Since Israel must be Annihated in orderto achieve peace, the flotilla helps Jews. The only peace that will be sustainable is one in which Jews accept dhimmi status inside Palestine!

Even the PR, because no one is stupid enough to believe Terrorist are in the right... and not only that, no one dared to mess with Israel, everyone got upset, but they never actually took any action against Israel, just called them some names. Turkey and "the terrorist boat party" are cowards at best!

Israel lost the public relations battle? Public relations will not be able to stop the anti-semitism and the anti-Israel propaganda in the european and arabic media. Public relations cannot fight stupidity and hatred... It's like Don Quixjotes windmills and Kafkas process combined...

War is not a spectator sport. Nor is it a public relations and marketing ploy. Israel has imposed a fully legal and internationally recognized embargo and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Vessels that deliberately attempt to run the blockade will be interdicted at all costs. Israel demonstrated its absolute intent to thwart any attempt to evade the blockade with the vessel MARI MARMARA. That put the world on notice that Israel takes these attempts very seriously. If there are vessels -- or those who send them -- who attempt to run the blockade following the very clear lesson of the MARI MARMARA, then they do so at their own risk, and lose the right to whine and complain if their own actions elicit an Israeli reaction.

Let's think who won. When Turkish-Israeli relations turned into alliance in 1990s, immediately Syria+Greece+Iran+Armenia made a pact againt Turkish&Israeli alliance. This can tell you who wants Turkish-Israeli ties to be destroyed: Islamists, Arabs, Armenians and Greeks. These are anti-Turkish and anti-Israeli groups in the region. Unfortunately, Turkiye and Israel have been fooled into this trap. Now, Israel and Turkiye both have lost. I wish Turkiye and Israel(both are my countries) would be ruled by more diplomatic-minded and forward-looking minds.

This a question about something you wrote about Obama not being able to meet with Hamas. I need your help in supporting what you said to a friend. You wrote. "The United States Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that a terrorist organization is a terrorist organization, and that American persons -- individual or corporate; official or non-official -- may not have any contact at all with any terrorist organization. The Court also rejected the assertion that there are "moderate" elements in terrorist organizations, that one cannot separate out administrative or charitable functions of a terrorist organization from its military function." Nowhere does the law or the court ruling read "NO CONTACT". In fact; regarding contact or association the court actually goes out of its way to say association and even membership is totally legal. SECTION IV (page 40,41) "Plaintiffs’ final claim is that the material-support statute violates their freedom of association under the First Amendment.The Court of Appeals correctly rejected this claim cause the statute does not penalize mere association with a foreign terrorist organization. As the Ninth Circuit put it: “The statute does not prohibit being a member of one of the designated groups or vigorously promoting and supporting the political goals of the group. . . . What [§2339B] prohibits is the act of giving material support . . . .”

spain won....and world respects...who won the respect or lost..... just ask your self.......The war didnt start yet....between us....now u to deside to start the war or stop it. Unfortunately turkey offered you to decide and you have a realy worst past about giving bad desicions...We thing u r going to repeat the mistake

I was summarizing for the benefit of people who might have difficulty interpreting a Supreme Court ruling. The Court affirmed the restrictions upon all United States persons from engaging in any contact with terrorists and terrorist organizations. That said, I suggest you read the USA Patriot Act and the Terrorism Act of 2000 (which predates September 11), both of which define quite clearly what constitutes prohibited contact.

The author’s conclusion that IHH won some sort of victory is a stretch. The fact that the Muslim/left world condemned Israel before any investigation is the typical anti-Israel behavior we in the civilized world have come to expect in these situations. I think all of us rational thinkers can save ourselves a few keystrokes by leaving out the word “humanitarian” when referring to flotillas when we know their real purpose is to defeat Israel’s naval blockade. This means the Muslim/left is attempting to accomplish a military mission using PR tactics. Is it working? The answer is obviously no. Immediately after the Mari Marmara incident country after country promised to send additional flotillas to bolster the “starving” Gazans. Agitated Muslims pledged their lives for their Gazan brothers. Nasrallah, Assad, Achmadinajad, Erdogan and others tried to whip their people into an anti-Israel frenzy. But the blockade runners miscalculated. A majority of the world is intelligent enough to know the Gazans are not starving. We know that a naval blockade is a serious matter and not to be trifled with. And the world is learning very quickly that not all Muslims are interested in becoming martyrs for the sake of a myth. Whatever happened to that Lebanese flotilla anyway?

The result: just losers. 9 people lost their life. Turkey lost common sense. Israel lost many credits in the world. It was just a shitty, unnecessary, stupid action. By the provocateurs on the ship and the IDF.

Events will not alter overall, prior perception & mindset. Still, in sizing up the 'flotilla moment', the clip of 'activists' going absolutely nutter crazy on the ship sealed the moment for me as a clear Israeli PR victory. The underlying malevolence always lurking underneath the 'Free Gaza' movement was on full & clear display.

Yehoshua you are quite correct to say that “Nowhere does the law or the court ruling read "NO CONTACT"”. This of course runs counter to what Sarah BS ‘claimed’ as she specifically talks only about the recent ruling, for example: “Earlier this week the United States Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that a terrorist organization is a terrorist organization, and that American persons -- individual or corporate; official or non-official -- *may not have any contact* at all with any terrorist organization”. Sarah BS also stated quite clearly that: “On Monday, June 21, 2010, however, the United States Supreme Court served notice on the current administration that no United States person (individual, corporate or other) may engage in *any contact* whatsoever with a terrorist organization”. Clearly anyone who took the time to read this ruling would note that the ruling deals primarily with ‘supporting, supplying, training, financing, etc ‘terrorist organizations. Heck the word ‘contact’ is not even mentioned once in this ruling. You will also notice that in her reply to your question she avoids giving a direct answer. While previously she harped on for days that the *actual ruling on June 21, 2010* forbade and ‘contact’ by any US person/group/etc with a terrorist organization she now back-pedals and refers to other US State Acts. Yehoshua you are quite correct to challenge anything that Sarah BS claims as she has a long history of misrepresenting academic facts and making stuff up including fictional characters. Unfortunately Yehoshua I guess you will have to go back to your friend and say that your were misled and this particular ruling does not forbid US person/group/etc having contact with a terrorist organization.

I don't expect a great deal from YNet, so I realize you're not going to report objectively on "The PR fallout" on the flotilla. IHH is a registered charity similar to the Catholic Charities in the US. It is a religious charity, and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe there are Jewish charities as well who do work specifically because they are Jewish. IHH is one of only 3000 charities AROUND THE WORLD that is certified by the UN. Just because Israeli apologists for the massacres on board the mavi Marmara want to smear IHH doesn't mean that the smear tactics will work. Instead of quoting suspect sources about the IHH, why doesn't this paper do its due diligence and use sources other than Zionist ones? As far as who won the PR battle, what an inane subject. Israel is so worried about its PR? It should change its policies, not try to tar others who are trying to lift its ILLEGAL blockade on Gaza

Only today, Germany banned the IHH because of its ties with Hamas, an EU and US designated terrorist organisation. Oh Greta, is everyone who disagrees with you a Zionist??

Thanks for your answer. Can you give me more specifics as to why it is illegal for Obama to meet with Hamas.

the activists were completely non-violent which was and is patently untrue.

Greta Berlin not only justified the kidnapping and abuse of Gilad Shalit, but she refused to even carry a message from his parents. This cruel stupid woman has a lifetime of being an anti-Semite, according to her own daughter. Married once to a Palestinian, she drank the kool-aid of Jew- hatred. She speaks of international law of whcih she knows nothing, and spouts ISM rhetoric of lies she knows are not true. She even supports terrorism as legitimate struggle. According to her own family. at the dinner table she regularly railed against the "goddamn Jews." Thanks to the ISM's backers she now found a sinecure. She now says the IDF soldiers who were brought below decks and tortured were brought below because the Arabs wanted to give them medical treatment for injuries they sustained while boarding the ship, not from the passengers' acts. Such an overt liar cannot be taken seriously and this woman is a worse liar than her Arab allies and fellow ISM anarchists.

I don't know how old you are but if you are at voting age remember to vote NO fopr the new "so called" civilian constitution which gives total control of the judiciary in the hands of the government in September and vote for CHP in the next elections.

You are lying to suit your own purposes. There are many charities with the initials IHH. The charity in Germany has no connection to IHH in Turkey which sponsored the flotilla. The news articles state this clearly.

Repeating lies does not make it so. Denmark ,the U.S., AND NOW EVEN GERMANY STATE THE IHH is affiliated with the terrorist Hamas. IHH ARE NOT CHARITABLE AND CERTAINLY NOT THE BOY SCOUTS.

By a Turkish born American who is 60 years old. The IHH is part of what used to be known as the Turkish Hezbollah (Not related to Lebanese one) and Ibda-C organization. This group was responsible for killing many people in the 1970ies and 1080ies who had been reported as missing but then their dead bodies found buried inside the concrete foundation of some buildings owned by the organization. It is not clear where they get their funding. They are not welcome in some of the Turkic republics in Asia. Additionally they favor polygamy (many of their members have multiple wives by what is called IMAM NIKAHI or an Imam's consent which is illegal in Turkey) they have no respect for women, wife beating is a daily normal occurrence, girls are not sent to school and sold as wives at an early age. Looking at the Picture in Turkey from your sunny California home is different then living in Turkey 30 years visiting its most remote parts, being educated there and serving its military as I have done. Turkish is my native language and I follow the Turkish media daily.

THE 9th COMMANDMENT Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness (Lie) Did you know there are SOME things the Bible says God can not do! 1. Cannot share his glory 2. Will not violate human choice 3. Cannot fellowship sin w/o a sacrifice 4. Cannot LIE TRUTH IS BASIC TO GOD'S NATURE!

I'm just above the voting age and I will vote no, it is a must, especially this time. As you said, this "so-called" civilian constitution proposal reflects AKP's understanding of democracy: According to R.T.Erdogan democracy is a tool, not an aim, he is building his dictatorship by taking control of media, judiciary, universities and so on. I'm not sure how successful CHP will be in the upcoming general elections but my vote is for them as I think Turkiye must follow Ataturk's principles and had to save the country from AKP's damage, urgently. Regards.

I strongly suggest that you re-read the article you mention. It is the same IHH charity as in Turkey. Nice try !!

IHH is a religious charity..LOL....madam, stick to the Arab media who will believe your lies. We know who & what you are. One big ZERO & a fraud.

Exactly right. greta berlin is lower than scum.

To blatantly lie when other papers have told the real story is ridiculous. Look it up - you don't seem to have informed yourself.