• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Jewish activists set sail to defy Gaza blockade

24107

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
2,809
Reaction score
824
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Undisclosed
A small group of Jewish activists, including an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor and a former Israeli soldier, have vowed to defy Israel's blockade of Gaza after setting sail from northern Cyprus on Sunday afternoon

Reuven Moskovitz, an 82-year-old passenger who survived the Nazi Holocaust, told AFP he felt duty-bound to attempt the voyage, which is expected to take around 36 hours.

"It is a sacred duty for me, as a (Holocaust) survivor, to protest against the persecution, the oppression and the imprisonment of so many people in Gaza, including more than 800,000 children," Moskovitz said.
France24 - Jewish activists set sail to defy Gaza blockade
 
The Israeli military says it has taken control of a boat carrying Jewish activists to the Gaza Strip and was towing it into an Israeli port.

Israel had promised to stop the Irene, which was trying to breach a three-year naval blockade of Gaza.

Earlier this year, Israeli commandos killed nine people in clashes on board a Turkish ship trying to reach Gaza.

Israel says its blockade is designed to prevent weapons being smuggled to Hamas militants who run the territory.

Latest attempt

Israeli naval forces boarded the Irene "without incident" on Tuesday morning some 20 miles (30km) off the Gaza coast, the military said.

Naval forces were towing the boat to an Israeli port, it added.

Earlier, organisers of the voyage said the 10m (32-foot) catamaran was being blocked by an Israeli warship and trailed by several smaller boats, including one with machine-guns mounted on the front and back. BBC Middle East

As promised by the Israeli Navy, the Irene has been boarded and is now headed into Ashdod.
 
As promised by the Israeli Navy, the Irene has been boarded and is now headed into Ashdod.

The "Irene" made its point of registering protest with the maritime blockade and those on board acted in an honorable and peaceful fashion. Assuming all the goods on board were of a humanitarian nature--and the non-violent response provides a hint that they were--they will be delivered via land to the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, those on board succeeded in registering their political opposition to the maritime blockade while respecting Israel's security needs during that protest.
 
Well, who would've believed?
No armed resistance to boarding=no injured or killed in the process of stopping the ship.
Media coverage is ample, protest noted and acknowledged, and no one was hurt.
Looks like the Turks have a thing or two to learn...
 
Laws....do we really need more.
I was stuck at the DMV and searched the Blackberry App Store for something to do.
I found a game that lets me throw shoes at former President Bush Jr. and Bush Sr.
It is named 2010 DC and is available on the Blackberry App world.
God Bless the First Amendment

Oh moderator.......
 
Looks like the Turks have a thing or two to learn...

Yes -- that that being a bloodthirsty Islamist racist with a desire to lynch Jews will give you much more world-wide publicity and support than being a peaceful Jewish activist making a political statement.
 
The "Irene" made its point of registering protest with the maritime blockade and those on board acted in an honorable and peaceful fashion. Assuming all the goods on board were of a humanitarian nature--and the non-violent response provides a hint that they were--they will be delivered via land to the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, those on board succeeded in registering their political opposition to the maritime blockade while respecting Israel's security needs during that protest.

The Irene was a much easier vessel to board and stop if necessary, I do admire the bravery of those involved on both sides of this incident - there remains legitimate cause for protest even if some elements of the Gaza blockade have been eased.
 
Well, I for one have no problem at all with people expressing their opinions while remaining in the boundaries of the law.
We live in a democratic state, this is neither China nor Iran, and I won't oppose people's rights to express whatever opinions they may hold in any form of legal protest they may engage in, like I didn't oppose the right of the leftists to have their 'march' a few months ago when they've called for an unconditional end to the occupation of the West Bank.

Problem is this was not a legal protest, this was an attempt to run a state's naval blockade, and in the case of some of the ship's crew, their own country's naval blockade.
Since I believe in the rule of law I would want such actions to be punished, so that people would know the difference between a legal form of protest and an illegal form of protest.
I have an idea myself about how those folks should be punished by the law; I think the law should fine them and have that money transferred directly to the budget of the department of defense.
That way such actions will be a direct support for the defense of Israeli citizens from rockets fire, a most suiting punishment that would also act as a strong deterrence from such violations in the future.
Also ironic, which is always fun.
 
The Irene was a much easier vessel to board and stop if necessary, I do admire the bravery of those involved on both sides of this incident - there remains legitimate cause for protest even if some elements of the Gaza blockade have been eased.

Others here believe that the legitimate cause of protest is that Hamas is denied access to weapons,a s it is engaged in a legitimate fight against Israel (and apparently its civilian population, which it targets).

Again, given that Israel has said it will allow in any humanitarian goods that are delivered through Israel, can you remaind me what the legitimate cause of protest is?
 
The "Irene" made its point of registering protest with the maritime blockade and those on board acted in an honorable and peaceful fashion. Assuming all the goods on board were of a humanitarian nature--and the non-violent response provides a hint that they were--they will be delivered via land to the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, those on board succeeded in registering their political opposition to the maritime blockade while respecting Israel's security needs during that protest.

When I come into the Middle East Forum it sometimes feels like I am walking into the Twilight Zone. If this were the U.S. no one would consider this behavior acceptable. If it were China, hell, people would go bat**** insane and start letter-writing campaigns. However, when Israel cracks down on a protest they're given a pat on the back and any improprieties blamed on the protesters.
 
Others here believe that the legitimate cause of protest is that Hamas is denied access to weapons,a s it is engaged in a legitimate fight against Israel (and apparently its civilian population, which it targets).

Israel certainly indulged in collective punishment of ordinary Gazans but are you saying Hamas targets its own?

As for weapons, Hamas hasn't had any problems during the blockade getting weapons through the tunnels. Sea blockade or no sea blockade.

Again, given that Israel has said it will allow in any humanitarian goods that are delivered through Israel, can you remaind me what the legitimate cause of protest is?

details

Just guessing, but methinks you'll be one of those who claim Gaza is some kind of luxury 5 star holiday camp.
 
When I come into the Middle East Forum it sometimes feels like I am walking into the Twilight Zone. If this were the U.S. no one would consider this behavior acceptable. If it were China, hell, people would go bat**** insane and start letter-writing campaigns. However, when Israel cracks down on a protest they're given a pat on the back and any improprieties blamed on the protesters.

That's because, contrary to the anti-Israeli propaganda and campaigns of demonizations, Israel was justified in its actions.
If Chinese forces or any other forces were taking exactly the same actions as Israel did in the exact same circumstances, it would have been just as justified.
In this case I don't get the drama, as no one was hurt and the illegal attempt to run a blockade has been stopped.

Nevertheless your words here are quite bizarre, too, as anyone could tell you that people have gone bat**** insane about Israel's actions regarding the attempts to run its blockade, this forum is but a shard of the evidence.
 
When I come into the Middle East Forum it sometimes feels like I am walking into the Twilight Zone. If this were the U.S. no one would consider this behavior acceptable. If it were China, hell, people would go bat**** insane and start letter-whriting campaigns. However, when Israel cracks down on a protest they're given a pat on the back and any improprieties blamed on the protesters.

Israel professes that it just wants to be 'one of the lads' in international terms but always seems to expect VIP treatment on a night out.
 
Israel professes that it just wants to be 'one of the lads' in international terms but always seems to expect VIP treatment on a night out.

Seeking to be treated as an equal among sovereign states is anything but seeking VIP treatment.
 
In this case I don't get the drama, as no one was hurt and the illegal attempt to run a blockade has been stopped.

Let us see, maybe it was this:

In the meantime, those on board succeeded in registering their political opposition to the maritime blockade while respecting Israel's security needs during that protest.

That is just downright absurd language to use in this case.

Nevertheless your words here are quite bizarre, too, as anyone could tell you that people have gone bat**** insane about Israel's actions regarding the attempts to run its blockade, this forum is but a shard of the evidence.

I was not talking about everyone in the whole world, just the overall tenor of debate.

Seeking to be treated as an equal among sovereign states is anything but seeking VIP treatment.

They are not seeking equal treatment. They expect to be treated better than other countries. Not that it is unusual for any country to expect that.
 
Seeking to be treated as an equal among sovereign states is anything but seeking VIP treatment.

Thinking international laws only apply when Israel wants it to is how it maintains its VIP treatment. That and the United States stopping any enforceable action being done againt the rogue State.
 
Back
Top Bottom