"NOT content with committing war crimes and human rights atrocities in full
view of the world, Israel has now confirmed itself as a rogue state by
launching into international piracy"
With Regards
Abi
--- On Tue, 12/30/08, Iqbal Soofi <iqbal...@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Iqbal Soofi <iqbal...@yahoo.com>
Subject: Pirates Of The Mediterranean: Yvonne Ridley
To:
Date: Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 10:14 PM
Pirates Of The Mediterranean
By Yvonne Ridley
December 31, 2008 "Information Clearinghouse" --- - NOT content with committing
war crimes and human rights atrocities in full view of the world, Israel has
now confirmed itself as a rogue state by launching into international piracy.
Barely had dawn broke over the Mediterranean waters in which the SS Dignity was
sailing when an Israeli naval gunboat rammed the aid-bearing ship.
The act of aggression on a peace mission was launched in international waters
90 miles off Gaza, without any warning to the captain of the Dignity or the
crew.
Israel claimed the incident was an accident and that its naval officers had
made numerous attempts to communicate with the Dignity.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP press agency that the
naval vessel tried to contact the aid boat by radio for identification and to
inform it that it could not enter Gaza.
"After the boat did not answer the radio, it sharply veered and the two vessels
collided, causing only light damage," Palmor said.
I wonder how many traffic cops around the world have heard that line from a
drunken or reckless driver in the wake of a crash.
The Israeli spokesman then went on to accuse the international activists of
"seeking provocation more than ever." Isn’t it amazing how Yigal and Co
suddenly go belly up and adopt a victim mentality.
I wonder how he will react to the news that onboard the ship, among the cargo
of much-needed medical supplies and humanitarian aid were TV crews from CNN and
Al Jazeera as well as other media.
For goodness sake, the Dignity was on a peace mission, armed with nothing more
than humanitarian aid - hardly a match for the tooled up, hi-tech Israeli Navy
and its deadly arsenal.
Sorry to be so direct, but Palmor is a purveyor of deceit, a liar - and a very
unconvincing one at that. You see all sea-faring people know that there is a
certain radio channel and frequency which remains open 24 hours a day.
I know myself, because the Israeli Navy used that exact same frequency on one
of the two Free Gaza boats as they set sail back in August 2008 to break the
siege of Gaza by sea. That emergency frequency carried messages of threats and
intimidation as clear as a bell.
Radio communications were used without any difficulty on the Israeli Navy
several times by human rights activists from the Free Gaza Movement warning the
gunboats to back off when they fired at Gazan fishermen. The westerners were on
the tiny fishing ships to stop the naval bully boys terrorise the unarmed
fishermen.
And by the way, what the hell is Israel up to by banning or trying to prevent
boats from entering20waters not in its territory? This is the Mediterranean.
Just when did Israel assume complete authority of the Med?
It is also worth pointing out that SS Dignity was clearly flying the flag of
Gibraltar, and was piloted by an English captain with a passenger list
including revered politician Cynthia McKinney from the US. The Israeli
Government Press Office director was faxed the entire passenger list and press
release shortly after Dignity set sail.
Cynthia is a former Congresswoman from Georgia, and the 2008 Green Party US
presidential candidate. She was travelling to Gaza to assess the ongoing
conflict.
I know her and I can tell you she is one sassy lady. If the Israel Navy thinks
this little incident is going to sink without trace then they truly are in for
one rude awakening.
She was joined by another woman of substance, Dr. Elena Theoharous, MP who is a
surgeon and a Member of the Cypriot Parliament. She was going to Gaza to assess
the ongoing conflict, assist with humanitarian relief efforts, and volunteer in
hospitals.
Furthermore, the attack was filmed by the journalists, and crew and passengers
and no doubt we will see the full extent of that footage and the damage caused
by Israel.
Of course Israel is always using the “Oo-er, sorry it was an accident” routine.
That’s the excuse the Zionist State used when it hit the USS Liberty on June 8,
1967 with a flurry of bombs, murdering 34 American servicemen in cold blood. In
the 40 years since, those with the blood of those shipmates on their hands have
gotten away with murder.
But try as they might to rewrite what happened onboard the Dignity and the
Liberty, there are some memories which will not die. And what Israel has done
to Gaza in the last few days will become an epitaph for the Zionist State.
Today’s piracy just underlines the fact that no one in the international
community seems willing or able to halt the Zionist War Machine.
As I write this a funeral is being planned today for five Palestinian sisters
who were slaughtered in their sleep when an airstrike hit the next-door mosque
in Gaza.
One of the walls collapsed on to their small asbestos-roofed home and they were
all killed in their beds in the densley populated Jabalya refugee camp. The
eldest sister, Tahrir Balousha was 17 years old, the youngest, Jawaher, just
four.
Some hours earlier Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told al Jazeera:
“"Hamas seeks to kill children; it fires at kindergartens, schools, civilians –
because this corresponds with its extremist ideology. Our values are completely
different," she said.
Her outrageous claim went unchallenged, like so many statements coming out of
Tel Aviv do these days. In a way, Ms Livni is right - Israel’s values are
different. Hamas has killed no one’s children but the Israeli cabinet members
who have spent the last six months planning the Gaza massacre, have sent out
their military on assaults which have killed children. The air and sea attacks,
shells and missiles have killed lots of Palestinian children.
And that is why one by one, those responsible will stand accused of war crimes
- Nuremberg would be quite a fitting arena for the trial but London, Paris,
Berlin, Amsterdam or Madrid will do.
The Israelis might not acknowledge their guilt publicly, but Brigadier-General
Aviv Kochavi has cancelled a study sabbatical in London for fear of being
indicted for "war crimes" and former IDF Southern Commander Doron Almog clung
on to his passenger seat when someone from the israeli Embassy advised him not
to put one foot on the ground at London's Heathrow Airport after a suit had
been filed against him for "war crimes" during his stint as head of the IDF
Gaza division from 1993-95 and head of the IDF Southern Command starting in
2000. IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon and former Shin Bent director Avi Dichter
are two others who are advised not to leave outside Israel.
I understand fresh writs are being prepared for the next generation of Israeli
war criminals and that includes all those involved in the Gaza massacres ...
which could be anyone from a lowly reservist who has just been called up right
through to the top ranks and beyond.
Like the Nazi and war crime hunters of the past, we must never forgive, never
forget and never submit to the demands of morally bankrupt states and
politicians.
* Yvonne Ridley and film-maker Aki Nawaz sailed to Gaza with the FGM on the
first mission to break the siege. A documentary about the trip will be
broadcast on Press TV in 2009. The two are now part of the SGS - Stop Gaza
Slaughter coalition.
Iqbal Soofi
P.O Box: 24179 | Safat 13102 | State of Kuwait
Tel: 804050 Ext. 329 | Fax: + 965 243 5856 | Cell: +965 652 0620 | Voice
Mail: +1 51 6620 9920
