"Peace Activists" Attack Israeli Soldiers Attempting to Divert Blockade Runners

Word filtered out last night that there had been casualties, including some deaths, on the pointless, Turkey-backed flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The "peace activists" had been warned that they must divert to Ashdod where the supplies they intended to deliver would be searched for weapons and then trucked to Gaza.

They refused, choosing to make a political statement rather than deliver much-needed food and medical supplies to Gaza. They got their wish. The IDF released this video (embedded below) of the so-called peace activists attacking IDF soldiers as they board one of the ships. They attacked with guns, knives, and improvised weapons.

According to initial reports, these events resulted in the deaths of nine demonstrators and seven naval personnel were injured, some from gunfire and some from various other weapons. Two of the soldiers are moderately wounded and the remainder sustained light injuries. All of the injured, Israelis and foreigners have been evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in Israel. Reports from IDF forces on the scene are that it seems as if part of the participants onboard the ships were planning to lynch the forces.

The flotilla is now under IDF control and headed for Ashdod. The peace activists got their PR message, at the pointless cost of nine lives. The Gazans will eventually get their supplies anyay. The Israeli blockade will continue. And the Israelis will get another scolding from the "international community."

Later: About this whole "international waters" bit that the activists are bleating about, it doesn't make a difference where the ships were seized.

Even assuming that the activists are correct and that the ships were taken in international waters, there's no "safe" spot for blockade runners. Israel has no duty to wait until its own waters are breached, not when the blockade runners have announced their intentions and set sail.

Israel gave the activists every opportunity to turn aside, both before they assembled and after the made a run for the blockade. The activists aren't bothering to pretend that they were planning to do anything other than challenge the Israeli blockade. They can hardly complain when the Israelis take them at their word.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 11:46 AM

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