Activists engage in violence before the IDF boards the Mavi Marmara
Activists attempt to lynch IDF soldiers forcing them to repel the attacks resorting to lethal force after a prolonged struggle
Comments
Anyway you wish to slice this, it was an unmitigated disaster, from Haaretz
One of the most telling images of the day, along with footage from the ships, was the expression of Navy Commander Major General Marom at the noon press conference. The many weeks the navy spent preparing to meet the flotilla, the advance praise it received for its professional preparations, all culminated in a resounding failure. We should be clear: If Israel's goal was to "contain" the flotilla and prevent it from triggering a major crisis, we failed utterly and completely, and in no way is this the soldiers' fault.
Israel’s policy-making no longer seems to me to be particularly related to concrete policy objectives at all. Neither the Lebanon war nor the Gaza war had actual military goals. Both were essentially wars for domestic consumption. Hezbollah and Hamas were firing rockets at Israel, and Israelis were understandably furious. “Something” had to be done about that, to let the Israeli public know that their leadership felt their fury. So the government did “something.” Outsiders criticized the disproportion of the response, but the point of the response was its disproportion – not because the only thing the enemy understood was force, but because, in the absence of any way to actually solve the problem, the only thing that would convince a domestic audience that the government felt the way they did about the situation was to respond with a fury proportionate to that of the electorate.
I've been watching interviews with some of the returning activists. Many of them say that martyrdom is their ultimate aim. If Israel obliges them in this regard, why the huge outcry?
Quite honestly we were out manourvered. They went fishing and we took the bait.
Thats at a tactical/political level.
On the ground the soldiers could not have reacted better. Compare the cowardice of Hamas terrorists firing rockets at civilians from far to the navy commandos rapling down into the lynch to back up their fellow soldiers.
They went in with minimum force (paint ball guns and rubber bullets) with only a backup pistol with live fire. Their hand was forced. The footage, both that of Tzahal and the journalists on board all show only crazy violent "activists" lynching soldiers. Impressive that our boys, with only a small team managed to take down tens of armed thugs.
Jon Stewart on the Korean and middle east peninsulas, brilliant. Btw, just a hint, if you are resorting to 'hey we are not as bad as North Korea' somethings wrong.
Found a more appropriate satire of the ship event,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg
Seems Israelis do have a sense of humor, lets ask Zaporo if the Muslim lobby does too?
Another sea-bound venture is being organized in an effort to draw attention to Turkey’s own controversial policies – this time to Cyprus, to “call for an end to the Turkish occupation” of the island’s northern half – and is being organized by Meretz activist Pinchas Har-Zahav, and his son Haim, who has also signed on for the voyage…
In a free society, people are free to hate whomever they choose. That doesn't make their hate reasonable or justified.
If you consider this some sort of justification for the hatred, you might want to ask two questions:
a) is the same sort of hatred fomented by similar actions by other actors - and if not, then why.
b) in a big picture sense, is the level of hatred and vitriol (not to mention the parallels drawn) somehow "proportionate" to the action which brought it about
Moreover the freedom to "hate" doesn't translate into some sort of right to dismantle a state, thereby endangering the lives and basic human rights of millions of people.
And finally, so what if people hate Israel? Some people hate America, some hate China, some I'm sure hate you too. So what?
I'm only asking cuz after the flotilla debacle Egypt opened its border with Gaza (which geopolitically is equivalent to opening the border with Israel). So anybody could come and go as they pleased between Egypt and Israel..
People, does any of this make sense? There are some serious games being played in the Middle East. And the average citizens emotions are being played on.
Because the Muslim butcher of Sudan and his bunch of perverts and rapists ,the Muslim Janjaweed are still free in Sudan ,after their fraudulent shambolic Muslim style elections and gross crimes against humanity in Darfur ,Sudan what hypocrisy and double standards the world shows?
Hopefully the only madness been mentioned here is that of the Islamofascist Hamas leadership that employs illiterate Muslim peasants to dig and maintain smuggling tunnels,bringing in more than one and a quarter million dollars a month from the 450 plus tunnels rented out at two thousand five hundred dollars per month to criminals and warlords of Islamofascist Hamastan ?
I believe this site holds some really wonderful info for everyone.Thanks for putting in the effort to put it all together.My idea is behind a good article is a good auther. I must say, this is the best article I read recently.
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Anyway you wish to slice this, it was an unmitigated disaster, from Haaretz
or from a domestic political Israeli point of view:
or from the international reaction to this incident If Israel's goal were to provoke as much disgust and contempt for it as possible, it's hard to imagine how it could be doing a better job.
Posted by: Benjamin-sa | June 03, 2010 at 09:28
The international condemnation could not have been worse had they simply sunk the flotilla, no questions asked, no footage.
North Korea got away with it.
Posted by: Religious Fundamentalist 1 | June 03, 2010 at 09:54
I've been watching interviews with some of the returning activists. Many of them say that martyrdom is their ultimate aim. If Israel obliges them in this regard, why the huge outcry?
Posted by: Sam | June 03, 2010 at 15:54
The despots democracy strikes again… South Africa has recalled its ambassador to Israel.
http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20100603133428263C635326
Posted by: shaun | June 03, 2010 at 16:37
A PR disaster.
in one exercise the IDF managed to kill half as many people that have been killed in rocket attacks on Israel since 2001.
Posted by: Andymo | June 03, 2010 at 17:19
Quite honestly we were out manourvered. They went fishing and we took the bait.
Thats at a tactical/political level.
On the ground the soldiers could not have reacted better. Compare the cowardice of Hamas terrorists firing rockets at civilians from far to the navy commandos rapling down into the lynch to back up their fellow soldiers.
They went in with minimum force (paint ball guns and rubber bullets) with only a backup pistol with live fire. Their hand was forced. The footage, both that of Tzahal and the journalists on board all show only crazy violent "activists" lynching soldiers. Impressive that our boys, with only a small team managed to take down tens of armed thugs.
Posted by: RF2 | June 03, 2010 at 17:20
Israel fucked up
Posted by: fuckup | June 04, 2010 at 02:22
RF1, North Korea got away with it, because North Korea isn't the Jewish (Zionist) state.
Israel gets away with nothing.
Don't forget that.
Posted by: JoeTalin | June 04, 2010 at 09:31
Jon Stewart on the Korean and middle east peninsulas, brilliant. Btw, just a hint, if you are resorting to 'hey we are not as bad as North Korea' somethings wrong.
Posted by: Benjamin-sa | June 04, 2010 at 10:30
Benjamin,
If you're resorting to "we're too righteous, holy and moral to defend ourselves" then something is wrong.
And if you intend misintepreting my statements again, at least do it properly.
Posted by: Religious Fundamentalist 1 | June 05, 2010 at 21:11
Found a more appropriate satire of the ship event,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg
Seems Israelis do have a sense of humor, lets ask Zaporo if the Muslim lobby does too?
Posted by: shaun | June 06, 2010 at 08:15
Re: RF1, I did misinterpret your comment, not sure how I can properly misinterpret you comments in the future? but will try.
I personally found the 'We are the world' parody creepy. I think this idea is a far better, braver, and smarter one: Awesome: Israeli students trying to organize flotilla to Turkey
Posted by: Benjamin-sa | June 09, 2010 at 16:34
I like it too. Can't think of anything better for Israel than a bunch of Meretz activists being sunk on a ship by Turkey.
Oh wait, I just thought of something better...
Posted by: Religious Fundamentalist 1 | June 09, 2010 at 19:18
Because of that reason people hate Isreal.
Posted by: Erin | June 16, 2010 at 23:08
Erin,
In a free society, people are free to hate whomever they choose. That doesn't make their hate reasonable or justified.
If you consider this some sort of justification for the hatred, you might want to ask two questions:
a) is the same sort of hatred fomented by similar actions by other actors - and if not, then why.
b) in a big picture sense, is the level of hatred and vitriol (not to mention the parallels drawn) somehow "proportionate" to the action which brought it about
Moreover the freedom to "hate" doesn't translate into some sort of right to dismantle a state, thereby endangering the lives and basic human rights of millions of people.
And finally, so what if people hate Israel? Some people hate America, some hate China, some I'm sure hate you too. So what?
Posted by: Religious Fundamentalist 1 | June 17, 2010 at 08:03
I'm only asking cuz after the flotilla debacle Egypt opened its border with Gaza (which geopolitically is equivalent to opening the border with Israel). So anybody could come and go as they pleased between Egypt and Israel..
People, does any of this make sense? There are some serious games being played in the Middle East. And the average citizens emotions are being played on.
Posted by: Alisha | June 18, 2010 at 05:54
They must stop this kind of violence! THIS IS MADNESS!
Posted by: Victoria | June 19, 2010 at 20:46
Who is they?
World Jewry?
The World Government?
The UN?
And do you mean they have to stop the Israeli's protecting themselves or they have to stop peace activists from lynching people?
Posted by: Religious Fundamentalist 1 | June 20, 2010 at 04:08
Because the Muslim butcher of Sudan and his bunch of perverts and rapists ,the Muslim Janjaweed are still free in Sudan ,after their fraudulent shambolic Muslim style elections and gross crimes against humanity in Darfur ,Sudan what hypocrisy and double standards the world shows?
Posted by: Hebrew Prophet | June 25, 2010 at 13:33
Hopefully the only madness been mentioned here is that of the Islamofascist Hamas leadership that employs illiterate Muslim peasants to dig and maintain smuggling tunnels,bringing in more than one and a quarter million dollars a month from the 450 plus tunnels rented out at two thousand five hundred dollars per month to criminals and warlords of Islamofascist Hamastan ?
Posted by: Hebrew Prophet | June 25, 2010 at 13:38
This was the first one I tried on and tried about 6 more after that.
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