Certain perspectives on the flotilla, Gaza and Israel have taken on mythological proportions but have little logical force, and they are an obstacle to moving forward. Here are some myths, dismantled.
1. "There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza #1" (as a reason why the blockade is not so bad) There is some humanitarian crisis in Gaza; Israel lets in limited, insufficient, arbitrarily determined supplies and a thriving tunnel business provides the rest, but eats away at any semblance of a legitimate economy, increases lawlessness and becomes an employer for overqualified Gaza graduates who should be the next generation of leaders. Starvation is only one kind of crisis: being trapped and immobilized, with severely limited goods and options, is another.
2. "There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza #2" (as a reason why the ships didn't need to be let in). The ships needed to be let in because they were a symbolic act of protest against a policy that is deemed an unfair, unlawful and immoral violation of the human rights of the people of Gaza. People have a right to protest both the policy and its results.
3. "The ships were not intended to provide aid, but to cause a provocation." This is an absurd argument and I am not the first to point this out. There is no disagreement. The ships were intended to both provide aide and provoke Israel into exposing the bankruptcy of its Gaza policy (which - like the flotilla situation itself -- is lose-lose for Israel, as it fails to provide internal security and is damaging internationally). The Exodus too, sought to both get the refugees into Palestine, and focus world attention on Britain's post-war Jewish immigration limitations.
4. "The ships were equivalent to Karine A," the shipload of Iranian weapons bound for the Palestinian Authority, which Israel intercepted in 2002. Or, "allowing sea access to Gaza is an umbilical cord to Iran." So far no weapons cache has been reported, except for the light weaponry on the Mavi Marmara used in the confrontation. The WMD fiasco might be a better analogy. The Iran excuse against opening up access to Gaza is false, since eventually Gaza will be opened as part of a political conflict-resolution process, and Iran will still exist.
5. "Israel disengaged from Gaza and all we got were 12,000 lousy Qassam rockets." This is a very prominent, very dangerous myth that is nearly meaningless because it blots out huge chunks of reality. Israeli settlements were dismantled in 2005; the word 'disengaged' is inappropriate since Israel has been constantly engaged since then. Reciprocal attacks through to June 2006 escalated during two weeks in mid-June when 18 Palestinians were killed; two weeks later two soldiers were killed and Corporal Gilad Shalit was abducted; Israel re-invaded Gaza with air and ground forces, bombing infrastructure and cutting electricity in an offensive that lasted through November 2006; there was another air and ground incursion in March 2008 in which over 100 Palestinians died. Following the 2007 Hamas takeover, Israel imposed a blockade on movement of people and goods, which has lasted for three of the five years since the settlements were dismantled. Israel controls land and sea crossings except for Rafah (controlled by Egypt). In June 2008 Israel and Hamas agreed on a six-month ceasefire in return for easing the blockade. Hamas claims Israel did not comply, and refused to renew the ceasefire but did renew Qassam attacks. Rocket fire fire has been ongoing except during the ceasefire and reduced following the January 2009 Cast Lead Operation.
6. "Israel is no longer responsible for Gaza -- the Palestinians are." The flotilla disaster highlights the fact Israel controls Gaza. See above. Israeli officials now constantly repeat that Israel's "sovereignty" was threatened or violated by the flotilla -- so even Israel admits that what pertains to Gaza pertains to its sovereignty.
7. "Hamas is a group of evil terrorists, sworn to Israel's destruction, cynically abusing their people, stifling human rights and oppressing women." Partly -- maybe even mostly true. But mainly, this is an internal Palestinian issue, neither Israel's moral nor political responsibility. And by now, it is irrelevant as a justification for Israel's Gaza policy and irrelevant for Israel's best interests: getting out.
8. The last is not an Israeli myth but relates to the flotilla: "The people on the ships were peace-seekers." Peace means bringing two sides together. If that's what they were, the activists could have taken aid or letters to abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit too. Further, peacemakers would not have tarnished their mission with what could turn out to be hired thugs. Political provocation is legitimate. But they would have been far more effective if they hadn't added more hypocrisy and cynicism to a region that has enough already.
The events can't be undone but the myths can. Then we can try to salvage some political opportunities from the wreckage. Here are two simple recommendations. Israel should heed the unbearable international pressure and end the Gaza blockade. It has failed everyone -- Palestinians and Israelis alike. Israel must stop dealing with Gaza in isolation of the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and get working on the latter. To true peacemakers: keep your hands clean and your intentions pure or you risk alienating dissenters who do not agree with what the government is doing in our name.
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People are waking up to Likud/AIPAC propaganda.
People realize the commandos, not the humanitarians, behaved like terrorists.
The U.S. is moving towards a more neutral position in regards to Israeli impunity.
I really hope the Israeli population replace their current facist government.
It is easy to simply demonize someone you disagree with, but it gets you little credibility with a neutral audience that you may? be trying to persuade.
Unlees you are just venting, and then I suggest getting a heavy bag that boxers use to train on.
If you are attempting to show the author's ideas to be wrong, and persuade the readers, why don't you take one of her points and show WHERE you think she is wrong?
Irregardless of support, or knowledge, right or wrong, at some point an event is tried by the facts of the event, and that event alone, not the continuous back pedaling of either party, ad neauseum. Otherwise, and in all fairness we would be going back thousands of years.
No court of law seeking justice would ever allow the consideration of any evidence that is irrelevant to the specific case it is investigating. A just hearing would include not just an investigation of Israel, as is being demanded, but of all parties. Yet few on the HP are calling for the investigation of any and all relevent parties of the flotilla. Few are even willing to consider it.
And no bloggers, of which I am aware, have requested one let alone considered it.
But I also think what is happenning in various capitals is that those nations who supported the blockade are seeing that it is not producing the intended results, indeed is counterproductive.
As such it needs re-evaluation, and I think most, including the US are coming rapidly to the conclusion that a new policy is needed.
Egypt support? Egypt is bribed, the Egyptian people know it is illegal and do not support it
Other countries? They all are America's lapdogs.
Heck even the Israeli supreme court has declared it illegal
Investigations always look at both sides. That is why they are called investigations--you "investigate".
While the UN may have declared it illegal their actions show otherwise.
While it is true that the decisions/actions of governments are often in conflict with the citizens of their respective nations, it is also true that citizens are inclined to their passions and prejudices, rather than the best interest of all concerned regarding the facts/evidence.
It is true that citizens are easily impassioned by the wit and cunning of those who would prey upon them because the citizentry lack the necessary knowledge to discern reality logically and reasonably.
American lapdogs, is rhetoric. We are all guilty of rhetoric at some point in our lives when we are impassioned by our positions and are unable to set aside our passions in favor of rational thought.
Ivanov also stated that the 50+ organizers, mainly pro-Palestinian organizations, but also human rights ones, and peace supporters, were fully aware that they had media traveling with them, which made them bolder, adding things could have been much scarier without the presence of journalists."
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=116792
When American citizens, or any citizens for that matter choose to enter foreign countries or as in this case, foreign "non humanitarian missions", whose values are not compatible with American values, or whose justice system is not compatable, who is responsible for their actions? Who pays the price?
When they choose to enter a situation with the full knowledge of what might happen, who takes responsibility for that action? When they enter a war zone, whose responsibility is that?
We have all seen the videos of the commando's sliding down the ropes; I don't think things could have gotten much scarier than what the passangers planned to do. Watching them prepare themselves with broken bottles, chains, knives, preplanned sling shots, and iron bars, couldn't get much scarier.
These weren't innocent people sleeping in their beds as is claimed by Free Gaza Movement. They were up and waiting. We see the truth on video.
As for the video, all videos have been seized by Israel, so you are seeing what the IDF and the Israeli government WANTS you to see.
And yet you Pro-Israeli's cannot stop with the ""Why did they run into the bullets?" argument.
Israel always states that it is a Western democracy whose values are compatabile with the west. Your second point just proves how much the Israeli government lies.
Up & waiting? It was fajr time, Muslims pray in open areas when they are together---like a deck. Anybody who is approached by an armed person will try to save themselves, it is human nature.
All the weapons you are mentioning are on any ship. Heck, most of them are in houses around the world.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3901662,00.html
Strange how the army warehouses, that used to be full of such things as shipments of women's underwear (stuck in one of those warehouses for 2 years) suddenly have a problem holding humanitarian aid until the humanitarians are safe (the condition Hamas set before it would take delivery of the electric wheelchairs (batteries helpfully removed) and the other stuff that Israel has (after literally ripping it apart) so graciously offered to deliver).
I wonder how Arik reconciles taking the position that a delay in delivery caused by Hamas is evidence of a blockade, and the delays in delivery cause by the IDF is not. Oh, wait, he doesn't bother reconciling taking opposite positions at a moments notice, he's in the doublethink profession.
"Svetoslav Ivanov, who was on one of...ships, with cameraman, Valentiv Vassilev... country's biggest TV channel bTV, pointed out that before the ships sailed
they were under the impression the captains would stop them before entering territorial waters, only to realize it was deceit and coordinated ahead of time that there would be no stopping at all."
The reporter stressed that there have been provocations towards the Israelis, particularly pointing out the culprit of the incident, the Turkish ship “Mavi Marmara....
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=116792
What these reporters ought to be thank for is that Israel isn't N. Korea because we know what they are willing to do to reporters. And the peaceniks on board, looking for a thrill can certainly be glad that they weren't taking a stroll in war torn Iraq because we know what happens there if you stroll in the wrong territory.
The Israeli terrorists are becoming worse than Iranian Revolutionary Guards, you cannot trust anything they say anymore, they spin everything with OBVIOUS propaganda.
At least the Iranians don't massacre people that they detain!
You know Israeli apologist have hit rock bottom, when they say Israel is at least better than North Korea!
BTW, Oleg, you'll notice that the ships DID NOT enter territorial waters, except under Israeli control.
" In 2005, the Israeli Army removed 8,000 ideological settlers from Gaza , many of them kicking and screaming with sticks and rocks in hand. The Army managed not to kill or even shoot a single one of them. Do sticks from Turks hurt more, or is it not about the sticks at all?
As Dr. Norman Finkelstein pointed out, Israeli officials met for an entire week prior to the flotilla to plan precisely what they intended to do. The Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren himself stated that the Mavi Marmara was simply "too large to stop with nonviolent means."
Broken bottles for the purpose of slashing open people are deadly weapons.
Heavy chains used to swing at people, especially heads are deadly weapons.
Sling shots are not just deadly weapons but are evidence of preplanning, brought on board for the purpose of deadly confrontation.
Knives are deadly weapons.
Deceit is a deadly weapon.
This link is evidence of deceit, and the intent to kill by memebers of the flotilla.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/36489_Another_Cropped_Reuters_Photo_Deletes_Another_Knife_-_And_a_Pool_of_Blood
Interesting standards you have there.
ex-marine on his mission on Mavi Marmara
Get real.
So a political organization comprised of terrorists sworn to Israel's destruction, is an internal Palestinian issue and not Israel's moral nor political responsibility???? NOW THAT IS SPIN.
I thouht the bible was full of such stories!
I don't agree with number 7 at all though - well-meaning writers always seem to allow that caveat to slip through in order to make other valid points. And all that serves to do is create yet another myth.
Goods brought by flotilla pile up in army warehouses because Hamas rejects their entrance by land
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3901662,00.html
Of course, you don't ever (in the what, 20 or 30 times you've vomitted forth the same message) mention that Hamas said they would take the aid, just not while the Israelis were holding the people who tried to deliver it captive.
(You also didn't mention that part of the aid Israel tried to 'deliver' was electric wheelchairs that had had their batteries removed)
The aid is not being taken by Gazans because Israel refuses to let through the construction material; the whole point of the flotilla was to break the blockade, not to let Israelis filter in what they want as they always do..
Goods brought by flotilla pile up in army warehouses because Hamas rejects their entrance by land
You and Hamas just want to smuggle weapons in Gaza under a fake humanitarian pretext. You support Arab genocidal projects.
Israel has done it's to eliminate all evidence (luckily, they were not that airtight). Footage was confiscated, whatever IDF has released was problematic - from obscured time-codes to planted audio from TV. It was important for them to block radio communnication with the ships for the same reason.
If you accept the versions of the passengers, they were shot at, with live ammunition, without provocation (in international waters too, but that's lawyerese). Some were shot execution-style according to autopsies. The rest is propaganda. I don't know what followed (IDF made sure I wouldn't) but whatever did can be justified according to both law and moral.
As far as I know, those night vision films could have been faked while all passengers were captive below deck. Mavi Marmara stayed in deep sea longer than the rest of the ships. IDF can prove me wrong by revealing the timecode :)
Now, if one of the commandos in the first wave had started killing people rather than surrendering to the inevitable, human nature would be to try and make sure the second wave didn't get a chance to get their feet under them and draw their weapons.
And the IDF does not react well to having its members captured, so the odds of using deadly force to clear a landing area are good.
Too bad we all know the truth by now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZlSSaPT_OU&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3L7OV414Kk&feature=player_embedded
Of course, it seems the IDF thinks you (and the whole world) can't handle the truth, and so it edits it.
And given the, let's say 'quality' of Palwatch (and IDF co-production) translations, you'll have to excuse me if I say I wish Cristopher Mayhew was still around, offering his prize. It would be nice to have accurate translations.