Tom Raftery's Library tagged gaza →  View Popular, Search in Google

Here is a strange echo from history.

It is a documentary made by the BBC in 1973 about the story of the ship, the Exodus.

It was the ship full of Jewish refugees - many of them survivors of the Holocaust - that tried to break the British blockade of Palestine in 1947.

The participants from both sides appear and describe in detail how British soldiers boarded the ship 21 miles off the coast of Palestine killing 3 of the refugees and wounding others.

gaza palestine flotilla greennumbers bbc exodus 1973 British blockade British blockade 1947

The prize-winning writer and creator of Wallander was among those on board the Gaza flotilla. Here he shares his private diary of the events leading to his capture

flotilla israel murder kidnapping gaza diary

31 May 2010: An American solidarity activist was shot in the face with a tear gas canister during a demonstration in Qalandiya, today. Emily Henochowicz is currently in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem undergoing surgery to remove her left eye, following the demonstration that was held in protest to Israel’s murder of at least 10 civilians aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters this morning.

Emily Henochowicz tear gas eye israel idf gaza flotilla

The American political consultant Roger J. Stone Jr. is often credited with coining the embattled spook’s mantra, “Admit nothing. Deny everything. Make counter-accusations”. As P.R. strategies go, it’s combative. But if your job has you frequently trying to defend the indefensible, it may be as good a credo as any.

See, I have a grudging respect for the Israeli government’s press operation. Mark Regev is almost always dealt a shitty hand of cards. But he’s the T-1000 of public relations men. He’ll make the case, however preposterous: Up is down. Black is white. Even when, say, a film crew captures Palestinian children mown down on a beach by Israeli shells, he’ll still somehow grind out a score draw. (Hamas forced us to kill those kids. This is exactly what Hamas wanted etc. etc.)

pr israel gaza flotilla murder kidnapping admit nothing

Has Israel lost it? Can the Gaza War of 2008-09 (1,300 dead) and the Lebanon War of 2006 (1,006 dead) and all the other wars and now yesterday's killings mean that the world will no longer accept Israel's rule?

Don't hold your breath.

You only have to read the gutless White House statement – that the Obama administration was "working to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy". Not a single word of condemnation. And that's it. Nine dead. Just another statistic to add to the Middle East's toll.

white house obama israel gaza flotilla murder

Survivors of the Israeli assault on a flotilla carrying relief supplies to Gaza returned to Greece and Turkey today, giving the first eyewitness accounts of the raid in which at least 10 people died.

Arriving at Istanbul's Ataturk airport with her one-year-old baby, Turkish activist Nilufer Cetin said Israeli troops opened fire before boarding the Turkish-flagged ferry Mavi Marmara, which was the scene of the worst clashes and all the fatalities. Israeli officials have said that the use of armed force began when its boarding party was attacked.

israel idf flotilla massacre murder gaza

The Gaza Strip has been under a heightened Israeli blockade since the militant group Hamas seized control in June 2007. Israel wants to weaken Hamas, end its rockets attacks against Israeli towns and get back captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
Amnesty International has dubbed the blockade "collective punishment" resulting in a "humanitarian crisis"; UN officials have described the situation as "grim", "deteriorating" and a "medieval siege", but Israel says there are no shortages in Gaza, pointing to the aid it allows in.
What gets in and out of Gaza, and what impact has it had?

israel gaza guide blockade

Fascinating article from a former diplomat pointing out that NATO is legally obliged to respond to the Israeli attack on the aid #flotilla and what it says if they don't

nato israel flotilla gaza

The head of a Turkish charity that organised the aid flotilla attacked by Israeli forces said activists had rushed some of the soldiers and snatched their weapons, but had thrown them overboard without using them.

flotilla idf kidnapping murder gaza israel

A 19 year old American was killed by the IDF taking the #flotilla. He had one bullet wound to the chest and three to the head.

flotilla gaza idf israel murder kidnapping