Eyewitness accounts of the Israeli atrocity

The BBC (not particularly well-known for criticising the Israelis, or indeed providing unbiased reporting about repression of the Palestinians) has published the following eyewitness accounts of the Israeli attack on the Gaza Aid Flotilla that occurred during the early hours of 31st May.

Activists describe Israeli raid on Gaza aid convoy

UK Gaza activist Sarah Colborne - ship raid 'surreal'

Inevitably the Israeli spin machine has kicked into high gear, their principal line seeming to be:

Israel maintains its commandos were attacked first. Officials say soldiers were confronted with "knives, clubs and other weapons" when they landed on the Mavi Marmara and they opened fire in self-defence.

Even were that true (which, given the Israelis' predilection for distortions and downright lies, I very much doubt) it rather begs the question of what the hell were they doing launching an armed assault on, and boarding, civilian ships in what I am led to believe were international waters?

Under such circumstances my view is that the passengers and crew of those ships were fully justified in seeking to defend themselves and seeking to repel the boarders... using whatever means they had at their disposal.

And quite clearly those means did not include firearms. So, even if there were some microscopic grain of truth in the Israeli allegations how then do they justify such a disproportionate response?

At time of writing the aid ship MV Rachel Corrie that was part of the original flotilla is still on its way to Gaza, due to arrive at about 0800 Saturday morning (5th June).

Pointless speculating on what the Israelis may or may not do. Optimists may believe that, following the publicity and worldwide protests in response to the Israeli attack on the main body of the flotilla, they will be more restrained in the morning.

Personally, I doubt it. The Israelis are not well-known for improving their behaviour in response to world-wide condemnation of their actions.

Edit 04.06.2010 @ 20:41 -- This too, from The Guardian...
Gaza flotilla activists were shot in head at close range

Edit 05.06.2010 @ 01:09 -- And this, from gulfnews.com...
From tear gas to bullets: Gunshots shattered call to prayer

(Also published at yet another blog)

The real story from Mavi Marmara

From the Morning Star...

The Israeli massacre of unarmed campaigners aboard a ship carrying aid to Gaza is the "Sharpeville and Soweto of the Movement for Palestinian Solidarity," one of those who survived the bloodthirsty assault has said.

Speaking to the Star from Istanbul shortly after his release from an Israeli jail British campaigner Kevin Ovenden, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara - the boat that bore the brunt of a terrifying raid by gun-toting Israeli commandos - described the attack as a "murderous assault" and "an act of political terrorism."

Read the full story here.

Sea blockade of Gaza was "temporary" 15 years ago!

From Redress Information & Analysis...

Stuart Littlewood asks:

“Mr Hague has been a Friend of Israel since his school days. Prime Minister David Cameron reminded MPs that he too counted himself a Friend of Israel. Why on earth do they and so many others in government champion a racist, rogue state?"

and considers

"a little-mentioned blockade of Gaza: an interim, five-year agreement signed by the Palestinian Authority in 1995 – probably under duress – but still in force, allowing the Israelis “to weave a tangled web of security zoning in Gaza's coastal waters” and leaving them in charge offshore, where there is a massive gas field."

Read the full article here

We are all Gazans now

Article by Pepe Escobar at Asia Times Online:

Just imagine if these were Iranian commandos attacking a multinational, six-boat aid flotilla in international waters. The United States, the European Union and Israel would instantly make sure to shock and awe Iran to kingdom come.

Instead, it was Israeli commandos who perpetrated this bit of gunboat diplomacy - or "self-defense" - in the dark hours of the early morning, in international waters, some 130 kilometers off the coast of Gaza.

And what if they were Somali pirates? Oh no, these are Israeli pirates fighting shady, "terrorist" Muslims ... It doesn't matter that Arab, Turkish, European, developing-world public opinion and governments are fuming. So what? Israel always gets away with - as Turkey is stressing - "murder" (or "state terrorism", according to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan).

Read the full article here.

Israel attacks defenceless Gaza aid fleet in international waters

31st May 2010

Report from Al Jazeera...

Up to 16 people were killed and more than 30 people injured when troops stormed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, the Israeli Army Radio said.

The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast...

The Israeli Army Radio said soldiers opened fire "after confronting those on board carrying sharp objects"

Free Gaza Movement, the organisers of the flotilla, however, said the troops opened fire as soon as they stormed the ships.

They also said the ships were now being towed to the Israeli town of Haifa, instead of Ashdod to avoid waiting journalists.

Read the full report on aljazeera.net here.

Also posted at TaW News

Undercurrents Alternative News: Provocative graffiti about Israel's invasion into Palestine

Undercurrents Alternative News: Provocative graffiti about Israel's invasion into Palestine

Photographs like this may soon become illegal!

Yep! According to some proposed legislation currently "going through the process" apparently I could get up to ten years in jail for taking a photograph like the above and publishing it in future!

Read Terror Law and Photography on photojournalist Marc Vallee's blog.

Worrying implications indeed!

As an article on Indymedia so succinctly puts it:

"If a police officer behaves badly and oppressively we [activists] have been known to criticise them on the internet. Furthermore it has always been commonsense to jot down police collar numbers on demos and take photos a) for legal reasons to identify police breaking the law, to identify police behaving well, to help clarify matters in both criminal and civil courts. Intelligence on police gathered by activists has helped to acquit innocent activists, enabled activists to sue police and correctly identify the culprits. None of this has ever been used in order to use violence against the police let alone terrorism but we can hazard a guess that they might use this proposed legislation against us. What if MI5 infiltrate a group and that agent is discovered? Will it become an offence to warn other activists? Will it be an offence to after having suspicions raised about a fellow activist to make a few enquiries if the “activist” is an undercover cop?"

And there's some related info on Indymedia here.

At the very least this proposed legislation will constitute yet another encroachment on individual freedoms in this country whilst at the same time giving even greater power and freedom from accountability to the cops, thereby edging us one step closer to becoming a true Police State.

As well as making the job of the photojournalist that much more difficult than it already is.

Also posted at yet another blog