Gaza aid flotilla: Irish crew accuse Israel of sabotage

[Gerald]

Irish activist demonstrates damage to the propeller shaft of the Saoirse.

Irish activists planning to sail in a flotilla to Gaza have accused Israel of sabotaging their ship.

It is the second vessel due to participate that has had its propeller damaged while moored in a Mediterranean port this week.

The Israeli military is under orders to prevent an international convoy of ships carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid from reaching Gaza.

Organisers want to challenge Israel's naval blockade of the territory.

More than 300 protesters on 10 ships, from North America and Europe, are due to join the latest flotilla. American writer, Alice Walker, is among those due to set sail.

Last year, nine activists on a Turkish vessel, the Mavi Marmara, were killed in an Israeli raid on an aid flotilla. Each side blamed the other for the violence.

Following international outcry, Israel considerably eased its blockade of Gaza, allowing in more food and humanitarian goods.

Hoax revealed:

The Irish Ship to Gaza (ISG) campaign noticed problems with the propeller of their vessel, the Saoirse, while berthed in the Turkish port of Gocek. The group claims it was attacked "by saboteurs who cut, gouged or filed a piece off the shaft."

"Israel has questions to answer and must be viewed as the chief suspect," the ISG said.

On Tuesday, similar allegations of sabotage were made by activists on the Swedish-owned Juliano, docked in Piraeus in Greece. Israel has not commented on the allegations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13977371


Note: 30 June 2011 Last updated at 15:50 GMT

[MH]

Looks like political "happy times" coming this way.

[Gerald]

Yes, new surprises are enough to wait...

[MH]

Another flotilla coming this way.....
Ok so let say there is an humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Palestinians in Gaza certainly don't live like average westerner but more or less like average Arab country citizen-they are poor on average.
There is lack of infrastructure lacks of jobs etc...just a basic living from agriculture and basic trade and unskilled basic industry factory work plus great unemployment.
Life sux there for most but not all
Just look at all ME countries that's the situation in most of them.
Violence:
Israel withdrew from Gaza and from surrounding settlements-its a fact.
Palestinians in gaza had an option to live peacefully as in west bank improving economy or wage war.
Flowing the withdrawal Hamas took the power violently expelled all Fatah official and began holly jihad on Israel to liberate whole Palestine.
Palestinian population in Gaza suffers-there is no doubt about it.
What confuses me why the "human rights activist" hug the hamas warmongering officials.
Why no body is calling for the terror organisation to step down and end the violence.
Why the pressure on hamas is not greater.
Why this flotila is not about hamas stepping down.
Just a few month ago terrorist rocket shooting caused so much suffering to Palestinians when evil(lol)imperialistic Israelis bombed Gaza as reprisal.
I really don't understand those "human rights activist" they go to bed with terror organisation to prove some point about Israel.
Is Israel an Apartheid country?
Its not...it also don't want to become Arab state.
We call it here "democracy on defence"
Israeli citizens Palestinians actually have the same rights as Jews.
They can work study for high education or run businesses.
Many of them live better than most Jews in Israel.
Those are the ones that chose to live instead of meddling-do something with their lives instead of making babies pray all day and scream apartheid.
They dont have same obligations to the state.
No need to serve in the Army-some chose to do so.
Some do their service volunteering in hospitals or Magen David-Israeli first aid service.
Or just go study at university when Jews go for 3 year army service.
There is a racism in Israel Jews toward Arabs and the other way around.
Taking into acout the history here is not as terrible as many think.
Certainly not endorsed by media or most(not all) government officials.


So lets say that Israeli government is stupid and stubborn(is it?)
It actually should let the flotilla pass.The "human rights activists" will hug hamas representatives and every body will be happy.
Is it the case?
Or maybe the popularity of hamas will increase the legitimacy of hamas way and its tactics will be sealed.
Is it just about weapons smuggling?

Some Irish activist said that the sabotaging the ship was "attempt of murder".
Is it?
it takes certain state of mind to say such a thing.

[Gerald]

And as usual, you can not exclude the fabrication, of the events, although the former is hard evidence, that Israel has its finger in the pie as usual.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Vendor

And as usual, you can not exclude the fabrication, of the events, although the former is hard evidence, that Israel has its finger in the pie as usual.

Ok i did not want to go that far...for obvous reasons.

[Gerald]

Story need hardly go back so far to know what happened before, a game that constantly goes on behind the scenes.

[yubba]

[QUOTE=Vendor;1695438]
Irish activist demonstrates damage to the propeller shaft of the Saoirse.
Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words a bent shaft and they had to cut it out themselves a joke and a hoax, bad skippering and that craft isn't very big so how much humanitarain aid could fit on it, just some bloke trying to score drinks at the local pub

[MH]

The activist are losing momentum it seems.
I suppose they are going through high level of frustration.

Lieberman: Gaza flotilla activists blaming Israel for their own failure

Foreign minister says Israel was behind the Greek ban on departure of ships, claims Greek government understands Israel's needs.

By HaaretzTags: Avigdor LiebermanGaza flotillaGaza aid





Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday that the Gaza flotilla activists, who had accused Israel of purposely sabotaging their ships, are just trying to place the blame for their failure on Israel.

***8220;The activists are trying to blame someone for their failure ***8211; no doubt they have watched too many James Bond films,***8221; Lieberman told Army Radio in an interview. ***8220;There is an attempt to evade responsibility for their propaganda, as well as a lack of support from countries around the world.***8221;

Lieberman also said that Israel was behind the Greek government***8217;s decision to forbid the flotilla from sailing to the Gaza Strip. ***8220;Things do not just happen on their own,***8221; he maintained, ***8220;the Quartet, the governments of Greece, and Cyprus object to the flotilla, understand the needs of Israel, and are acting effectively.***8221;

However, despite the technical difficulties and the Greek government***8217;s decision to forbid the voyage, the activists on board believe that it is only a matter of time before they leave for the Gaza Strip, declaring Sunday that they intend to set sail on Monday.

The Greek authorities have announced that they will not allow the ships to sail, as they believe the mission is ***8220;too dangerous.***8221; The captain of the American ship, Audacity of Hope, will appear in court on Tuesday where he is to be charged with defying the Greek ban, as well as endangering the lives of the ship***8217;s passengers.

In the aftermath of the captain's arrest, as well as the forced transfer of the ship to a Greek military naval base, the activists held a press conference wherein they blamed Israel for "exporting the siege on Gaza to Greece***8221; and condemned Greece for ***8220;implementing the policies of the Israeli government."

The Middle East Quartet issued a statement on Saturday that pleaded with those interested in transferring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip to do so "through established channels so that their cargo can be inspected and transferred via established land crossings." The declaration further called on all governments involved to "use their influence to discourage additional flotillas, which risk the safety of their participants and carry the potential for escalation."

.....................

"Exporting Gaza siege to Greece"-LOL
In today world every anarchist or nutcase in Europe can find some legitimate organisation.
If you are leftist you get the bonus of being "human right activist".
30 years ago it could be something like "red brigade".
Nowadays non violent violence is the trend.