28 Britons held by Israelis while our cowardly Government says nothing

[Gromit]

If they were captured by Somali Pirates or Iranian gunboats there would be a huge outcry. But the fact that up to 28 Britons have been illegally detained in International waters by Israel means our Government is strangely silent.

Do you think that the majority of Government MPs who have received money for their election campaigns from the Jewish lobby accounts for the lack of an outcry?

http://www.opendemocr...-in-britain-full-text

[another-view]

I think anyone who goes out to the Middle East with all its troubles deserves all they get.

[Ankou]

just because it is silent (i.e. not in the media) it doesn't mean nothing is happening does it. for all we know, they could be schmoozing the israelite diplomats via the badckdoor.

[Sqad]

Israel is at war with Hamas.

Ship, in International waters is thought to contain arms and food for Hamas.

Ship boarded and deaths (collateral) occur.

That is war.

[Gromit]

Sqad

The ship was Turkish. Turkey and Israel are not at war.

There is no evidence the ship contained arms. But it did carry that banned substance 'concrete'. Aid workers have been volunteering to work in Gaza for many years. Attacking a ship in International water is called Piracy and is illegal.

[Sqad]

Gromit...so what? We do not know the full details and Israel must have had intelligence to suggest a special force attack was needed.

Can you imagine a German submarine in WW2 with evidence that a neutral or hospital ship was carrying arms to UK, would wave it on it's way?

No.......a torpedo would solve the problem.

[Ankou]

i hear the foreign office have been urgently seeking access, but the supposed britons are refusing to speak or give their names to the israelis. so what can the govmt do ?

[Sqad]

The "Britons" what does that mean? Could well be Al Qeda supporters.

[Gromit]

The Britons are some of the thousands of volunteers who go to Gaza every year to observe and offer humanitarian aid and help rebuild.

Al qaeda are not really evident in Gaza, and hamas and Fatah certainly do not want them there.

http://www.independen...d-attack-1988267.html

[Sqad]

Gromit....if you were a Hamas supporter and wanted to get arms and provisions into blockaded Gazza, how would you do it?

How about secreting them onto a Turkish ship which contained thousands of "neutral" volunteers as a screen....this technique has been used in war for centuries .......Helen of Troy ring a bell?

To be fair, the operation was a disaster.

[Gromit]

Sqad

Hamas do not seem to be lacking guns or weapons. It is assumed Iran supplies them with as much weaponry as they want. What they are short of is Concrete and building materials to rebuild Hospitals demolished by the israelis 18 months ago. It is easy to smuggle guns into Gaza, but not 1000 bags of cement.

If I were Hamas, I would not smuggle guns in on a boat packed with journalists and photographers who would see the vessels unloaded, I would smuggle them in in a less public way.

Turkey is an ally of Israel. so why would they fill a ship with guns?

[Sqad]

Gromit.......I wouldn't describe Turkey as an ally of Israel, but I know what you mean.

We will just have to wait and see the nature of the "cargo" and status of the "Britons"

[Gromit]

Sqad,

Turkey and Israel have been very close allies. In 1996 they signed an agreement for military cooperation. That means they share intelligence, train each others soldiers and undertake military manoevres together.

A miltary exercise between the two nations due to take place shortly has been cancelled.

They also have very close trade links.

http://www.meforum.or...and-israel-strategize

As Turkey was Israel's only friend in the region, it is a massive own goal.

[Gromit]

Posted wrong link. It was supposed to be this one.

http://www.theglobean...llies/article1587408/

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think we have to wait sqad

If anything had been found the Israeliis would have it all over the media by now.

They've already stopped repeating the earlier claim that the activists had "at least 2 guns"

Hammas and Israel are *NOT* at war - If they were the Israelii's could just walk into Gaza with all the US arms they've been given.

Hammas were legally elected in democratic elections

Israel is continuing to build in the occupied terrortories.

This is not war - this is occupation

[anotheoldgit]

Once again a flawed question, full of inaccuracies.

/// If they were captured by Somali Pirates or Iranian gunboats there would be a huge outcry.///

There has been a British couple held by Somali Pirates since Oct 2009.

/// while our cowardly Government says nothing ///

/// The Liberal Democrat leader's comments echoed earlier remarks by Foreign Secretary William Hague, who called on Israel on Monday to lift the blockade in line with UN Security Council resolutions.///

/// Downing Street said David Cameron had spoken by telephone to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deplore the heavy loss of life and to urge him to ensure there was no repeat of Monday's events.///

Perhaps they should send Gromit to negotiate?

But on second thoughts??????????????

[Gromit]

AOG

That is my point. There has been a lot of fuss about the British couple captured by pirates, but the cowardly Government have not spoken up for the British illegally detained.

Your two quotes from the Government are concern the attack not the British civilians held prisoner by the israelis. Why are the Government (in public) not demanding their immediate release as they would if the Somalis or Iranians had British captives?

[Ankou]

because the people being detained by the israelis are refusing to give their names. what do you propose they do, send in the british special forces ?

[Gromit]

Ankou

You do not need to know peoples names to demand their immediate release.

Just because they are refusing to talk to their captors does not mean we do not know who has been detained. The List of Passengers is known and includes the former US Ambassador (Embarrassing), 3 German MPs (oh dear) 2 Swedish MPs (whoops).

http://www.timesonlin...st/article7141720.ece

[jno]

Cameron has spoken up, not very loudly; Clegg seems to have been slightly blunter

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10200517.stm

[Ankou]

well they need to establish which ones are british and how many their are in order to obtain consular access to them.