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Original poster

to think that if you were shocked or saddened by Israel's actions today you could

136 replies

lowrib · 31/05/2010 14:35

spare a moment or two to write a letter or an email to voice your protest.

For those of you who haven't seen the news, Israeli forces today stormed a flotilla of boats which were trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestine and shot dead 19 people, injuring many more. The people on the ships were an international group of unarmed civilians, and they were in international waters.

A friend of mine is on one of the ships. I'm yet to hear any news (Israel seem to be doing all they can to block any communication).

What you can do to help ...

(Copied from the Stop the War Coalition at stopwar.org.uk/content/view/1906/1/)

PROTEST TO FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE:

BY EMAIL: [email protected] AND [email protected] AND [email protected]

BY LETTER TO: William Hague MP, Foreign Secretary, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH

PROTEST TO YOUR MP:
findyourmp.parliament.uk

PROTEST TO DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER NICK CLEGG
EMAIL: [email protected]

LETTER TO: Nick Clegg MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Thanks.

OP posts:
bumpsoon · 31/05/2010 19:20

I do feel very sorry for the palestinians as they are stuck between a rock (hamas) and a hard place (israel). Yes they fire rockets into Israel ,and i feel sorry for the families effected by this . However i strongly believe that whilst Israel continues its blockade/sanctions Hamas will remain strong , if the palestinians were allowed to build their homes ,run their businesses ,educate their children and look after their sick as the people of Israel do then im sure peace would be achieved sooner rather than later .

RunawayWife · 31/05/2010 19:26

When will these people on both sides stop acting like animals?

Actually I think that does a dis service to Animals.

It is so sad, I will email.

shdad · 31/05/2010 19:28

Wedlocked ? How do Israel know the convoy was carrying medical supplies and building materials if they are not allowed to inspect the cargo?
I think if my country was being attacked like Israel has been/is I would expect my government to behave in exactly the same way as Israel have.
Bumpsoon ? Hamas were strong long before any blockade.

SquigletPie · 31/05/2010 19:31

I have to say I have always supported Israel's right to defend itself and take counter measures. But, this seems to be no more than murder for the sheer sake of it!

Humanitarian aid should always be allowed access. Understandably the aid cannot be allowed to enter unsupervised otherwise weapons and terrorists themselves will no doubt infiltrate the aid convoys.

Israel surely could have stopped the convoy and if the convoy were innocent of any ulterior motive this could have been demonstrated and the convoy allowed on its way?

Israel is definitely going to lose support with actions such as this. Surely these are not the actions of good, God-fearing people??

AnnieLobeseder · 31/05/2010 19:36

Great, another horrifying, stupid and embarrassing act by Israel. DH is Israeli, I lived there for many years. DH tends to be blindly pro-Israel whenever anything like this kicks off. But while I agree that Israel needs to defend itself, and Hamas are despicable in their use to the general public to hide and shield themselves, sometimes they go way, way to far. Like in their use of white phosphorous.

Israeli commandos are amongst the most highly trained in the world. I can't for one minute image that they couldn't have managed to subdue anyone attacking them and search the boat without killing anyone.

As others have said here, being so strong-armed and ruining so many innocent Palestinian's lives will only breed huge resentment, and thus more terrorism.

Israel should also be allowing all aid that comes from other countries into Gaza without imposing their own limit on it. Again, as others have said, they have no right to decide what other countries can give to help.

shdad · 31/05/2010 19:44

squigletPie - Israel tried to inspect the convoy, the sixth boat wouldn?t be inspected so the IDF boarded and were attacked, they fought back.
AnnieLobeseder ? I agree that Israel shouldn?t impose limits on aid, but they should have the right to inspect any aid coming in to make sure it isn?t for terrorism purposes.

AnnieLobeseder · 31/05/2010 19:46

shdad - absolutely they should get to inspect it, and aid should only come in through Israeli ports. But all of it, once inspected, should be allowed into Palestine.

This convoy was pretty damned stupid though, to try to break through on their own. Israel are not known for restraint when it comes to border control.

HerBeatitude · 31/05/2010 20:03

It won't do any good.

As long as Israel has the unconditional support of the USA, it can do what it wants with impunity.

It is absolutely unaccountable to anyone on Earth. Until the USA decides to change its policy.

shdad · 31/05/2010 20:04

AnnieLobeseder ? all aid that is legitimate should be allowed through.
It just seems to me that Israel were provoked today.
If Israel doesn?t fight there will be no more Israel, they have no choice, if you are surrounded by enemies you have to protect yourself.

littleducks · 31/05/2010 20:19

The pro-israeli video appears to have been shot after the original videos showing the soldiers shooting live ammunition at the boats, so i tend to think that the soldiers deserved to have been thrown off boats/hit with chairs if they had just been shooting and killing people, as awful as that sounds

I'm not sure that that Israel were provoked

But to be fair to both sides, it is a propoganda war as much as any other kind and i will wait for full explanantions from both sides

slim22 · 31/05/2010 20:20

this article from Haaretz sums it up pretty well for me.

shdad have you no heart? no soul, no memory?

How can you possibly still think that military stand off will lead anywhere?
No to mention pure demographics and geopolitics of the region? Do you really think Israel can sustain this stance for many more generations?
Am honestly curious to hear it.
The hawkish view just seems like pure denial and does very little apart from buying time.

Anniebee65 · 31/05/2010 20:22

Shdad "If you are surrounded by enemies you have to protect yourself"

Who else is tired of hearing about how Israel is always the victim and always trying to defend itself. They provoke this, they dropped Israeli soldiers from helicopters in a very hostile manner on those ships in international water might I add.

Enough is enough, it's not whether or not Israel had a right to approach those ships and search them, it's how Israel approach them. They had wheel chairs, toys for kids, food and all kinds of different aid. They had ppl from 30 different countries, they even had an a holocaust survivor on board. This was a peaceful mission, and nothing Israel will do/say will cover this massacre.

bumpsoon · 31/05/2010 21:26

I realise hamas was strong before ,what i was trying to say is they will continue to be so whilst Israel provides them with martrys .

bumpsoon · 31/05/2010 21:27

Of course if we want to get historical about this im fairly sure its all the fault of the british goverment somewhere down the line

pixiestix · 31/05/2010 22:23

Why is anyone surprised by this? The Israelis have been murdering innocent people with impunity for decades.

AnnieLobeseder · 31/05/2010 22:34

Let's be fair, Pixie, so have the Palestinians. It's very naive to believe either side is completely the aggressor or the victim.

LittleMissHissyFit · 31/05/2010 23:29

think the video on bbc seemed pretty clearcut to me.

You get asked to stop for inspection around there, you stop. If you're boarded, as is the right of a border or naval force, you don't attack those that board your vessel.

Hardly erm rocket science is it?

It's no different to a car not stopping at a checkpoint in a conflict zone. That boat crew acted recklessly at best.

sanfairyann · 31/05/2010 23:37

what right is that then, littlemisshissyfit? can any naval or border force just go round boarding any boat in international waters when it feels like then?

shdad · 01/06/2010 06:02

Slim22 ? the Israelis need to sustain their stance, they would have been destroyed many times since 1948 if they didn?t.

Sanfairyann ? any naval or border force can just go round boarding any boat in international waters if they believe they are involved in piracy. I know that technically the convoy were not involved in piracy but they could have been aiding terrorists, I believe in today?s times boats aiding terrorists should be treated just the same as pirates, so therefore Israel had the moral right to board. I really hope the UK government would do the same to protect us.

TheBossofMe · 01/06/2010 06:30

LitteMissHissyFit - does that mean that if a US navy boat tried to board a cross-channel ferry for inspection you would think that's OK? The boat wasn't in Israeli waters, or even in Palestinian waters, it was in international waters.

Sakura · 01/06/2010 06:43

Thank you lowrib.
You're right, HerBeautitude. As long as the US wants their handy little nuclear base slap-bang in centre of the Middle-East then Israel will just be able to carry on doing what the hell it likes.

I'm still trying to get over the disgraceful actions of their trigger-happy child-killing soldiers in Lebanon.

Murderers.

Sakura · 01/06/2010 06:47

shdad, why do the Israelis need to sustain their stance? I question their very right to even be in the Middle East, based on some random book that has nothing to do with the people who lived in the region for thousands of years, but who the've kicked off the land just because the US wants an ally strategic position amongst the muslim states.

Sakura · 01/06/2010 06:47

in a strategic position

Sakura · 01/06/2010 07:02

I mean, going by Israeli logic, why doesn't the whole world just re-claim land that used to belong to them years ago.
That would mean all the whites out of America for a start, then the native Americans could have all their land back.
All the Hispanics should be kicked out of south America.
Hmm, where else? The Ottoman empire? I think they laid claim to lots of land they don't have anymore. Where do we stop?

shdad · 01/06/2010 07:07

Sakura ? If you question their right to being there of course you won?t agree with their stance. Many people, me included, believe in the state of Israel and for their right to protect their existence.

If Hezzbollah and Hamas stop fighting there would be peace in the region, if Israel stop they would cease to exist. I really find it amazing how many people seem to support terrorism when it is against Israel.