Here is a video of Greek commandos pointing automatic weapons at the US vessel of the Gaza peace flotilla. The contriving of all authorities to attempt to prevent the flotilla from leaving is quite remarkable – including US and Greek governments. It is to me quite astonishing that we live in a world where it is now perfectly accepted by all officialdom and mainstream media that humanitarian protest should simply be stopped.
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The goonish looking operatives who arrived on the Zodiac have the appearance of Israeli commandos last seen on the Mavi Marmara. I like the one peeping out from the window reading out something in mangled English. Dunny if it was not sso serious. They and their rotten government should all be ashamed of themselves. I did have sympathy for their financial plight and the way in which they were being screwed by the ECB and the IMF.
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The video has had 14,564 viewings in two days. Enough said.
Any commentary from Turkey seems to be quite muted.
Last time around, the “humanitarians” tried to kill an Israeli soldier – we all saw the video.
an example of misplaced trust and power in the hands of the authorities.
I feel sorry for those people who end up having to carry out orders which are so blatantly wrong. but even sorrier for those affected by their actions.
Guns vs peace activists
Like using a industrial wrecking ball to crack a nut.
Mary, I have sympathy for Greeks, but not their financial plight! corruption seems to be accepted at all levels, and tax evasion is epidemic, and an average Greek seems to think good luck to anyone who can get away with it. I do however totally agree with you wrt IMF and ECB. IMF is responsible for misery in many countries, it is time it was acknowledged all it does it harm and was dissolved or changed radically. To give loans and keep any country to ransom is a despicable practice.
Azra, Alaric (Like it! The Goth! Time to sack Rome! Indeed) yeah, spot-on. It’s so silly. Nuke-powered Israel, afraid of a few peaceniks on a bouncing boat hundreds of miles away – the world can see – only a morally bankrupt regime does such things. Greece is financially bankrupt, Israel is morally bankrupt. The more publicity, the better – the whole thing makes Israel look really bad, malevolent, spooky, underhand (a true reflection, then, a light reflection of what it does to people on the Occupied Territories – remember that term?), while the Greek authorities just look clumsy, slavish and silly. The issue of Gaza – and Palestine – is foregrounded – the whole point of the mission. Good. Film everything, broadcast everything. The more, the better. Let ’em sail!
Suhayl,
Talking of Greece, here is an interesting take on the situation from the mouth of Max Keiser…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BizrgYE5sF0&feature=player_embedded
I agree that more publicity to this issue, the better,
That last shot appeared to be a US flag flying upside-down. A symbol of a ship in distress. Does Amerika care about this at all, that a ship carrying its flag has been threatened? Just imagine if a Muslim country had done the same. They’d still be gasping and reeling over the outrage, demands for immediate action across the media spectrum swiftly followed by denouncements at the highest level, with significant protection for further ships as a show of force if not more action to follow. But we’re not talking about a Muslim government, so the only sound is the chirping of crickets. So it goes.
Dunny if it was not sso serious = Funny if it was not so serious. Sorry that my typos get worse.
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This from the Canadians. Not a peep from their Zionist supporting government, nor from ours or from any of the so called democracies.
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Is Ag. Nikolaos an Israeli or Greek Port?
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Info & news – Coalition Members Announcements
Sunday, 03 July 2011 02:26
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Many tens of Canadian people, in support of the Canadian people blockaded illegally in the port of Ag. Nigolaos, Crete demonstrated today in the center of Ag. Nikolaos city and in front of the Port building.
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The Canadian campaign, with their captain, our co-citizen George Klontsas, is a part of the world campaign “Ship to Gaza”, which will try again this year, to break the navy blockade that Israel has made on Palestine’s maritime waters of Gaza and to give to them a message of solidarity and hope.
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One year after Israel’s violent naval seizure of the international solidarity flotilla in international waters and the cold murder of nine members of our campaign, the Greek government instead of pressing Israel to change its political attacks against the international solidarity movement, joins in creating interminable obstacles.
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The negative attitude of the Greek government was not unexpected for us. Last year’s
indifference of the Greek government to protect the two boats of the Greek campaign (with Greek citizens and national flag), and its uncomplaining acceptance of the seizure of passengers and deportation from Israel, (and subsequent failure to demand return of the Greek boats) revealed a lot of things. The later exchanges with meetings at a high political level, the common military schools and the commercial exchanges, moves the fascist government of Israel into international isolation. Our government’s teardrops for the last year’s deaths, were crocodile tears! This year these things are still more evident. The people of the Greek government have ended up as agents of Israel’s interests, raping for one more time the will of the Greek population, which is trying to support regularly and insistently the fight of Palestinians for FREEDOM. No one of the progressive citizens of Ag. Nikolaos should remain apathetic in this anti-constitutional approach by the prohibition of departure. On the contrary, we should express our solidarity to the persons that now are found blockaded in the marine, inside the boat “TAHRIR” (in Arabic that means FREEDOM).
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It is tragic that now Israel allocates harbours from Perama up to Ag. Nikolaos!
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Our government, which is working as puppets to Israel policies, steals from us our dignity!
http://bit.ly/km9S1V
@Barking – I still believe the Mavi Marmara and its occupants, and other boats in that flotilla, were unarmed. Have you a link to the video you have in mind? I heard that there was one video that purported to show the activists using weapons, but that it was later dismissed as a propaganda fake.
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I recall that Israel prevented any of the surviving members of that flotilla from speaking with the media for several days, presumably in an effort to ensure the Israeli establishment version of events was well-reported in the media, before the flotilla’s version could be directly reported.
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FWIW, I think the flotilla members last year and this year are genuinely humanitarian, and genuinely seeking peace.
Max Blumenthal updates anti-Flotilla video fraud linked to PM Netanyahu’s office, official Israeli hasbara agents.
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http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/06/anti-flotilla-video-fraud-has-links-to-pm-netanyahus-office-official-government-hasbara-agents/
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“The ‘key’ word today is ‘democracy’ which is a deception to live lives of promiscuity.”
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Rabbi Dov Lior
Alaric is right. You have to feel sorry for armed forces’personnel obliged to follow orders, however wrong those orders might be. But it has always been so. Armed forces dehumanise individuals. All conscripts and volunteers are dressed in the same uniforms and behave uniformly. They are billeted in barracks where all the huts look alike. It is all part of taking away their freedom to choose. So when an order is given they behave as one – rightly or wrongly. They cannot reason themselves into disobedience because they have been conditioned. I love what Albert Einstein said, so much I continually quote it, and it translates into all languages:
“The man who marches to the sound of a military band falls below my contempt. His great brain was given him by mistake. The spinal-cord would have been sufficient.”
@mike cobley, that’s an interesting question. I wonder what the Greek press are saying? Hopefully there are some comment pieces, if not articles, that illustrate the apparent baselessness of the ‘unseaworthy’ charges.
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Just checked CIF at the Guardian, and disappointed that there is nothing on the flotilla. The one reportorial article they had yesterday was very weak, and as usual implied that both the activists and the commandos/establishment had a reasonable chance of being right.
@john goss – Great Quote
Just a quick thought before I become a slave to domestic chores… I wonder if anyone has thought to look into the link between Israel and Greece, to ‘follow the money’ – it may not be possible, or even worth it, but equally it could be interesting to see if Israel are somehow paying off the (financially damaged) Greek authorities.
Apologies if this has already been done and documented on this blog : )
Craig on PressTV
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“To make a comparison, in the 1970s and 1980s the United Kingdom suffered continued terrorist attack from the Irish Republican Army, with much more murderous impact causing many more deaths than anything Israel has suffered in recent years from Gaza. However, nobody would seek to argue that the UK would have had the right to mount a general naval blockade of the Republic of Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s, even though the Republic was undoubtedly the base for much IRA supply and operations.”
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http://www.presstv.ir/detail/187299.html
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Bravo!
“It is to me quite astonishing that we live in a world where it is now perfectly accepted by all officialdom and mainstream media that humanitarian protest should simply be stopped.” – Craig. You are incredible. An Incredibly nice man, incredibly brave and truthful, but you are also incredibly naive.
Barking – The UN investigation on the attack on the flotilla found that recording of a ‘radio communication’ found it was an Israeli military fake.
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,COUNTRYREP,ISR,,4cd3a8e32,0.html
(see page 24 of the report)
They included it in the video. So what else in the video did they edit in or out?
And if the Israeli military did nothing wrong why did they confiscate all the video footage and cameras they could find from the people on board the flotilla?
The UN Investigation also found the IDF fired on the ships before boarding with rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades – as well as firing with those and live ammunition from helicopters during boarding – and after fighting with a small minority of the people on the Mavi Marmara, killed 9 people, including 2 shot in the face or head at point blank range with supposedly “non-lethal” “bean bag” ammunition and rubber bullets.
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,COUNTRYREP,ISR,,4cd3a8e32,0.html
(see pages 25 -31)
So the Israeli claims that they only used live fire after landing on the ships and being attacked were false.
Out of the hundreds of people on the ships only a few fought back and the UN investigation found no-one tried to shoot them with their own pistols. any pistols taken from them were emptied of ammunition or thrown in the sea.
One IDF soldier was stabbed. I think that was wrong and would probably have surrendered rather than tried to stop the boarders, but the Israeli military started this fight and were the first to use lethal weapons.
The vast majority of the flotilla used no force, the minority mostly non-lethal force to disarm Israeli boarders of pistols with live ammunition in them – only one person stabbed an Israeli commando.
Alaric, thanks for the link I specially liked the phrase “American debts are worth less than the toilet paper you wiped your a…on this morning”. Suhyal.. yes you are right the more publicity the better. Every bit of information has gone on my FB page, sent to everyone in my address book with a request to cascade, and request to write, phone, (swear at.. throw shoe at…) Greek Embassy.
ACTION ALERT : On eve of U.S. Independence Day, 2011 …
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On eve of U.S. Independence Day, U.S. passengers on flotilla start open-ended fast at U.S. Embassy in Athens.
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Demand that U.S. government pressure Greece to free their boat and captain, and allow boat to sail to Gaza
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For Immediate Release
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Contact:
Athens: Donna Nevel (30) 694-266-3852, Medea Benjamin (30) 698-404-7912
NY: Leslie Cagan 845- 688-5646
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July 3, 2011 Athens, Greece
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Members of the U.S. Boat to Gaza have begun an open-ended fast calling on the U.S. government to defend our right to sail out of Greece. The fast has begun in front of the U.S. Embassy at 91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue in Athens. Fasters delivered an urgent letter to the Embassy and plan to sleep overnight outside the Embassy gates.
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Passengers and U.S. boat organizers participating in the fast are: Medea Benjamin, Ken Mayers, Paki Wieland, Kathy Kelly, Ray McGovern, Helaine Meisler, Nic Abramson, and Carol Murry.
…READ MORE…
http://ustogaza.org/
Least we forget:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Egova7DRsw&feature=player_embedded
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Here today by the grace of God after severe depression and/or a pulmonary embolism – or… did person(s) unknown try to murder him?
Icelandic MP Visits Gaza-Bound US Boat Detained in Greek Military Compound, Pledges Full Support for Freedom Flotilla
http://www.facebook.com/notes/us-boat-to-gaza/icelandic-mp-visits-gaza-bound-us-boat-detained-in-greek-military-compound-pledg/201260783255154
Barking, last time around, what we all saw was murder of 9 unarmed peace activist, unless you want to deny it, in that case I think the name is very apt and you are Barking Mad!
Yes Mark bless Craig. I was at that protest and later that evening as it was getting dark, the riot police of the MET began to kettle and arrest the young protesters who were confined into a tight space in Kensington High Street outside the entrance to the Israeli Embassy. I saw it happening. Many of them went to prison.
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Welcome to the United Israeli Kingdom! At the outbreak of Cast Lead, my brother was on the Free Gaza boat Dignity. The Israeli navy thrice rammed it in the dark in rough seas and without warning when it was in international waters. Because it was made of marine ply and not GRP it did not sink but was able to limp to Tyre in Lebanon. Cynthia McKinney the lovely black American ex Congresswoman who was also on board and 14 others were left for dead. Several tons of medical aid for the victims of Cast Lead were also being carried.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7805075.stm
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Gaza Young Protesters website
March 24, 2010
Stop Criminalising THE RIGHT to Protest
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Many thousands of us came out to demonstrate against Israeli war crimes committed against the people of Gaza in January 2009. Motivated by images of violent death and destruction, and a desire to express solidarity with the people of Gaza, adults and children spontaneously gathered at the Israeli Embassy in London to demand justice.
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Following these protests 119 young people were arrested. They were predominantly Muslim and aged between 16-19 years, the youngest was 12. So far 78 people have been charged with offences, the vast majority of these are public order offences which hold a maximum of 5 years imprisonment.
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22 young people have already been sent to prison. Their sentences have ranged from 8 months to 2 years.
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Judge Denniss has clearly stated that many of the sentences he has passed have been deterrence sentences, intended to deter future protesters, and that he will continue to do so. These are political sentences, intended to criminalise the right to protest and which unfairly target the Muslim community.
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The next lot of sentencing are scheduled for the 26th March, at 9.30 at Isleworth Crown Court. It is important that as many people as possible come out to show that they support the young people and recognise the unfairness of these convictions and we will not stand for it.
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Our present aim should be to campaign for reduced sentences, release of prisoners, and dropping of charges. This is the very least that these brave and conscious young people deserve.
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That was written in March 2010. I do not know the plight of those sentenced and imprisoned.
Israel now = (without any doubt) The Fourth Reich. If they gained nothing else from the Holocaust they certainly learned the methodology. One way or another – and certainly in the sense of generated terrorism and violence – they surely rule the world.
“Behind the scenes Israel sent veiled threats: “If this flotilla gets underway, it will go down in history as the‘Greek flotilla’.” Israeli diplomats said the warning made the Greeks recoil. “At this time, when the Greek economy is crumbling and [Greece] needs every dollar it can get, the last thing they need is a violent clash that will be registered in their name.”
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http://www.scribd.com/doc/59216546/Yediot-Jul03-11-Israeli-Officials-Boast-About-Threatening-Greek-Government
Barking
Your post produced several comments which cast doubt – with supporting evidence – that the video you cited was a fake. My working assumption, in the absence of any evidence from you or others in support of the authenticity of the video, is that you now accept that it was indeed a fake. Grateful if you would confirm that that is now your view. Why do you think the fake video was made? Are you concerned at having been duped?
@Jack, I have been to Israel few times, and I can confirm they have learnt very well. I thought with their history if there is one country that everyone is equal it would be there, (and I am referring to the Jewish population, forget how they treat Palestinians). Their hierarchy reminded me of the cast system of India! American Jews on the top and African ones at the bottom!
It’s now being referred to on Twitter (by some) as the “Greek blockade of Gaza” …
Thanks Dreolin, a defining post – Here in full to qualify a corrupt Israeli diplomacy based on *bull-dozing*, *bullying*, coercion, arm-twisting, beleaguering, provocation and harassment.
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With a Little Help from our Friends – Itamar Eichner, Yediot, July 3 2011
“When the first cracks appeared in [Israel’s] relationship with Turkey, Israel began expanding diplomatic and military ties with Greece, Turkey’s traditional rival. Over the weekend the alliance bore its first fruits, when Greek naval commandos prevented The Audacity of Hope from setting sail for Gaza.
Israel and Turkey shared a strategic alliance for years. But when the Erdogan government began to attack Israel, and especially after the Mavi Marmara incident last year that turned tensions between the countries into a bona fide split, Israel began looking for new allies in the region. Israeli diplomacy, displaying an uncharacteristic creativity, began spinning a new web of connections.
The chemistry between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou paved the way for a real alliance between the countries: Israel sold advanced weapons to the Greek army, Israel Air Force pilots trained in Greek airspace and hundreds of thousands of Israeli tourists traded Turkish resorts for Greek islands.
When preparations for the second flotilla to Gaza began, Israel asked its new ally to prevent the peace activists’ ships from setting sail for Gaza from Greek ports. In Jerusalem, authorities believed the Greeks would agree: after all, even Turkey and Cyprus prevented the flotilla from using their ports as departure stations.
Athens promised to “sink” the flotilla ships with bureaucracy, a move that would have prevented them from setting sail: a ship lacking even one fire extinguisher, they promised, would be grounded for violating safety codes. But the Greeks also explained that an extensive legal review led to the conclusion that they could not completely prevent the ships from setting sail. Sources in Jerusalem didn’t like the answer. “How could it be that even Turkey stopped the flotilla—and you are giving them the okay,” Israeli diplomats asked their Greek counterparts.
As reported in Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday, this is where Netanyahu entered the picture. Last week, the prime minister held several crucial telephone conversations with Papandreou, the last of which was last Wednesday night.
Behind the scenes Israel sent veiled threats: “If this flotilla gets underway, it will go down in history as the ‘Greek flotilla.'” Israeli diplomats said the warning made the Greeks recoil. “At this time, when the Greek economy is crumbling and [Greece] needs every dollar it can get, the last thing they need is a violent clash that will be registered in their name.”
On Friday Greece showed the first signs of an about face. Greece’s minister for internal security, who is responsible for the country’s Coast Guard, announced that the flotilla ships would not be allowed to set sail for Gaza. When it became clear that the Audacity of Hope was planning to ignore the ruling and to set sail for Gaza, Greek commandos attacked the boat with guns drawn, forced the boat to return to port and arrested the commander. The incident, which followed mysterious mishaps on two other flotilla ships in Greece and Turkey, apparently sealed the flotilla’s fate. “Flotilla organizers apparently didn’t take into account the romance between Israel and Greece,” said one diplomatic source.
This week Netanyahu will travel to Romania and Bulgaria, two more members of the “Balkan Alliance” that Israel is working on developing, to ask their leaders not to support a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.
@ Craig,
” It is to me quite astonishing that we live in a world where it is now perfectly accepted by all officialdom and mainstream media that humanitarian protest should simply be stopped.”
Surely not Craig. There is considerable demonstration of ” humanitarian protest” in Libya by way of NATO’s on-going bombing. It is for a worthy and noble humanitarian cause, so – sorry Craig, the mainstream media and all Western officialdom are definitely in favour of the continuation of the humanitarian bombing – non-stop.