News
A brutal ambush at sea
Ron Ben-Yishai
Published: 31.05.10, 15:44
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
348 Talkbacks for this article
1. Flotilla was an act of war by Turkey against Israel
m   (05.31.10)
with the participation of other European countries. Is everyone blind?
2. Defence
(05.31.10)
Aren't those who are opearting a ship allowed to fight back when pirates board without any legal right to do so? This was a hostile takeover in Int'l waters. If they waited until the ship was within 12 miles of Israeli territory it would be a different story.
3. The World Does'nt Believe Your Lies
S ,   USA   (05.31.10)
4. Just read Fox news or Yahoo news head
Eric... ,   Israel...   (05.31.10)
lines.Then read CNN head lines and see how biassed CNN is.There reporters should be banned from Israel.They never give Israel a fair report.CNN just loves Arab money.
5. G#d bless these soldiers
Dani ,   Tel Aviv   (05.31.10)
Thank you. The world had an opinion about us even before 1948, before 1967 and before you entered this terrorist vessel. G#d bless these brave soldiers.
6. Reclaiming Our Language From The Left
Robert Blum ,   New Albany, USA   (05.31.10)
Courtesy of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Thursday Israel will again be the target of a jihadist-leftist propaganda assault. A flotilla of nine ships which set sail for Gaza from Cyprus earlier this week is scheduled to arrive at our doorstep. The expressed aim of the flotilla's organizers is to unlawfully provide aid and comfort to Hamas - an illegal terrorist organization. Since it seized power in Gaza three years ago, Hamas, which is openly committed to the genocide of world Jewry and the physical eradication of Israel, has transformed the Gaza Strip into a hub of the global jihad. It has been illegally holding hostage Gilad Schalit incommunicado for four years. And it is continuously engaged in a massive, Iranian-financed arms buildup ahead of its next assault. Beyond providing aid to Hamas, the declared aim of the "Free Gaza" movement is to coerce Israel into providing Hamas with an outlet to the sea. This too is in contravention of international law which expressly prohibits states and non-state actors from providing any support to terrorist organizations. IN SENDING out the latest group of ships, Turkey and its Irish, Greek and Swedish partners seek to appropriate the imagery of the Jewish pre-statehood struggle for independence from Britain. In a bid to appease Hamas's jihadist precursors, in 1939 Britain's Mandatory authorities broke international law and prohibited Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine. The League of Nations' letter of mandate for Britain specifically enjoined the British to facilitate Jewish immigration to the land of Israel. Yet following the Arab terror war from 1936-1939, the British issued the White Paper that all but prohibited Jewish immigration. This move blocked the one place on Earth where European Jews were wanted from accepting them and so trapped 6 million Jews in Hitler's Europe. In the aftermath of the war, the British maintained their prohibition on Jewish immigration. To fight this British policy, the Zionist leadership in pre-state Israel organized the Aliya Bet program of illegal immigration. Jewish agents scoured the world for ships large enough to bring Europe's Jewish refugees to the land of Israel. The ship most emblematic of the era was the Exodus. The Exodus which set sail from France in July 1947 with 4,515 Jewish Holocaust survivors on board was the Zionist response to a new British policy to force illegal immigrant ships to return to Europe. The British rammed the Exodus in Haifa. They boarded and killed three Jewish defenders. They then forced its passengers to board British prison ships that would return them to Europe. French authorities denied the ships the right to land in France, so the British sailed on to Hamburg, Germany, where the refugees were forced to disembark. The international outcry against Britain in the wake of the Exodus affair shamed London into cancelling its new policy. It also paved the way for Israel's independence 10 months later. Now the Turkish, Greek, Swedish and Irish governments are colluding with Hamas to purloin the imagery of the Exodus and the heroism of the Jewish people in the years leading up to statehood and project that imagery onto a terrorist organization that seeks to complete Hitler's work. They further seek to invert reality by portraying Israel, which in accordance with international law is trying to contain and defeat Hamas, as a combination of the German Nazis and the British imperialists. SO FAR, they are getting away with it. So far, for their efforts on behalf of a genocidal terrorist organization Erdogan and his ilk are being extolled as human rights champions. Barring any unexpected events, Israel will suffer yet another public relations disaster on Thursday when the ships approach Gaza.Caroline Glick
7. Now get this information out to the world media
Barry ,   north Israel   (05.31.10)
8. I surely hope IDF has that on video
(05.31.10)
I hope for once IDF didn't screw up, and got everything on video. The world doesn't believe our soldiers, only footage of all this can be effective.
9. Atrocious planning, Never underestimate hamas, NEVER AGAIN
Pinky ,   Brooklyn   (05.31.10)
Soldiers were the real ‘peace activists,’ turks were hamas's brutal soldiers.
10. What "enemy" will be the next? Kindergarten? (End)
Albrecht ,   P.O.   (05.31.10)
11. IDF NEEDS MASSIVE REVIEW FOR WAR WITH IRAN/SYRIA/HEZ/HAMAS
(05.31.10)
12. Sounds Like This Wasn't Properly Planned
Reuven Brauner ,   Raanana, Israel   (05.31.10)
A botched mission based on bad assumptions and poor intelligence. Who sends soldiers down onto hostile ships armed with paint-ball guns? Why not squirt guns? Someone screwed up.
13. A defining moment in Israel history
Dr. Honey ,   Gaza   (05.31.10)
Remember this day. Remember this date.
14. Public relations disaster
adam ,   scottsdale, az, usa   (05.31.10)
this is a shame for the sole reason that it is a public relations disaster..... this version of the story will never reach the world....
15. Brave Soliders.
Ana ,   Spain.   (05.31.10)
The Israeli soldiers are to be admired. G-d Bless each and every one. Amen!
16. I wonder
puzzled ,   germany   (05.31.10)
.. but surely .. the above is satire, must be, there can be no doubt, or ..?
17. More sympathisers for Palestine
Michael Bovo ,   Bhaktapur Nepal   (05.31.10)
You're sure good at kicking own goals Israel. Thanks for providing millions of more supporters for Israel. Keep playing the "mad dog". As if muscular Judaism or muscular anything bothers us. I'll be on the next flotilla. Thanks to you guys, we'll have more supporters, more money and a lot more ships. Perhaps we should name one of the next vessels, Exodus 2010.
18. very humanitarian activists
peace activist ,   holding a knife?   (05.31.10)
sure. 570 men with clubs and knives come in peace, right? animals will be animals will be animals
19. Nice Plot
Khaled ,   Kuwait   (05.31.10)
So how many days it took u to come up with this nice scenario?? u really should go west to Hollywood man, 007 couldnt do your stunts!
20. Excellent article/critque... required reading for
Erastus CoupeDeVille ,   Ong's Hat, NJ USA   (05.31.10)
piracy-on-the-high-seas 101. The Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank should realize that Israel's security requirements can only be met if Israel is the port-of-entry for Palestinian commerce... Israel needs it's share of "customs-duties/tribute".
21. sending our troops in with paintball guns?
Brian ,   Tel Aviv, Israel   (05.31.10)
ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?!?!?!?!??!? WHAT THE HELL????????????? Why are we always willing to take casualties while giving all advantages to our enemies, and if you have a blockade and the ships announce they are intending to brake it time and time again, and the attempt to, than just sink those ships! STUPID, just like we let protesters attack every weekend, and Arabs throw stones in Jerusalem and everywhere, and snatch weapons from soldiers, TIME TO DROP THE HAMMER!!!!!! Why are we allowing Sheyetet 13 to be used like this!?!? DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of our most elite units, misused, injured and completely just wasted, the clowns in charge need to be stripped of their rank!!!! WE NEED TO GET SERIOUS AROUND HERE, AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT WORLD OPINION, WHO CARES WHAT THEY THINK, THEY ARE AGAINST US NO MATTER WHAT, CAN WE AT LEAST BE FOR US!?!?!??? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WHO IS THE ASS COMMANDER WHO DECIDED TO SEND OUR GUYS IN WITH PAINTBALL GUNS!?!?!?!? HE SHOULD BE BEAT BY TWENTY GUYS WITH BATS AND PIPES!!!!!!! Some of our most elite troops out of commission, and wasted on this B.S.!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNEFFINBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a dumb operation!!!!!!! Pure stupidity!!!!!!!!!
22. HEZBOLLAH WILL BECOME A HUMANITARIAN AID GROUP IN NEXT WAR
(05.31.10)
23. THE TRUTH WILL UNFOLD.
keran ,   australia   (05.31.10)
So this is Army side of the story ? As menthioned the most moral army in the world. I haven't heard what the other 600 passengers have to say . I look forward to hearing there side. The 600 all can't lie.
24. to dr horny
me   (05.31.10)
we rmember your lies we remember everyday the sucide bombing never again!! god bless idf
25. the world reaction is an anarchist's dream come true.
Michael   (05.31.10)
it is a sad testimony to the human race that there could be a situation where law abiding citizens and anarchists could support such manipulative deviant behavior.. It kind a makes you wonder what future humanity is heading for?!
26. only one mistake
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (05.31.10)
Israel should have deployed the YSM. Unlike the commandos who train to fight soldiers, the YSM stormtroopers are trained to use extreme violence to subdue people armed with knives and clubs. The YSM stormtroopers would have enjoyed the challenge of fighting the racists, and captured all of them severely wounded but not dead.
27. If these were peace activists
P ,   England   (05.31.10)
with humanitary aid, why didn't they allow their aid to be surveyed (with their own representatives) for arms in Ashdod and then pass to Gaza, as Israel governmnet offered? It seems to me Israel is just looking out for its security by disallowing Hamas to arm itself.
28. Oh really?
J   (05.31.10)
haven't you ever heard of people lying for their cause? why on earth would they bring knives and weapons to a "humanitarian" cause? The truth is unfolded - but you are to biased to believe it when you see it.
29. The day "peace activists" showed their true face...
J   (05.31.10)
30. Tear gas on a moving ship
Darren ,   Texas, USA   (05.31.10)
I'm sure tear gas would have been a nice idea on land, but if you look at the video, there's a pretty heavy wind, either from the weather or more likely the ship moving. Smoke and tear gas would seem to be of limited effectiveness in this environment. Maybe stingball grenades would have been a better idea to clear the landing zones, but to be honest I'll defer to the Israeli naval commandos in their decisions. It's not as if they have a long catalog of prior naval takedowns of 600-passenger ships full of "peace activists" at sea to take down. This sounds a lot more like a seaborne WTO protest. The best thing the Israelis could have done would have been to build mockups of a Starbucks and a Bank of America and lower those onto the far end of the ship. The "peace activists" would have been drawn there to protest (and get coffee), making it easy to gain control of the ship.
Next talkbacks
Back to article