Up to 19 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza aid flotilla
What started as a peaceful demonstration of support for the 1.7 million people of Gaza, turned bloody Monday as Israeli forces boarded six ships attempting to run the three-year-old blockade Israel has maintained of the Gaza Strip.
Reports of as many as 19 of the human rights activists being killed in the assault are giving Israel an international black eye, and threaten to dramatically change the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A quick review of other media stories shows the death toll being reported as anywhere from 10 to the 19 reported here. Details are still fuzzy.
Israeli authorities are reporting that it was the demonstrators on board the ships who began the hostilities and the members of the IDF were just defending themselves. No one has yet explained how demonstrators on ships in international waters managed to force Israeli commandos to come aboard so they could be attacked.
Our own government has been relentless in its encouragement of Israel's siege of Gaza. Some of this blood is on our hands.
Update:
Live updates at the Guardian.
From the international reaction I've seen so far, our Steve is going to be really isolated as he and Netanyahu speak to the press in Ottawa today -- like, really isolated. I'm sure he'll keep his expressions of condolence fair and balanced -- just to emphasize that he considers Israel's response to the aid flotilla's aggression "measured," and regrets any bruises the Israeli commandos may have suffered as they mowed down human-rights activists.
skdadl--I fear you are right. Sweden, Greece and Turkey have had the courage to recall their ambassadors from israel but Harper will make excuses for this massacre in INTERNATIONAL waters--which makes it a war crime!!! To think that Canada welcomes the PM of this murderous people while this is going on is despicable. Kenney et al had no problem following their masters voice when it banned George Galloway at the instruction of the JDL but Netenyahu is welcome in the time of this flaunting in the face of the world action?
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/05/israeli-ships-bear-down-on-freedom-flotilla-in-the-dark.html
Harper through his mouthpiece,Soudas, has already aped the US response, virtually word for word.
This horrific act by Israel could quite possibly cause a fire storm in response, thus causing many many more deaths.
Also given that attacking a vessel in international waters is an act of war and piracy, and that Turkey is a member of NATO, this has very serious consequences for that alliance. In the aftermath of 9/11 the US called upon NATO members to honour articles 5 and 6 obligating them to defend a member nation that has been attacked.
Since we know that NATO will do nothing in this case, this could quite possibly cause the break up of NATO.
But of greatest concern is that this will in all likelihood result in the radicalization of moderate Arabs and the increased militancy of those already radicalized. Which unfortunately suits the purposes of the ruling elite, who wish to keep this region in turmoil in order to maintain the status quo that enriches them to no end.
Harper's play on this is entirely predictable. What I await is Ignatieff's. After dropping his pants and bending over backwards to absolve Israel of any blame for the Gaza invasion, it'll be a big step down for Mikey to get off that perch.