In These Times

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• • 08 Jun 10
  • 12:43 pm

  Contrary to rseliger's assertion, the Gaza blockade is not and never has been about "interdicting and inspecting" cargo for the "importation of offensive weaponry." Its goal has always been political: to cause the civilian population as much suffering as possible - while still politically excusable - in order for the Palestinians in Gaza to reject and rise up against the Hamas leadership elected in January 2006. "The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger," senior Israeli government advisor Dov Weisglass notoriously explained in 2006. See: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/06/03 Maintaining a strict embargo on …

  Posted to The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla

• • 08 Jun 10
  • 1:03 pm

  Sorry, I left out the link for the current embargoed items. See the Economist at: http://www.economist.com/node/16264970 The source for the Economist article is the Israeli human rights group Gisha.

  Posted to The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla

• • 08 Jun 10
  • 2:11 pm

  And rseliger's statement about the heavily armed Israeli commandos being "cornered, outnumbered and beset by attackers" is a laughable attempt at role reversal. "As for the Israeli argument that its soldiers were attacked, that is ridiculous. Israeli commandos were ordered to board a civilian ship in international waters and the government that sent them claims that the resisting passengers attacked them without provocation. This is like a carjacker complaining to the police that the driver bashed him with a crowbar that was under the seat. Neither carjackers nor hijackers should expect their victims to acquiesce peacefully." For the full article by …

  Posted to The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla

• • 08 Jun 10
  • 2:30 pm

  And if we are looking for "context" surrounding the broken ceasefire agreement, I would respectfully point to the following from a Huffington Post article entitled "Israel Rejected Hamas Cease-Fire Offer in December." The article states: "...The ceasefire agreement that went into effect Jun. 19, 2008 required that Israel lift the virtual siege of Gaza which Israel had imposed after the June 2007 Hamas takeover. Although the terms of the agreement were not made public at the time, they were included in a report published this week by the International Crisis Group (ICG), which obtained a copy of the understanding last June. …

  Posted to The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla

• • 08 Jun 10
  • 4:02 pm

  I have repeated stated that the purpose of my posts has always been to respond to misstatements by Zionists, who are either trying to justify the occupation, or in the form of apologetics in order to cover for the crimes being committed in their name. In my opinion, pointing out these erroneous statements is the first best step towards acheiving a just and lasting peace. For example, my first post was in direct response to your inaccurate blanket statement regarding Israel's motive for the blockade (weapons). I argued that the goal has always been political, and that the means amounted to …

  Posted to The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla