AMERIQUE:


A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: It is the unspoken statistic, but it is as real as anything to do with the lingering U.S. war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the military, 1,800 American servicemen have killed themselves since the initial invasion of Baghdad. That is in addition to the more than 4,000 who died in battle. This week, families of the soldiers who committed suicide asked President Barack Obama to change the government policy of not forwarding letters of appreciation to mothers and fathers of these servicemen. By week's end, the White House had reversed the policy and agreed that such letters are needed, as well... - Eduardo Paz-Martinez, Editor of The Tribune

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Except For Lone Loyal Ally, World Condemns Israel's Midnight Attack on Aid Flotilla Bound For Gaza Strip...


By PATRICK ALCATRAZ
Special to The Tribune

McALLEN - It is admittedly a world away, but something rankles us when we hear of Israel attacking anybody. True, it is a country with a long, long history of being on the short end of things, that horrible adventure in Germany being high on the list. But this latest assault by Israeli forces on an aid flotilla headed for blockaded Gaza cannot help things for the starcrossed Jewish people.

This latest episode began sometime after midnight Sunday, when Israeli commandos dropped-in on a seven-boat flotilla carrying some 10,000 pounds of aid for residents living without basic goods and materials. According to the aid group sponsoring the flotilla, activists aboard their ships were armed only with basic self-defense weaponry. Israel, meanwhile, said its commandos descended on the flotilla's main ship carrying only "paint ball" pistols and small arms. In all nine flotilla members were killed, most of them from Turkey, the location of the flotilla's departure port. Israel said seven of its commandos were wounded in the hours-long deck fighting.

What makes it an even worse public relations nightmare for Israel is the acknowledged fact that the flotilla was not carrying weapons of any sort, a contention Israel has used in the past to stop boats headed for Hamas-controlled Gaza. Without the aid flotilla, residents of the city of Gaza and outlying villages in the Gaza Strip have relied on minimal survival shipments via Egypt.

In this country, President Obama expressed regret upon hearing of the assault and resulting battle at sea. In recent weeks, a rift of sorts has developed between President Obama and headstrong Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu centered on Israel's continue desire to tighten the vice on the Palestinians - action the U.S. considers not helpful in the search for peace in the region. What's worse, the world knows that Israel gets its military supplies and a sizable foreign aid package from the United States - a perception that, says Washington, D.C., only fuels anti-American sentiment abroad.

As some 600 activists were being detained in the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod, word surfaced that another aid ship had sailed from the coast of Italy for Gaza. Still, Israeli stayed with the fight. Said Israeli Navy commander, in an article published by The Jerusalem Post"Next time, we'll use more force."

And while Netanyahu did not issue any comments, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon took a hard line, saying the protesters have links to Al Qaeda. He discounted reports that the flotilla's main ship -  Mavi Marmara - was part of a "Freedom Flotilla" carrying medical and school supplies, and construction materials to the besieged Gaza Strip.

The blockade has been in place since 2007. In numerous declarations issued during the past two years, Israel has vowed to enforce the blockade. It considers the seemingly benevolent flotilla organization - Insani Yardin Vakfi, AKA I.H.H. - a dangerous Islamic group with terrorist connections.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, had been scheduled to meet with President Obama today. Instead, he hurriedly returned to Jerusalem. There, he expected to deal with harsh condemnation of his country's action lodged by most members of the United Nations, including its regional allies Turkey and Egypt. The United States did not join in the condemnation.

The blockade initially was supported by Egypt as a way of putting pressure on Hamas, the radical government that took over the Gaza Strip three years ago. Israel has also said that it wishes to punish Hamas for the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He was captured in a 2006 cross-border raid and remains in the hands of Hamas, or so the Israelis believe...

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know about the Isreal people, is like they bomb the gaza strip just to practice with the bombing skills.
By the way, I heard there is new blog in Harlingen, no one wants to give information. Do you by any accident know the web-site???
Thanks just to check it out.

Patrick Alcatraz said...

ANON: We're all for Israel defending itself. We just don't think that country's existence ought to come thanks to the wallets of the American people and no one else. Israel has no economy, no industry. Without the U.S., it is nothing. (2.) We have no info on Harlingen blogs, other than MyHarlingenNews.com, which we follow... - Editor

Anonymous said...

Without the U.S., it is nothing.

Actually, it is without U.S. jews. The U.S. will go and defend Israel. Because so many rich American Jews will demand that it happen.

jerez

Patrick Alcatraz said...

JEREZ: I agree. And I believe things would be different if Israel were a free-standing, self-supporting country. Instead, it maintains and feeds and defends itself by way of U.S. aid. There is now global condemnation of this stupid attack on the aid flotilla. there are 1.6 million people living in the Gaza Strip. They must feed themselves. Gaza is a desert hellhole. Israel over-reacted and now the US has to join NATO in seeking a fair investigation into the killing of nine aid activists. Netanyahu has to resign... - Editor

Anonymous said...

Netanyahu has to resign... -

It'll be over the dead stinking bodies of every Jew in the U.S. On top of B.Netanyahu sounds and acts like an American.

jerez

Patrick Alcatraz said...

Jerez: We agree on the salient point you make here, but do wish you'd not use phrases like "dead, stinking bodies". In the future, it may force us to reject your comment. Try non-offending words before you reach down to the gutter... - Editor

Anonymous said...

American Jews own most News media / press and also most of the Gigantic U.S.A. Banks / Gold stocks.
It is very rare that you see reports of corruption in the Media , because this well - rounded and controlled business / mafia.