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Facts about the FlotillaJune 1, 2010
There has been no shortage of reactions to Israel's interception of six ships attempting to break the naval blockade of the Gaza strip on May 31, 2010. As soon as the incident was reported, there was an international rush to judgment to condemn Israel. The following articles are intended to fill in the factual gaps in media coverage and provide a counterweight to bias against Israel:
* International Maritime Law: Much has been said that the blockade against Gaza is illegal, and that Israel had no right approaching boats in international waters. According to this article, Israel has been very careful to follow international maritime law, and that they have done nothing less than the United States did during the blockade of Cuba, or Britain's blockade against the Falkland Islands. The Gaza Flotilla and the Maritime Blockade of Gaza - Legal Background (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Law/Legal+Issues+and+Rulings/Gaza_flotilla_maritime_blockade_Gaza-Legal_background_31-May-2010.htm
* Who exactly is IHH, the organization that bought 3 of the boats involved in the flotilla and helped coordinate this attempt to break the blockade? Is it a humanitarian NGO (non-government organization) or it is a front for a terrorist organization? Here is a brief explanation from NGO Monitor: NGO Involvement in the Gaza Boat Flotilla (http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/ngo_involvement_in_the_gaza_boat_flotilla)
* What is the timeline for what happened on May 31st? This resource page put together by JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America) has a good explanation of the timeline of what happened, who organized the different aspects of the incident, and the outcome so far. BACKGROUND ON FLOTILLA INCIDENT (http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=221579)
* Israel's Position: This is the press conference held by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon following the boarding incident: Israel's Position Presented in Press Conference (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137785)
* Behind the Scenes: This article explains what was found by the Israeli army after the incident was over, and what was found on the Mavi Marmaraon: Behind the Headlines: The seizure of the Gaza Flotilla (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Seizure_Gaza_flotilla_31-May-2010.htm)
* Soldiers' Accounts: This article from Ha'Aretz details what happened to the soldiers who boarded the Mavi Marmaraon in their own words. Navy commandos: "They came for war" (http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177040)
* Who was on the boats in the flotilla? Many of the reports we are reading say that the people on the boats that made up the flotilla were peace activists, intent on breaking a blockade they consider to be violation of international human rights. While there seem to have been people for whom this is true, here is a breakdown of who else was in the delegation. Arab Reports on Flotilla Participants (http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4265.htm)
* International Reaction: The world community has predominately decried the action taken by Israel, with some exceptions. However, the UN Human Rights Council has already drafted a resolution by the Islamic and Arab blocs, co-sponsored by the Palestinian delegation calling for another "Goldstone Report"-style fact-finding mission. Arab & Islamic blocs prepare U.N. Human rights Council condemnation of Israel (http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2010/06/01/arab-islamic-blocs-prepare-un-human-rights-council-condemnation-of-israel/)
* The P.R. Perspective: "Waking up on Monday morning to the startling headlines depicting Israel’s disastrous sea raid off the Gaza coast, the first thing I instinctively did was think back over the years. It has been quite a while since Israel attempted such a brazen military operation. And while I initially experienced flashbacks of the IDF's much-celebrated commando raids in Beirut, Tunisia, or Entebbe, I eventually realized just how much things change: This time, Israel’s daring military prowess blew up in its face. In today's technologically permeated battlefield, what mattered was not whether the Israeli military action was right—it was—but whether it appeared to be right." http://www.tabletmag.com/news-and-politics/34916/in-the-past/
* Hamas Refuses Aid: After the aid was offloaded and inspected in the port of Ashdod, the Israel Army loaded it on trucks for delivery to Gaza. Hamas has so far refused to allow the aid to cross into Gaza, denying the aid that was intended for its people. Hamas Refuses to Allow Flotilla Aid into Gaza Strip (http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/06/0210.htm)
Op-Eds: Here are a few we thought you should see regarding the Flotilla.
* Israel Was Right, Leslie Gelb
* Israel Justified in Gaza Action, Steve Sheffey
* Israel Says Attack Was Justified, Ambassador Michael Oren on CNN
* Reid backs Israel in flotilla incident, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid supports Israel
Debunking Internet Rumors about the Flotilla Incident
After the flotilla incident on May 31st, emails began circulating claiming that Princess Cruises had bowed to pressure from anti-Israel groups and would no longer be stopping at ports in Israel. The truth is Princess Cruise line made a decision to redirect the cruise ship because of the crisis and continue on to a scheduled stop in Haifa. According to a statement by Princess Cruise Lines, the next cruise to stop at Ashdod is scheduled for the end of June 2010 and, security permitting, they expect to keep to the published itinerary.
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/06/14/2739600/princess-cruise-boycott-tale-debunked
A much-circulated video claims to show Israeli soldiers unloading military weaponry that was "hidden" behind humanitarian goods on the Mavi Marmara, the flotilla ship that attempted to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. and whose passengers attacked Israel Defense Forces naval commandos. According to Israeli officials, no heavy weapons were smuggled in any of the ships.
Israel's Foreign Ministry has issued a full list of goods carried on the six ships in the flotilla. The only heavy cargo carried aboard the Mavi Marmara was the passengers' personal belongings and luggage.
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Equipment_aid_Gaza_flotilla_7-Jun-2010.htm
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