Opinion
Israel, stop apologizing
Yoaz Hendel
Published: 01.06.10, 10:59
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104 Talkbacks for this article
1. Excellent
David Gleicher ,   Jerusalem   (06.01.10)
I just wish our government spokesmen would speak this way.
2. A very well written article.
John ,   Waco, TX US   (06.01.10)
It may seem strange to see someone from the US posting on here but I for one believe enoughis enough. I am talking about my governement. I watched in horror as your soldiers were ambushed and the media here accused Isreal of doing something wrong. Your right Isreal has nothing to apologize and I hope your government does not back down. I am a retired US army soldier and as with many of my fellow citizens do support Isreal and have been ashamed about the way our current president acts toward Isreal. Isreal has been a great ally to the citizens of the US and we hope for that to continue. It is my hope that your government sees this gesture as a sign that Americans do still support Isreal and we hope your country remains strong in the backlash that is still to come. May peace be with your country.
3. :: Israel has a lot to apologize for
Matty Groves ,   Fairport   (06.01.10)
Actually Israel’s sovereignty was never in risk of being undermined as Israel’s sovereignty does NOT extend to international waters nor the waters off Gaza. The only reason these ships and international civilians are in Israel is because they were kidnapped/hijacked in international waters and forced to travel to Israel. Israel was NOT exercising its sovereign right to itself from a humanitarian relief effort, rather it was illegally enforcing its siege and collective punishment on the 1.5m civilians in the Gaza Strip. This was never about ‘protecting Israel’ it is about ‘maintaining control’ over the people in Gaza. Only a Ynut would believe otherwise. So now there was ‘hundreds’ of armed civilians?! Why can’t these Ynuts like Hendel just stick to the actual facts and refrain from deliberate fabrication? At this rate the story will be that ‘thousands’ of ‘peace activists’ armed with automatic weapons attacked the innocent IDF soldiers who just want to have a little chat and a cup of tea! Anyone looking at the video footage can see there was probably less than a 20 people involved in the confrontation. And these questions will be addressed by an independent investigation. 1) Who sanctioned such a botched operation in international waters? 2) Why were these supposedly profession soldiers overpowered so quickly and their weapons taken off them by untrained civilians? 3) Why did some of these soldiers jump overboard in their attempt to flee? 4) Why were 9 or more lightly armed civilians gunned down? 5) Why were previous aid flotillas let into Gaza waters and this one stopped? Lots of questions to be addressed during the upcoming UN investigation. Well you will find out soon enough – it is reported that 3 ships are still en route to Gaza with humanitarian aid. No, the siege of Gaza was imposed because Israel’s failed policies in removing Hamas from power and because Israel continues its illegal occupation of Palestinian Land. Hamas only exist *because* of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Land and its brutal oppression of the Palestinian People. To put quite simply: If there was no Israeli occupation there would be no Hamas and not International relief efforts to break the siege of Gaza.
4. excellent indeed!
neel   (06.01.10)
5. Comment
Mohammad ,   Jordan   (06.01.10)
Calling these group "peace activists" to me sounds as funny as calling the Israeli army "Israeli DEFENCE force". The terms "peace" and "defence" have been equally twisted by both sides.
6. Sovereignty!
George ,   France   (06.01.10)
What sovereignty you are talking about? Does Israel now owns all the international waters in the Mediterranean ?
7. Agree
Noam ,   UK   (06.01.10)
we need more video evidence to be sent to the world, Israel have never been good in HASBRA.
8. Should have done it different
Ari ,   PTA SOUTH AFRICA   (06.01.10)
I totally agree with your sentiment however in order to win the media war - Israel has to do these missions with more thinking. Rather than storm the ship in early hours - they need to do it in day light in full view of international media - LIVE _ and for good measure they should dress some of our Killer Hamas Prisoners in ZAHAL uniforms and lower THEM on board first to get the frindly welcome we got!
9. 100% right
Caroline ,   London   (06.01.10)
10. Appalling
Richard   (06.01.10)
No progressive country would ever attack and kill a ship of activists on a peaceful mission to deliver aid. Israel is in no way, shape or form a progressive country. The world has registered its revulsion, yet you are blind to your country's own crimes. You are not a journalist, you are a propagandist. Of course, this could be yet another case of Israel being right, and the rest of the world being wrong.
11. ridiculous
Albrecht ,   P.O.   (06.01.10)
The police in Europe has to fight such "enemys" "armed" with such terrible "weapons" as bats and knives every week during and after the soccer games. But they do not act as a "progressive" country like Israel.
12. The harm is done, it should apologize.
Humanis ,   Jordan   (06.01.10)
I think Israel chose the wrong approach, it had many options to prevent the flotilla from achieving its objective which is ending the blockade of Gaza, Israel could and should have blocked the ships from entering Gaza and kept them from entering and wage the media war which is in fact is a media war. Because it's a crucial moment for Israel that the end result from this humanitarian aid is a stronger Hamas, Israel should bring it to the open that it is fighting an evil ideology on behalf of the civilized world, two months in the sea won't do the harm as it is done now.
13. btavo, it's about time someone we speek the truth
ghostq   (06.01.10)
any other country would not even take care of the injured, even USA policy is zero tolerance for someone who doesn't follow, they just take the guns and shoot. in Israel case only 40 minuts after they were on the boat they shoot fire, they had no choce cause one of the soldiers was thrown of the upper deck and the other got fractured to his skull, I wish him speedy recovery.
14. Next time such a convoy is aproached
Matityahu ,   Slovenia   (06.01.10)
it should be dealt accordingly. No troops raiding on the deck. A couple of warnings and if the ship ignores them, first warning shots and if that isn't enough, open fire untill the vessel is stopped. There's no reason to risk the lives of the soldiers, besides, no matter what Israel does, it will still be regarded as the villian by intern. community.
15. Stop apologising
Geoff Short ,   London, UK   (06.01.10)
A brief but excellent article. I agree with every word
16. More commendations
Barbara ,   Haifa Israel   (06.01.10)
I agree with this article and the author and the talkbacker. An excellent article stating exactly the way Israelis should think. God protects those that protect themselves.....
17. Ask Ambaasadors what their citizens were doing on the boats
Jonny ,   South Africa   (06.01.10)
Right on, perhaps we should be calling in the ambassadors of European countries and ask them for an explanation as to why their citizens were on board these vessel. Maybe a 6 am wake up call to them, and a demand that they institute an enquiry into their citizens conduct.
18. Humanitarians
L Reik ,   Tel Aviv   (06.01.10)
Let us note that Noam Shalit had asked the "humanitarians" on board if they would deliver something to his son. You can guess what their response was.
19. This flotilla was organized to get headlines for violence
Eric ,   Tel Aviv & New York   (06.01.10)
The article is correct and better written than anything our government has put out. Enough is enough - when armed "humanitarians," on their way to support an enemy group, attack soldiers with empty hands and then start shooting at them there should be no surprise that there is a loss of life. If they were so peaceful why did they grab the soldiers and try to lynch them?
20. When the hell will the Jews of Israel grow a set of
Al   (06.01.10)
balls and being a bunch of morons. You send soldiers into harms way with paintball guns? Are you a bunch of morons? Bibi..these so called generals should be fired and placed on trial for dereliction of duty and criminal negligence. Indeed every single parent in Israel who has a child in the military should march in unison against the military leadership for abandoning their soldiers (kids) in the field of battle. Heads should roll. The IDF is the laughing stock in the eyes of military people all over the world. You have become a nation of saps.
21. I'm still pissed!
M. Hartley ,   Atlanta, US   (06.01.10)
I appreciate some aspects of this opinion piece, but still and yet, it, like most of the articles pertaining to the situation, still contains too many explanations and too much hand-wringing as to why's and wherefore's regarding this incident. WTF is everybody demanding, hoping, and expecting that Israel come up with “credible explanations” for a debacle seemingly created intentionally by a bunch of misguided and phony do-gooders? Why isn't anyone asking them and their “sponsors” to explain their attacks with bats and metal rods on soldiers, who hadn't even hit the deck on that ship? For crying out loud, Israel, stop with the Mr. Nice Guy shtick! How long will it take to realize that “diplomacy” isn't getting you anywhere? A long, long time ago, when I whined to my mother about some forgotten incident, instead of commiserating, she handed me one of her wise tidbits that changed my life. She told me that people will walk all over me only as long as I choose to lie down and that I had best get off my butt and stand up, if I don't want to get used to it and accept it as normal. That goes for countries, too. Somebody over there, please, come up with the guts to stand up and tell the world to go to hell!
22. Don't apologize, except to yourself
Salma ,   Palestine   (06.01.10)
Your apologize Mr. Hendel, will not bring the clock back, and will not revive the dead innocent ..... Apology is not sufficient for the humanitarian world as a whole, but it may be good to apologize to yourself, to always remember that you're human, just like all those who were killed. I think that the justification you provided by what happened, is the biggest disgrace to the "IDF", which is the most powerful army in the region, however, did not know what to do with civilians armed with knives, so killing ten of them !!! and if it is true that your army terrified of knives, so really this army is a myth, hide behind weapons,and in the depths of the sea.
23. Earthquake
Leah ,   israel   (06.01.10)
The next time Turkey have an earthquake dont expect us to help or supply anything. We will not be going to Turkey for our holidays either. We will not spend our money on radicals who hate us!
24. I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!! Well said.
Susan ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (06.01.10)
25. Good article
Proud Israeli ,   Israel   (06.01.10)
NO country in the world would let its' enemies embark with loaded ships without examining what they were carrying. This flotilla refused to listen. I am sorry for the loss of life, but they "asked for it". I don't mean to sound paranoid, but we always get blamed, no matter what we do.
26. because of this they should never have sent them
dina ,   israel   (06.01.10)
What idiot sends the poor soldiers into such a scenario. Where was the military intelligence, the weeklong preparations. How can you send slodiers one after the other with asbest gloves going down a ladder... the descicion makers are to blame. shame on us that we let them put our soldiers into such dangers.
27. Most of the population would agree with you Yoaz.
Talula ,   Israel   (06.01.10)
Me included.
28. Armed with bats and knives?
Bar ,   Unknown   (06.01.10)
Some of them, yes. But most of them did not carry any weapons whatsoever. I cannot wait to hear the story from both sides. But when Dutch & English peaceactivists will speak their mind blinded people will probably say that they are paid by Hamas. Or say that all 600 of them are lying. Right....
29. HUMANITARIAN HELP FROM TURKEY
jaroslaw nowak ,   Lodz, Poland   (06.01.10)
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TURKEY RECEIVING 'HUMANITARIAN' FLOTILLA WITH HELP FOR THE KURDS - PKK.
30. ...Sweden
Erik ,   Sweden   (06.01.10)
Swedish regular police has actually shot and killed people people for less violence... Clearly these soldiers were in a life-threatening situation and acted in self defence
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