New Gaza Flotilla! Update I

Another flotilla is now underway, heading towards Gaza.  The organizers kept it secret until they reached international waters, because they were worried about being stopped before they left Turkey.  Israel is tracking the ships and plans to stop them from reaching Gaza.


Democracy Now! (a US radio/TV program) has a correspondent on board one of the ships.  See photos here.

New Gaza Flotilla!

A flotilla has been preparing in Greece for a trip to Gaza.  Israel, of course, is trying to stop it.  The latest news is that some of the ships have been sabotaged.

Check out this quote:

Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said yesterday the flotilla was reinforcing the fiction that there was hunger in the Strip, while in fact this was not the case. "The flotilla we're supposed to meet is creating a story that doesn't exist to maintain an actual story," Gantz said. "Anyone reading the papers will see that, at the end of the day, the situation reflected in Gaza is that of water parks and the beach, and the distance between that and a humanitarian problem is so great there isn't any connection."

Apparently the UK disagrees with that, although they don't recommend a flotilla.

Flotilla Investigation Update V

Well, the Israeli panel investigating the flotilla has reached their decision:  the Israeli government and military did nothing wrong.  And the blockade of Gaza is legal.  Somehow that's exactly what I was expecting.

Land Convoy Reaches Gaza

A convoy called Asia 1 has reached Gaza.  The convoy started in India, and reached Gaza through Egypt.  There's another part of the convoy that should be arriving by ship.  We'll have to wait and see if the ship gets through the blockade.  The convoy was supposed to reach Gaza on the anniversary of Cast Lead, the Israeli offensive against Gaza, but was a few days late.

New Flotilla Scuttled by Greed?

A Greek ship is being held in Greece, after leaving Libya.  The story is a bit confusing, but it seems as though there were activists, who gathered in Libya, to send aid to Gaza.  Then something happened, maybe a payment dispute, and the Greek ship's captain decided not to let any more of them on board, but some went ahead and jumped on board.  The ship left harbor and was then followed by the Libyan navy, until the Greek navy took over.  The British aid workers who made it on board are a bit concerned for their situation.  The remaining group in Libya is currently stranded, as their passports were confiscated.  More updates as information becomes available.

Jewish Boat Heading to Gaza: Update I

You are correct, the boat did not reach Gaza.  The Israeli navy stopped the boat and boarded it.  The Israelis claim that it was very peaceful, but the activists on the boat say that's not exactly true.  They claim some were tasered for no reason, and the elderly captain was knocked over.  Of course, since the Israelis confiscated all of the cameras, again, there is no proof of what really happened.

Jewish Boat Heading to Gaza

A boat filled with Jewish activists has left Cyprus, and is on its way to Gaza (Note: Bahrain Tribune requires free registration).  Some of the activists are from Israel, and organizers expect their boat to be stopped by the Israeli navy before it reaches Gaza.  Let's hope they get a better boarding than the last flotilla.

Flotilla Investigation Update III: UN Decides Against Israel

Yes, the UN group set up to investigate Israel's actions in the Flotilla Attack has decided that Israel violated international law and could be prosecuted.  The Israelis, of course, are saying that the findings are biased.  This is fairly typical of how Israel responds to anything it doesn't like.  If you're not with Israel, then you're an anti-Semite.  Forget those pesky facts, they don't matter.  Israel is the perpetual victim in any actions affecting that nation.  Even when they invade Lebanon or kill Palestinian children:  they had to do it to protect themselves.

Flotilla Investigation Update II

Remember the UN set up a panel to investigate the flotilla attack? The UN says they may have to question Israeli soldiers, but Israel doesn't like that. So they are threatening to pull out of the investigation. But according to Haaretz, the UN was told they couldn't question the soldiers and agreed, although Bank Ki-moon is saying he never agreed that that was completely off-limits. So it's a giant mess.

Flotilla Investigation Update

The UN has decided to investigate the flotilla incident. And apparently an official in the Israeli foreign ministry thinks that the UN Rights Council is biased against Israel. I can understand a country not wanting to have an outside commission come in and investigate. But in a case involving several countries, it makes sense to have an outside view, instead of just the view of one country (Israel).

And Israel will probably announce soon that it will not cooperate with the investigation.

Flotilla Still On

Two Lebanese ships will be trying to sail to Gaza soon. Israel is trying to stop them politically, with the UN, saying the flotilla will escalate tensions in the area. I will keep you posted.

More Flotilla News

Here's Juan Cole's post on the Libyan ship that changed course to Gaza, and a post about how Turkey is still upset about the original flotilla attack.

A French judge, currently working on the financial side of counter-terrorism says that he found out the IHH was a terrorist organization in 1996 (IHH is the Turkish group that sponsored the flotilla that was attacked). The same judge says he has investigated and Hamas has no ties to al-Qa'eda.

So far, there really hasn't been much going on with the flotillas. I haven't been able to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, nobody has been hurt. But on the other hand, this entire thing could die down and everybody may forget about Gaza (again).

Flotilla, finally...

Well, it's been coming for weeks . . . The Flotilla. Libya sent an aid ship to Gaza, but then it decided to go ahead and dock in Egypt. That was probably a good idea. It's one thing for Turkey to try and break the blockade, but Libya? Here's the Haaretz article. I'm not sure what the status is on the other ships going to Gaza, but I'll keep looking.

Flotilla Apology?

Nope - not going to happen, according to the Israeli PM. Although he was quoted as saying:

"We are sorry over the loss of life," Netanyahu said. "This is clear."

Does that count as an apology?

Flotilla Apology?

According to the Turkish Daily News, Israel may be willing to apologize and compensate the people on board the Mavi Marmara. Turkey has demanded an apology, compensation, an international inquiry, and the end of the blockade. There is diplomacy happening behind the scenes, but right now both Israel and Turkey claim the other side requested the meeting.

According to Haaretz, the "secret talks" are causing trouble for the Turkish official involved, and both Israelis and Turks are watching the situation.

The Turkish PM has gone even further saying Israel should apologize and compensate the people of Gaza, and the Israeli government has not accepted a two-state solution.

More Flotillas on the way! Update III

Supposedly more flotillas are getting ready. Hamas says they are expecting 8 ships, after the World Cup is over.

According to the Daily Star (Lebanon) Iranian lawmakers will be on the Lebanese ships that should be sailing to Gaza soon. Perhaps that is a prelude to the Iranian ships that are on also on their way.


Edit: According to BBC News, the Iranian ships are not on the way, because they will not be allowed to use the Suez Canal.

Flotilla Starting

Juan Cole has a great post about all things flotilla-related. The first "flotilla" should be 2 ships by a Lebanese women's aid society. We'll see what happens to them.

Middle East Mess

Well, things continue to get interestinger and interestinger. Lots of news from Turkey:

• The EU wants more than just the blockade lifted.
  

• Istanbul has decided to become the sister-city of Gaza.
  

• A coalition of groups is still planning a new flotilla.

• It's becoming harder to defend human rights in Israel. (This reminds me of life under George W. Bush. "You don't like torture - you're un-American, you traitor.")
  

• The President of Syria things Israel is raising the risk of another Middle East war. (Remember, you heard it here first.)
  

More Flotillas on the way! Update II

Remember the ship being sent by a German Jewish organization? Apparently they've had so many volunteers they are having to get a second ship.

The original Turkish flotilla was organized by a group called The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Aid (IHH). They're working on another flotilla for July. And Israel has added the IHH to their terrorist watch list.

I've previously posted about the Israeli-Arab Knesset member who may lose her privileges. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which overseas parliaments, is looking into it now. They're concerned about death threats she

More Flotillas on the way! Update I

Yes, even more are on the way. Juan Cole reported over the weekend that Turkey was sending another aid ship, possibly with the Turkish PM on board, and that a former Israeli military official was calling for the Israeli navy to sink the ship.

Bahrain is also sending aid, although it's using the land route through Egypt.