- 19 oct 2010
'Netanyahu is proud about Flotilla attack'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Israeli premier is proud about the deadly attack on the Freedom Flotilla, which killed nine Turks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is proud of such an armed intervention, Erdogan told Greece's Skai TV on Monday, Reuters reported.
The Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged M.V. Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other people who were part of the team on the six-ship convoy, which was attempting to break the siege of Gaza in order to deliver 10,000 tons of humanitarian assistance to the long-suffering people of the territory.
The attack outraged the world, seriously undermined Turkey-Israel relations, and prompted two United Nations investigations.
Ankara has warned it might sever diplomatic relations if Tel Aviv refuses to apologize and recognize an impartial international inquiry and its conclusion.
It has also asked Israel to compensate the victims and lift the siege, which has been depriving 1.5 million Gazans of food, fuel, and other necessities for over three years.
The Turkish prime minister said he would not hold talks with Netanyahu because he had boasted about the Flotilla attack, and added that he would avoid Friday's climate conference in Athens if the Israeli prime minister attends.
On this issue, I think that Israel is close to the point of losing a very important friend in the Middle East and that is Turkey, Erdogan said.
I think that they must pay for this audacity that characterizes the policy of this government, he added.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/147263.html
21 oct 2010
Gaza- opinion of flotilla's impact followed by interview with Paul Larudee
(6:39) Gaza- opinion of flotilla's impact followed by interview with Paul Larudee
Opinion of Gazan people of the impact of the flotilla's - Followed by an Interview on PressTV with Paul Larudee from the Free Gaza Movement 7 jul 2011, 01:01 , Respect -
Maria 22 oct 2010
British passengers of Gaza flotilla seek to testify in Israeli probe
33 flotilla passengers from the U.K. ask to testify in person after Turkel panel requests only basic information.
PARIS - Most of the 33 British passengers on May's aid flotilla to Gaza have asked to give oral testimony to Turkel committee investigating the botched IDF raid on the ships, a lawyer acting on their behalf said yesterday. The group say they are resisting what they see as efforts by the commission to belittle their evidence by having them submit only very basic information about their experiences.
According to Daniel Machover, who is representing 29 of the passengers, the Foreign Ministry approached the British Foreign Office last Thursday and gave them a four day deadline, over the weekend, to gather very basic information on the passengers to be passed on to the commission.
Machover said the passengers see the rushed request as a "calculated snub ... not a genuine effort to welcome their evidence."
The passengers requested to give oral evidence to the commission - but only on several conditions that they laid out in a letter to the commission this week.
The conditions include that all those who wish to testify are able to do so, and that their testimony is public and, if done in Israel, that their travel, living and legal expenses are paid by Israel in full, among other demands.
If the commission refuses these conditions, Machover says "it will be clear that [they] have no real interest in receiving the evidence of the passengers and the sooner the International Criminal Court begins its investigations and considers bringing criminal charges ... the better."
A source close to the Turkel panel said yesterday that the commission is conducting an investigation with a clear mandate, and it will call on those it deems to have testimony useful to achieve its goals. The commission does not work on the basis that whomever wants to testify can, he stressed.
"We are not interested in simply providing the stage for people to sit on and say 'We have come to release Gaza.' This does not further our mission," he said.
According to the source, the commission received a letter from then-British ambassador to Israel Tom Phillips in July, saying that several of the British passengers wanted to give evidence and offering a list of those making the request.
This letter was filed, and the commission turned to the British Foreign Office to help it track down those passengers once the panel was ready to deal with them.
There was no deadline and no timetable set, the source said - the commission is simply gathering preliminary information.
http://bit.ly/cnsaFl
Free Gaza: Of Course We Dealt with Turkish Government
Bethlehem PNN - In response to what it calls Israeli propaganda about the role of the Turkish government in aiding their May 31 flotilla, the group Free Gaza said in a press release it had dealings with government officials from the United States, Cyprus, Greece, Sweden, Ireland, and the United Kingdom as well as Turkey, but never received financial, material, or logistic support from any of them.
Israeli commandos attacked the Free Gaza Flotilla in the early hours of May 31, leaving nine Turkish aid activists dead and 42 injured aboard the Mavi Marvara. Seven Israeli soldiers were also wounded.
The information in question, which Israelis say prove Turkish government support, comes from laptops confiscated from the Mavi Marmara. One document, found on the computer of Polish journalist Ewa Jasiwicz, reads that in discussions, [the Turkish government] openly said that if we have any difficulties, [the government] will extend what support they can.
The nature of that support is at the crux of whether the Turkish government funded or materially supplied the flotilla, a claim Free Gaza denies.
The Free Gaza statement reads, This selective release, without context, is part of the government's propaganda campaign in the wake of the UN Human Rights Council report and in advance of the Uribe Panel's report to the UN Secretary General, severely calling into question the ability of Israel to conduct a legitimate inquiry.
Free Gaza claims the release is selective because it had open dealings with several governments in addition to Turkey and says Israel is trying to create a fake conspiracy to distract from upcoming reports about the flotilla attack, which expected to condemn Israel. Free Gaza says it has been completely transparent about its intentions.
A previous report authored by the UN Human Rights Commission said six of the Mavi Marmara killings were extra-lega, arbitrary, and summary executions but the American government and media have largely ignored it, waiting for the results of the upcoming Palmer/Uribe report.
http://bit.ly/cqiO9Q
24 OCT 2010
IDF chief tells Gaza flotilla investigators: Commandos had no choice but to shoot
Ashkenazi testifies before Turkel Commission, says commandos fired total of 308 live bullets aboard the ship to repel passengers who attacked them with lethal weapons.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi once again on Sunday defended Israel's decision to rappel Israeli commandos onto the deck of a Gaza-bound aid ship on May 31, where ensuing clashes resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish activists.
Testifying before an investigations committee probing the deadly events, Ashkenazi said that Israeli commandos had fired 308 live bullets aboard the ship to repel passengers who attacked them with lethal weapons, including a snatched Uzi machine pistol.
In a sometimes testy second round of testimony before the state-appointed inquest, the IDF chief insisted the navy's killing of nine Turks on the converted cruise ship Mavi Marmara had been unavoidable.
The Mavi Marmara was one of several boats, laden with supplies, aiming to violate Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip. Israel informed the organizers of the flotilla that the ships would not be allowed to reach the Gaza shores, and soldiers boarded all the ships to compel them to change course.
Ashkenazi told the six-member Turkel Commission on Sunday that navy commandos who boarded the Mavi Marmara were equipped with riot-dispersal gear, but quickly switched to live fire to confront armed passengers because "if they had not done this, there would have been more casualties."
Ankara, which wants compensation and an apology from Israel, has dismissed the Turkel panel as too lacking in scope.
The probe commission has solicited testimony from Mavi Marmara passengers - many of whom insist the commandos' onslaught was unprovoked - and signaled it may probe Israel's navy deeper.
Ashkenazi said 308 live rounds were fired by the troops. A top aide to the general told Reuters 70 of these were aimed to cause injury, while the rest were warning shots.
That appeared consistent with Turkish forensic findings that the nine dead activists were shot a total of 30 times, and there were gunshot wounds among another 24 passengers who were hurt.
"Those who are asking questions [about tactics] should propose an alternative solution," Ashkenazi said.
Ashkenazi said passengers grabbed three Glock handguns and an Uzi machine pistol from commandos whom they overpowered. The troops had been dropped from helicopters onto the crowded ship as it ploughed through Mediterranean high seas at night.
"We have testimony of one activist running at them [commandos] and firing with a mini-Uzi, and them shooting him," he said. "They hit those who were clearly involved in the attack on them, and not those who were not."
Mavi Marmara activists have said any guns taken from the troops were disposed of, rather than used.
Ashkenazi said commandos had fired some 350 beanbag rounds and non-lethal paintballs, all according to "protocol." The navy opted against rubber bullets - a mainstay of Israel's tactics against Palestinian demonstrations on land - because of a lethal risk within the Mavi Marmara's confines, Ahkenazi added.
Ashkenazi, who is scheduled to retire early next year, made clear that he had returned to testify in order to spare scrutiny from subordinates, including the admiral in charge of the navy.
Bristling at Turkish and other foreign fury over the Mavi Marmara raid yet wary of international war crimes suits, Israel set up the Turkel Commission to help prepare its submission for a separate probe under United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Ashkenazi, a career infantryman, said the commission had received "word for word" accounts from marines, including two who were shot and wounded upon boarding.
Commission members asked Ashkenazi if lowering soldiers into a crowd on the ship's deck was wise. He said there was no better way to stop the ship. "If we had a special trick to stop the flotilla, we would have used it. We maintain intimate cooperation with other armies, and we haven't heard of another solution."
Endorsing the commandos' recollection, Ashkenazi said they were combat veterans who "know when they are being shot at."
But he also seemed to make allowances for the haze of melee.
"I won't take issue with a soldier who might confuse a slingshot, and the whizz its missile makes as it flies past, with a pistol, during night-time," he said.
http://bit.ly/a4Lpvm
Israel army chief says forces fired 308 bullets on flotilla
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli commandos fired 308 live bullets aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship in May, Israel's army chief said on Sunday as he testified again before the Tirkel panel investigating the incident.
Gabi Ashkenazi said the navy's killing of nine Turkish nationals on the Mavi Marmara had been unavoidable, British news wire Reuters reported.
Although commandos were equipped with riot-dispersal gear, it quickly switched to live fire "because if they had they had not done this, there would have been more casualties," Ashkenazi told the six-member panel. He added that rubber bullets, commonly used by forces in the West Bank during Palestinian demonstrations, were not used because of the confines of the ship.
Ashkenazi said 308 live rounds were fired by the troops. A top aide to the general told Reuters 70 of these were aimed to cause injury, while the rest were warning shots.
The news wire said the amount appeared consistent with Turkish forensic findings that the nine dead were shot a total of 30 times, and there were gunshot wounds among another 24 passengers who were hurt.
'Commandos hit those involved in attack'
Ashkenazi said passengers grabbed three Glock handguns and an Uzi machine pistol from commandos whom they overpowered but those on board have said that all weapons taken from troops were disposed of.
"We have testimony of one activist running at them [marines] and firing with a mini-Uzi, and them shooting him," he said. "They hit those who were clearly involved in the attack on them, and not those who were not."
The UN Human Rights Council -- which Israel boycotted -- alleged in a report last month that several passengers may have been executed. According to the report, one of the victims sustained a fatal brain injury from a so-called "beanbag" round -- a heavy pad fired from a shotgun and which, at safe ranges, is designed to knock down the person targeted.
Ashkenazi said commandos had fired 350 beanbag rounds and non-lethal paintballs, all according to "prescribed method."
Backing the commandos' account, Ashkenazi said they were combat veterans who "know when they are being shot at." But he also seemed to make allowances for the haze of melee.
"I won't take issue with a soldier who might confuse a slingshot, and the whizz its missile makes as it flies past, with a pistol, in night-time" conditions, he said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326972
IDF chief backs up soldiers accounts before Turkel C'tee
Ashkenazi tells committee soldiers took great risks to handle foreign activists with care; probe welcomes all witnesses on boat to testify.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi appeared a second time in front of the Turkel Commission on Sunday to continue his testimony regarding the Mavi Marmara affair. He took great pains during his time before the committee to reiterate previous statement's that the naval commandos who boarded the ship took extraordinary measures to minimize the violence on the ship and that the blame for the fighting that broke out on the ship rested squarely on the activists' shoulders.
"The soldiers [upon reaching the ship] did not immediately open fire and even placed themselves at great risk. One [of the activists] tried to choke a soldier, who then threw a stun grenade to escape from the situation."
Ashkenazi repeatedly emphasized that the soldiers acted in a measured manner and only hurt those whose behavior necessitated physical force. "There was no demonstration of peace activists [on the Mavi Marmara]. Peace activist do not know how to operate a weapon or to operate with gas masks and bulletproof vests in the middle of the night," Ashkenazi said.
Also on Sunday, the Turkel Commission announced that it would welcomed testimony from any passenger who was on the Mavi Marmara on the night of May 31, 2010 and who has relevant information that could shed light on the incident.
In September, Ashkenazi warned that any resistance on board flotillas bound for Gaza could lead to more casualties.
Speaking at a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, Ashkenazi said "this is a challenge for the IDF and for Israel."
"If we see large ships bound for Gaza and force is used then we do not dismiss the possibility of casualties," he said.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=192551
Israeli army chief back at inquiry
Gabi Ashkenazi testifies for a second time before committee investigating deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Israel's military chief is to testify for a second time before the Turkel Committee investigating the lethal Gaza flotilla raid.
Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff, was called on by the Turkel Committee to testify again on Sunday after he refused to allow other senior Israeli officers to appear before the panel.
He said he did not want to expose them to the risks their testimony could create for them.
Al Jazeera's correspondent Sherine Tadros in Jerusalem said hearing started at 0700 GMT.
"We're expecting questioning that will very much revolve around operational aspects of this raid, and especially the decison-making process: why decisions were made; how they were made not just in the run-up to the arrival of the flotilla ... but also on the day of the raid itself," she said.
Ashkenazi is not allowing anyone else but himself to speak to the inquiry and that limits what the inquiry can find out," she said.
Ashkenazi has previously defended his troops' use of lethal fire when they stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May, killing nine pro-Palestinian activists.
He said the second soldier to land opened fire after being shot in the stomach.
"He simply pulled out his gun and shot the shooter," Ashkenazi said.
No guns were found aboard the ship but the military has previously said that activists seized at least one firearm from the soldiers during the clashes and that it found evidence of a gun not used by Israeli soldiers.
Ashkenazi rejects charges by Turkish authorities that some of the dead had been shot "execution-style" at point-blank range, saying that shots had been fired at close range as part of a life or death struggle.
The Gaza Strip, whose residents the flotilla was trying to deliver aid to, has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007, when the Palestinian group Hamas seized control of the enclave.
Israel fought Hamas in the winter of 2009 in a conflict that left at least 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, dead. At least 13 Israelis died in the three-week war.
http://bit.ly/avNg0P 7 jul 2011, 01:02 , Respect -
Maria 25 oct 2010
Israeli-Arab 'Marmara' passenger: IDF didn't treat wounded
Man who was on flotilla ship when it was boarded by Israeli Navy tells Turkel Commission that passengers were left bleeding, Zoabi's pleas for treatment rejected by soldiers who stood, talked.
Two Israeli-Arabs who were aboard the Turkish Mavi Marmara testified before the Turkel Commission on Monday, and recounted their experiences during the May 31 Navy interception of the Gaza-bound vessel.
An Israeli-Arab, Muhammad Zaidan, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara when it was overtaken by the Israeli Navy, told the Turkel Commission on Monday that Israeli soldiers refused to offer treatment to wounded passengers on the boat for at least one hour.
Zaidan said that he and about 250 other passengers remained below deck, in a large room where they slept during the seizure of the boat. He said he did not see the takeover of the boat by the soldiers, however, during the takeover, about 20 wounded passengers entered the room. Many of them were bleeding, he added. Zaidan said Israeli soldiers stood outside the door talking to each other but did not enter the room and did not extend help.
At one point he maintained, MK Haneen Zoabi went up to the soldiers with a sign asking them to look after the wounded. The soldiers, he continued, ordered her to return to her place and did nothing.
Commission member Miguel Deutsh asked Zaidan about reports that had been broadcast and videotaped, according to which Zoabi had refused to allow Israeli soldiers to treat the wounded passengers. Zaidan said he had seen the clips but knew nothing about them and insisted that the soldiers had rejected Zoabi's request for help.
The members of the commission tried to pin Zaidan down regarding who were the organizers of the flotilla and particularly the Mavi Marmara, which was by far the largest and the most violent of the six ships in the flotilla.
Zaidan said he had been invited to join the voyage by a non-political human rights group in Gaza which was connected to the Free Gaza Movement. He continually referred to the organizers of the ship, but refused to say who they were or who they were affiliated with. The ship in fact flew the flag of the Turkish Islamic IHH movement.
Zaidan insisted that he was a participant in the flotilla but not an organizer. He said the aim of the flotilla was to show the Gazan population that the world was concerned with their plight and charged that Gazans were dying of hunger and cold.
The testimonies came hours after opposition leader Tzipi Livni testified before the commission, voicing strong support for the legitimacy of Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=192707
Arabs testify before Turkel Committee
Flotilla passengers give testimony after shunning previous hearing; Balad lawmaker who was onboard vessel at time of deadly Navy raid attends session, but is not called to testify.
After failing to appear to the first hearing, head of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee Muhammad Zidan and Hamad Abu Dabus of Rahat on Monday testified before the Turkel Committee, which was appointed to probe the deadly Navy raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in May.
The hearing was attended by Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi (Balad), who also participated in the flotilla.
During his testimony, Zidan said the Mavi Marmara ship on which he was staying did not accept Israel's offer to inspect the cargo in the Ashdod or al-Arish ports, because the flotilla participants wanted to convey a message by breaking the naval blockade on Gaza.
"Many ships unload goods at al-Arish. The blockade harms the basic rights to life, and our humanitarian duty is to resist," he proclaimed.
Zidan testified that he and other participants were not screened before boarding the ship; however, he could not name the organizers of the flotilla.
MK Zoabi (right) and Zidan (Photo: Noam Moskowitz)
"Jamal Al-Khudari from Free Gaza Movement approached us and asked that we organize an Israeli-Arab delegation to the flotilla. I know that the IHH is outlawed in Israel, but I haven%u2019t seen the organization's activists on the ship, nor did I come in contact with them," he noted.
'Passengers protected soldier'
After the first injured passengers were taken below deck, Zidan claimed MK Zoabi asked the soldiers to give them medical treatment, but was refused.
The committee members questioned Zidan's testimony, saying that they have footage showing soldiers offering MK Hanin Zoabi medical assistance, but being refused by her under the assertion that IDF has no authority to give medical care on a ship.
The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee head was also asked by the committee whether he witnessed the events that took place on the deck, to which he replied that he was below deck the entire time and did not see a thing.
Zidan told the committee that he had not heard of passengers using metal poles to hit soldiers, noting he did not witness such a thing.
During the testimony, Zidan recalled seeing three Turkish passengers carrying an injured soldier below deck in order to give him medical treatment.
"The passengers protected the soldier," Zidan said, to which the committee members asked, "Why would the soldier need protection?"
Zidan replied that he meant protection in the sense of giving him medical treatment.
When the committee members noted that Gaza does not have a port big enough to accommodate a ship the size of the Mavi Marmara, Zidan replied that his role in the flotilla was that of a passive participant, and stressed that he was not involved in organizing the event and therefore could not answer technical questions.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3974626,00.html
Livni: Flotilla made use of political vacuum
Opposition chair tells Turkel committee lack of peace process gave Turkey legitimacy for flotilla 'with the provocative aim of creating legitimacy for Hamas'
Opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni testified Monday before the Turkel Committee, which is investigating the IDF raid on an aid flotilla to Gaza in May. The former foreign minister was asked to explain why Gaza was placed under naval blockade.
"I wanted to come and bolster the legitimacy of Israel's actions during the flotilla," Livni said during her testimony.
The Opposition chair said the flotilla had succeeded in garnering world support because of the lack of peace talks with the Palestinians at the time.
"Turkey's policies are changing, and Israel is only a small part of this," she said. "At a certain stage, Turkey took advantage of the political vacuum, with the provocative aim of creating legitimacy for Hamas."
Livni added, "Turkey was not interested in getting aid to Gaza %u2013 that option was offered %u2013 but rather exacting a political act opposing international decisions."
On the naval blockade, she said, "Gaza never had legitimate access to the sea based on Israeli-Palestinian agreements from the years 1994-1995. A port is not legitimate according to globally-recognized agreements."
Livni added that she believed the international community had made a mistake by allowing Hamas to run in the Palestinian elections.
In August, Livni sent a letter to the Turkel Committee asking to testify on the grounds that her testimony is necessary as a member of the government which decided to impose a blockade on the Gaza Strip.
"The closure on Gaza is part of the policy of the former government, in which I served as acting prime minister and foreign minister. The prime minister's testimony does not accurately reflect the political and security aspects at the basis of our decision on the imposing of the blockade and the need for it," she wrote.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3974434,00.html
Livni: Flotilla affair should be viewed in wider context
Opposition leader strongly supports legitimacy of Gaza blockade and IDF boarding operation based on Israeli-Palestinian agreements over sea access.
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni testified before the Turkel Commission on Monday to provide an explanation of the previous government's policies in enacting the blockade on Hamas-controlled Gaza.
"These policies are relevant in relation to the circumstances that led to the flotilla and the broader context in which the flotilla events were received in the national and international arenas," said Livni before her testimony.
Livni had requested in August to testify to the committee about the previous government's decision to enact a blockade on Gaza - a government in which she played an active role as foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
During her testimony, the Kadima MK strongly supported the international legitimacy of the Israeli blockade of the port of Gaza based on previous agreements and termed the Turkish supported Mavi Marmara a deliberate act of political provocation.
"I requested to come and strengthen the legitimacy of the Israeli action against the flotilla," Livni testified. "At a specific stage, Turkey acted to exploit a political vacuum with the goal to provoke [Israel] and provide legitimacy to Hamas. The Turkish issue was not with the entry of goods into Gaza, this option was offered. Rather, it was a political act contrary to the international consensus."
Livni added, "Gaza[n authorities] never legitimately had control of access to the sea as determined by Israeli-Palestinian agreements from the years of 1994-1995. The port was not part of the arrangements that were recognized by the world community."
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=192675 7 jul 2011, 01:03 , Respect -
Maria 26 oct 2010
US CONGRESS: Israel Means More Then Americans We Were Elected To Serve
Congress Defends Murder of American Peace Activist and Other War Crimes
Despite revelations from a detailed investigation by a special commission of the United Nations Human Rights Council confirming that Israel committed war crimes, the overwhelming majority of both Republican and Democratic members of Congress remain on record defending the Israeli attack as legitimate self-defense.
This is particularly striking given evidence presented in the report that five of the nine people killed, including a 19-year-old US citizen, were murdered - shot execution-style by Israeli commandos.
In a letter to President Barack Obama dated June 17, 329 out of 435 members of the US House of Representatives announced that they "strongly support" Israel's May 31 attack on a humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters, which resulted in the deaths of nine passengers and crew and injuries to scores of others.
Similarly, a June 21 Senate letter - signed by 87 out of 100 senators - went on record "fully" supporting what it called "Israel's right to self-defense."
The House letter insisted that "Israeli forces used necessary force as an act of self-defense and of last resort." Similarly, the Senate letter refers to the murders of passengers and crew resisting the illegal boarding of their vessel in international waters as a situation where the Israeli raiders were "forced to respond to that attack" when they "arrived" on the ship.
If these members of Congress believe that a foreign government has the right to murder an American peace activist on the high seas, it inevitably raises questions as to how they might react to the murder of peace activists by local, state or the federal government here at home.
There were other troubling aspects of these letters as well.
The House letter urged President Obama "to remain steadfast in defense of Israel" in the face of the near universal international condemnation of this blatant violation of international maritime law and other legal statutes, which the signatories referred to as "a rush to unfairly judge and condemn Israel." The Senate letter condemned the near unanimous vote of the UN Human Rights Council for what it called "singling out" Israel, even though no other country in recent memory has attacked a humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters. Both letters called upon the United States to veto any resolution in the UN Security Council criticizing the Israeli attack.
The Senate letter also claimed that the widely supported effort to relieve critical shortages of food and medicine in the besieged Gaza Strip was simply part of a "clever tactical and diplomatic ploy" by "Israel's opponents" to "challenge its international standing."
Many of the key arguments in the letters were misleading and, in some cases, factually inaccurate.
The Israeli government had acknowledged prior to the writing of the letter that the extensive blockade of humanitarian goods was not necessary for their security, but as a means of pressuring the civilian population to end their support for Hamas, which won a majority of legislative seats in the most recent Palestinian election.
In addition, the Israeli government announced a significant relaxation of the embargo two days after the letter was written. Despite this, the House letter claimed that the purpose of the blockade was "to stop terrorists from smuggling weapons to kill innocent civilians," thereby placing this large bipartisan majority of the House even further to the right than Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's rightist coalition.
There was no mention in the letter than no such weapons were found on board any of the six ships hijacked by the Israelis nor on the previous eight ships the Free Gaza Campaign had sailed or attempted to sail to the Gaza Strip.
In addition, even though the ships had been thoroughly inspected by customs officials prior to their disembarkation, the House letter claimed that had the Israelis not hijacked the ships, they would have "sailed unchecked into Gaza."
Similarly, according to the Senate letter, Israel's naval blockade was necessary "to keep dangerous goods from entering Gaza by sea" and falsely claimed that the intent of the Israeli blockade was "to protect Israel, while allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza."
Particularly striking is the fact that, despite that the International Committee of the Red Cross and a broad consensus of international legal experts recognize that the Israeli blockade of humanitarian goods is illegal, the Senate letter insisted that the blockade "is legal under international law."
The House letter also claimed that the other ships were "commandeered peacefully and without incident," even though on the other ships, despite completely nonviolent resistance, passengers were tasered and brutally beaten and were attacked with tear gas and rubber bullets. Similarly, the Senate letter insisted that, in spite of these potentially fatal beatings and other assaults, "Israeli forces were able to safely divert five of the six ships challenging the blockade."
Even though the Israeli government has never entered Gaza to disperse aid to the people of that territory since the start of the siege years earlier and reputable relief organizations have documented that the Israelis had routinely refused to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, these House members claimed that Israel had offered to "disperse the aid ... directly to the people of Gaza." And, despite the fact that the five aid ships that Israel had allowed to dock in Gaza in previous months had distributed their humanitarian cargo directly to those in need, the senators claimed that it would have otherwise gone "into the hands of corrupt Gaza officials."
Learning what actually transpired in the tragic incident was apparently of little interest to the 87 senators who signed the letter defending the attack. Despite the whitewash in the internal Israeli investigation, the senate letter supported Israel's alleged intention to carry out "a thorough investigation of the incident," insisting that Israel "has the right to determine how its investigation is conducted."
This comes in spite of a public opinion poll that showed a clear majority of Americans - including 65 percent of Democrats - favored an international inquiry over allowing Israel alone to investigate the circumstances of the attack.
http://windowintopalestine.blogspot.com/2010/10/us-congress-israel-means-more-then.html
Netanyahu 'salutes' commandos who raided Gaza flotilla
PM tours top-security Shayetet 13 base in show of defiance against international censure of raid on Mavi Marmara.
Saying "I salute you," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the headquarters on Tuesday of Israeli naval commandos who killed nine pro-Palestinian Turks aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship in May.
Netanyahu's tour of the top-security Shayetet 13 base on the coast near Haifa was a show of defiance against international censure of the raid on the converted cruise liner Mavi Marmara.
It followed testimony on Sunday from Israel's military chief, who told a state-appointed inquest into the operation that the commandos had come under pistol, knife and cudgel
attacks while boarding and fired 308 live bullets in response.
Activists from the Mavi Marmara have confirmed they resisted the Israeli boarding party but denied provoking lethal violence.
Netanyahu said the May 31 raid on the Turkish-flagged vessel, one of six ships trying to run Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, had been "crucial, essential, important and legal".
"Gaza has turned into an Iranian terror base," he said, referring to the Palestinian territory controlled by Hamas Islamists, in a speech to around 200 members of the unit.
He heaped praise on the commandos, saying they had acted "courageously, morally and with restraint".
The night-time interception on Mediterranean high seas and the ensuing bloodshed strained Israel's once-close ties with Turkey, which has demanded an apology and compensation.
A United Nations probe last month condemned the attack as unlawful and said it resulted in violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. UN jurists also said the Gaza blockade had caused a humanitarian crisis and was unlawful.
'I salute you'
Flotilla 13 commandos had been equipped with riot-dispersal gear but quickly switched to live fire during deck brawls with dozens of activists. The ship had ignored Israeli calls to stop.
Two commandos were shot and wounded and another five suffered other injuries, the navy said. In addition to the nine Turkish dead, 24 activists were hurt, many of them by gunfire.
"You acted against those who came to kill you and tried to kill you," said Netanyahu. "There is no one better than you. I salute you."
He then met some of the commandos who took part in the raid, shaking their hands on a prow-shaped veranda overlooking the craggy bay at their Atlit base. They were shadowed by bodyguards and, out to sea, a squad of commandos in a speed boat.
Bristling at Turkish and other foreign fury over the Mavi Marmara raid yet wary of international war crimes suits, Israel set up its own inquiry to help prepare its submission for a separate probe under U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon.
Interim findings from that inquest, under retired Supreme Court justice Jacob Turkel, are due out in mid-November and the final report by early 2011, a spokesman said. Another internal investigation by an Israeli ex-general is already complete.
Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Israel and cancelled joint military exercises in protest at the Mavi Marmara raid and has dismissed the Israeli inquiries as insufficient.
http://bit.ly/cULYNa
Israel hails commandoes killing activists
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R ) and army chief Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi
Israeli leaders have praised soldiers who killed pro-Palestinian activists on board an international aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the commandos on Tuesday during a visit to the Atlit naval commando base.
"The action taken was vital, necessary, legal and of the utmost importance," Netanyahu said.
On May 31, Israeli troops attacked the Mavi Marmara ship in international waters, killing nine Turkish peace activists and injuring dozens of others.
The brutal assault sparked international outrage across the world.
The international aid convoy was trying to deliver humanitarian supplies to the impoverished people of Gaza, who are under an Israeli siege since 2007.
Israel claimed that its commandos attacked after activists started the violence. Activists on board, however, said the commandos opened fire as soon as they touched the upper deck of the ship.
"You acted against those who tried to kill you. Your response was professional, heroic, restrained and ethical," AFP quoted Netanyahu as saying.
Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi praised the troops for their actions in halting the Mavi Marmara.
"You shot those you should have shot and didn't shoot those you weren't supposed to shoot," he said.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/148356.html
Gaza-Bound Flotilla Was Heading to Egypt
Istanbul %u2013 PNN - The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) reported that the Gaza-bound flotilla that was attacked by the Israeli Navy on May 31 had changed its course to the Egyptian port of al-Arish.
According to IHH, they changed course to avoid conflict with the Israeli Navy. %u201CDuring our departure, we said we were going to Gaza, but the coordinates that we gave were to Egyptian territorial water. Everyone was aware of our course to [the Egyptian Port] al-Arish,%u201D said Bulent Yildririm, the head of the IHH.
Yildirim went on to say that the reason for this was to avoid any altercation with Israel and that they had altered their course because of diplomatic negotiations between Ankara, Tel Aviv and Washington.
The change of plans was relayed to Israeli officials on May 28 and according to Yildirim, Turkey informed Tel Aviv before the raid that the passengers would not resist in the event of a boarding.
%u201CWe thought we could negotiate with Israeli commandos when they come onto the ship and then go to Gaza with their permission, but things developed totally differently that night. We thought they might scare us with rubber bullets, but they used real ones,%u201D Yildirim said.
IHH also said that Turkish officials informed James Jeffery, the U.S. ambassador to Anakara, about this change in plans and Jeffrey then called James Cunningham, the U.S. ambassador to Tel Aviv, to convey the information to Israel.
Israel has enforced a blockade on Gaza since Hamas won the 2006 elections. This blockade has been met with international condemnation, particularly after the flotilla raid. Turkish and Israeli Relations have been strained, with Turkey asking Israel to apologize and pay compensation to the victims in order for the nations to normalize diplomacy.
Turkish media is also reported on Monday that Turkish intelligence agencies stopped exchanging information and performing joint operations with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service.
The report came from the Turkish newspaper Sabah on Monday. Israeli officials have not confirmed or denied the allegations and the prime minister%u2019s office declined to comment.
Turkey even went so far as to put conditions on their consent to stations a NATO missile-defense system in their borders. They are demanding Guarantees that no information collected by the defense systems will be shared or given to Israel.
The two states have had strained diplomatic relations since the Gaza-bound flotilla was raided in international waters by the Israeli Navy on May 31. The raid left nine people dead eight of whom were Turkish citizens and one American-Turkish dual citizen.
http://bit.ly/c3Rv2E
Gaza prohibitions were 'too harsh,' Livni tells Turkel
Livni said the Defense Ministry was responsible for banning numerous food products from entering Gaza, such as pasta, coriander, spices and even ketchup.
Many of the prohibitions Israel imposed on the Gaza Strip were overly harsh, opposition leader Tzipi Livni yesterday told the Turkel Committee probing Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.
Livni said the Defense Ministry was responsible for banning numerous food products from entering Gaza, such as pasta, coriander, spices and even ketchup.
"I thought [at the time] that drawing a distinction between different types of food, some of which would be allowed in and some of which not, was unnecessary," Livni said. "I thought the ban on spaghetti excessive, but it was the defense minister and the coordinator of government activities in the territories who made the decisions."
She was referring to Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Coordinator of Government Activities Amos Gilad, who in the last months of Olmert's government, insisted on a rigorous blockade. Their refusal to allow pasta into Gaza prompted a wave of international protest, and the United States demanded lifting the ban on all food items immediately.
Livni, who asked to testify before the panel, served as foreign minister in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's cabinet at the time the blockade was imposed in 2007. She said the flotilla incident could have been avoided or received less resonance had the peace process been continued by Netanyahu's government.
"In the absence of a peace process, with Israel's policies toward the Palestinians unclear, Turkey was able to fill a political vacuum by engineering provocations," Livni told the committee, headed by former Supreme Court justice Jacob Turkel.
"When there was a peace process we could tell the Turks such acts would harm the process, and then they really cooperated. Without a peace process the Israeli argument was weaker," she said.
Nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli naval commandos stormed the decks of the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in the six-boat flotilla, earlier this year. The raid plunged relations between Israel and Turkey, traditionally close military allies, into crisis.
The boats had been trying to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.
http://bit.ly/cN7euQ 7 jul 2011, 01:09 , Respect -
Maria 27 oct 2010
Flotilla - Turks slam Israeli praise for raiders
(1:16) Flotilla - Turks slam Israeli praise for raiders
IHH slams Netanyahu's praise of killing
Activists onboard the Mavi Marmara say Israeli troops opened fire as soon as they boarded the ship.
A Turkish rights group has criticized the Israeli premier for praising commandos for their deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in which nine activists were killed.
Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Aid (IHH) said on Wednesday that killing innocent and defenseless people is an evil deed which must be condemned not admired.
IHH organized the international aid flotilla that tried to break Israel's crippling blockade on the Palestinian territory in late May.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday praised naval commandos for killing pro-Palestinian activists on board the lead ship, the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, in international waters.
Nine Turkish civilian activists were killed and many others were injured in the brutal attack.
The aid ships were supposed to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, who are in desperate need of help as a result of Tel Aviv's years-long blockade on the coastal sliver.
Activists onboard the Mavi Marmara have repeatedly said that Israeli troops opened fire as soon as they boarded the ship.
But the Israeli premier on Tuesday repeated the military's version of the events, claiming that the activists started the violence, prompting the commandos to open fire.
"You acted against those who tried to kill you. Your response was professional, heroic, restrained and ethical," Netanyahu told Israeli naval commandos during a special visit to the naval base at Atlit.
The deadly attack triggered international outrage and condemnation.
http://ht.ly/307lS
Islamic Jihad: Israel exploited photos
Following publication of photos showing Turkish activists in Islamic Jihad uniform, terror organization says Israel exploited souvenir photos as 'filthy propaganda,' is determined to keep activists safe.
Islamic Jihad slammed Israel after photos were published showing armed Turks standing by Islamic Jihad members.
"The occupation took advantage of the souvenir photos that were published on websites as filthy Israeli propaganda against the solidarity activists, to defeat their attempts to break the blockade (on Gaza)," said Islamic Jihad official Daoud Shihab to Palestinian news agency Maan.
Shihab emphasized that the various factions of the resistance "are determined to preserve the lives of these activists." The aim of the factions, he said, was to get the activists out of the Gaza Strip back to their own countries unharmed, therefore they are "keeping them away from all danger."
Turk in Islamic Jihad dress
The activists in the photos took part in the "Peace Flotilla" which anchored in Al-Arish port in Egypt, and entered the Strip via the Rafah crossing. Pictures from their visit were posted on the Al-Quds Brigades site but were soon removed. During their time in the Strip, the Turkish guests visited some Islamic Jihad posts.
'Organized propaganda'
Shihab praised the Turkish activists and noted they acted from "natural human desire to identify with the besieged Palestinian nation, which suffers death, annihilation and abuse at the hands of the Israeli occupation which kills children, abuses prisoners and makes life miserable for citizens."
He added that the activists' solidarity visit aimed to "express identification with the besieged, with the rights of Palestinians and with the resistance."
Another response from the Palestinian factions, also published by Maan, said this was "organized Israeli propaganda against the solidarity activists." The photos were published, it said, as part of the war Israel is waging against the aid trucks %u2013 "a war which began with the killing of American activist Rachel Corrie and continued to the killing of the activists on the Freedom Flotilla a few months ago."
The Maan news agency published a summary of reports in the Israeli press and one of the photos released on the site in which the Turks are seen armed and wearing the uniforms of the military wing of Islamic Jihad. The caption said Israel is exploiting the publication of the photos of the Turkish activists while Islamic Jihad said they were photos for souvenir purposes only.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3975976,00.html
28 oct 2010
IHH: Netanyahu's insolence immeasurable
ANKARA, (PIC)-- A Turkish non-governmental organization has denounced the statement of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in which he praised the Israeli special navy forces that killed nine Turkish activists on board the Freedom Flotilla last May.
IHH chairman Bülent Yildirim said that Netanyahu's insolence had no boundaries, adding that there is no heroism in the killing of unarmed, innocent civilians.
The commandos, who were lauded by Netanyahu, did not face a regular army but rather attacked civilians who were taking part in an international relief effort, he elaborated.
Netanyahu had heaped praise on the naval forces and what he called their "self-restraint", claiming that their act was "heroic and professional" in yet a new challenge to the international criticism of the operation.
A UN investigation into the incident condemned the attack in a report last month, describing it as "illegal" and violated human rights and the international humanitarian law.
http://bit.ly/budBGr
30 oct 2010
Turkish document cites Israel as serious threat
Turkey's national security council removes Iran, Syria from list of threats to state, adds Israel, local media reported. Document says Israeli actions may prompt Middle East arms race.
The Turkish national security council recently added Israel as a "main threat" to a document dubbed the "red book" which lists threats to Turkey, local media reported.
The council decided to remove Syria, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia from the list of threats. Greece, however is still considered a threat, albeit an external one, whereas Iran was also removed from the list.
This is the first time Turkey has defined Israeli activity in the Middle East as a threat.
The document, which is valid for the next five years, noted that Israeli actions may cause countries in the region to start an arms race. It was further stated that the Middle East must be free of nuclear weapons.
Apart from Israel, Turkey added other threats such as online terror and global warming.
Relations between Jerusalem and Ankara deteriorated significantly since the raid on Gaza-bound flotilla last May which killed nine people. Turkey demanded Israel apologize, a demand Israel has not complied with.
Last week Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not participate in an Athens climate conference if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends. He also noted that Israel is close to losing Turkey "as a good friend in the Middle East."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3976899,00.htm 7 jul 2011, 01:12 , Respect -
Maria 5 nov 2010
Sheikh Salah to goes on trial Wednesday
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli court in the Israeli Ramle prison has scheduled the hearing of Sheikh Raed Salah this coming Wednesday to investigate whether or not he violated orders from the Israeli occupation police not to meet with more then seven people in a public place.
Khaled Zabarqa, one of the lawyers of Sheikh Salah, said the defense team filed a petition to adjourn the trial because the failed to get a copy of the case from the Israeli prosecutor.
However, Zabarqa pointed out that the court has not decided yet on the petition, but if it rejected it, then the hearing will go ahead as scheduled.
Salah is serving five-month jail term in the Israeli jails for defending the Aqsa Mosque against Israeli police and settlers attempts to desecrate its sanctity.
According to Salah lawyers, the court will prosecute Salah on Wednesday for accepting an invitation to a dinner party at Al-Halwani family home in the occupied Jerusalem suburb of Wadi Al-Joz after the IOF troops banned him from entering the Aqsa Mosque on 22-08-2007.
Fierce clashes erupted between Al-Halwani family and the Israeli occupation police that cordoned the home. Salah and others were wounded in the clashes.
The Israeli occupation police alleged that Salah met with more than 30 persons in Al-Halwani home, violating earlier police orders not to meet with more then a group of seven people at once in a public place. Lawyers said that in all standards, Al-Halwani home is considered a private place and not public.
In the same context, Zabarqa asserted that he and fellow lawyers will meet with the Israeli prison authority officials to discuss an appeal filed by the Mizan Human Rights center to allow books and magazines to Salah.
Salah was and still is a staunch defender of the Aqsa Mosque as he led many demonstrations against the Israeli government attempts to Judaize it and to distort the identity of the occupied city of Jerusalem.
http://bit.ly/9263ES
6 nov 2010
Swedish activists to sue Israeli leaders
LONDON, (PIC)-- Swedish activists have decided to sue Israeli leaders for their role in ordering the attack on the Freedom Flotilla aid convoy that was bound to Gaza Strip but was intercepted at sea by Israeli navy forces late last May.
Dror Feiler, the spokesman for the Swedish ship that was part of the Flotilla, told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper on Friday that he would file a complaint on behalf of 11 Swedes against the Israeli leaders on 8th November with Tel Aviv police and the Israeli prosecutor.
He explained that the complaint would be filed against Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, his war minister Ehud Barak, and his Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.
The charges would include armed robbery, kidnap, detention, and assault and battery, Feiler elaborated.
The Israeli navy attack on the Flotilla in international waters killed nine Turkish activists and injured about 30 others.
http://bit.ly/9ZBEyV
7 nov 2010
Israel denies entry to Sweden MP and ex-Israeli who sailed on Gaza flotilla
Israeli authorities on Sunday refused to grant entry to a legislator from the Swedish parliament and an expatriate Israeli artist who sailed on the Turkish-flagged humanitarian aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip earlier this year.
The Turkish-born MP Mehmet Kaplan and artist Dror Feiler were detained at the Ben Gurion International Airport upon landing, on the grounds that they were barred for 10 years due to their participation in the May 2010 flotilla. Both were among the dozens of flotilla passengers taken in to custody following Israel's deadly raid.
Feiler, who currently lives in Sweden, also took part in the flotilla, though not on the Mavi Marmara ship where nine Turkish activists died in clashes with Israeli naval commandos. He has given up his Israeli citizenship but has been permitted to return to the country dozens of times since. This was the first time he was denied entry.
Kaplan and Feiler had planned to use their trip in Israel to lodge an official complaint with the Israel Police against the Israel Defense Forces. Their complaint accused the IDF of kidnapping, armed robbery, violence and obstruction of freedom.
Feiler claims that Israeli security forces confiscated his saxophone during the raid, and refused to return it to him. Kaplan says the IDF stole his satellite telephone and camera.
Investigators at Ben Gurion airport told them upon arrival that their request to enter had been refused, and transferred them to Interior Ministry authorities.
"Anyone who took part in the flotilla will not be permitted into Israel," said Sabine Hadad, spokesman for immigration authorities. "They know this. They should have contacted the embassy before arriving."
http://bit.ly/cpj1MC
8 nov 2010
Israel expels two Swedes from occupied Palestine
NAZARETH, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) detained and later expelled two Swedish citizens, one of them was a lawmaker, upon their arrival in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The two were participants in Freedom Flotilla aid convoy that were attacked on its way to the besieged Gaza Strip last May by the Israeli navy troops who killed nine Turks and wounded dozens of other passengers.
The Hebrew radio reported Monday morning that the IOA refused to allow Swedish lawmaker of Turkish origin Mohamed Kaplan to enter the occupied Palestinian lands upon his arrival last night, claiming that he did not hold a visa to Israel.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli foreign ministry affirmed that another Swedish citizen who came along with Kaplan was also denied entry, saying that both of them were expelled because of their participation in Freedom Flotilla convoy.
http://bit.ly/db2Bp6
11 nov 2010
Israeli policemen humiliate Sheikh Salah during his trial
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Israeli policemen on Wednesday deliberately insulted and humiliated Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, as they were escorting him to a court in occupied Jerusalem to defend himself against new charges fabricated against him by the police.
Eyewitnesses said that Sheikh Salah was brought to the court room in orange uniform, and his hands and legs were shackled.
They added that the Israeli policemen prevented the Sheikh's sympathizers from entering the court room and only allowed in his mother, sister and nephew, noting that Sheikh Salah was in high spirits as he was entering the room.
The Israeli court, for its part, listened to the false witnesses brought by the Israeli prosecutor who fabricated lies against Sheikh Salah.
The defense lawyer Khaled Zabarqa filed a request to postpone the hearing because there was not enough time to study the new investigation materials brought to him last Thursday and he was not told if Sheikh Salah would be brought to the court that day.
Lawyer Zabarqa stated that until this moment, the Magistrate's court did not send a request to the Israeli prison authority asking it to bring Sheikh Salah to the hearing.
The new indictment against the Sheikh is about holding a philanthropic dinner on the roof of Al-Halawani house in the Wadi Joz neighborhood in Jerusalem on 22/8/2007. During the charity dinner the attendees were surprisingly attacked by the Israeli occupation forces.
During the attack on the dinner ceremony, the IOF troops used sound and tear gas shells and injured sheikh Salah in his hand, where he was transferred to Al-Makasid hospital for treatment.
Against the backdrop of these events, the Israeli prosecution filed an indictment against Sheikh Salah with the magistrate%u2019s court in Jerusalem for allegedly disobeying the orders of the Israeli police and thwarting their mission.
The Israeli prosecution claims that Sheikh Salah participated along with 30 others in an illegal gathering according to orders issued by the inspector-general of the Israeli police.
However, the truth is that this ceremony was planned to be held in the Commodore hotel, but the Israeli police sealed the hotel according to a military order, then the charity dinner was moved to another private place, which was the roof of Al-Halawani house.
http://bit.ly/ctSVCE 7 jul 2011, 01:16 , Respect -
Maria 15 nov 2010
MK Zoabi: Haifa Uni protects fascists
MK Zoabi escorted by police
Arab students hold gathering with Balad lawmaker, who criticizes institution for banning larger event. Jewish students protest in front of building, sing national anthem, call Zoabi 'terrorist'.
MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad) on Monday arrived at the University of Haifa for an event organized by Balad student activists.
MK Zoabi, who became a controversial figure after participating in the Gaza-bound flotilla in May, lashed out at the university's decision to prevent the organizers from holding a larger event.
"The excuse that it might harm public order is taken straight out of Shin Bet statements. Instead of protecting those who are being threatened, they protect the fascists," she said.
The member of Knesset added that "the university is employing censorship and silencing voices. It's part of my right as a member of Knesset and an Israeli citizen to meet with students in the university," she asserted, adding that the University of Haifa is supported by donors who believe the institution to be pluralistic.
"There should be an article written in the university's website about the incident that took place here today, so that those donors stop supporting an institution that persecutes human rights and liberty," she noted.
The meeting with the MK Zoabi took place after negotiations between the students and the university administration failed.
A few weeks ago, the students approached the administration and asked to hold a political conference with the participation of MK Zoabi, ahead of the elections for the Student Union.
The university administration rejected their request, claiming that such a gathering right before the elections might lead to unrest among students at the campus.
However, the students decided to hold the event despite the university's decision.
Eventually, organizers held a smaller event than originally planned, and convened in one of the rooms at the student center, instead of a centrally located hall.
Meanwhile, some 100 Jewish students protested outside of the building, calling Zoabi a "terrorist" and singing the national anthem. The protesters held Israeli flags and whistles.
Police forces and university security formed a barrier between the protesters and the building where the event was held.
The university administration denied all claims made by MK Zoabi, stating that "her entry was not forbidden. She was here and she talked to the students, so we didn't silence anyone."
In reference to the refusal to permit a larger gathering, the administration stated that it feared such an event two weeks prior to the Student Union elections might lead to unnecessary incitement, and therefore they did not give permission to hold the event
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3984873,00.html
Students to protest ban on Flotilla MP
Israeli Arab lawmaker Hanin Zuabi of the National Democratic Party (Balad)
Students at the University of Haifa plan to rally against a ban on a pro-Palestinian lawmaker who was aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla when attacked by Israeli commandos in May.
Supporters of Arab Israeli lawmaker Hanin Zuabi are set to voice their protest against the university's refusal to allow the Balad party MP to participate in a student political activity on campus, the Israeli daily, Ha'arez, reported.
Zuabi drew sharp criticism from Israeli parliamentarians after she was arrested during Israel's Flotilla attack on May 31 which also killed nine Turkish activists onboard the civilian aid convoy which aimed to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
On Monday, the Arab lawmaker was scheduled to take part in the student activity focusing on the political situation over the past year.
In a letter to the university's Dean of Students, Yoav Lavee, Zuabi said, "No one can prevent me from going to a university and standing together with my constituency."
"My participation in the event is part of my parliamentary activities, just as my participation in the freedom flotilla constituted a humanitarian, ethical, civic and political obligation of the first order and was part of my parliamentary activities," she wrote.
On October 24, a Balad campus group formally requested that the university permit Zuabi to partake in the activity, which was expected to involve between 150 and 200 students. However, the group did not receive a response till last Sunday.
Lavee told the group that Zuabi could not come, claiming that various groups on campus would use the event as an excuse for exhibiting violent behavior.
But Zuabi accused the University of Haifa of using the same tactics as Israel's notorious intelligence agency to curb Arab political activity.
"The Shin Bet generally uses the argument of 'disturbing the public order' to limit the political and public activity of Arab citizens, and that's what the university is doing, with the goal of limiting Arab student activity," she said.
Members of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) are entitled to go to any public place in Israel and expect "national security" considerations.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151052.html