Not giving Obama another chance to snub him:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled plans to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday, an Israeli statement said, in the wake of a deadly Israeli raid on Gaza-bound ships.
“Netanyahu decided to cut short his visit to Canada and return to Israel early,” the statement said on Monday. Netanyahu has been in Canada since Friday for talks with government leaders.
From an account of the battle aboard one of the flotilla ships:
The forces hurled stun grenades, yet the rioters on the top deck, whose number swelled up to 30 by that time, kept on beating up about 30 commandoes who kept gliding their way one by one from the helicopter. At one point, the attackers nabbed one commando, wrested away his handgun, and threw him down from the top deck to the lower deck, 30 feet below. The soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost his consciousness.
Only after this injury did Flotilla 13 troops ask for permission to use live fire. The commander approved it: You can go ahead and fire. The soldiers pulled out their handguns and started shooting at the rioters’ legs, a move that ultimately neutralized them. Meanwhile, the rioters started to fire back at the commandoes.
“I saw the tip of a rifle sticking out of the stairwell,” one commando said. “He fired at us and we fired back. We didn’t see if we hit him. We looked for him later but couldn’t find him.” Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds to their knee and stomach after rioters apparently fired at them using guns wrested away from troops.
Associated Press video:
UPDATE: IDF video shows rioters on ship attacking soldiers:
The IDF released footage of the Monday raid on the “Free Gaza” flotilla, which depicted the activists upon the ship attacking soldiers with various weapons, including a large metal pole and other metal objects.
In the IDF takeover, at least 15 activists were killed and dozens were injured.
In a brief interview with the soldiers who were aboard the ships, one soldier said that the attack “looked like the Ramallah lynch.” . . .
International activists aboard the ships opened fire on IDF soldiers who boarded the ships to prevent them from breaking the Israeli-imposed sea blockade, the IDF said Monday.
According to the IDF, the international activists “prepared a lynch” for the soldiers who boarded the ships at about 2 a.m. Monday morning after the soldiers called on them to stop, or follow them to the Ashdod Port several hours earlier.
UPDATE II: Cubachi has background on the radical group that organized this flotilla:
IHH’s orientation is radical-Islamic and anti-American, and it is close to the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas’ parent movement). IHH supports Hamas and does not hide the connection between them. Hamas also considers its links to IHH and Turkey to be extremely important, and regards Turkey as a target audience for its propaganda network . . .
In January 2008 an IHH delegation met with Ahmed Bahar, a senior Hamas activist who is acting chairman of Hamas’ council in the Gaza Strip. At the meeting the delegation revealed the extent of the aid it had given Hamas in the Gaza Strip during the preceding year and said it intended to double the sum in the future. In January 2009 IHH head Bülent Yildirim met with Khaled Mashaal, chairman of Hamas’ political bureau in Damascus, and Mashaal thanked him for the support of his organization.
Rachel Corrie wanabees at sea!
Rachel Corrie wanabees at sea!
These “peace activists” seem a bit unclear on the concept.
The narrative was preordained:
“Bloodythirsty Israeli-nazis murder innocent falafel delivery couriers on a mission of mercy.
…
Palestinians, World Peace hardest hit.”
These “peace activists” seem a bit unclear on the concept.
The narrative was preordained:
“Bloodythirsty Israeli-nazis murder innocent falafel delivery couriers on a mission of mercy.
…
Palestinians, World Peace hardest hit.”
Three cheers for Israel!
Three cheers for Israel!
[…] has a second posting up that includes information of the radical Muslim organization that organized the Fat Chance […]
Never mess with Jews and guns. You would think the peaceniks would get it by now.
Never mess with Jews and guns. You would think the peaceniks would get it by now.
“Never mess with Jews and guns. You would think the peaceniks would get it by now.”
at least this guys honest.
“Never mess with Jews and guns. You would think the peaceniks would get it by now.”
at least this guys honest.
It staggers me to read defenses of what the Israelis have done. They attacked a civilian flotilla in international waters breaking no law. When they met fierce if asymmetric resistance, they opened fire. And we are now being asked to regard the Israelis as the victims.
Seriously.
This is like a mini-Gaza all over again. The Israelis don’t seem to grasp that Western militaries don’t get to murder large numbers of civilians because they don’t like them, or because they could, on a far tinier scale, hurt Israelis. And you sure don’t have a right to kill them because they resist having their ship commandeered, in international waters. The Israelis seem to be making decisions as if they can get away with anything. It’s time the US reminded them in ways they cannot mistake that they cannot.
I love bashing on Israel.
It staggers me to read defenses of what the Israelis have done. They attacked a civilian flotilla in international waters breaking no law. When they met fierce if asymmetric resistance, they opened fire. And we are now being asked to regard the Israelis as the victims.
Seriously.
This is like a mini-Gaza all over again. The Israelis don’t seem to grasp that Western militaries don’t get to murder large numbers of civilians because they don’t like them, or because they could, on a far tinier scale, hurt Israelis. And you sure don’t have a right to kill them because they resist having their ship commandeered, in international waters. The Israelis seem to be making decisions as if they can get away with anything. It’s time the US reminded them in ways they cannot mistake that they cannot.
I love bashing on Israel.
Just imagine if a flotilla of anti-Tehran activists were attacked in international waters by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and that the Guards killed 16 or more of the civilians. What do you think Commentarywould be saying then?
I wrote that with a snear.
Just imagine if a flotilla of anti-Tehran activists were attacked in international waters by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and that the Guards killed 16 or more of the civilians. What do you think Commentarywould be saying then?
I wrote that with a snear.
It is about 5:30 p.m. my time, and I managed to bash Israel a few times, Sarah Palin too, posted a few mental health breaks…
and not one mention of Memorial Day.
It is about 5:30 p.m. my time, and I managed to bash Israel a few times, Sarah Palin too, posted a few mental health breaks…
and not one mention of Memorial Day.
I highly doubt they were in international waters when boarded @whoeverispostingasAndrewSullivan
I highly doubt they were in international waters when boarded @whoeverispostingasAndrewSullivan
Count Vikula, I am not going to let facts get in the way of bashing Jews. Those quotes at #6 and #7 are lifted directly from the Daily Dish so you do not have to go there.
And I have not mentioned Memorial Day yet.
Count Vikula, I am not going to let facts get in the way of bashing Jews. Those quotes at #6 and #7 are lifted directly from the Daily Dish so you do not have to go there.
And I have not mentioned Memorial Day yet.
[…] Stacy also has several posts: Not giving Obama another chance to snub […]
Those boats should have been torpedoed. Blockade runners are almost as bad as pirates, and deserve no respect.
Those boats should have been torpedoed. Blockade runners are almost as bad as pirates, and deserve no respect.
I still haven’t mentioned memorial day. Can’t do it till we prosecute Bush and Cheney for war crimes. I did post this interactive map of casualties from these illegal wars, courtesy of CNN.
I also mocked John Podhoretz for his foolish support of Israel. But what do you expect, he is a Jew. As a Brit, I know a thing or two about dealing with Israelis.
I still haven’t mentioned memorial day. Can’t do it till we prosecute Bush and Cheney for war crimes. I did post this interactive map of casualties from these illegal wars, courtesy of CNN.
I also mocked John Podhoretz for his foolish support of Israel. But what do you expect, he is a Jew. As a Brit, I know a thing or two about dealing with Israelis.