Israel (IDF) versus Gaza aid ships- updates

[57Chevy]

Israel: U.N. Will Take Seized Flotilla Goods to Gaza:

JERUSALEM -- The United Nations will take to Gaza tons of aid supplies languishing in an Israeli port for two weeks since they were seized in a bloody sea confrontation, the Israeli military said Tuesday.

Richard Miron, a spokesman for the U.N. Mideast envoy, confirmed the deal. The military said the aid, taken from a six-ship Gaza-bound flotilla after nine people died in clashes, would fill 70 trucks.

Up to now, the Hamas rulers of Gaza have refused to accept the aid as a protest against Israel's three-year blockade of the territory. Hamas had no comment on the arrangement, under which the U.N. would take charge of seeing that the aid would be used in authorized humanitarian projects.

(article continues)  (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/15/israel-seized-flotilla-goods-gaza/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fworld+%28Text+-+World%29

 

[GAP]

New Footage Emerges From the Israeli Flotilla Raid
Article Link
Jun 11 2010, 11:01 AM ET | Comment
Fifteen minutes of previously unseen footage from the Israeli flotilla raid are now viewable online, according to Citizen Tube, an official YouTube blog that promotes videos related to current events.

The two videos (below) were uploaded by Iara Lee, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara which was boarded by soldiers during the raid. Lee is the director of Cultures of Resistance, a network dedicated, according to their site's description, to opposing war and promoting "peace, justice, and sustainability" around the world.

Notable moments in the first video:

0:30 Israeli speedboats are shown running alongside the Mavi Marmara.
3:10 Soldiers can be seen boarding the ship by sliding down ropes from a helicopter.
3:35 Passengers aboard the ship use slingshots against the soldiers.
6:20 Some bloodied passengers can be seen having their injuries treated.
More on link

 

[Journeyman]

New Footage Emerges From the Israeli Flotilla Raid

Obviously they're not the quickest video editors; I'm sure it now gives a balanced view of what occurred 

 

[57Chevy]

Israel to ease Gaza land blockade

JERUSALEM - Israel said on Thursday it was easing a land blockade of the Gaza Strip that drew heightened international criticism after its deadly raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Hamas-run territory.


A new Israeli-approved product list included all food items, toys, stationery, kitchen utensils, mattresses and towels, said Raed Fattouh, the Palestinian co-ordinator of supplies to the enclave.


But Israel maintained its sea blockade of the coastal strip and a ban on the private import of building materials, vital to widescale reconstruction after Israel's December 2008-January 2009 war. Hamas called the Israeli measures "media propaganda".

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Israel+ease+Gaza+land+blockade/3165230/story.html#ixzz0r6RyDBlY

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[The Bread Guy]

More on latest, from ISR Ministry of Foreign Affairs (highlights mine):

The Security Cabinet decided to liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza and expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects under international supervision.

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

The Security Cabinet conducted an extensive discussion over the last two days regarding adjustments in Israel’s Gaza policy.

It was agreed to:

    * Liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza.
    * Expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision.
    * Continue existing security procedures to prevent the inflow of weapons and war materiel

The Cabinet will decide in the coming days on additional steps to implement this policy.

Israel expects the international community to work toward the immediate release of Gilad Shalit.

 

[Jarnhamar]

What the hell is wrong with Israel?

I just heard on the news they have been controlling the food going into Gaza. For the last three years they weren't letting in Toys, mattresses and towels??

Is Isreal TRYING to look like assholes and make the rest of the world hate them?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

No, they are trying to get the people of Gaza to overthrow Hamas and install a government that will work towards a settlement, stop the rocket attacks and release their soldier. The other option of course is all out war.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Taking kids toys mattresses food and towels away will make them love Israel, hate Hamas and over throw the government?

I think they need a new plan.

 

[vonGarvin]

Taking kids toys mattresses food and towels away will make them love Israel, hate Hamas and over throw the government?

I think they need a new plan.

I'm not so sure. In WWI, we starved Germany into submission, and this was *after* they had beaten Russia out of the war and were now fighting on only one front.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Taking kids toys mattresses food and towels away will make them love Israel, hate Hamas and over throw the government?

I think they need a new plan.

I admit from the outside looking in, the list is very odd. It might have something to do with various businsses run by Hamas or their supporter. The other option is to flood the area with cheap stuff from China and wipeout the local economy.

 

[xena]

I'm not so sure. In WWI, we starved Germany into submission, and this was *after* they had beaten Russia out of the war and were now fighting on only one front.

Technically though, Russia wasn't beaten by the Germans, but by the Bolsheviks... 

They only left WW1 when they had a revolution.  It hadn't been going well for them, for sure, but it was the Revolution that ceased their involvement, rather than a true defeat.  Sorry, I know I'm splitting hairs.

But, I concur with your point that Germany had consolidated it's forces and was no longer trying to fight, what was effectively, two wars at the same time.  However, attrition then drummed them into defeat, but not into affection for the Allies...  as events some twenty years later would attest to.

 

[vonGarvin]

Technically though, Russia wasn't beaten by the Germans, but by the Bolsheviks... 

They only left WW1 when they had a revolution.  It hadn't been going well for them, for sure, but it was the Revolution that ceased their involvement, rather than a true defeat.  Sorry, I know I'm splitting hairs.

That is a very valid point; however, the Germans ensured that a "young" Mr. Lenin made his way back to his native Russia. 

Still, the point being, Russia was out of the war, Germany had but one front with which to contend, had access to vast resources, but we still starved them out:

 

[xena]

Certainly TV!  I never said that there wasn't a "convergence of goals" between the two.  ;D

But, submission by attrition hasn't had a good track record of winning "hearts and minds" historically.  I'm not sure what my point is - I'm not trying to argue - just thinking out loud.  I'm just saying that this approach is one that will require a lot (read: centuries!) of work to repair the damage after the technical peace is restored.  Enough so, that one could argue that the only peace that is brought about this way is temporary at best.  Look at the way things swung back and forth through the centuries in the Balkans, Ireland, and just about anywhere else.

I have no idea how it could be implemented realistically, but it seems to me, that the best way to disincentivise people toward violence is with education - and that isn't just throwing money at them to build schools.  It's taking an interest in the details, and eliminating the propaganda that masquerades as curriculum throughout much of the world.  I'm thinking specifically of the bizarrely racist stuff that is in children's textbooks throughout most of the Arab speaking world; the pro-Imperial revisionist stuff that's being brought back into Japanese textbooks; the unspeakably nasty stuff that's being taught as true to children in various places in Africa, etc.  Basically, throughout the world children are being raised to hate people that aren't of their race/nationality/creed/ethnicity/type and it's this that leads to violence and war far more directly than most other postulated causes.

I have other ideas on the ultimate causes of violence and war, but they're theologically based, and not really germain to this website...

 

[vonGarvin]

Instead of winning hearts and minds - I'm fairly certain that the Israelis aren't even considering that - they are looking for the tap out. 

 

[57Chevy]

Hamas said to have 5,000 missiles and rockets in Gaza:

JERUSALEM — Israel's intelligence community has assessed that the Hamas regime was overseeing the deployment of at least 5,000 missiles and rockets in the Gaza Strip.

Israel Security Agency director Yuval Diskin said Hamas as well as the Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad have deployed 5,000 missiles and rockets in the Gaza Strip. Diskin said the weapons have a range of up to 40 kilometers, capable of reaching the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.
"They continue to arm themselves both through production and smuggling," Diskin said.

In a briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on June 15, Diskin said Hamas and other Palestinian forces have acquired long-range rockets. Diskin said these rockets were capable of reaching Tel Aviv.
"Hamas and Islamic Jihad have over 5,000 rockets with ranges of up to 40 kilometers, most of them home-made," Diskin said. "Of those rockets, 4,000 belong to Hamas. They also have dozens of more technologically-advanced models that have been smuggled into Gaza Strip."

Diskin, in remarks released by the Knesset committee, did not identify the long-range rockets acquired by Hamas. But Israeli sources said the rockets included the Fajr-5, with a range of more than 80 kilometers.

The intelligence chief warned that Hamas sought to acquire medium- and long-range rockets from Iran. He said missile components were being smuggled from Egypt via the vast tunnel network to the Gaza Strip.

"Lifting the naval blockade [from the Gaza Strip] would constitute a very dangerous development," Diskin, responding to the latest Western campaign, said. "A port in Gaza would be a major security breach, despite the option of inspecting vessels prior to their arrival."

Hamas was also said to be working with Islamic insurgents in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Diskin identified the insurgents as Al Qaida and those aligned with the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah.

On June 16, the Israel Army detected a squad of gunmen that infiltrated from Sinai north of the Israeli city of Eilat. In an operation coordinated with Egypt, Israeli troops killed one of the infiltrators and found an improvised explosive device. The other squad members fled back into Sinai.

"Sinai attracts Al Qaida [insurgents] who come from Iraq through Jordan," Diskin said. "Terror facilitators from Gaza also make their way [to Sinai], as are those who help Hizbullah. The Sinai Peninsula is a vast area and it is very difficult to control who enters it." 

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2010/me_hamas0531_06_16.asp

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[Jarnhamar]

It appears I don't have all the facts. I'll admit that you're probably right about starving them out (though it still makes me wonder).

Regardless, you have to admit Israel is loosing the PR battle.

1. Seizing weapons electronics and other items to make rockets is understandable.  Stopping the import of towels toys and mattresses just seems hateful. If anything I would bombard them with luxuries. Maybe if they would be allowed to enjoy life (or a friggin soft bed) they would be less inclined to blow themselves up or whatever. I don't know.

2. It's 2010. If I'm some mouthy teenager and you're a cop and you rough me up a little (even  within the use of force guidelines) it'll be posted on youtube before you get home from work. They'll have a facebook group up calling for you to be fired before you eat supper. Now more than every the public eye and public relations seems to be a HUGE deal. Israel seems to be really shitty the bed with their image. (I guess that was the meat and potato's about my post).

Even if there were long cylindrical tubes found on that ship with ACME printed on the side people are going to remember images of Israeli soldiers with assault rifles facing off against dudes with sling shots. That's public image fail #1.
As righteous as Israel's intent might be (or justified) their shooting themselves in the foot with this stuff IMO.

 

[57Chevy]

Apollo, I don't think so (ref: shootong themselves in the foot). I think they are being shot in the foot.
Firstly: Humanitarian aid is supposed to be neutral. What is the need to break the blockade?
Second: Isreal allocated a port site (Asdod) for aid cargo ships, where the ships would be inspected
for weapons, explosives, and other items that could be used by Hammas.
Israel works hand in hand with the UN to move cargo by land to Gaza. So, where is the problem?

What gets me is that there are those willing to use the term "humanitarian aid" to get the sympathy
on the world stage, when in reality it is to break the blockade. This is hypocrosity.
Something like being bladed. And worse. Knowing the fact that Israel would defend their blockade,
they go ahead and try anyway. Get all banged up, then turn around and say, "look what Isreal has 
done to us !". And worse yet, Israels' enemies jumping in to back up the so called "humanitarian aid".
What a crock! They want to wipe Israel off the face of the map. So, just what "aid" are they really
speaking of ? They will use any means possible to shoot Israel in the foot. Twisting things up to use
for their own hidden agenda. And that is why there were terroists found on the "aid" ship.

And, in all this, Israel continues to work with the UN humanitarian effort to ease the burden of their
warring neighbor.
 





 

 

[Jarnhamar]

Firstly: Humanitarian aid is supposed to be neutral. What is the need to break the blockade?

I'm not sure. They could have wanted some mattress for their kids to sleep on.

Second: Isreal allocated a port site (Asdod) for aid cargo ships, where the ships would be inspected
for weapons, explosives, and other items that could be used by Hammas.
Israel works hand in hand with the UN to move cargo by land to Gaza. So, where is the problem?

I think what caught my attention was what's "banned from inport". 

Is there a list of what the ship was actually carrying? Like a manifest of some sort?

Also, is it true that Israel made up fake audio tapes or something like that? I thought I remembered reading or hearing somewhere that they edited audio recordings of the boarding and thew in antiseminite comments. I guess to try and make the ships crew/passangers look bad.  Did I hear that right?

They want to wipe Israel off the face of the map.

I think it's safe to say they both want to wipe each other off the map.

 

[Jungle]

I think it's safe to say they both want to wipe each other off the map.

If Israel wanted the Palestinians off the map, they would have got rid of them long ago.

 

[57Chevy]

Israel to allow all 'civilian' goods into Gaza: govt source

JERUSALEM, June 20, 2010 (AFP) - Israel will allow all "civilian" goods into the Gaza Strip while still preventing weapons from entering the Hamas-run territory, a senior Israeli official said Sunday.

The new policy is a response to mounting calls to ease the four-year siege on the impoverished enclave after Israeli forces killed nine activists during a May 31 raid on a flotilla of aid ships attempting to run the blockade.

"We are committed to enable the flow of civilian goods to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip," a senior official in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told AFP.

"From today, there is a green light for all goods to enter Gaza except for military items and material that can strengthen the Hamas military machine," the official said as Netanyahu was meeting with Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair to discuss easing the blockade.

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Civilian+goods+into+Gaza+source/3178644/story.html#ixzz0rQ3bI9X8

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