This a speech by Jonathan Hoffman to the Israel Support Rally at Downing Street on May 31, 2010.
My friends,
We have all spent today glued to the screens trying to piece together what happened in the seas off the Israeli coast early this morning.
The first point to make is that Israel had every right to board the Mavi Marmara ship. Israel cannot allow unknown goods and people to enter Gaza. Gaza is controlled by Hamas, a terrorist regime that calls for the murder of Jews, the “obliteration” of Israel and its replacement with an Islamist theocracy. In the past, Israel has intercepted weapons-laden boats headed for Gaza’s coast. No government allows unidentified people and goods to flout their border regulations and enter their countries freely. If these activists behaved similarly at passport and security control in the U.S. or any other nation’s shores, ignoring their official protocol and violently attacking security personnel, they would also have been stopped and arrested.
The flotilla is organised by the Insani Yardim Vakfi, IHH, “humanitarian relief fund”).
In 2006 a Danish research institute called the Danish Institute for International Studies conducted a study which reported that in the past IHH had connections with Al-Qaeda and global jihad operatives. The well-documented study was conducted by Evan Kohlman, an American researcher who specialises in Al-Qaeda and related subjects. It deals with the involvement of Islamic charity funds and foundations in supporting terrorism. The IHH is an extremist Islamist organisation supporting global Jihad, and in this regard is no different from al-Qaeda and Hamas.
In recent years, especially since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip, IHH has supported Hamas’ propaganda campaigns by organising public support conferences in Turkey. At those conferences, which featured the participation of senior IHH figures, the heads of IHH expressed their support for Hamas and its strategy (including the armed struggle it espouses), in defiance of the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’ rival.
IHH is a member of the Union of Good, an umbrella organization of more than 50 Islamic funds and foundations around the globe, which channels money into Hamas institutions in the Palestinian Authority-administered territories. As a Union of Good member IHH has connections with other worldwide Islamic funds and foundations which support Hamas. Israel outlawed IHH because of its affiliation with the Union of Good and because it is an important factor in Hamas’ global fund raising.
So this is the organisation that is behind this flotilla. An organization that also refused a request from Gilad Shalit’s family to take a package to him in Gaza.
I quote from the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (12 June 1994): “It is permissible under rule 67(a) to attack neutral vessels on the high seas when the vessels “are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture.”
The flotilla was warned about breaching Israeli security regulations and was offered by both Israel and Egypt the opportunity to unload its humanitarian cargo in Ashdod and at Port Said – then it would be checked and then admitted to Gaza like all humanitarian goods. And let’s remember that the allegations of collective punishment and an Israeli blockade of Gaza are nonsense. Israel transfers about 15,000 tons of supplies and humanitarian aid every week to the people of Gaza.
But the Mavi Marmara ignored many warnings and sailed into a closed Israeli military zone.
The brave IDF soldiers were lowered onto the Mavi Marmara by helicopter. There is agonising footage taken from the helicopter which you may have seen of one of them being lowered onto the boat and then immediately assaulted and thrown onto the lower deck. He is clubbed with what looks like an iron bar. And then a large metal object. The so-called humanitarian passengers of the boat then try to kidnap him – like they kidnapped Gilad Shalit. Then they throw a stun grenade at the IDF soldiers and then a firebomb. This is all in the video. There is more footage from Channel Ten in Israel this morning which shows an IDF soldier being attacked by a knife.
The brave IDF soldiers tried to board the Mavi Marmara peaceably. Because the organisers of the flotilla had said they would resist peacefully. Israel took them at their word. At first the Israeli soldiers tried to use “paintball rifles” such as are used to disperse minor protests, such as the ones held in Bilin on a Friday about the separation barrier. They did have hanguns but they were to be used only as a last resort, to ensure minimum casualties. They would only use them in a life-threatening situation.
And that is what happened. It can be seen in the footage from the helicopter and from the side of the boat. Their lives were threatened. The “peaceful” humanitarians used knives, stun grenades, firebombs and metal pipes. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel said in his Press conference this morning that two guns were used.
Nevertheless when they came down from the helicopter, the brave IDF soldiers kept on shouting to each other “don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” even though they sustained numerous blows.
The result was tragic loss of life which we all regret. Some of the pro-Palestinian activists dies and five IDF soldiers were wounded, two critically. The wounded – and that includes violent activists – are receiving medical treatment in Israeli hospitals.
People of good will everywhere should condemn the violence perpetrated by the so-called “humanitarians” on those soldiers as they came down from the helicopter. It is on film for all to see. We call on the new UK coalition government to condemn the violence used by these so called “peace activists” who are a handicap to those in both Israel and Gaza who want to coexist in peace. We say “yes to peace, no to Hamas; yes to peace, no to extremism.”
But above all we salute the bravery of the IDF soldiers who carried out this operation. We wish those who are wounded a Refuah Shlehma, a speedy recovery. We salute their bravery and the bravery of all the IDF soldiers who keep Israel safe, who have done so for 62 years and who will go on doing so, whatever the provocation, whatever the slurs in the media and whatever the lies put out by our enemies.
G-d Bless the IDF.
This speech was originally published on CifWatch.
Hard to know what to say other than ‘well said Jonathan’. I’m so delighted Israel has a man such as you on its side and I feel blessed to know you.
Today I am sadder than yesterday about all of this. We must do everything we can to show that this was a totally justified action. Watching those poor soldiers being beaten in the film was too much. People must appreciate what Israel was up against.
Good speech. And good job on News24, Jonathan.
I agree, those videos were terribly, terribly upsetting to watch.
Anyone who attempts to defend or deny what those flotilla terrorists did having watched those videos is either very wicked or very stupid.
Well said Jonathan. I am praying for the swift and complete recovery of the wounded Israelis and hope their condition has improved this morning.
I’m sorry, but I can’t agree with you.
First of all, why were all cameras confiscated and communications cut?
And also it’s a bit like: “We don’t have anything against Israel. Our only aim was to carry aid to the people of Gaza. But for Israel, regardless of your religion or your nationality, if you help the people of Gaza you will be declared a terrorist.” – Serkan Nergis /via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHH_%28%C4%B0nsani_Yard%C4%B1m_Vakf%C4%B1%29)
Israel should be punished for this, they’ve been doing what they want for a long time without consequences.
What vacuous nonsense.
There were six boats. Five of them went peacefully to Ashdod and their goods were sent to Gaza. It was only the boat on which people attacked the IDF that trouble broke out, which was exactly what the people who made that attack wanted to happen. Watch the videos of what happened.
The thing is that it is very hard for Israel to win the PR war. Anything Israel does will be twisted and if this is not good enough then blatant lies will be told (and feeble apologies issued well after the date once all the damage has been well and truly done e.g. Mohammed al Dura etc). I have been watching the mainstream media (BBC, Channel 4 news) and the reporters just lie and jump to conclusions without there being a shred of evidence. So how can Israel fight a propaganda war when the whole of Europe is basically anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian and its media is a tool to delegitimise Israel/Jews at every stage using lies and misinformation? Israel is on its own and must not rely on Europe which has quickly sunken back into its 1939 stupor of Jew hate.
Anna,
the Jew-hate is part of the Eurabia contract agreed to by Europe for cheap oil from the jihadi Arabs back in the 70s.
Read Bat Ye’Or’s Eurabia for details.
Let’s keep in sight the fact that there are things more important than PR, even if sometimes it appears to be the biggest thing.
Israel didn’t board those ships in order to enhance its image in the world. We did so because we have no choice. The minute that blockade is seen to be passable we will get a whole bunch of Karin A style vessels transporting state of the art weapons from Iran into Gaza.
As for the world, we know perfectly well that it wouldn’t lift a finger to prevent such things happening. Look at the impotent 1701 resolution in Lebanon where Hizbollah has re-armed right under the noses of UNIFIL and the next war is only a matter of time*.
As far as I’m concerned the world and its leaders and journalists can scream till they’re blue in the face. I’d rather put up with that than the somewhat more deadly alternative.
(*Although I feel compelled to state right now that if one of Nasrallah’s missiles falls on my beautiful new oak dining table I just imported from England, there really will be hell to pay.)
I totally agree.
It’s easy to sit in the safety of the UK and wring our hands about ‘PR’, Israel has to first and foremost ensure its safety and the brave IDF did just that yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_pUMJjAp68
BBC News 24 21:15 yesterday
Watch how Chris the presenter hints that the footage from the helicopter was doctored … I wish I had picked him up on that.
This is Jonathan Hoffman on BBC News 24 last night.
Opposite him is Betty Hunter of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. As you can see she repeatedly lies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_pUMJjAp68
Ah, I see me and Jonathan both posted the video!
That’s what I mean though. If the pro-Palestinians just lie at any opportunity how do we compete with that? Unless we stoop to their level and start lying about everything, how do we put our point across. How can you challenge blatant lies like that which are never brought to task by the interviewers.
Those Turks were jihadis who prayed and yelled for martyrdom or Gaza as they left Istanbul.
They got their martyrdom.
I see nothing in this to regret except the loss of life and injuries to the innocent Israeli soldiers who were under the misapprehansion that they were indeed delaing with peaceable civilian types.
Why they would have thought this after the history of these flotilla Gaza boats is beyond me, but maybe – in all the jihadi frenzy from every Muslim nation on this earth – they forgot that non-Muslim enablers can lie, cheat and murder just as well as jihadis.
Chas, a link you might very useful. You and every unwitting EU participant should be very p***** off about it.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/06/bat-yeor-the-worlds-leading-scholar-of-islamic-antisemitism—-full-interview.html
Great article by JH, cheers to you Chas.
Chas, this is excellent work.
If people like you weren’t around defending the IDF then Israel might be forced to stop killing so many people and we wouldn’t want that!
That “Betty” creature is truly vile. Mazel Tov Jonothan for resisting the temptation for not smacking her in.
Has anyone actually received proof that those who were killed were actually shot by the IDF? Let’s be honest – the evidence seems to indicate that those who were killed shot themselves. This is the type of people we are dealing with: willing to shoot themselves to death just so that Israel has to suffer. Absolutely disgraceful.
Excellent piece – Well done Jonathan H. Thanks for the post Chas.