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Israel Warns Foreign Journalists: Joining Gaza Flotilla Is Illegal
Letter from head of Israel's Government Press Office warns that taking part in convoy of boats sailing to Gaza could result in being barred from Israel for 10 years.
Israel's Government Press Office issued a letter Sunday to foreign journalists, warning them that participating in the upcoming flotilla sailing to Gaza is illegal under Israeli law, and could result in anyone who joins the convoy being barred from Israel for up to 10 years.
A ship flying the French flag, "Dignité - Al Karama", sails off the coast of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on June 25 to join the new pro-Palestinian aid flotilla. (AFP/Murielle Kasprzak)
The letter, signed by GPO director Oren Helman, states that the flotilla "is a dangerous provocation that is being organized by western and Islamic extremist elements to aid Hamas."
Helman asks editors to inform journalists that the Israel Defense Forces have been ordered to stop the convoy of ships from reaching Gaza, given that "The flotilla intends to knowingly violate the blockade that has been declared legally and is in accordance with all treaties and international law."
Furthermore, the letter says, "participation in the flotilla is an intentional violation of Israeli law and is liable to lead to participants being denied entry into the State of Israel for ten years, to the impoundment of their equipment and to additional sanctions."
Haaretz correspondent Amira Hass will be joining the flotilla, along with several dozen other journalists and several hundred activists from some 20 countries. Also joining the flotilla will be American writer Alice Walker, despite an American advisory that doing so could be a violation of U.S. law.
In May 2010, the Israel Navy boarded six boats that comprised a similar aiming to break the Israeli naval blockade on the Strip; nine activists on board were killed during the ensuing violence.
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64 Comments so far
Show AllIsrael's got only one mouldy old string on its tinny little asor, doesn't it?
Likud leaders are the "illegal" actors here, and for their warmongering they should be permanently banned from every nation that wants a peaceful world .-- There is a video of Likud leader Nit-wit-yehoo bragging about how easily he manipulates the US, and also bragging about how he lies in peace agreements -- This video was taken just before the invasion of Iraq, and that was an unnecessary war based on lies according to General Shelton, chairman of the US joint chiefs. General Shelton said Paul Wolfowitz pushed the Iraq war even against the orders of the US president. Wolfowitz is considered the architect of the war on Iraq, and Wolfowitz is also a dual US/israeli citizen. Just before the invasion of Iraq another Likud leader, Sharon, appeared on US television also pushing for the US to invade Iraq and other neighbors of israel. Recently Likud leader Nit-wit-yehoo toured the US pushing for a US attack on Iran. If the US is not careful it will soon be lied into a war on Iran..
A lot of the press that cover this stuff only want to sell their version of the news.
It's called Propaganda. The real truth in the Middle East comes out sparingly.
Let the parties who have lived in this part of the world for a trillion billion years settle their own issues. The three great religions are linked by one human being and G-D and their descendants. Peace trumps any outside interference and someday hopefully that is the real goal.
Keep the outsiders out.
Your comment is completely untrustworthy. What peace? Do you consider what's going on in your part of the world peace, or any honest attempt to create it? Your comment is worse than an outright lie.
"Keep outsiders out" - I'm sure that's the way the ancient Cana'anites must have felt, long ago. How's it workin' for ya?
I imagine the citizens of Jericho, 1948.
"Not them again..."
Outsiders, primarily members of the US Congress, are intensely involved in supporting Israel's ethnic cleansing. Your call for keeping outsiders out, is a call for status quo of Israel's ethnic cleansing policies.
[Keep the outsiders out.]
Would that include the outsiders from the USA? Not to mention the money the USA shovels there to keep the occupation and propaganda going?
If it does, then I'm with you. But given your 'G-D' remark, I doubt you mean that.
There is no god.
Keep the outsiders out? You mean all those Brooklyn Jews who are now building illegal settlements on Palestinian land? Rarely do I get to laugh when reading CD, but seeing Israel complain about "illegal"--seeing this war criminal nation who has violated every human rights law and international law in the book--complain about journalists being illegal, well, that's just a hoot!
It would be funny how Israel claims to care about international law when it suits them, except for their barbaric disregard for it when it doesn't.
A lot of relevant information is collected in Chapter 28 "Israel and Zionism" at http://examine.webs.com
Tnx for the link. That's a very useful web-site: full of factual info and ciritical of "jewry", without being anti-semitic.
As it says, in he context of "Jews afforded so much "prejudicial" slack in their apparent "right" to defame all others around them with impunity": "True resolvement, true health, is a dialogue, an exchange, and exploration of mutual prejudices (and the reasons for them), and a willingness to be drawn to sympathy for the others’ side -- not merely consistent concession to one group’s accusation and demand."
It's too late to "keep outsiders out." US military aid to Israel has hovered around $8.2 million a day. Palestinian military, such as it is, gets zero. Palestinians aren't allowed to defend themselves, although it is their right under international law to do so.
A conservative Washington Report on Middle East Affairs states that the US has already given Israel $114 billion in direct aid. Much of the money has gone to building up a fierce military along side an apartheid system of govenment, including the illegal embargo.
When Israel says their apartheid policies and embargoes are legal, they're just plain lying.
I think its worth it. You go, Audacious ones. May you reach the people whose hearts ache and long to know that there is even a World outside of their open air Prison.
If Israelis were to be treated like Palestinians, they would be living in barbed wire surrounded camps and walled in ghettos. They would be collectively, "put on a diet" by their oppressors and killers. Witnesses would be detained, barred imprisoned and killed.
The fact that The Greatest most Powerful Nation on the Earth, gives Israelis and Israelis take at least $3Billion American Taxpayer Dollars (every year, for how many years?) to fund their illegal settlements, and deadly weapons that they use on the Palestinians. We owe at the very least a boatload of letters that say, "we care." !!!
"The fact that The Greatest most Powerful Nation on the Earth, gives Israelis and Israelis take at least $3Billion American Taxpayer Dollars (every year, for how many years?)"
Is America is ruled by Israelis?
"Is America is ruled by Israelis?"
Ya know, that is a good starting point. Or are both Israel and America actors for something more collaborative? Certain parties who gave Palestine to Israel sure wouldn't want to be left out of World Domination, for example.
The fact of all the standing applause in Congress and AIPAC makes me wonder if there are pin cushion dolls for each politician. Extreme fear and pain if they dare sit during one of many standing ovations.
So, people who advocate peace and reconciliation are 'western and Islamic extremist elements', eh? The longer this goes on the more likely the same end will fall upon these crusaders as befell the last lot of crusaders in that part of the world.
And the article does nothing to refute the lie.
and it can't come too soon!
What evidence does Israel have that those on the flotilla are "Islamic extremists"? Is Alice Walker or Len Tsou among them so called? Why does Israel lie?
Because they can -- and get away with it.
War is peace. Yeah, right.
Besides, selective memory still rules: remember the "Exodus", immortalized in a Hollywood epic film in the 60's, about the heroic (and very Aryan-looking, i.e., superior European) Zionist youth who braved the British blockade to bring refugees to Palestine? The Zionists now will tell you that it bears no analogy to the Peace Flotilla.
International civil society is in favour of liberating Palestine from occupation and from this inhuman and illegal siege. The insistence by the Israeli government that the violent interception of ships in international waters is legal, and that the collective punishment of Gaza's inhabitants is both legal and permissible, is a huge crock of shit that the MSM keep on swallowing and regurgitating. (Forgive the gross image, but it seemed to be the most suitable one.)
And on the subject of selective memory: remember the Liberty ('67). Israel still hasn't been held to account for that deadly attack on its main ally and enabler.
Rest of the world to Israel: Collective punishment is a war crime. Acts of
Piracy on the high seas are war crimes. Murder of unarmed aid workers is
a war crime. Blockading a sovereign nation (Palestine) is a war crime. A very
simple solution Israel, accept the fotilla's offer to insect the cargo. If the REAL
reason for the siege was security you would accept and the problem would be
solved but that isn't the real reason is it ??? We can't hear you Israel???
Thank you. Exactly on the mark.
Exactly. Funny how Sec. of State Clinton, Obama, every US Congressman and Senator (with the exception of 6), and every single journalist in the world conveniently ignores the fact that the illegal blockade is supposedly about "keeping weapons out of the hands of Hamas," but yet Israel refuses to just stop the boats in the flotilla, inspect their cargo to make sure there are no weapons aboard, and then let them continue, which is what the flotilla has offered. Everyone just conveniently ignores this simple solution. Why?
Because, as we all know, Israel and its little bitch, the U.S., aren't blockading Gaza to keep weapons out of Hamas' hands. They are engaging in apartheid and the subjugation of an entire people, and they cannot allow anyone - or any flotilla of activists - to disrupt that agenda.
"barred from Israel for 10 years"
Oh, dear! How awful! Can I take a lifetime ban, please?
Take a number!
Joining Gaza Flotilla and delivering humanitarian assistance to an impoverished civilian population is ``illegal'' ?
What do you call mass ethnic cleansing, occupation at the barrel of a gun, house demolition, besieging a civilian population, violation UN resolutions and using white phosphorus on civilians ?
After all the international laws the Israelis has flouted, isn't a little rich for them to be telling unarmed aid workers what is illegal and what isn't ?
First rule of journalism – whatever Israel does is legal.
Second rule of journalism – if you want a career in journalism refer to the first rule.
Israel plays the bully role quite well. Stand up the the giant and go spread peace. They sure don't know what that word means.
Boycott Israel. Divest from Isreal.
For more information on Ahava and its involvement in the occupation, go to “Who Profits from the Occupation?” (A project of The Israeli Coalition of Women for Peace) www.whoprofits.org/
For more information on the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign, go to Global BDS Movement for Palestine: www.bdsmovement.net/
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0614-04.htm
Boycott
Starbucks, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Burger King, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, Sara Lee, AOL Time Warner, Disney, Estée Lauder, Nokia, Revlon, Marks & Spencer, Selfridges and IBM
Thank you Peacemaker. We need to spread the word, far and wide. Boycott Israel anyway you can. It's the only way to force them to behave themselves. They remind me of spoiled rotten children who want what doesn't belong to them and will bite, kick, scream, refuse to obey the rules - only they aren't children, they're a military entity, deadly and out of control. I wish Palestinians could just throw some water on them like Dorothy did to the witch.
Worse comes to worse lets get this to a World Court. That might just be what it takes for Luke 21:20 to be fulfilled with Israel surrounded by armies for her desolation to be at hand. The Zionist in control of that hell hole are the same kind of people who killed their last king. Who was the last king on David's Throne? I'd like to see one as wise as Solomon on it right now.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Evolution-Number-Nine-by-Michael-Dewey-110215-430.html
Which World court? If you mean the ICC, Israel is not a member so their citizens can't be tried there.
Cockroaches fear the light of day, which is precisely what the Zionists fear the most, being exposed by the international media for the brutal thugs that they are. On the previous peace flotilla, 19-year old American Furkan Dogan was shot 5 times by Israeli commandos. Four of those shots were in the head. Israel has turned Gaza into the Zionist version of the Warsaw ghetto.
Israel is illegal. It's a rogue terrorist nation which regularly engages in terrorism, theft, murder, kidnapping, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and aggressive war.
"Joining Gaza Flotilla Is Illegal"
So is piracy in international waters.
The rack on which the BS is stored has an endless supply.
So now Israel gives cover to anyone desiring press censorship by branding any journalists who come along as aiders and abetters of Hamas terrorism. Accompanying the flotilla, in this point of view, supports the intentions of the demonstrators. And if the IDF uses forces, which it probably will? Then what? Whatever the press sees and reports - because they went along - is a lie? Is Israel only broadcasting to the world, with this warning, that they will use violence against the protesters?
It's easy, isn't it, to find some BS which will justify one's cause when violence is used? Blame the victims. Blame those who report it. Blame everyone and anybody so long as it's not oneselves. And those conditioned to accept the Big Lie will once again fully accept it.
good point about blame
Our "Orwellian" media filters out all the diabolical zionist provocations. Everbody knows about the pathetic bottle-rocket attacks, but we are blinded by the media and government as to what provoked Gazans to use them. Here is a quote from a book.
"Palestinians of Gaza have no protection from Israeli artillery. They have no air defenses. And they have no protection from another weapon by which they are frequently tormented. With Jewish settlers safely out of the way, the Israeli air force began staging mock air raids over Gaza - sending Jet fighters roaring low over densely populated neighborhoods and breaking the sound barrier in the middle of the night - an absolutely terrifying phenomenon. Dr. Eyad el-Sarraj of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme wrote in September 2005, "During the last few days, Gaza was awakened from its dreams of liberation with horrible explosions, which have shattered our skies, shaken our buildings, broken our windows, and thrown the place into panic. "We have been 'bombed' [subjected to mock air raids and sonic booms] since Friday 23 September, day and night." Usually between 2:00-4:00 AM, between 6:30-8:00 AM when children go to school...creating fear and paralysis. Children were traumatized, having nightmares.
Despite protest from human rights organizations, the low-altitude sonic booms continued throught the fall into November 2005, three every night, then started again in the summer of 2006. No one in Gaza was sleeping. The Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem stated, "The sole purpose of these sorties is to prevent residents from sleeping, and to create an ongoing sense of fear and anxiety." Cardiac arrest increased, miscarriages were up 30-40%.
The sonic booms were just the beginning...."
source: "Palestine Inside Out" by Saree Makdisi, p.172-175
I think that anyone who supports Israel and Israel itself are going to lose this propaganda war no matter what happens. The only question for me is will they get trigger happy? It may not seem so at times but this has gotten way big and , no doubt, there will be more. Tony
Another lie by the media and our government is labeling these people "terrorists" just because they don't roll over and play dead.
ource: "Palestine Inside Out" by Saree Makdisi, p. 273-77
According to Jimmy Carter, "the United States and Israel decided to punish all the people in Palestine and did everything they could to deter a compromise between Hamas and Fateh."
"In spite of American and Israeli pressure, a short-lived national unity government was ultimately formed during Hama-Fateh negotiations held in Mecca under Saudi auspices - but these negotiations did not take place until early 2007. In the meantime, the United States continued to push for a confrontation between Fateh and Hamas - and even a Palestinian civil war. The United States channeled funds to Fateh, and Israel allowed huge quantities of weapons and ammunition to get through, despite its often-expressed anxieties concerning "security" - to both official and unofficial Fateh militias, notably the paramilitary organization led by Muhammed Dahlan in Gaza, to destabilize the Hamas government. Dahlan's closest associate in the U.S. government was (and remains) Deputy National Security Advisor Elliot Abrams, who is best known for having been convicted for lying to Congress about his role in a strikingly similar project during the Reagan administration in the 1980's, namely, establishing and arming the Contra militia to topple the legitimate government of Nicaragua. According to James Wolfensohn, the former President of the World Bank, Abrams was also responsible for undermining the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access that Wolfensohn helped negotiate, thereby turning Gaza back into a "prison" and encouraging the rise of Hamas.
Even after the Palestinian unity government was formed in early 2007, U.S. and Israeli efforts to destabilize it continued, and fighting erupted sporadically in the West Bank, and especially Gaza, between security forces loyal to Hamas, and militias - notably Dahlan's - supported and armed by the United States and Israel, which aimed to weaken and ultimately to undermine the Hamas-led unity government. Finally, in June, Hamas cracked down on Dahlan and the extra-governmental Fateh armed presence in Gaza, which quickly collapsed."
No soup for you! Ten years!
In 1948, the UN 'GAVE' portions of the dismantled, OTTOMAN Empire's Palestine Territory AND Statehood to displaced, Jewish Europeans, for a nation that RESPECTED the RIGHTS of ALL PERSONS, contained, at that time, within those borders. The 'RESPECT' RIGHT was discarded, putting the new State in violation of its new UN CHARTER! (These are FACTS!)
NOW, the time is past for the UN to 'GIVE' the remaining portion of the OTTOMAN Empire's Palestine Territory AND Statehood to the indigneous Palestinians!
The State of Israel should have no VOTE in this matter! (Since when must an OCCUPIED PEOPLE negotiate with its ILLEGAL OCCUPIER to establish and legalize ANY of its RIGHTS!)
Per the laws and agreements of our International World, the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions and the US Constitution, Laws, Agrements and Treaties, the siezed Territory of Palestine and its Territorial Internationall Waters REMAINS administered by and inder the purview of the UN! Israel has NO LEAGAL RIGHTS IN THIS AREA!
why is it that god chose these particular people?
Actually, I think a bunch of priests chose Gawd.
Israel engaged Britian to war with the Palestinians, conquered the land for the Israeli's to occupy--not own- so Israel is an illegal state in the land of Palestine. Our tax money and weapons provided has kept them there and allowed the Zionist to kill the Palestinians.
Israel's imperiousness deserves one comment: bullshit!
Them zionist crackers sure know how to tell the world what to do. Get the good jews who object to the zionist's illegal actions out of izrael and then carpet bomb izrael with nukes.
fuckin' nazi's
It occurred to me just now...when a Muslim person attacks an American we go to war with their country. When Israel kills an American citizen we continue to give them the most money any foreign country gets, 6 million a day. We don't start a war with them, we high five them. What a crock of shit.
"When Israel kills an American citizen..." - we go to war with american citizens.