Gaza Flotilla - genuine peace activists or Hamas puppets?

These people aim to promote peace, not war. Can you say the same?

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OMG not dihydrogen monoxide!

I saw a video by one of the crew showing the Israeli ships using water cannons on some of the boats. The drama queen recording the video was saying "They're spraying them with chemicals..." (no doubt a "chemtrails" fan)

No one in their right mind could believe that Hamas wants to share life peacefully and equally with Israel.

I believe some Gazans do but many have been radicalised and probably hate Israel too. This is what anyone attempting a peace deal is up against.

I've seen criticism of the Israel government and IDF actions in Gaza, I've even contributed to some of the criticisms of both.

But I've also seen hatred towards Israel and an attitude of they got what they deserved from some posters. I've reported some disgusting posts that subsequently got deleted and other people get the worst posts deleted too.

I know what I've seen and I do know the difference between valid criticism and hate.

Okay, in your mind what would a one state solution look like?

The march to Gaza was aiming to enter the Rafah crossing and highlighted their treatment by the Egyptian authorities.

However their is a difference, at the moment, only Israel can facilitate aid deliveries to Gaza.

There actually was a Global March to Gaza which included between 3,500 and 4,000 people - they marched to the Rafah crossing!

And yet there seems to be blind ignorance about the actual threat to Israel. I'm not sure "horrific scenes of violence" quite conveys the savagery of it.

I believe a one state solution might better achieve peace, but not through deporting Palestinians but sharing a country equally with Palestinians

Does anyone really believe that's what Hamas and the Gazans want? To share life peacefully and equally with Israel?

Perhaps visit Gaza pretending to be a Jewish woman and see what happens next.

If the objective of the flotilla is indeed to highlight the blockade of Gaza by Israel then why haven't there been and why aren't there protests about Egypt closing the Rafah border crossing.

Up until the 7th October there were thousands of Gazans who daily commuted to work in Israel, whereas Egypt since July 2013 has pretty much closed the Rafah crossing for people (although goods continued).

To protest against Israel currently closing the borders to Gaza or to try and breach the blockade but not protest against Egypt historically and currently doing the same or try to breach the Rafah crossing must mean that there is something different about Egypt closing their crossing.

Quite simply this double standards is what leads to calls of anti semitism.

You have seen people be critical of the Israeli government and Israeli actions in Gaza. This is not what hate looks like. Supporting Palestinians civilians and thinking they should not be killed is not hateful. Ireland supports a two state solution anyway.

I wouldn’t watch it either. Why would you want to? It’s not cowardly to avoid watching horrific scenes of violence.

It is possible to feel compassion towards Israelis while also being highly critical of what’s happening in Gaza.

Criticism of Israel policies and leaders and support for Palestinians does not equal 'hate'. Just like Greta highlighting the illegal blockade is not anti Israel. Attempting to shut down conversations surrounding Israel and their illegal activities with accusations of 'hate', anti Israel, antisemitism is all very juvenile.

It isn't hateful to point out illegal behaviour that is causing great suffering, I would argue that it is hateful to ignore it and not act.

It’s irrelevant that you wouldn’t watch the film @KoalaKoKo - neither have I watched it but my reason is that I would find it too upsetting (rather cowardly I know).

But Greta is an activist for this specific war. She is willing to devote her life to it at the moment. So it seems strange she doesn’t want to know more about the event that triggered it. Maybe she would have more compassion for Israelis if she watched what happened to some of them on 7/10 (or maybe she doesn’t want to be made to feel compassion for them).

I’ve seen a disproportionate amount of hate against Israel expressed by Irish people on MN myself & it does suggest they have a special affinity with Palestinian people compared to their neighbours such as the English or Scottish for example.

Ireland also has a tiny Jewish population which I imagine is going to get smaller after this. Can’t exactly be a very welcoming environment for a Jewish person to live in.

Note that you don’t suggest why Greta wouldn’t watch the film. Sorry I pre emptied the stock response of Why should she.

Because it has nothing to do with the blockade or with Greta. They are not doing this for Hamas but for ordinary Palestinians facing a genocide. I wouldn’t watch it either in that context because the people showing it are using it for justification for genocide.

Honestly we know what happened, it was horrific, but it doesn’t excuse how the IDF are behaving and the blockade was in existence before October 7th.

There are still people starving to death, there are still pictures of dead starving children coming out, it is no longer front page news as it has been going on so long. Aid agencies have reported that the peanut butter based supplement they use for treating malnutrition is on the list of banned “luxury” items that is not allowed into Gaza so they are finding it difficult to save children who have lost the ability to digest solid food. More aid is getting through but not enough. People are getting amputations without anaesthetics or antibiotics. Just because something is less high up in the news it doesn’t mean the problem is solved.

A minority?

What plight am I in? I wasn’t aware of plight. A housing crisis maybe but a that is truly dwarfed by the Palestinians lack of homes,

No - the responses from international governments has shifted from previous flotilla’s. Their tone worries me. If they are concerned about their citizens safety, that is worrisome to me.

Like I said, hopefully I am wrong.

There is a flood of anti Irish content online, anti Irish articles in Israeli media, accusations of anti semitism by Israeli politicians.

Do you think that Greta would watch the 7/10 massacre and decide that is it right to block aid to civilians??

It’s very bizarre logic.

Well yes, of course they are. There are a small minority of Irish who seem utterly convinced the plight of the Palestinians is somehow their own. It isn’t.

Actually most pro Palestinian protestors don’t want Israel dismantled, we just want rights for Palestinians including their right to self determination and statehood. Most believe in a two state solution, I believe a one state solution might better achieve peace, but not through deporting Palestinians but sharing a country equally with Palestinians. I strongly believe Palestinians have the right to their homeland and that Israelis born and raised in Israel have a right to stay, the original Palestinians as many have pointed out before were muslim, jewish and christian. It is possible to peacefully co-exist as we are now seeing in Northern Ireland.

I don’t believe in a “jewish” state and I don’t believe people from other countries should continue to move there and create settlements. I don’t believe religion should be at the heart of any government and I don’t believe people have the right to continue move there based on their religious beliefs (unless they are willing to buy property and integrate like a normal immigrant). So no not a Zionist - not in the modern context anyway - I have nothing against early Zionists who moved there, bought property and lived alongside Palestinians.

Ah look, I'll leave you to it. You are set in your opinion, refuse to acknowledge that Israel are the ones who have acted illegally here, refuse to accept that the illegal blockade is damaging, have accused Greta of being antisemitic and anti Israel rather than acknowledge that her concerns are valid, now you've moved onto anti Irish sentiment again.

22 Irish citizens were on board the flotilla according to RTE

The blockade in Gaza is not the reason there is hunger & malnutrition in Gaza as I’m sure you know. Aid is getting through in sufficient quantities now that we no longer hear about widespread famine have you noticed?

Why didn’t Greta watch the film about 7/10?

Oh let me guess … why should she?