Israeli Pirates strike again.

[Gromit]

// Israeli naval commandos on Tuesday seized control of a French ship attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, reporting no resistance during the takeover in international waters.

The military had warned it would stop any attempt to break the sea blockade of Gaza, which Israel imposed four years ago in what it says is a measure to prevent arms smuggling to Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group.

Sixteen people, including pro-Palestinian activists from France, Canada and Sweden, journalists and three crew members, are aboard the French-based ship. They have said they had no aid on board and that their mission was meant to make a "political statement" against the Israeli blockade. //

http://www.forbes.com...blockade_8572159.html

Any other nation storming boats with commandoes in international waters would be described as Pirates, yet the Israelis always get away with it. (the BBC seem to be ignoring the story).

How do they get away with it

[pa___ul3]

fair do's, I misread, sorry, like what then?

[jake-the-peg]

A blockade is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as "an act of war by which a belligerent prevents access to or departure from a defined part of the enemy’s coasts."

The US was force to veto critisism of the Israeli bockade as illegal in the UN - effectively acknowledging that it could not command a majority.

Those defending it as legal are normally forced to make comparisons with other blockades of dubious legality like the Cuban Missile crisis.

As I recall two Iranian warships enterred the meditteranian in February. If they escort a ship to Gazza things could get very hairy out there.

[Raleigh]

It appears the Israelis boarded the ship to ensure no arms or anything else that could be used to continue the attacks on their country was on board.

I wonder why the country's enemies never seem to mention the fleets of lorries that daily cross the border from Israel to take 'ordinary' supplies to Gaza. Stuff for shops, building supplies, etc. These can be checked at the border crossings to ensure that they do not contain rockets and bomb making supplies. Ships landing at Gaza cannot be checked.

Also. there is not mention of the tons of supplies crossing from Egypt each day - also able to be checked by the Egyptians.

Gaza is being likened to the suffering in East Africa.

Those people do not have the luxury shopping malls, 5 star hotels and an Olympic size swimming pool where Hamas supporters can enjoy themselves.

No, Israel will continue to defend itself in as a contained way as possible. That is, until there is an incident where they are pushed too far. Then the whole world will have something to really worry about.

All because of the bunch of crazed fanatics in Gaza who have no intention of making any type of peace - and their moronic 'supporters' who urge them on.

[R1Geezer]

all I'm saying is, that what they are doing isn't working. They have in the past made good progress when peace talks have been attempted. Lets face it, it's mostly religious rooted but in that both sides are 99% the same they agree on almost everything but have different names for things. The Palestinians just cannot help lobbing missiles and then crying foul when they get a kicking. That's why I have no sympathy for them. PS any regulars here will verify this has no bearing on religion for me, I hate them all equally. You're right though perhaps it is time for an avatar change..

[sandyRoe]

Raleigh, do you view the murderous attacks on Gaza early last year as a 'contained' response? More than 1400 people were killed then by the Israeli butchers.

[R1Geezer]

won't matter jake, the Israelis don't give thrupney about public opinion in the coffee shops of Islington. Dinnerjacket's toys will be at the bottom of the pond. I'm sure even he isn't that stupid.

[R1Geezer]

so if you knew that would happen sandy why do it? Sorry no sympathy for stupidity.

[sandyRoe]

If the Nazis had managed to invade England would you have meekly accepted your subject place in the new order, or would you have resisted?

[R1Geezer]

No I would have resisted intelligently.

[R1Geezer]

If they said they'd bulldoze 100 houses if one soldier gets hit with a conker then I'd not throw any conkers. There are many ways to resist and even prevail. You just have to think about it and the Palestinians are incapable of reasoning.

[sandyRoe]

When someone steals your land and deals out butchery to quell any opposition how would reason ever prevail?
The Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto knew that their resistance to the Nazis would eventually be futile. Should they not have fought?

[R1Geezer]

It's a complex scenario. The almost daily stupidity of the Palestinians and the mock surprise at the Israeli response is just getting comedic. The liberal elite love to *** off the Israelis so the can do no good whatever. Most of what Israel has done is been in defence or retaliation. The Palestinians need to wise up.

[Zeuhl]

Sadly, the bottom line is that there are a lot of Jews in America, Russia, South America who are deluded by religious beliefs into thinking they have a god-given right to live in what is already a territory that is too small and already populated by other people who aren't Jewish.

The obvious solution is to force out those other people. They are doing that little by little and the backing of the West, especially the USA, encourages them.

The Israelis know this in their heart of hearts and many of them are very uncomfortable with that.

The Arabs fear as much and that makes them desperate, irrational and unpredictable.
.

[sandyRoe]

To wise up, as you put it, would mean meekly accepting the Israeli jackboot on their necks.

[DrFilth]

the bbc will not even allow the word PALESTINE to be in a song that is how impartial they are

http://www.guardian.c...e-lyric-mic-righteous


the last brave people who were robbed by the pirates with an an israeli flag are still waiting for their cameras and equipment back


Raleigh >> Those people do not have the luxury shopping malls, 5 star hotels and an Olympic size swimming pool where Hamas supporters can enjoy themselves.<<


if the people on the west bank had these items i think the israeli forces would be happy to let you in and film them
they do not have these items so the israeli forces block the cameras from going in

there again they don't want to be caught dropping any more banned weapons on the young children

[R1Geezer]

ok well you asked me about what they should do, presumably you guys all think that the Palestinians are doing the right thing. Come on then, let's have the Islington coffee shop solution to the problem, I'm all ears.

[DrFilth]

geezer they are trying to fight back the best they can
when the fire a rocket at the israelis the rocket is not going into israel it is landing on land that the israelis have stolen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEe4vHt7GmQ&feature=related

[Zeuhl]

Not sure if Pres Clinton frequents any Islington coffee shops but here is a plan:

<<Proposed in the Fall of 2000 following the collapse of the Camp David talks, The Clinton Parameters included a plan on which the Palestinian State was to include 94-96% of the West Bank, and around 80% of the settlers were to remain under Israeli sovereignty, and in exchange for that, Israel would concede some territory (so called 'Territory Exchange' or 'Land Swap') within the Green Line (1967 borders). The swap would consist of 1-3% of Israeli territory, such that the final borders of the West Bank part of the Palestinian state would include 97% of the land of the original borders.[30]

At the Taba summit (at Taba) in January 2001 talks continued based on the Clinton Parameters. The Israeli negotiation team presented a new map. The proposition removed the "temporarily Israeli controlled" areas from the West Bank, and the Palestinian side accepted this as a basis for further negotiation. However, Prime Minister Ehud Barak did not conduct further negotiations at that time; the talks ended without an agreement and the following month the right-wing Likud party candidate Ariel Sharon was elected as Israeli prime minister in February 2001. (wikipaedia)>>

The 1967 borders with some land-swaps would seem reasonable, viable Palestinian self governed state and safeguards for Israeli security.
.

[Raleigh]

Equating what happened in the Warsaw ghetto to what is happening in Israel shows just how twisted your view is.

In the Warsaw ghetto the Jews were fighting against a bunch of brutal, sick maniacs whose sole intention was to murder the entire population. Whether they fought back or not they were going to be annihilated. They decided to go down fighting.

Hamas is the bunch of sick cretins this time. If they wanted peace all they had to do was stop attacking Israel and join in peace talks. THEY are the equivalent of the Nazis; THEY are the ones firing off rockets, encouraging brain warped bombers and keeping a brutal hold over the very people who elected them.

But they do not want peace if that involves Israeli existing.

Kick a hornet's nest, and act outraged when you get stung seems to be the best tactic these idiots can manage.

And the liberal left sobs and wrings it's hands to encourage them.

[Zeuhl]

Raleigh

just curious ...

what's your specific, fact based response to the maps above showing Israeli land theft?