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A.P. photo/ Adel Hana -- fishing boat off Gaza
Today is supposed to be the day of a clash off the coast of Gaza. The flotilla carrying goods but also hundreds of activists, at least some of whom are terrorists, was due to arrive. However, the number of those ships has fallen to eight, and several were having difficulty loading activists against a Cyprus refusal to give permission. The Israeli Navy was set to intercept the ships. A hundred boats from Gaza, bearing relatives of prisoners in Israel and people killed in combat with Israel, were to greet the flotilla. The Israeli organization [whose U.S. counterparts’ website I’ve used], StandWithUs plans to send out six boats bearing the slogan, “Free Gaza From Hamas.” It is not stated whether participants other than the Navy are armed (IMRA, 5/29/10).
This event has the ominous portents of propaganda, hatred at least from the more notorious “activists,” accident, violence, and tragedy.
It may hurt families to lose relatives or it may not, considering their views of jihad as entry to Paradise. But Hamas started the war and waged in an illegal manner guaranteed to result in more civilian casualties. The relatives should be complaining to Hamas, not against Israel.
All the Gaza prisoners in Israel were convicted of terrorism. They deserve punishment, as barbarians, not sympathy.
(For an example of who is on the passenger list, click here )
Comments
"All the prisoners in Israel's prisons are convicted of terrorism?" Really? That's funny because thousands of them are being held WITHOUT TRIAL and hundreds are children convicted of stone throwing.
Want to try rewriting your article?
I am checking with a source, in order to give a well-considered answer.
http:/**www.btselem.org***/Download/200910_Without_Trial_Eng.pdf
There is no such thing as the right to a speedy trial in Israel. Oh, perhaps that is because that right is given to Americans in their Constitution whereas Israel does not have a Constitution. That document is six months old.
remove the asterisks
is that satire richard? > 16 dead...attacks at night, by gun wielding comandos in INTERNATIONAL waters, committing coldn blooded murder....
THATS terrorism...its sends a grim messsage: DONT send any more aid flotillas to gaza
Brian: Not satire. I finished writing about an hour before what this morning's newspaper said was a midnight encounter, with very tentative reports.
Robin: I have noted that trials in Israel are not speedy. Promptness is a different question from whether there are trials, what kind of trials, and whether they apply to terrorists taken in combat.
My source wrote back, but not definitively. There is some administrative detention for "security prisoners," but a declining number. The others get trials. I had reported on so many who had trials, I may have exaggerated the number. I will check more after holiday.
The Netanyahu government has gone too far this time. The court of world public opinion has had too much. Most of the world's people are sickened by what the Israelis have done and, as a result, they are thoroughly disgusted with Israel. Israel's day of reckoning is probably not to far away. Netanyahu has given a tremendous shot in the arm to the Boycott Israel movement.
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