Politeia: The Real Purpose of the Gaza Propflot

This wasn't a one off, but a new tactic in assymetrical warfare toolkit - or should that be warfare under the guise of humanitarian aid? Lebanon is now preparing to send propflots, only they are no longer propaganda tools, but covert warfare. Here's the collection point on Articles.

Al Manar TV: "“Flotilla Assault Marks the Beginning of the End for Israel”"

June 6, 2010

more about "The real purpose of the Gaza flotilla", posted with vodpod

This article explains what you've seen in the video.

Just Journalism: "UPDATED: Peace activists or violent agitators: How the media narrative on flotilla incident is shaping up"

With the Israeli government standing firm on their claim that IDF soldiers were met with severe violence from Gaza aid convoy participants, Just Journalism will be following developments closely and publishing new information on a rolling basis.

Before the incident had occurred, MEMRI had published this footage, with Arabic to English translation, showing participants on board one of the ships chanting violent anti-Jewish slogans before setting sail.

The activists shout: ‘Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammed will return’ - a reference to a seventh century attack in Khayber, Arabia, by Muhammed and his followers against Jews.

A female activist on the boat is also translated as saying, ‘We are now waiting for one of two good things – either to achieve martyrdom or to reach Gaza.’

The same chants invoking Khayber were also played on loudspeaker to a huge crowd gathered on Saturday in Istanbul to see off the flotilla, as has been broadcast by Turkish television. This footage also includes the repetition of ‘Intifadah! Intifadah!’

Furthermore, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday revealed his view that an interception of the flotilla by Israel would be as much a victory as reaching Gaza. The Jerusalem Post reported:

"If the ships reach Gaza, it's a victory for Gaza," Haniyeh told some 400 supporters after touring Gaza City's small fishing harbor, where several smaller vessels breaking the blockade have docked in the past. "If they are intercepted and terrorized by the Zionists, it will be a victory for Gaza, too, and they will move again in new ships to break the siege of Gaza." (...) >>>

IDF DA Desk

Facebook: Facts on the Gaza Flotilla (w/ VIDEOS)

Free Gaza, the harassing 'peace' group is a coalition made up of the Turkish Islamist group of B.Yildirim, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), a member of Sheikh Qaradawi's Ittilaf al Kheir (Union of the Good or the Muslim Brotherhood), and Marxist groups which includes Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn and Jodie Evans (Code Pink). Here are the NGOs involved.

The vessels have been furnished by Free Gaza and the IHH. Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi recently paid IHH millions of euros to organize actions against Israel. This is one of them.

While Israel has announced it will free 600 prisoners, Free Gaza just let it be known it has dispatched yet another harassment vessel to Gaza.

The Dutch Telegraaf newspaper is revealing today that one of the two Dutch nationals arrested by Israel is the Hamas representative in the country. The 43 year old Dutch passport holder, Amin Abou Rashed is of Palestinian descent and operates out of the port city of Rotterdam. According to the official website of the Muslim Brotherhood the man is one of the main organizers of the propflot operation.

Intelligence sources say Rashed appears prominently in various reports as the leader of Hamas in the Netherlands. He's also known as Amin Abou Ibrahim. The American anti terror group Nefa is mentioning him in connection to the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. He's worked for Al Aksa, a fundraising organization for Hamas and is very active in a pro Palestine foundation called PPMS. His name is also appearing in the Holy Land Foundation trial in de US.

Source: Elsevier

According to Dutch Iranian columnist Afshin Ellian the operation masks a power struggle in Turkey. PM Erdogan is looking for ways to cut ties with Israel, whereas the military opposes such a move.

FoxNews: "Israel: Global Jihad Linked to Flotilla"

Israeli defense officials now say dozens of passengers who were aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, the scene of a bloody showdown with Israeli commandos Monday, are suspected of having connections to terrorist organizations. The Israeli Army says it's identified 50 passengers on the ship with terrorist links. (...) >>>

Meanhile on JTA ...Hamas has refused to accept the aid brought by a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israel. (...) Hamas Social Affairs Minister Ahmad al-Kurd told reporters that it would accept the aid only if it entered "without anything being stolen from the activists, and without any exceptions." "This includes the prefabricated homes, the cement, the iron and the electric generators," he said. Israel has prevented such equipment from entering Gaza, saying it could be used by Hamas to build bunkers and other military installations in the strip. (...) >>>

June 2, 2010

The flotsam and jetsam of martyrdom operations - Aboard the propflot were at least 100 jihadis from various global Islamist chapters seeking martyrdom. Another title might well have been 'Martyrdom by IDF'.

On the legal side of the affair:

NGO Monitor: "Lost at Sea: NGO Legal Distortions in the Wake of the Flotilla Incident"

Since the violent clash between the Free Gaza flotilla and Israeli naval forces on May 31, numerous NGOs and “human rights groups” have issued harsh and one-sided condemnations of Israel’s actions. Many of these statements have been couched in the terminology of international law. However, as the following analysis demonstrates, these claims are legally incorrect or dubious. They represent the continued exploitation of international law for political ends. (...) >>>

PJM: "As Reality Unfolds About Flotilla, World Media Continues with Fictional Narrative", by Allison Kaplan Sommer

The emerging reality on the ground in Israel regarding the nature of the Gaza flotilla, and the story being told around the world, are so utterly different that they could be taking place on two separate planets. As the days pass in Israel and more information is uncovered, the popular international narrative of brutal Israeli soldiers casually slaughtering tens of innocent peace activists bearing humanitarian aid drifts further and further from reality. (...) >>>

Caroline Glick: The fact that these pro-Hamas activists intended to commit suicide in order to discredit Israel on camera was made clear by the fact that the Turkish organizers named the lead ship Rachel Corrie - after the most famous pro-Hamas suicide protestor. (...) >>>

Irish Times: "Irish ship Rachel Corrie was sabotaged by Israeli intelligence says report", by Cathy Hayes

The Irish ship, MV Rachel Corrie, was tampered with by the Israeli Defense Forces according to Colonel Itzik Turgeman. The Rachel Corrie was planned to be the first ship to arrive into Gazan waters last weekend but was delayed due to mechanical problems now suspected to be a form of sabotage. (...) >>>

June 3, 2010