Ireland to Israel: Let new aid ship break Gaza blockade

[ChangoLoa]

International activists vowed on Tuesday to try to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip with another ship carrying humanitarian aid, a day after an Israel Navy blockade on the first six-ship convoy left nine people dead and several more wounded.

The Irish-owned MV Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship bought by pro-Palestinian activists and named after an American woman killed in the Gaza Strip in 2003, set off on Monday from Malta, organizers said.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen urged Israel to let the vessel to finish its mission. The ship was carrying 15 activists including a northern Irish Nobel Peace laureate.

"The government has formally requested the Israeli government to allow the Irish-owned ship ... to be allowed to complete its journey unimpeded and discharge its humanitarian cargo in Gaza," Cowen told parliament in Dublin.

An Israel Defense Forces officer pledged that the newest ship would also be halted, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation after Monday's deadly clash.

"We as a unit are studying, and we will carry out professional investigations to reach conclusions," the lieutenant said, referring to Monday's confrontation in which his unit shot nine activists aboard a Turkish ferry.

"And we will also be ready for the Rachel Corrie," he added

More:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/ireland-to-israel-let-new-aid-ship-break-gaza-blockade-1.293616

[EFerrari]

1. My mom would say God is offering Israel an opportunity

and they are pushing his hand away.

It's too bad.

[ChangoLoa]

4. The world has to keep on trying

Israel can't hold its position forever. I hear many Israelis are totally shocked about their govt's reaction. This feeling has to increase in front of an irrational hysterical govt.

Seven idiots in the cabinet

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/seven-idiots-in-the-cabinet-1.293418

[EFerrari]

17. Yes, the world has to keep trying. And our greatest strength

is in the multi-nationalism of these efforts.

[snappyturtle]

2. I shutter to think of what's coming down the pike. Why can't Israel

escort the humantarian ships to port and monitor the off shipment? I realize such action would nullify the blockade.

[Cary]

3. Non-violent revolution

If "Palestinians" were smart they would have engaged in this in the first place.

This is going to be a problem with Israel if Hamas doesn't screw it up.

[Pirate Smile]

5. No kidding. It is like - Yoo Hoo, ever heard of MLK or Ghandi? Try that.

[Blue Meany]

6. Agreed, non-violent resistance is their best weapon...

they couldn't possible win with violence, but with Gandhian approach they would at least make some gains.

[Cary]

7. Win what?

That's their real problem IMHO. If their goal remains the annihilation of Israel then I don't know. If their goal is a right of return I don't think that's going to work either. I think Israel rightfully regards the right of return as the means of their annihilation.

If their goal is to achieve something akin to what Ehud Barak offered them a couple of decades ago, then why did they put themselves through so much misery?

[ChangoLoa]

9. I don't think Israel wants to go back to the Barack/Abbas negociation terms anymore. nt

[Cary]

11. I'm sure Netanyahu would never do it.

I am no BB Netanyahu fan but Arafat paved the way for Barak's defeat and Arial Sharon's election. Conditions would have to be right again.

If "Palestinians" earnestly embraced peace I think you might be surprised what could be achieved.

[azurnoir]

10. They who? define "they" please

the Palestinian people, Hamas, Fatah just whom are you speaking of?

[Cary]

13. That's a good question but you left many off your list.

Do you suppose that I might be talking about the 1 million Arabs who are Israeli citizens? What is their spin on these issues?

How about the Druse? Do you know who the Druse are?

What about Shiites? Or how about Sunnis?

[Blue Meany]

12. Good question

Clearly Hamas is not going to wipe out Israel. Not now and not in the medium-term future. Hamas knows this and Israel knows it too. Statements to the contrary are just political bluster. There no longer is enough territory left for an economically or politically viable state left for Palestinians to create a state in; Israel has gradually gobbled up so much of the land that this is not possible. Palestinians need to accept that there now is a single de facto state in which they are living as second class citizens. What they have to win, then, is equal rights within the state of Israel as full citizens. That is what a civil rights could acheive over time with non-violent protests. Support for such a solution stands at about 40% in both populations, but I would guess that if peace looked like it might break out, it would gain majority support pretty quickly.

[Cary]

14. What is needed for an economically or political viable state?

The Palestinian mandate included Jordan. Did it not? Why isn't Jordan ever figured into this equation?

[Blue Meany]

19. The land on which Palestianians lived that was once occupied by

Jordan is now occupied by Israel.

[Cary]

21. That's not true. n/t

[Blue Meany]

22. Jordan occupied the West Bank and Jerusalem from 1948

until the Six-Day War, when they were driven out. Since then this land has been occupied by Israel. What's not true about this?

I think you conflating some early proposals for Palestine from the 1920s, which did include Transjordan and parts of what is now Syria, with the UN Partition of 1948.

[Cary]

15. don't mean to sound snarky.

It's a frustrating subject and actually I have a lot more questions than I have answers. I don't know whether there is a good answer to any of them.

[Peregrine Took]

8. My Ireland born parents would be so proud of the "Rachel." n/t

[Tripmann]

16. And this Irish person certainly is.

:toast:

[Loudmxr]

18. And one more son of Ireland joins you both.

My father was born in British occupied Ireland.(Kingstown now Dún Laoghaire) My Grandmother couldn't fish in the Shannon and her future husband, Grandpa, could kill a rabbit with a stone because the Irish were forbidden to hunt. He never touched rabbit meat once he touched American soil.

The Israelis treat the Palestinians like the British treated the Irish!

[Tripmann]

20. No way!

My wife is from Dun Laoire.

Small world