Norman Finkelstein says, “I think everyone can agree that there’s no possibility, there’s no way to justify using armed force against what were clearly unarmed humanitarians trying to relieve an illegal siege of Gaza…” [1]
I wonder if he’s aware of Melanie ‘Mad Mel’ Phillips, who has called the Gaza aid flotilla an ‘Islamist terror ambush’ and an ‘armada of hate’? [2] Like Tzipi Livni during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in Dec 2008 – Jan 2009, Phillips says “there is no starvation or humanitarian crisis” in Gaza. Here are some more gems from her latest Spectator blog entry:
“This flotilla was but the latest jihadi attack, deploying the Islamists’ signature strategy of violence and media manipulation.”
“The soldiers used non-lethal measures to disperse the crowd. The activists, according to an IDF report, succeeded in stealing two handguns from soldiers and opened fire, leading to an escalation in violence.”
“One IDF soldier had his weapon snatched away by one of the ‘peace activists’ on board, that this weapon was then turned against the IDF soldiers, who came under fire, and that they had no choice but to shoot back in self-defense.”
“It is also becoming clearer as the day wears on that, far from storming the boats in order to attack those on board, the Israelis were hopelessly ill-prepared for the violence they encountered. Israel’s Channel 10 and IDF radio have reported that the Israeli naval commandos were equipped with paint ball rifles to ensure minimum casualties among the flotilla terrorists, with their hand guns to be used only as a last resort….Only when the terrorists beat the soldiers with iron rods, stabbed them with knives and tried to lynch them did the soldiers respond. The Israeli commandoes were pushed down stairs, thrown overboard, and shot at.”
“Here is a report by an Israel army radio reporter on board: ‘The activists had many things ready for an attack on the soldiers,’ Lev-Rom said, ‘including, for instance, a box of 20-30 slingshots with metal balls; these can kill. There were also all sorts of knives and many similar things. These are what they call “cold” weapons…”
“The soldiers were told they were to verbally convince activists who offer resistance to give up, and only then use paintballs. They were permitted to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances.”
“At one point, the attackers nabbed one commando, wrested away his handgun, and threw him down from the top deck to the lower deck, 30 feet below. The soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost his consciousness.”
“Only after this injury did Flotilla 13 troops ask for permission to use live fire. The commander approved it: You can go ahead and fire.”
“If those media and governments refused to swallow the lies and instead called operations like this and the players behind it for what they actually are, such terrorist operations would not happen. The Islamist strategy of war against Israel is carefully calibrated to deploy the most effective weapon in its armoury in the cause of jihadi violence – the western media.”
Phillips bends over backwards to portray Israel as the victim – so much so on this occasion that she almost breaks her spine (it’s only a matter of time, surely…) Phillips says that “the Israelis were hopelessly ill-prepared for the violence they encountered”, though Finkelstein disagrees:
“What happened with the Gaza flotilla was not an accident. You have to remember that the Israeli cabinet met for fully a week. All the cabinet ministers discussed and deliberated how they would handle the flotilla. There were numerous reports, numerous suggestions, numerous recommendations about what to do… (The Israeli government) decided on a night-time armed-commando raid on a humanitarian convoy. Israel is now a lunatic state. It’s a lunatic state with between 200 and 300 nuclear devices. It is threatening war daily against Iran and against Hezbollah in Lebanon…”
Even the Financial Times has said:
“Israel claims the activists had links with extremist groups and that some attacked Israeli soldiers with knives and sticks (and in some accounts the odd light firearm). Even if true, this would not justify the illegal capture of civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid in international waters, let alone the use of deadly force.” [3]
I think everyone can agree that anyone who attempts to justify the murder of people trying to deliver aid to people who are starving is beyond contempt.
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB_CKL5h2_8&feature=player_embedded
[3] http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cab86fe0-6cde-11df-91c8-00144feab49a.html
Thats A awesome article! you have a good blog, im waiting for new articles.
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