I recommend you read Ron Ben Yishai’s account on Ynet and also the Bicom briefing.
What an upsetting day. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured commandos and their families.
Chas Newkey-Burden
Chas Newkey-Burden is a journalist and celebrity biographer from Windsor, UK.
Recent biographies: Amy Winehouse, Adele, Brangelina and Tom Daley
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The Anti -Israel sentiment has just gone through the roof. Everywhere on Facebook, Reddit and other sites – there is an incredible amount of resentment and outright hostility towards Israel.
Israel’s reputation has gone down and its going to be very difficult to re-establish it.
Thanks for the links Chas
Sadly, I agree. As Stephen Pollard wrote on the Jewish Chronicle website today: “It’s depressing, but not in the least bit surprising, that the ‘condemn first, ask questions later (if at all)’ attitude towards Israel is as universal as ever.”
We can all help change minds though, even just one person’s mind.
It’s disgusting how much the facts are ignored. On the BBC tv report for example, as they were playing the footage of the soldier being beaten with the metal stick, they said something about the activists tring to fight back, but were no match for the IDF.
The truth just doesn’t matter when it comes to Israel. This was no violation of human rights, this was a vicious attack on our wonderful soldiers, who acted in self-defence after, as usual, showing as much restraint as they could, until their lives were endangered.
Meanwhile,
Wounded flotilla activists taken to hospital in Jerusalem
By ABE SELIG
05/31/2010 18:01
Four of the wounded flotilla activists were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, all of them in moderate condition, Hadassah Spokeswoman Yael Bossem-Levy, told the Jerusalem Post.
She added that all four appeared to be Turkish nationals, although it was unclear if one was in fact a Palestinian.
Two of the wounded were treated in the hospital’s emergency trauma unit and the other two underwent surgery, although Bossem-Levy said she was unable to disclose the details of their injuries.
Inside the emergency room, a handful of Military Police officers stood guard over two of the wounded activists, one of whom could be seen lying on a bed and sleeping in a hospital gown, his foot bandaged.
http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=177024
These videos of the flotilla people attacking brave Israeli soldiers are upsetting to watch but we have to get the truth out there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo
Mr. Newkey-Burden:
Is there any way to email you privately? i clicked the “contact” link at the top of the page, but it didn’t actually give me any contact information.
(Sorry for the off-topic nature of this comment, but I couldn’t find any other way to send you a message.)
Well Chas I’m a former soldier who has faced hostile crowds in NI. You know what the violence faced by the Israeli soldiers (according to the video) was far worse than any I have faced. Also I can state confidently that if I was in their shoes I would have opened fire. Absolutely no doubt about that whatsoever, in fact any professional soldier would have done. Interesting isn’t it how all of the hysterical bleaters seem to leave that point out of their arguments.
I was at a v small demo this evening organised by the wonderful Jonathan Hoffman in Whitehall opposite Downing Street to show our solidarity with Israll & the brave soldeirs of the IDF. Where was everyone?
I’m glad you were there. On a tactical point the “I’ve been to a demo where were you” line has never been one that inspires, though I can understand the frustration having been on similar small demos myself. Hope to meet you on one in the future!
Sorry! Didn’t mean to be negative. It was called at v short notice. And sadly I can’t go along tonight as I have a plane to catch at an unearthly hour tomorrow morning. Do hope to meet you sometime Chas as I’m a big fan of all that you do.
Wow – the link to the video that Chas posted has 300 views right now.
That was a very disturbing vidoe but it does backup the Israeli stance – its just a shame that only 300 people have viewed it.
The following has 37,5000 views in contrast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFEBbDkyrqQ
Go figure.
Unfortunately(or fortunately),my computer won’t let me watch any net footage as I’ve got the old Flash player and despite my attempts..anyway.
Guys,rather than whining in a butthurt manner that “everyone else is(always) at fault and it’s(never our fault) not fair because you people have a condemn first ask questions later attitude”,perhaps you could try to put yourselves in the position of the rest of humanity,when,once again,the IDF are forced to kill a bunch of people.And you might want to look again at the blockade.
Even Jeremy Bowen on the BBC 10 o clock news said it was clear to see why Israel would feel the world is against them.
The mistake appears to be the IDF’s decision to treat the invaders as political activists. Well the world calls them peace activists on a humanitarian mission. Who knew that they planned to maim and kill?
thanks for your sentiments and links, Chas. Here is another interesting one:
http://undhimmi.com/2010/05/31/gaza-do-these-people-look-like-they-need-an-aid-flotilla/
Im puzzled by one thing – the floatilla was on international waters, so the Israeli soldiers had no right to get on – they were essentially being Pirates. Have I missed out something ?
Thus, the passengers were just defending themselves.
The British Navy intercepts suspicious vessels in international waters almost daily.
Read the Ynet article and then tell me they were ‘defending themselves’.
I suppose, “blabla” that if it had been you in their shoes you would have allowed yourself to be bludgeoned/stabbed/shot to death? because you’re obviously such a peaceful person you couldn’t bring yourself to hurt anyone, even to stop them killing you.
Thanks Chas. The Ynet piece is particularly clear and helpful.
Does anyone have a theory as to why the media is taking the stance they do?
@Richard the UnDhimmi website seems very rampantly anti-Islam. This site (oy va goy) is pro-Israel (which does not equal anti-Islam or anti-Arab etc.), I thought only pro-Palestinians could be instantly anti they other party. The UnDhimmi gang proves some pro-Israel supporters are very anti, in their case Islam.
All very conspiracy theory, why do the media not show this evidence of lavish opulence in Gaza?
MonkZy, is it anti-Islam or anti-Islamist? I haven’t seen anything rampantly anti-Islam yet. Please let me know.
It is no more progressive to be anti-Islamist, than to be anti-Zionist. Strangely though the word Islamist is highlighted by my browsers spell checker as a mistake.
Can a person be anti-Zionist without being anti-Jew?
I am not anti-Zionist or anti-Islamist, I feel I do not know enough about either army, and I often feel as though it is not my battle.
Technically yes, a person can be anti-Zionist without being anti-Jew. There is even a Jewish sect known as the Neturei Karta whose followers are anti-Zionist. (But only because they believe Jews aren’t permitted to rule in Israel until after the coming of the Messiah. They don’t oppose Jews living there—indeed, many Neturei Karta live there themselves. But they oppose a Jewish government in Israel; they do not recognize the Israeli government. (They don’t pay taxes, nor do they accept any government benefits.)
That being said, in my experience, anti-Zionism is often used as a cover. It’s not politically acceptable to say you hate Jews, so many modern-day Jew haters have learned to couch their anti-Jewish rhetoric in terms of anti-Zionism.
And what is Zionism? It’s merely the idea that the Jewish people are entitled to rule themselves in their own homeland. This is hardly a controversial idea—the Brits rule Britain, the French rule France, and Egyptians rule Egypt.
The easy way to recognize those using anti-Zionism as a cover is that they almost always make a point of saying, “I’m not anti-Jewish, just anti-Zionist.” Can you imagine someone saying, I”m not anti-German, I’m just anti-Germany!”?