Conundrum of Palestine-Needing Solomon to Reply

Nadene Goldfoot
Obama is meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and they're planning on creating Palestine.

"President Barack Obama says he and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia agreed Tuesday on the need to press for Middle East peace in a "significant and bold way," including the creation of a Palestinian homeland". This is from yahoo news. Oh, I'm sure that Abdullah is so unbiased!

Jerusalem doesn't see it happening. Her Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman sees no Palestinian state being created by 2012. He also stated that we can dream, express interest, but in reality we are still far from reaching understandings and agreements on establishing an independent state by then. He was talking to a member of the quartet, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Later Lavrov flew to Cairo to talk with President Hosni Mubarak and their Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Palestinians and Israelis started talking again in May after not speaking after 17 months. Abbas expects Israel to offer more than they have to make it worthwhile to move to direct talks.

Lieberman of Israel and Lavrov of Russia have very different ositions about Hamas, the ruling terrorist group in Gaza. Russia has contacts with them while the rest of the world see them as terrorists and boycott them.

I ask Solomon, "How can you have an agreement with people who have sworn in their charter to end your life and who have no intention of being peaceful? How can the USA who had been a friend of Israel now switch over to being buddies with one of the countries on Hamas's side and also swear to bring about the creation of a state already stating to be beligerant?

As Spock has said, This doesn't compute.

 Reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100629/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_saudi_arabia

Iran and Lebanon Testing the Waters With Another Flotilla

Iran has not stopped trying to destroy Israel. It's latest maneuver is to join Lebanon's "irresponsible" flotilla to break the blockade of Gaza.

Iran arms, funds and trains the terrorist Hamas in Gaza. Israel got out of there in 2005 and since then, more than 6,500 rockets and mortars have been fired by Hamas into Israel. We caved into pressure from the USA and Europe and our leaving meant losing more than our homes there. It only instigated Hamas's hell-bent actions of destroying Israel.

Gaza has never been without food-only weapon materials with Israel's blockade of it. About 15 tons of supplies have entered Gaza weekly from Israel. Despite what Hamas tries to make out, Israel is an extremely humanitarian society and would not do to others that they would not have happen to them. However, its enemies are using this idea as a means to weaken Israel, thus a second try with a flotilla from several countries like Lebanon. Lebanon's ship is supposed to leave Tripoli for Gaza. The head of "Free Palestine" Yasser Qashlaq, an organizer of the ship Naji Al Ali, said "A day will come when the ships will carry the remainder of the European garbage which came to my homeland (Israel) and return them to their homelands. Gilad Shalit (today is the anniversary of the 4th year he has been held prisoner) will go back to Paris and those murderers (the leaders of Israel) will go back to Poland (has he been speaking with Lebanese connected Helen Thomas, former reporter?). Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper said Qashlaq is the main donor of this coming flotilla.

Hamas continues to brainwash its children with hatred for Israelis. "This week Haaretz reported on a new hit children's song that is making waves throughout the Arab world. Called, "When we die as martyrs," the song is sung by a children's choir called "Birds of Paradise." In a YouTube video of the song, children between the ages of two and six sing sweetly of their desire to die for Palestine and are shown triumphantly killing kippa-wearing Jews. -from Caroline Glick.

A possible second Lebanese ship, the Mariam, is said to be an all woman ship. Some people think this is just another name for the Naji Al Ali. Even the Lebanese Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi has said that this flotilla was meant as a public relations stunt, and that he doesn't know anything about this second ship. He only knows of the campaign called "Mariam". The Lebanese government is said to try to halt the flotillas from reaching Gaza, so sailing may be cancelled. The scuttlebut is that Lebanona and several other countries have left or are planning to leave for Gaza to break the blockade. The Lebanese ship is to leave in a few days from now.

What is known is that two people working on this Lebanese convoy say they aren't getting funds from Hezbollah but one has written such praise for the terrorist leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and the other met and thanked him publicly (for what?) Nasrallah has said that more ships need to sail to Gaza.

Israel knows that more ships are a security risk because Hamas continues to smuggle Iranian rockets and such into Gaza. Netanyahu also sees this as an intentional threat to get weapons into Gaza.

While the organizer has called Jews "European garbage," the White House calls the flotillas "irresponsible." Nevertheless, if they come, Israel is prepared to handle the situation. They will be boarded and directed to an Israeli port for inspection. We will not back down in our endeavor to protect our citizens and put them in harm's way.

Just before Shabbat comes the word that Iran has cancelled their ship that was due to leave for Gaza. Israel had said that coming was an act of war, according to the article on yahoo news. I just hope that this confrontation has been stopped.

Resource: The Israel Project press@theisraelproject.org: Flotillas from Lebanon Bound for Gaza

http://jewishworldreview.com/0610/glick062510.php3

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100625/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazairan

7/12/2010: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/07/12/israel.flotilla.report/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

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

I'll Do It My Way-Should Be Abbas's Theme Song

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas split from the terrorist group, Hamas. Actually, Hamas won the election and kicked him out of Gaza, but Abbas is fighting Israel in his own way now from Judea and Samaria (West Bank). His PA TV "educational documentary" broadcast has Haifa, Acre, Ashkelon, Jaffa and the whole Sea of Galilee as belonging to Palestinians. These are and will remain in Israel. This act does not show any good will.

Haifa, on the sea and a port, is the city I lived in for 10 months while attending my ulpan, where I lived and attended school to gain my certification to teach in Israel's schools. It reminded me a little of Portland. Ashkelon is Portland's sister-city. Acre is a city I visited as my cousin, Stanley, had been held there by the British in pre-Israel English days. Jaffa is very close to Tel Aviv, Israel's largest city. My goodness but Abbas does have gigantic aspirations. And he's considered a pacifist? There are problems with him already and Palestine has not come into existence yet, nor may it ever at this rate. Mr. Abbas, do you think this is a friendly act to erase Israel's cities and call them your own? Why do you do this? Isn't turning your children against Israel in your textbooks enough evil? One would hope that a future neighbor would be as benign as Canada.

Resource: prnw@palwatch.org PA intensifies campaign to teach denial of Israel's existence.

U.S. Public Relations Firm Working Against Israel

U.S Public Relations Firm Working Against Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

Fenton Communications, a U.S. public relations firm has been working for "Al Fakhoora, a Qatar group that was involved with the illegal flotilla to Gaza. They urged action against Israel. This group is funded by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, 2nd wife of Emir of Qatar. They're being paid about $240,000 for services from March 1 to Aug 31, 2010. The director of Al Fakhoora, Farooq Burney, a Canadian national, was on the Turkish ship on May 31st when they ran a blockade on Gaza. He was in partnership with IHH, who has jihadist ties and considered to be a terror group. Passengers on that ship had connections with Al Qaeda, Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

Fenton Communications, of which is named for it's originator, David Fenton, has a motto. "We frame the issues so they speak to people's hearts and minds and change their behavior." Yes, David. I see you are changing people's attitudes towards Israel in favor of a group that has been antagonistic and warlike ever since Israel's inception. Lying hasn't been left out of your planning as the lies that were told on the Mavi Marmara about the goings on when Israeli soldiers were attacked by martyrs hoping to die for their cause.

I note that the far away country of Qatar is getting in on the act, no doubt to impress its peers. I wonder if it's their gas money that they are spending.

Resource: The Israel Project press@theisraelproject.org: U.S. PR firm on Payroll of Qatari Group that Took Part in Gaza Flotilla-Qatar-based initiative Encouraged Action against Israel

American Groups Supporting Hamas and Hezbollah Terrorists Against Israel

Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark founded IAC, the far-left International Action Center in 1992. It was supposed to be an anti-imperialist and anti-war group. The group, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) was a spin-off created in 2001. Their ideology is from the Workers World Party which is a revolutionary Marxist-Lenist party founded in the 50's with the reasoning that only socialism will end exploitation, racism and war.

These two groups have been supporting terrorist groups determined to end the state of Israel including Hamas and Hezbollah. These terrorist flags and signs are seen on display at ANSWER and IAC-organized anti-Israel rallies. Their representatives attend conferences with the terrorist representatives.

What they have done is link the Palestinian causes with anti-occupation initiatives. "Occupation is a Crime: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine" are seen in their signs. They equate the situations together, though they are completely different. They have organized many anti-Israel events, rallies and demonstrations in the USA. They even have used the Holocaust pictures likening Jews and Israelis to Nazis which is a huge affront to us.

If anybody knows the dangers of a holocaust and its creation, it's the Jews who are the most self critical people on the face of the earth and who were the ones victimized in the Holocaust. None of us want to see this happening to others. Israel goes through great pains in trying to protect its citizens while being fair and humane to its hateful enemy, the terror groups of the Palestinians.

Resource: http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Israel/iac_answer_backgrounder.htm

Blockading Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

Israel has lifted the 3 year old blockade on most all goods entering Gaza, keeping out weapons or things with a military use. The big change is in allowing building materials that could have become part of the tunnels supplying terrorists with weapons. Now projects in Gaza will have international supervision. Cement was one of the items banned before. Before the flotilla blockade, the international community was doing nothing to assist Israel in its defense procedures.

However, back in the United States we see that in the port in Oakland, California, protesters against Israel are picketing because an Israeli ship is due to arrive. They intend to stop the ship from being unloaded. the longshoremen have agreed to not crossing the picket line. What are they protesting? Could it be that they want the Gazans to have weapons against Israel?

6/21/10 I just read that the UN wants the whole blockade lifted to get building materials in Gaza, plus they want to enter at a bigger entrance way, probably to avoid checking for weapons and such. Everyone is getting into the act and against Israel in her desperate endeavor to protect itself. We know that the terrorists are not planning on stopping their attacks on Israel. They just feel encumbered in their ability to get weapons, now. It would be wonderful if they were a peaceful lot who just wanted to live and rebuild, but living graciously isn't in their plans-with many not even wanting to live to a ripe old age. The sad part is that the UN is not an unbiased group. They are top-heavy with Palestinian sympathizers.

Reference Oregonian Newspaper 6/21/10 page A6: Ban ends on most goods for Gaza-from Jerusalem
pageA2: Israel protest.
Yahoo News 6/21/10
http://www.theisraelproject.org/

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

Why Certain Goods Are Banned From Gaza 2010

Why Certain Goods Are Banned From Gaza

by Nadene Goldfoot

Some question has been raised as to why Israel has banned nutmeg, sage, caramom, cumin , coriander and ginger from Gaza. Though Benjamin Netanyahu failed to call me, Nahama, who sits safely in Oregon for advice, I believe I know why; or at least can give you the reason why I would do so.

There happens to be a war going on. Israel, which is I'm told anywhere from 1/10 to 1/3 the size of Oregon, has the Gaza Strip sitting on its border occupied with Hamas terrorists who have sworn to eradicate both the country and the people. They are not about to make peace. They have demonstrated this by attacking Israel for the past three years by shooting missiles and kassam rockets into it to the point where Israel had to conduct Operation Cast Lead, which is when they went into Gaza in force with its army in trying to stop the attacks.

Even now, though the operation was halted, the missiles keep on coming in. So there's no mistaking their resolve to hate Israel. They have managed to get supplies in through many ways, by ship, and by having tunnels where they get their weapons.

So Israel can't go in and wipe them out or they're condemned at every attempt of self preservation and protection. What else can they do? Earlier, they told terrorists that the result of their terrorism would be to have their homes demolished. Comdemnation flew in from all the do-gooders. What now? I believe they decided to keep basic supplies and necessities going into Gaza as they are a humanitarian people, but to keep certain goodies out. The reason for this is to make the population realize that if they would sign a peace pact with Israel they could again have those goodies.

Thus spices were kept out because they are so important in Arabic cooking. I see that chocolate and potato chips are on the list as well as toys. I'm not sure if this list is correct, but it's what's floating around on the internet. If this is the case it is to bring pressure from the children onto the parents to make peace with Israel. This would be a change from the brain-washing they receive in their schools and family of learning how evil and horrible Jews are and deserve to be killed.

Remember, Israelis are suffering from this Russian roulette life of wondering if they're going to be hit and when at any moment. This is not making them a relaxed people. They're tense! Going without spices and potato chips isn't half that bad. The way to a man's heart is supposed to be through his stomach. I hope they start thinking of the time before Hamas when they had these things to eat and do the right thing by making peace.

I can imagine how Russia or China would handle a situation like this if they had a neighbor constantly shooting at them. I bet they wouldn't be half as nice.

6/9/10 Another thought-the kidnapped soldier, Gilad, has not been released by Hamas. This is also a possibility for another reason of holding back certain items. Release Gilad and we'll release certain products. Nothing else has worked or induced Hamas to free him.

Resource: http://bocktherobber.com/2010/06/items-israel-prohibits-gaza

6/7/2010 I have another thought as to why certain items are banned. It could be that these things such as spices are too similar to powders used to make explosives, and too hard for dogs to deal with, ruining their noses in finding contraband. Also, other items can be where bombs have been found in. I know that I saw a police exhibit in Safed showing all the items that bombs had been hidden in.

6/9/10 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gaza_blockade easing up of certain items but not cement
http://www.tomgrossmedia.com/mideastdispatches/archives/001127.html

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

History About Who Rachel Corrie Was and What Happened

Nadene Goldfoot

One fact I have uncovered is the one about Rachel Corrie and her friend Joe Smith where Rachel was killed by a bulldozer run by an Israeli. My information comes from http://jewishworldreview.com/0303/corrie.asp and is reported by David Bedein, my friend from Safed, Israel who was a social worker at the time I lived there. He is now with the Beit Agron International Press and is the Bureau Chief of Israel Resource News Agency in Jerusalem.

The story was painted as if the Israeli had killed her on purpose. This was reported by Reuters as well as by others. It was not true. As it turns out, both these young people were members of the International Solidarity Movement. They came to the Gaza to protest against terrorist home demolitions.

The picture distributed by the Reuters News Agency showed Rachel Corrie standing in front of the bulldozer with a megaphone. It appeared on page 3 of the New York Times on March 17, 2003. The caption stated that the picture was taken before Rachel Corrie was crushed by this bulldozer, giving the reader the distinct impression that Rachel Corrie had been standing with a megaphone in clear sight of the bulldozer. This would have shown that this act was a kind of homicide. The next photo showed Rachel lying in front of the bulldozer.

Then the author, David Bedein, my friend from Israel who I mention in my book, says that he began to notice something. The lighting of the Gaza sky was different in both pictures of what were supposed to be sequential shots. The landscape in each picture was different. He checked with Reuters who said the photos were not their pictures but were sent by the International Solidarity Movement. A check with the Reuters web site showed that they were labeled as Reuters pix. In checking with Joe Smith, David found out another unknown fact. Smith said that no one was on the spot with a camera before Rachel Corrie was fatally wounded by the bulldozer, and that the picture of her with the megaphone had been taken many hours earlier.

To make this short, this was an accidental death that was pictured as a homicide and act of cruelty. As it turns out, The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian group dedicated, in its own words, to "armed struggle" against Israel. I was more shocked than anyone when I had read this report, and was very much relieved to find out that once again, the reporting was slanted against Israel and was not true.

Round Two: The Rachel Corrie is Coming

Nadene Goldfoot

The next Gaza flotilla ship, the Rachel Corrie, is supposed to come close to Gaza on Saturday morning. The ship's intention is to break Israel's naval blockade and is using the smoke screen of bringing goods for the Gazans. It's owned by the Free Gaza Movement and flies the Cambodian flag and is funded with money from former prime minister of Malaysia. All sorts of dignitaries are on board making up the 20.

Israel has told them that they don't want a confrontation just like they told the previous ships. If they sail to the port of Ashdod they will check it for weapons and deliver all the goods to Gaza and their representatives are welcome to go along through the crossings.

Of course the co-founder of this Free Gaza movement, Greta Berlin, has said they have no intention of ceding to Israel's request. Supposedly this ship has only 20 people on board. The ship is coming from Ireland. The US is now reacting by assisting Israel with other countries. No one wants to see a repeat of the attack from the Marmara which had hundreds of activists sponsored by an Islamic aid group from Turkey called "the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief. This group is known by its Turkish acronym IHH and they have ties with Hamas, a terrorist group who have taken over Gaza.

In the meantime, no one in the world is helping to free the southern Israeli citizens from the Gazan terrorists shooting rockets into their back yards. A week before the Gaza flotilla came into view, a rocket was shot into Israel. Another fell right after the flotilla was boarded. Thursday night saw rockets fired at the city of Ashkelon again, Portland's sister city. A Kassam rocket exploded later near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev region. Israel fired back and hit a group of Islamic Jihad terrorists as they were working on firing more rockets. They killed three of them. These rocket attacks from Gaza have increased since the beginning of the year. Israel's IDF then bombs weapons factories or tunnels under the Egyptian boarder. That's why they haven't let cement go into Gaza. It's used for these things. The war has not stopped; it has just slowed down a little. Now Israel is finding that trying to protect yourself from attacks is not understood or even popular among our freedom loving peers.

Resource: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ from Arutz Sheva
http://www.jpost.com/

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.