facing an immediate threat of death if he weren't starving himself. Maybe he should consider breaking his fast.... /Just sayin'....
In any event, it is truly amazing how much time Ban has to devote to Gaza given the true suffering going on in Syria, Iran, Iraq and many other countries that are living under truly repressive regimes. Oh wait... Gaza is also living under a truly repressive regime... Hamas... It would be nice to see Ban criticize them once in a while too.
By the way, if the name "Jeffrey Feltman" rings a bill, it's because it should. He's a former State Department diplomat....
On Sunday, I reported that 'Israeli Arab' MK Basel Ghattas plans to join the flotilla of fools that hopes to run the Gaza 'blockade' later this week and establish a sea route for Hamas weapons.
Senior Likud MK Zeev Elkin says that Ghattas learned that there is no treason that is unacceptable for an 'Israeli Arab' MK from Hanin Zoabi, who joined the Mavi Marmara in 2010, and has not lost her Knesset seat, despite an elections committee decision that she be barred from running.
Now, Zoabi wants to do it again. After all, it just wouldn't be the same without her. But she's not coming along anyway.
The Marianne av Göteborg, is set to depart within the next few days. Three or four other ships have plans to join the Gaza flotilla, but only the Marianne av Göteborg is currently approaching Israel.
Zoabi
penned a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense
Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and made it clear that she wants to join the
flotilla, however she has decided not to do so because she felt that the
last flotilla was not completely effective, stating "unfortunately the Mavi Marmara did not end the blockade in Gaza."
She said that the Mavi Marmara did not succeed 100 percent, and therefore there is a need for more and more flotillas.
Referring
to Israel, Zoabi said there will be "a need to prosecute those
responsible politically and militarily for the situation in Gaza" if the
blockade remains in place.
"Israel is in control of the
situation, and is responsible according to international law. Those in
Israel cannot expect to live a normal life when the occupation and the
siege goes on in Gaza."
Maybe she's afraid her Knesset immunity won't protect her from IDF responses to an act of war.
'Israeli Arab' MK Basel Ghattas has announced that he will join the flotilla of fools attempting to reach Gaza from Greece this week. Ghattas is a member of the 'joint list' of the 'Israeli Arab' Knesset parties.
MK Basel Ghattas from the Joint (Arab) List will join pro-Palestinian
activists on a three-vessel flotilla headed for Gaza’s shores over the
next few days in a bid to break the blockade imposed by Israel and
Egypt.
In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister
Moshe Ya’alon, Ghattas writes that he intends to be part of the
flotilla and does not fear the consequences of such an act, according to
Ynet.
In the missive, Ghattas reportedly warns Netanyahu and Ya’alon to
instruct security forces to let the flotilla through and not intercept
it lest Israel get involved “in yet another international diplomatic
crisis that you and your government will have been responsible for.”
A new flotilla of fools may be heading toward Gaza at the end of the month, threatening a repeat of the Mavi Marmara incident three years ago in which IDF soldiers were attacked with deadlyweapons and killed ten Turkish IHH terrorists in response. This is from the first link.
"Freedom Flotilla 3,"
a maritime challenge to Israel's legal naval blockade on the coastal
enclave of Gaza which is controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization,
is preparing to embark in the final week of June and threatens to
potentially cause a flare-up like the infamous 2010 Mavi Marmara.
Mazen Kahil, head of the European Campaign to Break the Siege on Gaza, told the Hamas journal Palestine on Saturday that the flotilla ships are currently in the Mediterranean Sea.
The ships are waiting to join the Swedish ship Marianne, which
recently anchored in Italy, on the open sea and from there continue as a
unified group towards Gaza, where they intend to confront the Israeli
Navy - potentially with lethal force as was seen in the Marmara.
Kahil detailed that senior public figures,including former Tunisian PresidentMuncef
Marzouki, members of the European Parliament, journalists, athletes,
artists, as well as radical leftist Israelis will be on board.
He claimed that symbolic humanitarian materials will be loaded on
board the ships to demand Gaza's naval entry be opened - despite the
fact that Israel is allowing hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian and
construction materials to enter Gaza border crossings every day, even as
Hamas rebuilds its terror tunnels for the next round of fighting.
The equipment to be loaded on the ships include solar receptors, children's medicines and medical equipment.
Leaders of the flotilla estimate that Israel will once again block
the naval breach and defend its maritime blockade, but they expressed
optimism that they would be able to eventually reach Gaza and open a
water route for Hamas that Israel has warned would serve as a port for
Iran on the Mediterranean.
In the Mavi Marmara incident, the IDF waited way too long to get the word out on what happened, but when they did get the word out, they did it well. If this happens again, we can only hope they will get the word out faster (hint, hint).
IHH sending another terror flotilla, this time accompanied by the Turkish military
The IHH terror organization - the same group that organized the 2010 'freedom flotilla' that ended in nine dead during an Israeli navy raid on the Mavi Marmara - says it is organizing another flotilla designed to break Israel's 'blockade' on Gaza, but this one will be protected by the Turkish military.
IHH chairman Bulent Yildrim was quoted by The Middle East Monitor as
telling Gulf Online last week that the activists would set sail as soon
as they receive the necessary permit from the authorities in Ankara
and that the Turkish military would provide protection to the ship.
Diplomatic officials said Jerusalem was following the reports
carefully, but stressed that it was not clear whether the flotilla would
ultimately set sail.
So far there has only been a declaration of intent, with no firm date set, one official said.
Harold Rhode, a senior fellow at the New-York-based Gatestone Institute
and a former adviser at the in the office of the American defense
secretary on Islamic affairs, told The Jerusalem Post in an interview
on Sunday that the real issue in the ongoing conflict is that Turkey
and Qatar are supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas in their
goals.
“[Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan has been associated with
the Muslim Brotherhood long before he was prime minister,” Rhode said.
It should now be clear to all that Erdogan “is now out of the bag,”
Rhode said, adding that US President Barack Obama does not speak to the
Turkish leader anymore despite previously describing him as one of his
closest friends among the world’s leaders.
“Erdogan is doing whatever he can to help Hamas,” he said, asserting that it will only hurt the Palestinian people in the end.
Sorry but I'm nowhere near as optimistic as Rhode. I don't know whether Obama still talks to Erdogan or not, but the bottom line is that the United States has been serving Turkish interests in the 'cease fire' negotiations. As far as I'm concerned that's all that counts.
Boat with Syrian refugees capsizes off Egyptian coast, reports that at least 13 people killed, more than 100 pulled out of water.
— Sheera Frenkel (@sheeraf) October 11, 2013
Oh wait - I forgot. Flotillas are only for Gazans, not for people who are really suffering.
Norwegians and Swedes attempting to break Gaza blockade
Well, here we go again. A group of Norwegians and Swedes is attempting to open Gaza for weapons import by breaking Israel's sea blockade of the Islamic militancy.
"We have the same goal as the previous flotillas, to put an end to the blockade of Gaza by challenging the Israeli navy," said Torstein Dahle, the leader of the Norwegian section of the activist group "Ship to Gaza."
"This time around it will be an easy task for the Israelis to stop us because we will be so few and strictly non-violent," Dahle told Reuters at Oslo harbor.
If that's how they feel, you have to wonder why they're bothering. Of course, one cannot rely on claims to non-violence. The Mavi Marmara claimed to be non-violent too.
The SV Estelle, a 53-metre vessel backed mainly by Swedish and Norwegian groups, will sail from Oslo on Tuesday, and organizers hope several other ships will join it during its journey before it reaches waters off Gaza in October.
Who the heck is supporting these people? Can you take two months off from work like that? I can't.
Dr. Alan J. Bauer, an American citizen living in Jerusalem, filed the suit last June in the US federal court in New York with the help of Shurat HaDin (The Israel Law Center).
The precedent-setting lawsuit, which has since been transferred to the District of Columbia District Court, asks the US authorities to seize the flotilla vessels on the grounds that groups and individuals – including the Free Gaza and US to Gaza campaigns – violated US law by raising funds in the US to furnish and fit out the ships, whose intent was to commit hostilities against US ally Israel.
...
Significantly, in the lawsuit, Bauer argues that he is acting as an “informer” to the US authorities under section 962 of the US Code of Laws, an old and rarely-used piece of legislation that allows a plaintiff to seize vessels outfitted in the US for use against an American ally state. The legislation entitles the informer to 50 percent of the proceeds of the forfeited ships.
Last week, US District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras asked the US Department of Justice to file a statement of interest by June 29, regarding whether Bauer as a private citizen has the legal standing to bring the lawsuit.
According to Bauer, Contreras’s question raises the issue of who is capable of bringing such a suit under US law, specifically whether Bauer is able to do so as a private citizen or whether the US government itself would need to act as the plaintiff – which it would likely decline to do.
In his letter to Holder, Bauer asks the US attorney-general to file to the court a statement of interest in support of the lawsuit.
This, he said, would “send a powerful message that US citizens and organizations will face consequences for acting against US law even for humanitarian purposes.”
“Terror victims have looked to the US government for support in our efforts to hold terrorists and their enablers accountable for their actions. Those involved in last year’s flotilla openly sided with Hamas and other terror organizations that reject Israel’s right to exist,” Bauer wrote in the letter to Holder.
The Meir Amit terrorism information center has some details about our enemies' plans for the coming months.
3. Thus a number of propaganda events are planned for the upcoming months, the most prominent of which are marches originating in the Arab states bordering on Israel, and possibly also from the Palestinian Authority, to be held on or around the Israeli Arab "Land Day" (March 30); a protest fly-in to Ben-Gurion International Airport (April 15, a week after Easter); and the "Israeli apartheid week" in various Western and other countries, especially on college campuses (February and March). There are also plans to reach the Gaza Strip by sea with a large flotilla (the idea is still being examined) or with lone boats (logistically and politically easier to send than a large flotilla).
4. Beyond the showcase events, the delegitimization campaign's routine anti-Israeli activities continue unabated, especially in the West (particularly Britain and the United States). They include the BDS campaign, which is gaining momentum and is waged in the Palestinian Authority as well; lawfare, manifested by the continuing attempts to bring senior Israeli figures to trial in Western countries and by possible appeals (lodged by both the delegitimization campaign and Palestinian Authority) to international legal forums such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
5. Of all the events, the most at this stage significant is the plan to hold marches from the Arab states to the borders of the State of Israel (mentioned were Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority). Hamas activists in the Gaza Strip and Britain are also involved in the media preparations, among them Ismail Haniya and Mahmoud al-Zahar, who made a public appeal for people to march to the borders of Israel on "Land Day" to "forcefully push the Palestinian cause back [to center stage]" (YouTube). Muhammad Sawalha and Zaher Birawi, two prominent Hamas activists in Britain who are participating in the campaign to delegitimize Israel, also appeared in a video posted on YouTube to promote the marches (see below). In addition, Zaher Birawi gave an interview in which he represented himself as the spokesman for the "global march to Jerusalem" (GMJ) (Al-Quds TV, January 17, 2012). Hamas' public involvement in the marches is exceptional because so far its public attention has focused on the land and sea convoys to the Gaza Strip.
6. The following is initial information about the various events currently being organized:
As you might expect, many of those behind these activities have long histories of involvement in terrorism. Read the whole thing.
It had to happen somewhere: 'Occupy' storms Israeli consulate in Boston
With all the anti-Semitism in the 'Occupy' movement, I suppose this was inevitable. On Friday afternoon, the morons from Occupy Boston (I know, I know, it's just a 'fringe' faction) invaded the Israeli consulate in Boston. They didn't get into the consulate - only the building's lobby. And since it was Friday evening, I doubt anyone was there.
The demonstrators claimed that they were protesting Israel stopping the provocation flotilla on Friday.
Gaza flotilla wasn't carrying any humanitarian aid
I'm sure you'll all be shocked - just shocked - to hear that the two ships stopped by Israel for trying to run the legal blockade of Gaza on Friday were not carrying any humanitarian aid. The organizers had claimed that the ships were carrying $30,000 worth of medical aid. Four of the 'activists' are being taken for hearings - the other 23 are being deported.
The government has begun to deport the 'activists.' Unfortunately, the Israeli who was aboard the ships - who should sit in jail for a while - has been released.
An Immigration Authority spokeswoman said two Greek citizens were flown home on Saturday and two journalists, one American and one Spanish, were to board flights on Sunday.
One Israeli citizen was released, as was an Egyptian woman who had crossed back to Egypt overnight, the spokeswoman said. Twenty one other activists were being held in custody in Israel and were awaiting deportation.
Let's go to the videotape.
These 'activists' are just trying to break the blockade so that weapons can be sent to Hamas by sea. They have no interest in delivering any kind of humanitarian aid. And Gaza doesn't need any. But the world hates Jews and because of that they believe whatever garbage spews out of these leftists' mouths. 'Poor Gaza' my ___.
A short while ago, initial contact was made between the Israel Navy and the vessels Tahrir and Saorise which are sailing towards the Gaza Strip. The purpose of this attempt is to create a provocation against the State of Israel, to break the maritime security blockade on Gaza, and to undermine Israel’s security.
The activists on board refused to heed the navy's call and refused to act in accordance with the instructions they were given. The flotilla is now heading toward the area under closure, the navy said.
Earlier on Friday activists tweeted they are "still heading for Gaza with the Saoirse" and that there had been no sign of the IDF yet.
"We are delighted to hear Palestinians in fishing boats are getting ready to welcome us," they said, adding that they are 70 miles [113 kilometers] from the shores of Gaza.
...
According to flotilla organizers, Israel Navy ships are about 11 kilometers from their yachts, Israel Radio reported. The organizers instructed the activists to not resist IDF forces should they be stopped.
An IDF spokesperson said on Friday the "Israel Navy is prepared to stop vessels attempting to break the maritime security blockade on Gaza."
According to Army Radio, the IDF prepared itself on Friday morning for the arrival of the Gaza-bound flotilla carrying about thirty pro-Palestinian activists.
The United States warned on Thursday that the new effort by pro-Palestinian activists to send the flotilla to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was dangerous and urged US citizens not to take part.
...
[State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland] said the United States had sought clarification on news reports that Turkish warships might be accompanying the flotilla and were told "quite emphatically" by Turkey that this was not the case.
"We've been clear to them that we think that would be an extremely bad idea and they've now reassured us that that is not what they are doing in this case," she said.
Nuland repeated US warnings about earlier flotilla plans, saying that US citizens who take part in efforts to deliver material support or other resources to Hamas could face civil and criminal penalties. Hamas has been officially designated as by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.
I will try to follow this until the Sabbath starts.
UPDATE 3:25 PM
A few moments ago, Israel's Navy was given orders to board the boats after all efforts to contact them failed.
UPDATE 3:48 PM
Here's an IDF video of Israel's Navy making contact with the Tahrir, one of the two ships trying to reach Gaza.
Israel's Navy is monitoring the two-boat flotilla that left Turkey earlier today, and for those wondering whether the Turkish navy is following, the answer for now is apparently no. The Turks may not have even known where they were going.
The activists told Turkish authorities that they are sailing towards the Greek island of Rhodes.
"We don't believe they are seeking violence. But the IDF is ready. The Navy is following developments. We won't allow them to enter," the source said. "We're not aware of any IHH presence," he added, referring to the radical Turkish group that arranged the 2010 flotilla to Gaza, which ended in deadly clash between activists and navy commandos.
The vessels will be allowed to dock in Ashdod, the source added.
Israel's naval closure is a fully legal measure to prevent the smuggling of arms to terror organizations in Gaza, and has been endorsed by the UN Palmer report, the official said.
The vessels are expected to approach the Israeli-Gazan area on Thursday night or Friday morning, but could hit rough seas, according to weather predictions.
Activists said that the boats were carrying "symbolic cargo," consisting of $30,000 in medicines as well as activists "committed to nonviolent defense of the flotilla and Palestinian human rights."
Flotilla heading for Gaza today consists of Irish boat MV Saoirse and Canadian vessel 'Tahrir'. 15 people on Irish boat, 12 on Canadian
The source of that tweet is Mary Fitzgerald, a foreign correspondent for the Irish Times, who says that this has all been confirmed to her by the organizers.
She also notes that the Irish boat Saoirse is the same boat that flotilla organizers allege was sabotaged in a Turkish port in June.
They hope to be in Gaza by Friday. Should be a fun week. Heh.
UPDATE 6:37 PM
The full story is here. You will note the one thing it does not mention when discussing the Palmer Commission report, namely the fact that the Commission found that Israel's blockade is completely legal.
Obviously, if Rick Perry remains a serious contender for the Republican nomination, I will look at this a lot more closely, but for now, here's a short blurb on Perry and the Jewish community.
To begin to remedy this oversight, I’d call your attention to two posts. One is by the estimable Kinky Friedman, who ran as a liberal third party candidate against Perry for the Texas governorship in 2006 (a race memorably covered for THE WEEKLY STANDARD by Matt Labash—see here). The world’s most famous Jewish cowboy (or so he says) explains why he would vote for Perry for president:
...
“As a Jewish cowboy (or ‘Juusshh,’ as we say in Texas), I know Rick Perry to be a true friend of Israel....
“A still, small voice within keeps telling me that Rick Perry’s best day may yet be ahead of him, and so too, hopefully, will be America’s.”
Don’t trust Kinky Friedman? (I don’t think I do either.) Then go to the website, mezuzahstore.com. There you can read about—you’ll have the opportunity to buy, for a mere $999.00—“The Rick Perry Mezuzah.” Let the folks at mezuzahstore.com explain why there is a Rick Perry mezuzah:
“Over the last few years we have been following with great interest the different stories of condominium boards making rules prohibiting Mezuzahs....
“Recently in June of this year (2011) Texas did something unique in passing a special law explicitly permitting the display of a Mezuzah up to 25 inches tall. This law overrides the authority of the Condo boards to ban Mezuzahs....
After the bill was passed by the Texas legislature, the only question was whether Governor Rick Perry would sign it into law. When he did, we came up with the idea of commissioning a large, Texas style Mezuzah in his honor....
“In order to push the envelope a bit we told them to make it 26" tall - one inch taller than is protected by the Texas law. They loved the idea and got right to work on it. It arrived in our store in Los Angeles only a few days before Governor Perry announced his presidential campaign. What timing!”
The endorsement of Kinky Friedman! A 26” tall mezuzah! As they say—what could go wrong?
UPDATE: I appear to have left out another “Perry, Good for the Jews” item. Perry urged Attorney General Eric Holder to enforce the Neutrality Act, effectively helping to prevent the latest Gaza-bound flotilla from setting sail.
The last item is actually the most impressive one. More about that here.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
