should ensure that funding does not go to organizatiopns that work against peace." Well there goes foreign aid to Israel. Maybe if the provacation of the blocade was not there... then this provacative act would not take place.

Peace is the last thing on the minds of the flotilla organizers and participants. That is why intelligence reports indicate that some of the crew are packing chemical weapons and planning to murder Israeli soldiers. The flotilla is intended for no other purpose than to demonize Israel. It should be treated as a hostile criminal invasion.

Or are your views based on hate based propaganda? Israel's blockade is 100% legal on the grounds that Hamas, an official terrorist organization whose charter calls for Israel's destruction, and acts on it by firings thousands of missiles into Israel, brutally took control of Gaza. Read and learn international law before making ignorant statements...perhaps you should give your home back to Carlos from Mexico? and would you tolerate missiles firing by your house from Mexico? Hypocritical Americans we are!

Just today we hear that hospitals in Benghazi are short of vital supplies that cannot be replaced because Benghazi is cut off. They are short of every thing from surgical masks and surgical glass to anaesthetics and cancer drugs.Operating theatres have been closed and chemotherapy drugs for children with cancer are severely rationed.People are dying who could normally be saved. Yet 'flotilla activists' prefer to expend effort and shipping on a doomed mission to 'aid' Gaza which doesn't need it,just to make a cheap point and get some anti-Israel publicity. They are not humanitarians and they are not furthering peace. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!

Your interpretation of "history and facts" is questionable. Israel is subjecting the civilian population of the Gaza Strip to cruel collective punishment. If it would not have been for the protests of the Gaza Free Movement Israel would stil have been starving the population. It had to be shamed into allowing pasta into the Strip. What Israel is doing is to keep the Strip on the brink of collapse, wrecking its econmy, preventing fishermen from fishing by restricting the fishing range to a couple of miles, preventing Gaza's farmers from exporting cash crops. Israel has wrecked Gaza's textile business, with joint ventures between Gazan and Israeli businessmen that gave employment to Palestinian men and women. The economic wrecking policy dates from long before Hamas ever appeared on the scene. When Hamas observed cease-fires like it did for long periods in 2007 and is doing right now, this is not followed with positive measures by Israel, By continuing its policy of collective punishment Israel is - as John Robey from Austin stated at # 1 - working against peace rather than coming to some sort of modus vivendi with pragmatists in Hamas. No missiles on either side. Live and let live.

The Arabs have started all six wars; all of which were won by Israel. Israel has been the victim of unrelenting Arab terror for seven decades. What part of that do you not understand? The Arabs are consistently the aggressors, yet you fault Israel for defending her borders, the legality of the blockade imposed upon the Strip -- which is both fully legal and internationally recognized, and the safety and security of the Israeli people. That makes you either extraordinarily anti-Semitic or extraordinarily dumb. Take your pick.

Run Your Government. Rather than inspect the ships on the open sea and then let the few tons of medicine and food through your leaders would rather use brute force to solve all of its problems. It has and will murder innocent civilians and then try to lie its way out. #2 We don't have to demonize Israel. Israel is doing a great job of that already.

The flotilla is doing an action of war, trying to enter a war-sone. Then they must be treated like an attacking group, The people should be taken to jail, and the ships brought to a harbour for reducing the vessels into scrap metal.

You are right: the flotilla's aim is indeed to "demonize" the Zionist state, as the author puts it. But it is that state that directly menaces Middle East and world peace. When the flotilla's aims are ultimately attained and the Zionist state is no more, then there will be peace in the Middle East, and the ongoing threat to world peace will have been removed. Go, flotilla, go!!

The purpose of non-violent civil disobedience is to provoke an overeaction by the oppressor. In this case, Israel is clearly oppressing the civilian population of Gaza and it is onlyu right, and fair, that the brutality of this collective punidshment be exposed. It is hypocritucal of the author to claime there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Perhps you should volunteer your 'Jewish' stare to suffer the same treatment as the Palestinians. Perhaps Israel should be treated as an open air prison, blockaded and denied medical and building supplies. Perhaps Israeli land should be confiscated without compensation. or basic aid threatened to be cut off becuse the oppressed don't lick the boots of their oppressors.Or how about the continual incitement and brutality practiced upon civilians with impunity. You are a sorry example of the victimized whining about their victimhood. Grow Up.

"The Arabs have started all six wars;" Sally, pleeze "all of which were won by Israel." depends on what you mean by "won" I mean the conflict continues..where is the victory in that? Israel has been the victim of unrelenting Arab terror for seven decades. "unrelenting" again Sally control yourself.. "what part of that do you not understand?" What part of "that" has anything to do with the blocade? The Arabs are consistently the aggressors, "of course they are Sally the Arabs are "consistently" bad and Israel is always good. "yet you fault Israel for defending her borders", Her borders? I thought we were talking about Gaza and the Medeterranian Sea here "the legality of the blockade imposed upon the Strip -- which is both fully legal and internationally recognized," wow tell that to the UN and the safety and security of the Israeli people. Of course Sally all that medicine poses a serious security threat to your nuclear weapons That makes you either extraordinarily anti-Semitic or extraordinarily dumb. Take your pick. "That" the anti semite card is becoming the last refuge of those who are desperate.

If efman's interpretation of history and facts is questionable, yours is total fabrication. When has Israel "starved" the population of Gaza? Can you show one picture of a "starving" Palestinian? You are talking rubbish. Your "interpretation" of facts is purely right wing fascist diatribe against Jews.

Well, that's the TRUTH!

Anytime you disagree with those who respond to these articles or say anything expressing a different opinion you are branded as an anti semite. PATHETIC!

Stay in safe california with your crumbling empire... drop a bomb on innocent civilians... oh and give back california, texas to mexico... you imperialist warmonger!

State the obvious why don't you!

What is PATHETIC is whenever people accuse Israel as the main protagonist. It is this that leads to the accusation of being an anti-Semite. When the Jews are accused, and the real causes of the conflict are not, that IS anti-Semitism.

is an expat Brit. He was NEVER American and never will be. An antisemite's opinion thankfully doesn't count and thus fully validates the writer of this informative piece.

Sure does sound like Europe is funding the hell out of subversive activities towards Israel all while denouncing subversive activities towards Israel.