MV Rachel Corrie Boarded by Israeli Forces
international |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Saturday June 05, 2010 11:17
by TD - Free Palestine Campaign
Haaretz : 'crew compliance'
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that: The Gaza-bound aid ship "Rachel Corrie" has been boarded by Israel Defense Forces soldiers, and is directed toward the port of the Israeli city of Ashdod, Channel 2 reported on Saturday.
According to preliminary reports, the takeover was conducted peaceful and no resistance or injuries were reported. According to an IDF spokesman, the Israeli special forces soldiers used boats to board the ship, and were not air-dropped as in the nighttime takeover of the flotilla earlier this week. The spokesman added that the boarding had taken place after receiving full consent from the Free Gaza activists on board (much more on link).
Meanwhile, the Irish Times is reporting that: Nine Turkish men on board the Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30 times and five were killed by gunshot wounds to the head, according to the vice-chairman of the Turkish council of forensic medicine, which carried out the post mortems for the Turkish ministry of justice yesterday.
The results revealed that Ibrahim Bilgen (60) was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back. Fulkan Dogan (19), who also had US citizenship, was shot five times from less that 45cm, in the face, in the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back. Two other men were shot four times, and five of the victims were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, said Yalcin Buyuk, vice-chairman of the council of forensic medicine http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0605/122...ia=mr
Caption: Video Id: pIx88vdWsPw Type: Youtube Video
Rachel Corrie intercepted by Israeli Navy
Comments (10 of 10)
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Israel boards Gaza-bound Rachel Corrie vessel (11:26)
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0605/mideast.html
Israeli navy seizes 'Rachel Corrie' close to Gaza shore
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0605/....html
Israeli soldiers board MV Rachel Corrie
http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/israeli-soldiers-board-m....html
elsewhere
IDF boards Gaza-bound ship Rachel Corrie, says crew compliant
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-board...94265
Of course they were fucking compliant, would you be if a terrorising psychopath armed to the gills who had just brutally killed your mates asked you to comply with him, what option did they have? Say no and meet the same fate? Despite what many might think, I would not have put it past Israel to shot them, they dont care a hoot for international opinion. We will see how it pans out in international courts, when they are hauled up for terrorism, or war crimes (are their actions today a further act of war, if so, against who and what reaction can be taken?). Are their any legal procedures underway at present
Well done to Mairead, Denis and al. Unfortunately to bring the plight of Gaza to eyes of the world many died, and many more were terrorised. Condolences to all suffering and still in shock.
WE WILL WIN
Not sated with the wanton butchery of nine human rights activists aboard the Mavi Marmara and the brutalisation of Huwaida Arraf aboard Challenger 1 - another flotilla ship - the Israeli army came back for second helpings yesterday in Bil'in, this time, thankfully, not with murder in mind, just with appetite for wanton arrests, a child kidnapping and terrorization. Huwaida Arraf, one of the leading lights from the Free Gaza Movement was again on their target list and she was arbitrarily arrested along with villager; Ashraf Abu Rahmah and an Israeli Anarchist Against the Wall activist at the peaceful demonstration against the nearby Aparheid- Annexation Wall. That evening, twelve year old Fadi Al-Khatib whilst tending his families olive grove that adjoins the Wall with his father, Fathel, was literally kidnapped in front of his distraught mother ,Toffaha and carted off for interrogation - the modus operandi of the Israeli Occupation Forces in Bil'in is to lie in wait, often on comfortable camping matts, in the olive groves so as to ambush and spirit away unsuspecting children and teenagers and terrorise false confessions out of them. On 25th May last, the IOF burnt down an olive tree in a nearby grove of 20 trees- coupled with the many trees torched at the weekly Friday demonstration, a wanton act calculated to damage the already fragile economy of the village.
Caption: Video Id: vMhghxL4t2I Type: Youtube Video
Bil'in: IOF Kidnap Fadi Al-Khatib, 12 Years Old
Irish ship MV Rachel Corrie Hijacked off Gaza, Passengers Kidnapped
IPSC plans demo to call for Irish Government to take action against Israel
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Press Release, Sat June 5th, 12pm
Just before 9am this morning, the Israeli military forcibly seized the Irish humanitarian relief ship, the MV Rachel Corrie which was bound for Gaza carrying 1,00 tonnes of aid and supplies. For the second time in less then a week, Israeli forces stormed and hijacked an unarmed aid ship, kidnapping its passengers and forcing the ship toward Ashdod port in Southern Israel. It is not yet known whether any of the Rachel Corrie's passengers sustained injuries during the attack, but they are believed to be unharmed.
The boat was the last remaining vessel of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, a 40-nation effort to break through Israel's illegal blockade. The Corrie's 11 passengers, mostly Irish and Malaysian include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, former UN Assistant Secretary General, Denis Halliday, Member of the Malaysian Parliament Mohd Nizar Zakaria. the other Irish on board are Finoan Thompson from Dundalk, and Derek and Jenny Graham from Mayo.
Prior to being kidnapped by Israeli forces, Derek Graham stated that: "Despite what happened on the Mavi Marmara earlier this week, we are not afraid". Denis Halliday said: "We are the only Gaza-bound aid ship left out here. We’re determined to deliver our cargo.”
The boarding by Israeli forces is in defiance of a direct call from the Irish Government, which had formally requested Israel allow the ship to reach Gaza. On 1 June, the Irish parliament also passed an all-party motion condemning Israel's use of military force against civilian aid ships, and demanding "an end to the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza."
Freda Hughes, spokesperson for the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: "The significance of this flotilla of aid was two-fold; its intended purpose was to deliver much needed supplies to the people of Gaza and to break the ongoing illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip. This blockade, which has gone on for over three years amounts to collective punishment of 1.5 million people - condemned to face enforced and avoidable poverty, human rights abuses and appalling hardships - often just because of where they were born. It is the duty of every right thinking individual of conscience to ensure that such inhuman treatment is no longer allowed and ignored by the world."
Ms Hughes continued: "The Rachel Corrie remained committed to this purpose and rightly rejected the Israeli offer to reroute to Ashdo. To accept this offer would have been to legitimise the siege of Gaza. The IPSC calls for the immediate release of all the kidnapees, unharmed, for the immediate lifting of the illegal blockade, and the granting of an autonomous sea-port in Gaza that would allow the people of Gaza open and unfettered communication and access to the international community."
Ms Hughes concluded by urging the Irish government to sanction Israel. "Earlier this week the Irish Parliament passed a unanimous motion stating that if the Rachel Corrie was not allow safe passage to Gaza, then the Irish Governmnent would take "further diplomatic measures" against Israel. Th Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign hope that the Irish government is as good as its word on this issue and immediately takes diplomatic action against the rogue state of Israel. The IPSC has organised a demo for today calling for such action to be taken. The demo will start at 2pm at the Garden of Remembrance and from there it will march to the Department of Foreign Affairs" Ms Hughes stated..
The 1200-ton cargo ship was purchased through a special fund set up by former Malaysian Prime Minister and Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO) chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Its cargo included hundreds of tons of medical equipment and cement, as well as paper from the people of Norway, donated to UN-run schools in Gaza.
Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire summed up the hopes of this joint Irish-Malaysian effort to overcome Israel’s cruel blockade by saying: "We are inspired by the people of Gaza whose courage, love and joy in welcoming us, even in the midst of such suffering gives us all hope. They represent the very best of humanity, and we are all privileged to be given the opportunity to support them in their nonviolent struggle for human dignity, and freedom. This trip will again highlight Israel’s criminal blockade and illegal occupation. In a demonstration of the power of global citizen action, we hope to awaken the conscience of all."
The boat is expected to be in Ashdod within two hours.
IPSC Gaza Demonstration on Saturday at 2pm, Garden of Remembrance
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), supported by ICTU has called a mass demonstration for 2pm today in Dublin at which some of the Freedom Flotilla deportees will speak. The demonstration will assemble at 2pm at the Garden of Remembrance where there will be a wreath laying ceremony and from there will march to the Department of Foreign Affairs on St. Stephen's Green.
Passengers aboard the Rachel Corrie include:
Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ireland
Denis Halliday, former UN Assistant Secretary General, Ireland
Derek Graham, Free Gaza Ireland
Jenny Graham, Free Gaza Ireland
Fiona Thompson, film-maker, Ireland
Mohd Jufri Bin Mohd Judin, journalist, Malaysia
Ahmed Faizal bin Azumu, human rights worker, Malaysia
Matthias Chang, attorney, author & human rights worker, Malaysia
Shamsul Akmar Musa Kamal, PGPO representative, Malaysia
Abdul Halim Bin Mohamed, journalist, Malaysia
The Hon. Mohd Nizar Zakaria, Parit Member of Parliament, Malaysia
I would ask for Martin's resignation first.if he had responded with anything besides a forelock tug to the passport shit the Israelis might have thought twice before the hit on the Maramara.Otherwise you are wasting your breath.Martin is either bought or just too windy.israeli terror works on many levels.cowen and martin have less bottle than brendan grace.Meantime the diversionary whingefest for a psychotic crime spree in Cumbria is giving Israel major smokescreen on the radio waves.
Paul Woodward writes on Mondoweiss: Humanitarian aid workers, a firefighter, a politician, a taekwondo champion, a photojournalist, a student who hoped to become a doctor — nine Turkish men, mostly fathers who leave behind children and wives.
Even while their deaths are at the center of an international crisis that is rocking the state of Israel, these individual lives lost have scarcely gained attention — firstly because the Israeli government resisted revealing any information about who died and in what circumstances, and then, while maintaining a stranglehold on the facts, Israel’s propaganda machine has worked furiously to portray the victims as villains.
The world has largely viewed Israel’s efforts to conceal its brutality with a mixture of skepticism, contempt and outrage. Yet in one regard the hasbara has worked: it has effectively sold the idea that the organizers and participants in the Freedom Flotilla were intent on picking a fight. This was an act of provocation and where opinions differ is on whether the provocation was justified or not.
Why would the Israelis bother to employ spies in Ireland?
The country is completely open.
(A certain politician found THAT out in the last few days.)
Spies cannot tell us,or them, anything about Ireland.
I'm happy that they knelt down with their hands on their heads and surrendered to the Israelis. People have the right to defend themselves from pirates in International waters but if the passengers chose not to do so in order to be safe I respect that. Israel is brutal and ruthless and those on the Mavi Marmara who bravely stood up and opposed them died and I respect that too. As Dolores Ibarruri said, "It is better to die on your feet than to walk crawling on your knees". If people want to 'live crawling on their feet' then I respect that. People want to live and how can any human being deny that right to any other human being?
It would be interesting to know why the offer of an escort by the Turkish navy was rejected. It could have brought the entire situation to a very advanced position. Playing public relations and diplomatic games with the Israeli's is like playing poker with a card cheat. When they have again bamboozeled the international community with their torrent of lies and spins it will be back to business as usual for the Palestinians, Lebanese and anyone else they in their paranoid rage deem an enemy.
Unfortuately only a military defeat will eventually bring Israel to a point where they will truly negotiate, give up their stolen lands and make peace with their neighbours. They will keep on killing and stealing until that time and it will be those who choose to die on their feet who will bring about that defeat.
Would editors please collate with images provided by Lorcan below.
Ibrahim Bilgen, 61, an electrical engineer from Siirt. Member of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers of Turkey. Ran as a Saadet (Felicity) Party candidate in the Turkish general election of 2007 and the Siirt mayoral election of 2009. Married with 6 children.
Ali Haydar Bengi, 39, ran a telephone repair shop in Diyarbakir. Graduate of Al-Azhar University, Cairo (Department of Arabic Literature). Married to Saniye Bengi; four children - Mehunur (15), Semanur (10) and twins Mohammed and Senanur (5,
Cevdet Kiliçlar, 38, from Kayseri. A graduate of Marmara University's Faculty of Communications, he was a print journalist for theNational Gazette and the Anatolia Times. For the past year he was a reporter and webmaster for the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH). Married to Derya Kiliçlar; one daughter, Gülhan, and one son, Erdem.
Çetin Topçuoglu, 54, from Adana. Former amateur soccer player and taekwondo champion, who coached Turkey's national taekwondo team. Married with one son,
.
Necdet Yildirim, 32, an IHH aid worker from Malatya. Married to Refika Yıldırım; one daughter, Melek, aged three.
. Fahri Yaldiz, 43, a firefighter who worked for the Municipality of Adiyaman. Married with four sons.
Cengiz Songür, 47, from Izmir. Married to Nurcan Songür; six daughters and one son. -
Cengiz Akyüz, 41, from Iskenderun. Married to Nimet Akyüz ; three children - Furkan (14), Beyza (12) and Erva Kardelen (nine).
Furkan Dogan, 19, in his senior year at Kayseri High School where he was awaiting the results of his university entrance exams; hoped to become a doctor. Loved chess. Son of Dr. Ahmet Dogan, Assoc Prof at Erciyes University. A Turkish-American dual national, with two siblings.
see:http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/06/452871.html
http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/news/2010/06/putting....html
They dont need them.Not with a compliant sympathetic press and media generally, and a somnolent population that leaks apathy from every pore.
When we wont mobilise to dump these gobshites for what they do to us how would we ever shift a finger for anyone else.The contradiction comes when you look at Irish voluntary efforts and charity donations.The church has poisoned our culture with a sentimental pity where there should be a concern for justice.Literally mentally retarded by an addiction to recieved 'faith', where intelectual developement demands the ability to cohabitate with doubt in the search for truth.Leaves us open to all sorts of disinformation parasitism.Another thousand years and we might shake off the superstition.Someone call Dermot Ahern.I want to be screened for blasphemy.
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