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Friday, June 4, 2010

The Friday Before The Storm

The MV Rachel Corrie is a cargo ship named after an American anti-Israeli activist (photo right burning a mock U.S. flag) killed while trying to prevent Israeli bulldozers from operating in Gaza in 2003.

The Free Gaza movement operating the ship has announced that it will not stop if approached by Israeli ships, even though the Israelis offered to have the supplies transported by land to Gaza, setting up another confrontation at sea.

While it was rumored that Turkey would send a warship to escort the ship, creating the likelihood of a military clash, I have seen no confirmation of that.

Nonetheless, the increasing level of insult being hurled by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Israel indicates that further confrontations are coming. Having created the crisis, Erdogan is stoking it for political gain at home and abroad.

As we approach what may be another incident at sea, keep in mind with whom and with what the Israelis are dealing:





Update: There is a claim that the first video above is doctored. When I heard it I understood it to be a compendium of voices, not a direct sequence of a single conversation; that may make it "doctored," in the sense that any editing doctors the original, but it does not make it fake.

Update No. 2: As I suspected, the Israeli government is standing by the audio, and indicates "the audio was edited down to cut out periods of silence over the radio as well as incomprehensible comments so as to make it easier for people to listen to the exchange. We have now uploaded the entire segment of 5 minutes and 58 seconds in which the exchange took place and the comments were made."

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Related Posts:
The "Israel-Firsters" Slur Rears Its Ugly Head
Soldiers With Pens In The Information War Against Israel
Pallywood Meets The Gaza Blockade (Or, "Did You Hear The One About How Palestinians Can't Eat Chocolate?")

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19 comments:

  1. You know, if i was an isreali, i would just say f--- it. if they won't be inspected, i would f---ing sink it, kill everyone on board and be done with it. i mean there is no point in restraint, because anything short of suicidal behavior is considered evil jewish stuff.

    i will say bluntly as a non-jew, i can't even understand where all of this anti-semitism comes from. And i know it is real. my real name is Aaron, and i have seen people just assume i was jewish and say the ugliest things, based on my first name alone. but i just don't get it.

    which probably isn't all bad. I mean if i "got" why the hate existed, i probably would have it, at least subconsciously. I confess to some affection by familiarity with jewish culture, but aside from that i am indifferent to jews, except... except that when i see a group of people being picked on unfairly, i want to stand up and say something. i want them to know they aren't alone. i have faced my own discrimination as a handicapped person and this sort of thing offends me more than it would otherwise.

    someone a long time ago said something like this. "i don't think about finland very much. i don't care about finland. But if the entire world seemed to be conspiring to destroy finland, i guess i would have to care. i wish i didn't have to care about isreal, that it was just one of the alphabet soup of nations, but its unique status as a persecuted nation makes that impossible." that is a pretty loose paraphrase, but the basic concept is what was conveyed and i agree.

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  2. BTW, is Helen Thomas a living example of her own Dorian Gray portrait?

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  3. I think people will look back and say that Helen Thomas got the ball rolling on public antisemitism.

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  4. It is truly stunning that anyone would read or listen to such a bigot. Or, that educated people would accept hatred from the likes of Thomas without condemning her. Her looks reveal her heart, I believe.

    Educated.....maybe that's the problem. What were people like Thomas taught? Who were their mentors and teachers? Anti-Semites who teach at universities? Communists who have hated Jews since before Stalin and his reign of terror? Our universities are full to bursting with such "teachers."

    Perhaps more importantly, how can leaders of the West side against Israel with such monsters? People often say, "How could the people of Germany have allowed the Holocaust to happen?" I think we are about to see it happen again. I hope and pray I am wrong. But listen to that man in the video! Not even 100 years later, fear, hatred, and bigotry against Jews and Israel are accepted and encouraged in Europe. It is literally sickening.

    And now, FINALLY, Obama has spoken. His true beliefs are showing, for once, for all to see. What will We The People do with such a dangerous tyrannical monster "ruling" the US?

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  5. That first video is doctored and it is so obvious.

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  6. If only Caterpillar made boats!!!

    http://thurstonpundits.blogspot.com/2010/06/sink-ss-corrie.html

    hailing from Olympia Wa, world capital of useful idiots.

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  7. AJB,

    Is there anywhere anti-Semites and bigots like yourself won't go in an attempt to spread their hateful propaganda? I'm kind of like Aaron above. I'm not Jewish, either, but I honestly don't get where this raving, lunatic hatred of Jews and Israel comes from, especially among the so-called Western countries, which supposedly are more educated and more progressive than their third-world counterparts. The kind of frothing at the mouth hatred I'm seeing as a result of Israel's eminently reasonable act of self-defense against the Mavi Marmara is as astounding as it is blatantly hypocritical.

    On another note, Turkey actually should be called on the carpet by its NATO partners for committing an act of war against Israel through its sponsorship of this armed flotilla. Erdogan's continued threats also make the point very clearly that Turkey is the party primarily responsible for instigating this crisis. I mean, how blatant do the threats of war have to be before bullets start flying?

    This is a total mess, and the one party that is not to blame is Israel. Once the Arab and Muslim world decide they want peace and go about pursuing it non-violently, then, and only then should Israel even consider talking with the Palestinians.

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  8. It is being reported that added that the U.S. has been urging Israeli authorities to exercise "caution and restraint."

    It's easy enough to urge Israeli officials to exercise caution and restraint. As a civilized nation under duress, they do so routinely.

    But who's telling that to the Palestinians?

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  9. Here's the nightmare scenario: If Turkey does send a warship, their plan will be not to defend anything but to act so provocatively that the Israelis attack them.

    Then, they demand that their NATO partners honor their obligation to help them defend themselves from aggression.

    That could get very ugly.

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  10. There is no need to sink any ship no one need be killed the next time. The Israeli navy ships could clear the decks with high-power hoses while blaring warnings that any resistance will be met by deadly force. Once the ship is boarded with Israeli ships close by and helicopters hovering above, the situation is manageable. Only those who insist on dying would be accommodated.

    In the meantime, Israel has called for an international naval arrangement be organized to search these ships. If there is no contraband on these ships, no has any reason to complain. I predict that this will be the solution and it will be agreed to soon.

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  11. Rachel Corrie and Helen Thomas are both ugly. Never trust the words of an ugly woman. I coin sayings like this daily. Does that undercut their views sufficiently - like at the knees.

    The trouble with activists is that they are more than flies in the ointment, they bloody well can start a war Israel and Iran have been itching to fight. So much for "volunteer" help in the Middle East.

    From the Jerusalem Post:

    The Irish Foreign Minister, Dr. Michael Martin announced on Friday night that an agreement had been reached with Israel, whereby the Rachel Corrie would proceed to Ashdod where its contents would be checked, unloaded and shipped to Gaza under observation by representatives of the activists, the UN and the Irish government. The activists rejected this offer, continuing to insist on sailing to Gaza and breaking the Israeli blockade, but also stated (according to the Irish FM) that they would not resist the IDF, should it decide to board the ship.

    SO these are the people of "reason" with whom we are dealing. I think Israel will NOT use the same strategy. They will do something a bit different to throw these dolts off their game. Something happens to the brain from standing in the streets or on a ship deck screaming too much!

    Peace

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  12. IrvingPrime - Obama (Obamer in Massachusetts) has said that things must be worked out with Turkey. He will not let the Turks drift off.

    I wrote a post about just what you are saying. It's a "fish or cut bait" time.

    High noon on the Sabbath will reveal all.

    If it will be any help, I'll pray for a second coming - Obama having been the first.

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  13. PS

    We all live on land. Think of how many wars going waaaaaaaaaaay back have started on the sea - usually with the sinking of a ship.

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  14. I'm not religious. But posts like this bring to mind the Hebrew scriptures.

    1. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
    2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
    3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
    4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
    5. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

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  15. AJB

    What if the video were doctored? What exactly would that change at this point? I am not a Jew either but I come here in peace and with respect. Civilized people are civilized people everywhere no matter their race, religion or whatever.

    Do you want to stand outside the borders of civilized human relations? That is a very difficult stance to take day after day, week after week. Take a rest from it. Come back when you're rested. I will not give you the pleasure of upsetting me. You just leave me cold.

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  16. I remember when American Presidents kept this sort of piling on from happening to not only Israel, but any underdog country. I guess we don't do that anymore.

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  17. Breaking

    from JP

    At about 5:50 am on Saturday, the first reports came in over Twitter that the 'Rachel Corrie' had been boarded close to Gaza. Earlier the activists reported that their radar had been jammed, however their Twitter accounts continued to operate.

    The activists reported that three boats were following them for about twenty minutes and then that they had been boarded.

    The passengers are said to be under arrest.

    A couple of hours before the ship was seized, a Malaysian NGO which was co-sponsoring the ship, "Perdana Global Peace Organization" stated on its website that the ship's passengers had agreed to let an international force search the ship, before it proceeded to Gaza. The statement said that, while the activists rejected Israel's right to blockade Gaza, the activists "request and invite for an independent international body, preferably inspectors from the the United Nations to board the ship and do the necessary to certify as to the nature of the cargo on board."

    The Malaysian NGO described the ship as a joint Irish-Malaysian effort. The organization's website describes its mission as to "oppose war and champion peace and global understanding."

    Before the ship made its offer, Irish Foreign Minister, Dr. Michael Martin reached an agreement with Israel, whereby the Rachel Corrie would proceed to Ashdod where its contents would be checked, unloaded and then shipped to Gaza under observation of representatives of the activists, the UN and the Irish government. The activists rejected this offer, insisting on breaking the Israeli blockade. They did however give assurances that they would not resist the IDF, should it decide to board the ship. The White House later expressed support for the agreement and called on the ship to dock at Ashdod.

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  18. Maybe Helen Thomas should "go home" to Lebanon?

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  19. I liked Aaron's post. I have a friend named Seymour who is also assumed to be Jewish, but he's a borned and raised Protestant.

    I don't understand the anti-semitism either, especially among Americans. Israel is a democracy, not a theocracy.

    I thought I heard that Israel agreed to sell drones to Turkey.

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