Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi said Thursday she is not surprised by revelations that IDF troops looted Turkish Gaza-bound ships,
and that she had filed a complaint over the matter earlier.
"People who come to kill have no problem stealing," she said. "I'm not surprised at all."
The Arab MK said that following the Turkish flotilla's arrival, she sent a letter to the justice minister, internal security minister, and defense minister, demanding that authorities look into the disappearance of personal belongings on the ships.
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Probe of soldiers suspected of stealing, selling goods from Turkish Gaza-bound ship evokes anger, embarrassment among army officials, politicians. 'If this is true, there must be a serious problem in the army,' senior officer says |
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"Everything that happened on board the ship was an act of pirates…the state cultivates a culture of criminality," she said. "If such culture grants legitimacy to killing people, is it any wonder that belongings are being stolen from passengers?"
Moreover, the Knesset member claimed that the looting started even before the Turkish Gaza-bound ship she sailed on docked at the Ashdod port.
"I'm personally familiar with a person who stood next to me and asked where my money was. He held $2,000 and 2,000 Euros. This proves beyond any doubt that the theft got underway even before the ship's seizure."
MK Zoabi says that the roughly 600 passengers on board the ship brought many personal belongings with them, including laptops, cameras, and cash.
"Where did it all disappear? Immediately after the flotilla arrived I sent a letter…where I detailed all the equipment we had. With the exception of clothing, nothing was returned. This is clearly a theft. All the valuables disappeared."
"This isn't the first time we hear the IDF being linked to looting and robbery," Zoabi said. "We've heard about incidents that took place in the West Bank; dozens of incidents involving Palestinians who were robbed and whose homes and businesses were looted. So I'm asking: Is this the society that claims that its army is the most moral in the world?"
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