Turkey's New Attack on Israel Through Comoros Over Mavi Marmara

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                        

The 3 year old incident of the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara who sailed into the sea near Gaza in trying to break the Israeli blockade.  A Turkish backed and organized flotilla had been created to back the Palestinians who had been firing mortars, missiles and rockets into Israel since 2001. The attacks from Gaza increased from 2006 on since Israel had pulled out in 2005 and it became a launching pad of death and destruction into Israel.  

 The flotilla of 6 ships was organized by the Free Gaza Movement and  The Turkish Foundation For Human Rights and Freedom and  Humanitarian Relief  (İHH).   Israel was trying to keep weapons from reaching the Palestinians so had forewarned this flotilla that it had the international right to search all the ships for contraband such as anything like these weapons.  They were all saying that they were just bringing in goods that they had been deprived of.  It was well known that trucks from Israel went into Gaza everyday with shipments of goods so that was just not the case.

All ships were in compliance with the regulations of allowing Israeli commandos on board to be checked except the Mavi Marmara, registered in Comoros,  who attacked the young sailors who then were fighting for their own lives. Israel's commandos met up with 40 "hardcore" activists  armed with iron bars and knives.  10 Israeli commandos were wounded, one severely.  According to the AP report in this morning's paper, it was "Israeli commandos storming the ship."  They did have to board from a helicopter because the ship was large and high up.  A motorboat wouldn't have helped them.  In the resistance of Israeli checking, the Turks lost 8 and another who was a Turkish-American.  Several other pro-Palestinian activists were wounded as well.                                                  

                                                 Gaza Open Air Market (Shuk)
When President Obama last visited Netanyahu in Israel, he talked the Israeli Prime Minister into apologizing to the Turkish President.  Actually, many of us feel that it was the Turks who needed to apologize for not only breaking the blockade in the first place but in attacking  the fellows whose job it was to check the ship.  Other ships hadn't reacted like they had. They had used passive resistance.   The Turks had brought on the attack themselves.  Since then, Turkey has demanded this and demanded that, including a huge lump of cash.

The prime minister of Turkey involved in all of this is Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  He wants Israel to pay a lot of reparations.  He is a strong Muslim, more inclined to be in the axis of the Muslim Brotherhood.. This incident is used as the reason of the break in relations between Israel and Turkey.   The newest development out of Turkey towards this blockade incident that happened May 31, 2010, is being that the ship was registered in the tiny country of Comoros, they are having Comoros complain to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands and expects them to investigate. As it is, a Turkish law firm is the representation for Comoros.  It might as well be Turkey!

Comeros is a tiny African state and a member of the court.  Israel and Turkey are not members.  Turkey is using Comeros's position to get more negativity thrown at Israel.  Comoros became a member of the UN in November 1975.  It is an archipelago near Madagascar  in which France still maintains control over one of 4 islands that make it up.. This tiny state is a member of many groups:  the African Union, the Arab League, the European Development Fund, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Indian Ocean Commission, and the African Development Bank.  They accepted the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework convention on climate Change.  I wonder if it doesn't cost anything to belong to each group?   The state has a population of about 798,000 and is 98% Sunni Muslim.  Islam is the state religion. It is the 43rd largest out of 48 Muslim majority countries with Qatar being the 44th largest.   The Muslim Brotherhood is out to destroy Israel and is using this approach as well as missiles.

Israel's account is that "according to Israeli Home Front Defense Minister Matan Vilnai,  all of the dead were "involved in the fighting". Vilnai told a Knesset hearing that "there were no innocents among the dead."

Resource: Oregonian newspaper 5/15/13, page A7, Crime complaint cites Israel by Toby Sterling -AP
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comoros
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim-majority_countries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Turkey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_flotilla_raid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Summer_Rains

Israeli Talks Centered in Istanbul

                                                                          

Nadene Goldfoot                                                     Omar Sharif in "Lawrence of Arabia": Fighting the Ottoman Empire

Turkey's Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan outraged most of the Western world by calling Zionism a "crime against humanity" at the UN.  At that moment Israeli and Palestinian Authority lawmakers were meeting with each other in Istanbul trying to re-start the peace process.  From being a friend to Israel a few years ago, he has moved towards the Muslim Brotherhood ideals.

On Friday John Kerry, the new US Secretary of State, arrived in Turkey to talk with Erdogan which included some of his strong language.  "At a press appearance in Ankara, Kerry condemned Erdogan’s comparison saying, "We not only disagree with it, we found it objectionable."

I've read an essay from a Turkish newscaster who is as loving and sweet as any young women in my own family.  She tries to answer about the antagonistic stance against Israel that her country has been displaying.  She feels there is a strong bond between the Turkish and Israeli public and hopes that the tension of the last few years is only temporary.  Most of the problem lies with the Mavi Marmara episode when this Turkish ship tried to break the blockade with this ship.  I wish she were president, as she stated that "as the Turkish nation, we want nothing more than the continuance of Israel's existence in peace and tranquility."  Perhaps that's why these meetings took place in Ankara.

Also meeting in Istanbul to discuss Obama's visit was labor MK Yitzchak Herzog. Yitzchak is the son of former president Chaim Herzog and is with the Labor party.  Netanyahu is with Likud.   He was there to speak with PA former official,  Yasser Abed Rabbo.  Neither man is a high official, so possibly took their own initiative to meet together.  Herzog was taped on Israel's Channel 10 News saying that he believes "that there is a chance for peace with their neighbors and we must not give up on it, not even for a moment.  Rabbo was a supporter of the Oslo Accords.  Yet he was promoting the false accusation that Israel had dug mass graves for 900 PA Arabs in Jenin.  He has since been removed from his post as a minister when Mahmoud Abbas took over.  Now he's just an adviser without a title.

If he's so for peace, it's crazy that Rabbo  would be so gullible as to even believe in such a terrible lie.   It's frightening how the Arabs can swallow such lies about Jews, even the intelligent ones in the seat of power. It gets back to the fact that what people would do themselves to others, they think that these others would do to them. It's  sort of like the Golden Rule.  It was not inconceivable to do this to Jews, evidently.  Our beliefs and mores are very foreign to Muslims except for the belief in one G-d. The problem lies on what that one G-d teaches the people involved.    For us to act so differently, the lessons are not understood in the same way.  Evidently this is also true with Christians who even interpret the very same doctrine otherwise.

I suggest that our government get busy and read many books on the subject of the Middle East.  I just read where Kerry read his first book about Islam which was from a very positive and flattering viewpoint.  Now he would be interested in studying about religions if he were not Secretary of State.   He should also read one I've started to read, "The Strong Horse" by Lee Smith.  It's full of insights about the Middle Eastern countries and what they admire in a culture and how they see themselves acting in it.  He's lived in the Middle East and even met Omar Sharif, the Egyptian who played the Jewish gambler, Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl, Barbra Streisand's great love. "His decision to work with co-star Barbra Streisand angered Egypt's government at the time due to Streisand's support for the state of Israel.  She happens to be Jewish. . Streisand herself responded with "You think Cairo was upset? You should've seen the letter I got from my Aunt Rose!" Sharif reprised the role in the film’s sequel, Funny Lady in 1975."  

The culture is so different from our Western culture and it's a challenge to understand this great difference.  According to Smith, Israel is not the big problem of the Islamic countries.  I hope all the talks go on well, just like talks between Barbra  and Omar  did when they worked together.  Oh, those love scenes!  .

Resource: Arutz Sheva: Israeli, PA Officials Meet in Istanbul by Chana Ya'ar
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/165798#.UTMTfqI4EaA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Herzog
The Strong Horse by Lee Smith

Turkey's Bellicose Attitude Towards Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Instead of doing things to get back into a peaceful state with Israel, Turkey has done the opposite.  An Istanbul court allowed  an indictment Monday against 4 Israeli military men for involvement in the raid on their Turkish boat that was breaching Israel's naval blockade of Gaza back in May 2010.  They were breaking the law knowing full well what Israel would be doing and they're suing.

Israel's soldiers had to act in self defense.  They did not board the ship with intentions to kill people aboard, only to check out what they were carrying to make sure it was not arms for the Palestinians.  Even a UN report since then has found that Israel's naval blockade was legal and appropriate.

What had happened was that on May 31, 2010 (note the date) the Turkish boat, Mavi Marmar with 40 activists entered the waters at their own risk. They were part of a fleet of 6 boats.   They had among them some very hardcore armed men who used iron bars and knives against the 13 Israeli naval commandos.  The outcome was that 9 Turks were killed some others were wounded.  10 of the 13 commandos were injured seriously in the fracas.  The other boats were peaceful, allowed the checking and that was it.

Erdogan has decided to kill the relationship between Israel and Turkey anyway using this as an excuse. They took on this bellicose attitude by sending out the ship in the first place knowing it would cause a problem.   The strange thing is that his stance has not ended the trade going on between the two countries amounting to nearly $4 billion a year.  Diplomats are frozen out from breaking bread with each other but not the merchants.

Reference:  New York Times via daily alert.: Turkish court Indicts 4 Israeli Military Leaders by Isabel Kershner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_flotilla_raid

Turkey's Opportunistic Plan Involving Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Turkey, which was once the Ottoman Empire, had been friends with Israel, but since the growth of the Muslim Brotherhood has been leaning towards their brothers.  Their Prime Minister,  Recep Tayyip Erdogan,  told former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger that he planned to burn bridges with Israel to get in better favor with the Islamic world but didn't reveal when that would happen.  Their Turkish newspaper also revealed  that Turkey doesn't get along with Israel and the United States.

This is a sad note because Turkey has been the first place Israelis head for who are on vacation.  They've made good tourists.  Turkey was the first Muslim majority country to recognize Israel in March 1949.  You have to give them credit.  At that time it must have been a hard decision to follow the lead of the USA.  The USA has many Turkish Jews who immigrated here and who might be interested in their family roots on vacation as well.  It has that aura of the mystique that is so alluring and is fairly close by.

The opportunity came by with the flotilla to Gaza of May 2010  in which 9 Turkish citizens on the ship were killed after attacking the IDF commandos who were trying to board it.  Israel was blamed, but Erdogan took advantage of the event quickly by cutting ties with both Israel and the USA and to expand their power.

All this came out in the wash with wikileaks.  It was in a leaked email from George Friedman, head of Stratfor, a security -analysis company.  I wonder what Kissinger did with this detail.  Though Jewish, he hasn't been known for any favors towards Israel.  You have to watch out for these fair-weather friends in politics.  Easy come-easy go.

However, trade is still an essential ingredient for two countries to make up from their differences.  This is still needed and is happening.  Erdogan demanded that Netanyahu apologize for the death of his civilians on board the fatal Marmara and the Knesset is against doing so as they were only protecting their lives and were under attack themselves. As I remember, Erdogan was instrumental in their participation, too.  Maybe it was part of his basic scheme uncovered here.   Oh where is Solomon when you need him?  We need a higher most impartial court to settle this one.  It's so similar to Israel asking for recognition from the Palestinians and not getting it.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/wikileaks-turkey-wanted-to-burn-bridges-with-israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93Turkey_relations
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alon-benmeir/turkey-and-israel-now-is_b_1532767.html

Big Brou-ha Over Israel's Participation in NATO Summit

Nadene Goldfoot
Turkey has the chutzpah to object to Israel's being in the future NATO Summit in Chicago.  Is the USA's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton going to let the only reliable and capable ally in the region to be ostracized?  Their reasoning is that NATO-Israel relations can't be normal until Turkey-Israel relations are normalized.  The question I ask is, "How is that ever going to happen?"

This one member out of the 28 nation alliance is being controlling with no doubt an anti-Semitic bent.  Israel has so much to offer the group; insights on strategic developments such as instability in Syria, knowing more about  Iran and their atomic buildup to make nuclear weapons, etc.

Turkey also has said that Israel can't join until their Organization of Islamic Cooperation can also participate. I wonder if they have any idea about how to cooperate?  They were involved in invading Israel's waters with an illegal ship intending to bring who knows what into Gaza and wouldn't allow Israel to check out the ship.  Israel's intentions of checking out ships  was announced way earlier for all.  They screwed things up themselves with Israel and expect deference now from Israel like an apology, etc.   Turkey was a pain in the neck when they were known as the Ottoman Empire and they still are acting like spoiled children.

The American Jewish Committee has already asked our government to lift this sanction and not allow Israel to be ostracized from the group.  Considering that 75% of NATO's budget comes from the USA, one would think that the USA would have more than enough clout.

Obama has made it known that the big topic of the meeting is about Afghanistan. Russia's opposition to Missile Defense Plans is 2nd on the agenda, and last they are going to discuss their own future as so many of the European members come from countries short on money.   Fifty (50) countries will be represented and attending, from Iceland to Korea.

Resource: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8645678
Arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com : Israeli Participation in Upcoming NATO Summit? by Rachel Hirshfeld

Turkey's Gambit of Challenging Israel
Nadene Goldfoot

Turkey's threatening Israel with their navy has resulted in the USA telling them that they can forget receiving the US Drones they want till they lift the threat on Israel.  I haven't heard support like this for some time.  NATO  can also step into the arena if they don't watch their threatening.  Turkey is not acting like a reliable NATO partner and has not yet achieved final acceptance status.  Both Canada and the USA belong to NATO besides 26 European states including Turkey (almost). 

Turkey is just impressing the Arabs about who is boss.  It's said that they're really a loose cannon by showing that they are the neighborhood bully.  Actually, their showing off their new colors is only a worry to  their Arab allies who had enough of the Ottoman Empire.  Again, Israel has become the scapegoat in Turkey's bid for power. 

Leaked sources tell us that 3 Turkish frigates aren't waiting for another flotilla confrontation but are already sailing for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea hoping to disarm Israeli warships.  That would be an attack on Israel, who is not a part of NATO.  NATO is a group that means that if one of their members are attacked, the others would come to their aid.  How will they behave when one of their members is the aggressor? 

August 17th was the start of a war in Northern Iraq that has not been on the scene between Turkey and the Kurds who are rebelling.  Kurdish people have been repressed by Turkey in a big way and have desired their own homeland since the 20's when the Ottoman Empire broke up.  Lately their group, the PKK, have been attacking Turkey.   Israel had sold Turkey 10 Herons (amazing modern looking jets) when they were friendly neighbors along with technicians to care for them, but of course Turkey had to expell these Israelis in their recent tantrums and now they are faced with technical problems with them and the situation has crippled the Turkish army.  These were going to be  used against the Kurds. 

Reference: http://www.debka.com/article/21297/
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-256510-report-turkish-frigates-to-confront-israeli-ships-in-mediterranean.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/08/us-turkey-israel-gamble-idUSTRE7871WZ20110908
http://www.uasvision.com/2011/09/06/turkey-israel-political-situation-jeopardises-heron-maintenance/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_NATO
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/feb99/kurdprofile.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/02/iraq_events/html/chemical_warfare.stm

Turkey and Sour Grapes on the Table with Israel:  Challenging UN Report
Nadene Goldfoot
Turkey wants an apology from Israel even though it was Turkey who was defying their law.  By their being stubborn and showing how brave they were in defying the measely Israelis' rule of  breaking the blockade, they lost a few of their men by their own aggressive actions.  Prime Minister Erdogan claims that his botched blockade run resulted in losing 8 Turks and 1 Turkish citizen and expects Israel to pay reparations for them as well.

I think they want to play a big part in the "Arab Spring" now that Egypt has lost Mubarak and may be in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood.  They can't be told that they erred  as shown in the UN report which revealed that Israel was in the right and their blockading ships entering was legal as they acted in self defense.

Turkey is going to the International court of Justice and will challenge the ruling.    Turkey has now also expelled the Israeli ambassador and has severed military ties with Israel, though Israel's militry attache may still be there.   They want an apology from Israel and Israel isn't about to give it.  Such a statement is necessary between children but holds a different meaning among countries, especially ones with alterior motives such as Turkey.  In doing so Israel would be bending to the will of Turkey, showing the Arabs that this can be done and that Turkey is powerful. 

Turkey's prime minister is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Sufi Muslim of 57 years who became prime minister in 2003.  He belongs to the Islamist AKP party which is not moderate.  He finds the adjective "moderate" about him offensive.  He is friends with Iran and Sudan and himself is very anti-Jewish. 

Whereas Israel would like Turkey to treat them with respect, the results of this break of relations will only lead Israel into issuing a travel advisory to not travel to Turkey which will affect planes that may be stopping there on their routes.  Israel will cooperate with Armenians.  Armenia went through a holocaust with Turkey and they are still arguing over Mt. Ararat.  They will help promote an anti-Turkish  attitude in Congress.  Israel will be able to contact Kurdish groups like the PKK in Europe.  Turkey has been guilty of many illegal moves against minorities like them and Israel will provide some cooperation with them. 

Update: Even knowing that it was illegal to bring ships into Gaza to break the flotilla, Turkey is planning on sending the Turkish navy on the next flotilla.  There is none planned right now. 

http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-says-challenge-gaza-blockade-123453603.html;_ylc=X3oDMTNqMHFrY21qBF9TAzIxNDMzMzQ2NzQEYWN0A21haWxfY2IEY3QDYQRpbnRsA3VzBGxhbmcDZW4tVVMEcGtnA2FjNDBiYzFlLTQwMjItMzU4Yy1iMjc4LWRiMDNiOGIzNjAwNwRzZWMDbWl0X3NoYXJlBHNsawMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3
http://navonsblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/erdogans-dhimmi-problem.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/06/israel.turkey/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recep_Tayyip_Erdo%C4%9Fan
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4119984,00.html
Update: 9/10/11http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-turkey-complicate-life-israel-avoid-war-144058002.html;_ylc=X3oDMTNnMjNocmQ4BF9TAzc2NjUxNTQEYWN0A21haWxfY2IEY3QDYQRpbnRsA3VzBGxhbmcDZW4tVVMEcGtnA2RjZTA3ZTM1LTc2ZGYtMzBlOC1hYWE2LWUwZjMyNjE2YTAzMgRzZWMDbWl0X3NoYXJlBHNsawMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

What This Next Flotilla Is Trying To Do

Nadene Goldfoot
Five groups are gnashing their teeth in competition to get rid of Israel. Turkey has turned against its old friend as it is turning towards its compatriots. The Palestinians are led by Hamas in Gaza who are terrorists bend on destroying Israel. Iran has threatened to do bodily harm to Israel with atomic weapons it has or soon will have. The Hezbollah terrorist group is trying to take over Lebanon and is an outlaw group shunned by western states. If this isn't enough to join against Israel, Syria is also a part of the act. Its dictator, Basher al-Assad said in an interview with BBC that the Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara had ruled out any prospects for peace in the near future. That's as if they were ever thinking along the lines of peace.

They're all together in their endeavors against Israel in the next upcoming flotilla threatening to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Hezbollah is acting together with Turkey. The Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has declared: "If the Jews all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide," which shows that their hatred isn't just about nationhood but religion as well.

A Palestinian businessman, Yasser Kashiak, is organizing this next upcoming flotilla. He lives in Lebanon and is known for his connection to terror groups. He says he is the sole organizer but Hezbolla disagrees. None of these groups is interested in humanitarian aid, which is not necessary, but in breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza. They're trying to see which of their groups are the strongest.

This time Israel is prepared for the worst. She's not about to be pushed into a corner and give in with the blockade that is keeping her safe. This is a struggle for life, and Israel has no 72 virgins to gain if she dies. The word of the day and the year is L'Chaim! To Life! She has to do what she must to live. Right now that means stopping this flotilla. Netanyahu feels that the flotilla is trying to get weapons to Hamas. They no doubt will have them on board a ship. That's what building tunnels were all about; getting weapons in. It wasn't for smuggling in potato chips.

Reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-s-cohen/the-hezbotilla_b_616362.html?view=print by Ben S. Cohen: The Hezbo(ti)lla
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100623/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gaza_blockade
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/ipc_e097a.htm-lots of detail sent from AIPAC
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/levant/entry/hezbollah_acts_local_thinks_global

Revealing Turkey's Ambitions

Nadene Goldfoot

January 2009: Prime Minister of Turkey Erdogan walked out of debate with Israel's Peres in Switzerland.

October 11, 2009: Turkey excluded Israel in international air force exercises. Then the USA pulled out, also.

January of this year Turkey showed their being a turncoat against Israel by airing a TV program called "Valley of the Wolves" which showed a horrible play of Israelis kidnapping Turkish babies and attacking old men. It included assassinating the Israeli ambassador.

On June 16th Turkey sent hundreds of troops followed by their warplanes into N. Iraq to go after Kurdish guerrillas, killing four after they had attacked a Turkish unit near the border. They have had continuing raids on Kurds, last in February 2008. 40,000 people have been killed since 1984. Turkey says they are defending themselves against a terrorist organization. What the Kurds have wanted for a very long time is their own state. Kurds are the closest to Jews by dna in the Middle East. They have supported us, and we had been supporting them.

You'd think that Turkey would be sympathetic to its old friend, Israel, but no, they were the ones who organized the six ship flotilla. Actually, it was organized by the Turkish Islamist terrorist group, IHH. Nine of their activists were killed in the planned attack on Israel in the act of attacking the Israeli soldiers boarding their ship. Israel was told they were a peaceful group, but they attacked these young men with metal bars, axes and knives causing them to defend themselves.

"In his footage, taken on board the Mavi Marmari on 30May2010, IHH leader Bulent Yildirim clearly instructs his followers to throw the Israeli commandos overboard when they land on the ship. His speech was made in Turkish and repeated in Arabic by a translator."

Turkey is claiming new friends, Iran and Syria, so has turned against Israel and the West. They have a Muslim majority now, but had been secular before. They have the chutzpa to call on the international community to punish Israel for the "bloody massacre" when they were the ones yielding the knives, etc.

Now Turkey gets some of Iran's enriched uranium in a swap so that Iran can avoid sanctions. Brazil is in on the deal, too. Hillary has called this a transparent ploy. One must remember that during WWI, Turkey was on the German's axis side of the war.

Resource: The Israel Project http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705

Israel Ministry of foreign Affairs

Mercenaries on the Gaza Flotilla

Nadene Goldfoot

Operation Sea Breeze

This so called peaceful flotilla whose goal was to bring in a shipment of goods for Gazans by breaking the blockade had at least 50 mercenaries on board trained to attack Israelis stopping the blockade.

Who funded the flotilla in the first place? The radical Turkish Islamic group IHH. The leader of this group had gone to Bursa in NW Turkey and allegedly recruited 50 mercenaries from there. About 350 of the passengers on board were from Turkey. These 50 men were not carrying ID cards or passports but each one had an envelope with about $10,000 in cash in his pocket. They were equipped with night-vision goggles, bulletproof vests, stun grenades, knives, axes and metal pipes and of course the bats we saw used against the soldiers on the video.

It had been repeated so often that Israel took them at their word that they were a peaceful flotilla. The leader of the operation was experienced Vice-Admiral Eliazer Marom who experienced the same type of operation in 2002 when they dealt with the ship Karine A, an Iranian arms ship carrying advanced weaponry to Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

They boarded the same way this time that they did then because this ship was so large that they could not do it any other way. They did not realize how they would be greeted this time. The 13 Israeli navel commandos who make up the unit known as the Shayetet, ranking among the IDF's most elite soldiers, were only armed with paintball guns and 9mm glock pistols for emergency. They were told not to fire, and went through training to be prepared only for mild violence and mostly curses, shoves and spitting in the face.

Now they are met with criticism all over the world for stopping a blockade to the Gaza Strip where Israel is continuing to suffer from missile strikes that no one cares to stop except Israel itself. I haven't heard of any criticism of Gazans continuing their missile attacks. Israelis live a life of Russian roulette never knowing when or where they could be hit.

An IDF officer said, "It might just be that whatever we do these days there will be a Goldstone report waiting around the corner." Gosh, I'd love to transplant Mr. Goldstone to Ashkelon and have him live there for a year and see how he would react.

Resource: http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=177432

Aftermath of Gaza Flotilla

Nadene Goldfoot

I wrote on the 27th about the Gaza flotilla that was coming with 9 ships and about 800 people supposedly with supplies for the Gazans that they really were not in need of. The people on the ships were supposed to be pacifists. It was actually coming to cause media damage to Israel in some way, and Israel was aware of that.

Yesterday the media certainly did go against Israel in a way they had not expected. I tried to think of how I would have handled this, and feel that Israel did what they had to do.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas terrorists, though the newspapers now call them a group. They most likely terrorized their people to vote them into power and certainly have terrorized Israel for over 3 years now by shooting missiles into Israel and constantly saying that they will not make peace with Israel but intend to destoy Israel.

Because of this, Israel has had to stop all ships from going into Gaza with supplies as they usually carry weapons for them. Gaza has more goods in it than most USA towns. They are well supplied. All sorts of relief agencies have been servicing Gaza. The only shortages there are would be in the line of cement for tunnels for receiving contraband like missiles and other weapons.

Every ambassador of the many countries represented on the flotilla were notified of Israel's ruling and what would happen if they disregarded their expectations. They were all warned of the reprocussions. The flotilla people were warned and told that they could bring in the goods but that they had to go to Ashdod's port first for a security check. Israel even had a tourist guide book about Gaza ready to give to them. I have a copy of it, and it is humorous but appropo. Israel had tents ready in Ashdod ready to receive these people. They knew that about 350 of them were Turkish. If I could know about this flotilla and all the problems surrounding it here in Oregon, certainly the ones involved knew as much as I did.

The flotilla was expected to arrive on Saturday, on the Jewish Sabbath, but was held up in Cyprus. From 9 ships it was pared down to 6. Yesterday, on the 31st, they were outside of Gaza in international waters when Israeli soldiers were dropped from a helicopter on the ship with all the people.

Now Turkey is acting so surprised, and of course condemning Israel, which was the original intention. Truly, they were not surprised at all, except they may have been surprised at how successful they had been. They got the negative publicity about Israel that they wanted.

Israelis are shocked and wonder about their defense minister and if he did the right thing. I say he did. Israel could not let such a ship or flotilla come in with so many supplies without being checked for weapons. They are still being shot at with missiles and they're coming in somehow. After this incident another one was shot into Israel. A week before this they were shot at. They have continued to be shot at by missiles ever since the end of Operation Cast Lead. The only difference is that they have lesssened as they were coming in fast and furious before.

The question is how to stop a flotilla to check it. They had been told to go to Ashdod and before they even started, they had replied that they would not. In American movies we would have seen our Coast Guard out chasing the ships and board from their own ship. I suppose that would have had its own problems, so they chose a helicopter. These soldiers really were not prepared for this type of resistence. They were not armed for it at all. Paint ball guns were what they boarded with and a hand pistol. They were attacked, one thrown overboard, and they got scared when their own pistols were taken from them and they were shot, so they managed to fight back with their pistols. I believe it was 15 soldiers who had boarded and were attacked. One soldier was very seriously wounded and about 3 or 4 more were wounded in the attack. They feared they would be killed! That's not what they boarded for. So they shot back in order to live. They didn't shoot first. There was no reason to board and start shooting. Remember, the odds were 800 to 15.

It was a bad scene, somewhat like Mrs. O'Leary's cow that kicked over the lantern in the barn. I imagine there were some very naive people amidst that 800 who thought they were doing a good deed and also had no idea what was going to happen, but they should have. The Turkish organizers of this group knew what they were going to do and why. Turkey hasn't been friendly with Israel lately. They're going along with their Muslim neighbors in regards to Israel. I suppose this was their contribution to the cause.

What happened in Portland? Muslims demonstrated in our square downtown. I know they demonstrated in Turkey, and probably in other cities as well. They got what was most important to them. Again, Israel tries to protect its citizens and gets shot down for doing so. You know, all this wouldn't have happened if Gaza would make nice with Israel.