May 2010

Israel apologists and the Israeli national will

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

Depending on ones view of Israel, the deaths that occurred on the decks of the Mavi Marmara early today are either reprehensible, tragic, regrettable, or — a cause for celebration. Someone just wrote to me: “Too bad you weren’t on that ship with the rest of the terror supporters. Anyone touching an IDF soldier deserves [...]

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Facing armed attack in international waters

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

When a civilian passenger ship comes under military attack in international waters, should we be surprised — or even critical — when some of the passengers mount a defense? According to CNN, which has made itself into a mouthpiece for the Israeli Defense Forces, the flotilla massacre was a “skirmish”, which the dictionary defines as [...]

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After reports of serious injury, Raed Salah’s state remains unknown

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

Haaretz says that in Israel: Reports in the Arabic-language press on Monday that Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Israeli-Arab Islamic Movement, had been seriously wounded sparked widespread anger among the country’s Arab minority – some 20 per cent of the population. IDF officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Haaretz that [...]

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Where is Israel’s self-respect?

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

Watch this video and pay attention to the victims — one an old man with a long gray beard. Are we supposed to believe that these men “ambushed” Israel’s elite navy commandos? The narrative here is a familiar one: the plight of a people whose self-image as victims is so deeply internalized that they have [...]

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Ehud Barak blames the victims of Israeli violence

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak had the audacity to blame the casualties who died or were injured by Israeli commandos during an armed assault on the Freedom Flotilla in the early hours of Monday morning as it attempted to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. Even though the Israeli Defense Forces have spent a week engaged [...]

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PressTV: Gaza aid flotilla attacked by Israeli Navy

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

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Israeli troops storm Gaza flotilla killing 16 civilians

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

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Protesters try to storm Israeli consulate in Turkey

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

Haaretz reports: Turkish police blocked dozens of stone-throwing protesters who tried to storm the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul over reports of an Israeli attack on at least one aid ship in international waters on Monday, news channels reported. CNN-Turk and NTV showed dozens of angry protesters scuffling with Turkish police guarding the consulate in downtown [...]

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Up to 16 killed in Freedom Flotilla massacre

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

insaniyardim on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free The live feed above shows Turkish TV coverage. Al Jazeera reports: Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country’s siege on Gaza. Up to 16 people were killed and more than 30 people injured when troops stormed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, [...]

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Report of ten killed: “This was not a confrontation. It was a massacre.”

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

FreeGazaorg Tweets 7.20AM local time and following: Our Israeli attorney in Haifa has said that ten people have been murdered And that the boats are being hauled into Haifa and not Ashdod so that journalists are not there Israeli radio says that the boats are going to be hauled into Haifa. This was not a [...]

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Israel attacks Freedom Flotilla, two civilians killed, 30 injured

by Paul Woodward 05.31.2010

Haaretz reports: Israel Navy troops opened fire on pro-Palestinian activists aboard a six-ship aid flotilla sailing for the Gaza Strip, killing two of them and wounding several others, after the activists ignored Israeli orders to turn back, Turkey’s NTV reported early Monday. The Israeli naval vessels reportedly made contact earlier with the six-ship flotilla, which [...]

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Flotilla changes course to avoid confrontation with Israeli navy

by Paul Woodward 05.30.2010

Al Jazeera, reporting live from the Freedom Flotilla at 6.30PM Eastern (1.30AM local Monday) said that after having been approached by Israeli navy ships several hours earlier, the flotilla has changed course in order to avoid a confrontation during the hours of darkness. The flotilla’s movements are being monitored by warships and aircraft — observers [...]

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Israeli navy approaching Freedom Flotilla

by Paul Woodward 05.30.2010

Activists on Freedom Flotilla ships have put on life jackets as Israeli navy approaches at around 4PM Eastern. The flotilla remains in international waters outside an exclusion zone which Israel has already extended from 20 to 68 miles. The flotilla is still 120 miles from Gaza. The Israeli commentator, Nahum Barnea, notes: “Netanyahu must certainly [...]

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A message to America from Hamas

by Paul Woodward 05.30.2010

When Israeli officials are pressed to justify the fact that Israel has prevented the reconstruction of thousands of homes it destroyed during the war on Gaza, they say that if construction materials were allowed into Gaza, these would be commandeered by Hamas and used to fortify its bunkers. In an interview Khalid Meshaal, the Hamas [...]

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Masked Israeli gunmen ready to hijack Freedom Flotilla

by Paul Woodward 05.30.2010

Ynet reports: The Navy and the Israel Air Force’s observation jets are following the various vessels en route to Gaza and are prepared to first deploy the Navy’s missile ships which are docked in Haifa, and then, the rest of the forces. Navy to sail boats to Ashdod The Navy hopes it will not have [...]

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Gaza flotilla drives Israel into a sea of stupidity

by Paul Woodward 05.30.2010

Gideon Levy once again proves that not all Israel’s have lost their minds. The Israeli propaganda machine has reached new highs its hopeless frenzy. It has distributed menus from Gaza restaurants, along with false information. It embarrassed itself by entering a futile public relations battle, which it might have been better off never starting. They [...]

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Freedom Flotilla on its way to Gaza

by Paul Woodward 05.30.2010

Tweet sent at about 9AM Eastern from the Freedom Flotilla which had been held up off Cyprus until today. They left a half hour ago. They are on their way. Will arrive outside the waters of Gaza in 18 hours. The Free Gaza Movement put out a press release yesterday on why the flotilla had [...]

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EU calls for immediate end to Israel’s siege on Gaza

by Paul Woodward 05.29.2010

(Click the image above to watch livestream video from the Freedom Flotilla.) EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Friday called for an immediate end to Israel’s Gaza blockade, as an aid flotilla prepared to set sail for the enclave despite the embargo. “The continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive,” she said [...]

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Free Gaza — international music from an international movement

by Paul Woodward 05.29.2010

This video begins with a speech made by Rachel Corrie — who was killed by the IDF in 2003 when protesting non-violently in Gaza — speaking as a youngster in defense of human rights. One of the cargo ships heading to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla is the MV Rachel Corrie. This speech [...]

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Map showing Freedom Flotilla’s progress en route to Gaza

by Paul Woodward 05.29.2010

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Is Obama’s word worth anything?

by Paul Woodward 05.28.2010

President Obama is either a liar or he has lost control of his own administration. In a letter he sent to the president of Brazil in late April, Obama spelled out the terms on which the US would support a diplomatic initiative by Brazil and Turkey who hoped to revive a nuclear swap agreement that [...]

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Cypriot authorities direct Freedom Flotilla to stay outside its territorial waters

by Paul Woodward 05.28.2010

The Challenger 1, is a Free Gaza passenger boat among the Freedom Flotilla that has members of the European parliament on board. While holding for the other boats to join, close to Cyprus waters, the boat has been contacted via radio by a Cipriot Police Helicopter. This video is recording the converstation, May 28th, 2010. [...]

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Live cam on the Freedom Flotilla heading for Gaza

by Paul Woodward 05.28.2010

This is the camera being used by international news television broadcasters on board the Mavi Marmara Turkish passenger ship sailing to Gaza. Accompanying ships can also be seen during periods while news reports are not being broadcast. Most of the reporters appear to be Turkish, though there is also an Al Jazeera crew reporting in [...]

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Obama: inconsistent, unimaginative, unengaged — or simply over-stretched?

by Paul Woodward 05.28.2010

Every disaster gets a name — Katrina, Exxon Valdez, The Tsunami — and now The Spill? Even after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has officially become the worst oil spill in US history, this is a disaster whose generic and mundane name has contributed to an underestimation of its significance. After all, how bad [...]

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