Israel: Love 'em or Hate 'em, There Are Always Two Sides To Every Story

version 1- An Aljazeeran reporter on one of the boats said the Israelis fired at the vessel before boarding it.

version 2- Israeli officials said the soldiers were attacked with knives, clubs and iron bars as they boarded the six vessels.


- Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".

- Al-Jazeera reported that the ships initially changed course to try to avoid a nighttime confrontation, preferring a daylight showdown for better publicity.

Provocation intended to delegitimise Israel, preferring a daylight showdown for better publicity.


Israel Radio broadcast a recorded warning for the flotilla not to approach Gaza.
- Israel offered to transfer some of the cargo to Gaza from an Israeli port, following a security inspection
- Israel wanted to check the cargo to ensure it contained no weapons
- this was done successfully with five ships
- hundreds of people on board the sixth ship beat, clubbed and stabbed soldiers
- Turkey's NTV showed activists beating one Israeli soldier with sticks as he rappelled from a helicopter onto one of the boats
- the violence turned deadly after one of the activists grabbed a weapon from one of the commandos


Before the ships set sail, Israel had urged the flotilla not to try to breach the blockade.
- Israel AND Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group
- after a security check, permitted humanitarian aid confiscated from the boats will be transferred to Gaza through authorized channels.
- the measures are needed to prevent Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets at Israel, from building up its arsenal
- (Hamas) vowed that its attacks, which have lasted for years and which finally provoked the massive Israeli campaign, would not stop.
-“I call on the resistance to continue pounding Jewish settlements and cities,” Sheikh Abdelrahman al-Jamal
-“We will remain on the path of jihad until the end of days.” Sheikh Abdelrahman al-Jamal

www.msnbc.msn.com...
www.timesonline.co.uk...
news.bbc.co.uk...
www.chron.com...

www.telegraph.co.uk...
news.bbc.co.uk...
www.nypost.com...




[edit on 5/31/2010 by WashMoreFeet]

Last year:

- 200 tonnes of rice and flour provided by Unrwa as Gaza aid was taken by Hamas.
- It was the second time in a week that Hamas members had seized aid supplies after 3,500 blankets and 400 food parcels were taken from an Unrwa at gunpoint.
- The UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) provides food aid for many Gazans who rely on it to survive.

Since 1993, the United States has provided an annual amount of $95 million to Palestinians, in addition to an average annual amount of $90 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.
- The U.S. State Department said any money not going directly to the Palestinian Authority would be funneled to Gaza through international organizations and agencies, raising questions about whether those channels can keep the money out of Hamas' hands.
- To route $900 million to this area, and let's say Hamas was only able to steal 10 percent of that, we would still become Hamas' second-largest funder after Iran," U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill.,
- President Bush authorized $50 million in direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority, marking only the fourth time a U.S. president has used a congressionally authorized waiver to channel aid away from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs and directly to the Palestinian Authority.

Israel had repeatedly said the boats would not be allowed to reach Gaza.
-"They are going to have to forcefully stop us." (Huwaida Arraf, one of the organizers)
-"If you ignore this order and enter the blockaded area, the Israeli navy will be forced to take all the necessary measures in order to enforce this blockade," (Israeli Army)
-"We fully intend to go to Gaza, regardless of any intimidation or threats of violence against us," (Huwaida Arraf, one of the organizers)

Organizers included people affiliated with the International Solidarity Movement and the Turkish IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi, IHH), a radical Islamic organization
- IHH leader was directly involved in recruiting “veteran soldiers” to organize jihad activities
- IHH transferred money, “caches of firearms, knives and pre-fabricated explosives” to Muslim fighters in (various) countries.
- IHH’s telephone records showed repeated calls in 1996 to an Al-Qaeda guest house in Milan and to Algerian terrorists operating in Europe (one of whom was notorious Al-Qaeda figure Abu Ma’ali [Abd al-Qadr Mukhtari

israelipalestinian.procon.org...
www.terrorism-info.org.il...
www.foxnews.com...
english.aljazeera.net...

nice post and I agree with you that there is 2 sides to this and each thinks they are correct. Almost any country in the world would have acted the same way if a ship was told constantly to not enter an area and it did so anyways. The fact that they then attacked the people trying to board the ship tells me that these people set themselves up for a confrontation.


It's all a chess game thats planned out to get us to the end of times via the bible/religious texts.

Sorry ....I don't get it ....?

Where is the other side of the story ?

I am Israeli...... End of. This is BS... End of...... Disgusting.....

Israelis are perpetual victims. They are never in the wrong, and they blatantly lie to justify their criminal actions.

War needs to be declared on Israel to finally put them in their place once and for all.

when pirates attack you're boat at night with guns what do you do?

fight back with what you have, whether its a stick or a kitchen knife.

people on the ships were defending themselves from the criminal pirates who want to starve every gazaan to death.

but the world will help the gazaans becuase they are the oppressed and israel cant do anything to stop that.

What two sides. The flotilla was 72 miles out in international waters. Israel committed an act of piracy. The people on board had every right to defend themselves against these Israeli pirates.
Israel was the aggressor. If pirates were to invade a ship I was on, I would be clubbing them too, if their guns were drawn or not is regardless.

Originally posted by NotTooHappy
What two sides. The flotilla was 72 miles out in international waters. Israel committed an act of piracy. The people on board had every right to defend themselves against these Israeli pirates.
Israel was the aggressor. If pirates were to invade a ship I was on, I would be clubbing them too, if their guns were drawn or not is regardless.

I totally agree with this, and this fact supercedes any other consideration. They were in international waters. Nuff said.

Even a serial killer has an alibi.

edit to add, - this gos for both sides.

[edit on 5/31/2010 by hhcore]

reply to post by Compulsionist


Touche-
However, the point of this thread is to present another side of the scope of events regarding the above. The way things have played out over this spectacle, still does not negate the events that have led up to it. Events which are perceived by opposing points of view, and after a quick search on ATS, seem to be heavily biased against Israel. This is just a simple observation on my part, nothing more, nothing less.
My post is the "other side."

[edit on 5/31/2010 by WashMoreFeet]

[edit on 5/31/2010 by WashMoreFeet]

I made an account here *finally* just to post this video because I haven't seen it posted here yet. But it would appear that the ship on it's way to Gaza came out swinging as soon as the first guy made it from the helicopter to the deck.

www.youtube.com...

I really don't want to say what I think about this one way or the other, I think it's just important to have another angle on this event. That and I'm much more interested in seeing what everyone else has to say.

wurd.

Sorry if it got posted somewhere already.

The Australian Rappel is the process of descending a fixed rope in a standing position while facing the ground. The technique is used as a military 'assault' technique where a soldier is belayed, allowing them to face down the descent and fire a weapon.

One hand for the rope one hand for the weapon. If you think the Israeli military is not trained in this maneuver you may want to do some more research as it is taught to all special forces.

en.wikipedia.org...

swatman6.tripod.com...

I feel Israel is fully withing their rights to inspect any ship wishing to cross their blockade, the U. S. does the same thing.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

reply to post by brainwrek

Israelis are perpetual victims. They are never in the wrong, and they blatantly lie to justify their criminal actions.

War needs to be declared on Israel to finally put them in their place once and for all.

In their latest act of aggression, North Korea torpedoed a South Korean ship without provocation, killing 46 people.

When will the world declare war on North Korea?

Originally posted by brainwrek
Israelis are perpetual victims. They are never in the wrong, and they blatantly lie to justify their criminal actions.

War needs to be declared on Israel to finally put them in their place once and for all.

You can't be serious? Israel's neighbors have repeatedly said they want Israel wiped off the face of the earth. As a country facing such hostility for its entire existence, what would you expect?
From the birth of their country, they have been hated by the rest of the Middle East. The Egyptian President Nasser called for Israel's destruction. The surrounding Muslim theocracies want to destroy Israel and Judaism. Yes, Israelis are victims. Use common sense. All the history points to anti-Israeli actions, and then Israeli retaliation. But you seem to ignore the catalyst that drives Israel to do what they do.
You're saying Israel needs to be put in its place, so you're saying the innocent civilians of Israel? The military? Its leaders? Your comments are blatantly anti-Semitic, which is a disturbing trend I have been noticing lately.

reply to post by WashMoreFeet



Are we waiting for the other side of the story still?

Your topic should be changed to "I think what Israel did was correct".

reply to post by funkmob_starchild


Anti semitic? Ah, youre one of those who thinks that any and all criticism of Israel is based on anti semitism.

You couldnt be more wrong, but then again, ardent defenders of that criminal nation refuse to see fact, since they tend to argue more with emotion instead of intelligence.

I guess you truly believe the U.S.S. Liberty was 100% accidental right?

Any and all Israeli involvement in 9/11 was purely coincidental right?

Originally posted by funkmob_starchild

Originally posted by brainwrek
Israelis are perpetual victims. They are never in the wrong, and they blatantly lie to justify their criminal actions.

War needs to be declared on Israel to finally put them in their place once and for all.

You can't be serious? Israel's neighbors have repeatedly said they want Israel wiped off the face of the earth. As a country facing such hostility for its entire existence, what would you expect?
From the birth of their country, they have been hated by the rest of the Middle East. The Egyptian President Nasser called for Israel's destruction. The surrounding Muslim theocracies want to destroy Israel and Judaism. Yes, Israelis are victims. Use common sense. All the history points to anti-Israeli actions, and then Israeli retaliation. But you seem to ignore the catalyst that drives Israel to do what they do.
You're saying Israel needs to be put in its place, so you're saying the innocent civilians of Israel? The military? Its leaders? Your comments are blatantly anti-Semitic, which is a disturbing trend I have been noticing lately.

Star for you and a flag and star for the OP.
Not only are some of these posters blatantly anti-Semitic, but they are willfully ignorant of historical facts.

Originally posted by funkmob_starchild

As a country facing such hostility for its entire existence, what would you expect?
From the birth of their country, they have been hated by the rest of the Middle East.

I think that's expected when a country is established illegally and based on the suffering of others.

If China came to the western coast of the USA and said they were here 2000 years ago, does that give them the right to California? How about Alaska? What about just one city?

Stop supporting these criminals.

reply to post by brainwrek

You couldnt be more wrong, but then again, ardent defenders of that criminal nation refuse to see fact, since they tend to argue more with emotion instead of intelligence.

Israel is the criminal nation now? Seems you've pleasantly swept Palestine under the rug. Palestinian Authority has encouraged children to fight against Israel, they've trained children since age 5 to hate the Jews, and have been told if they die, they will be martyrs and will ascend to heaven. Wouldn't you agree, if you have any sort of soul, that training children as young as 5 to fight and die is a criminal act? Or is that just my emotion? Does your intelligence compel you to see the justifications of using children in battle?

The whole point of this thread is that this issue is not cut-and-dry. All countries involved are doing things you may view as "not-acceptable." But none of us are involved in the conflict, and none of us can understand the conflict, as we are not entrenched in the religious zealotry of the region.

For you to place the blame firmly on one party is ignorant. I don't see how you can choose to ignore the anti-Israeli sentiment, and the historical fact of anti-Israeli actions performed by surrounding Muslim nations.

[edit on 31-5-2010 by funkmob_starchild]