Students plan counter-flotilla

[shira]

Flotilla organized to aid Turkey's oppressed Kurds, Armenians; show up world's hypocrisy after sharp criticism of Israel's raid on Gaza flotilla
Yaheli Moran Zelikovich
Published: 06.06.10, 17:21 / Israel News

Israeli students are planning a "peace flotilla" to Turkey with humanitarian aid for nations who suffered under Turkish imperialism – the Kurds and Armenians. The initiative comes in response to the world's sharp criticism of Israel's lethal raid on the Gaza flotilla which left nine activists dead and many wounded.

The organizers are currently seeking a suitable vessel and trying to recruit other students to the cause. No date has yet been set, but a skipper has been found: Arik Ofir, a member of the navy veteran's union and owner of a private business. They have also obtained medical supplies, and hope that by the end of the week they will be able to set out.

"The whole world saw the flotilla and thought Israel is a terrible state, which comes to shoot people who call themselves peace activists," said Chairman of the National Students Union Boaz Torporovsky, who is also involved. "It's absurd that they always put the Israeli occupation in the headlines and don't talk about extreme Islamic terror. There's a lot of hypocrisy in the world.

"Turkey, which leads the campaign against Israel and makes all sorts of threats is the same Turkey that carried out a holocaust and murdered an entire nation of Armenians, and oppresses a minority larger than the Palestinians – the Kurds – who deserve a state, who have demanded a state for longer than the State of Israel has existed."

more...
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3899835,00.html

[shira]

1. cont'd...

"For this reason," he continued, "we have decided to help that minority and show up the hypocrisy of the Turkish government. We are sure that they won't care if we sent humanitarian aid. It'll be a peace flotilla without the knives or stones that hurt IDF soldiers, without violence, which is intended for all those oppressed by the Turkish government.

"If (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's heart is where his mouth is, which we all know isn't so, he has no reason to prevent the flotilla from arriving."

And what about the practicalities? "For the flotilla to work, we need three elements: Money, logistics and balls," he said. "We're bringing the balls and some of the logistics, but we need lots of money."


The National Student Union has been active in PR for a long time. Torporovsky even infiltrated into a UN conference once, and slammed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an incident which received extensive coverage around the world.

Student representatives even got in contact with Iranian students oppressed by the regime in an attempt to raise awareness about what is happening in Iran.

[shaayecanaan]

10. Both Armenia and Kurdistan are landlocked...

so I suppose the aid will be docked in Turkey. Anyway, its hard to see the Turks objecting to this.

Great to see this newfound Jewish enthusiasm for recognition of the Armenian genocide, though. Maybe they have a chance of actually getting a resolution this year. Who knows, maybe Steve Cohen won't have to kick Armenians out of his house any more.

[Wizard777]

16. It's good to see that it's not just US College Students that have a dismal grasp on Geography

[shira]

18. Their goal isn't to break any blockade, is it?

Now why didn't the organizers of the flotilla think of protesting against the Turkish treatment of Kurds and Armenians? Or protest Turkish occupation of Cypress?

[Wizard777]

21. If they actually do this. Turkey should greet them with Hospitality.

Treat them like Kings while they are there awaiting deportation. First class accommodations all the way. What the students are actually doing is saying YOU show US how to properly receive an Aid Convoy. Turkey should seize upon this opportunity to teach these students grace in the face of adversity and how kindness can overcome that adversity.

[shira]

24. And should Turkey greet them with hospitality if they bring a war party over like the IHH did?

[Wizard777]

30. Israel and Likud are not a "war party." Israel is not a party to a war with Hamas?

Sure why not? It's how a conquered Persia kept Alexander from destroying them. They charmed him and he became quite smitten with them. So they lost 1 palace to a drunken party. The potential losses could have cut much deeper.

[shira]

58. What are you talking about?

[shaayecanaan]

22. Probably because the Greek Cypriots don't have it as bad as the Gazans...

You should probably also consider that Israel hasn't always been sympathetic to Armenia's plight, particularly where Nagorno-Karabakh is concerned. Indeed the Israeli ambassador is on record as saying that "Israel supports a fair position of Azerbaijian", and was instrumental in removing the congressional ban on supply of arms to the Azeris.

No doubt Israel did that because of its strategic alliance with Turkey, but they did it nevertheless. Its quite hypocritical for pro-Israel advocates to cry crocodile tears for Armenia now that the Turks are no longer their friend - they were perfectly willing to damn the Armenians to hell beforehand.

http://genats-lehayim.blogspot.com/2007/01/israels-position-on-nagorno-karabakh.html

[shira]

25. Israel has nothing to do with these students

And don't you think it's ironic that anti-occupation blockade busters set sail from occupied Cypress?

[shaayecanaan]

71. There's no blockade of Greek Cyprus...

there's no blockade of Armenia either, although both Turkey and Azerbaijan have closed their borders to it.

Personally, I doubt these students will go as far as dipping their toes in the water. They simply wanted to get their headline and they got it.

[Ozymanithrax]

2. Actually, I think that is pretty smart. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. It took the murder of all those people to get them to think of doing this?

Fuck those face saving assholes.

They'll never do it anyway, they got the headline they were looking for.

[shira]

14. Why didn't the FGM and Marmara flotilla organizers think of this before, and do something about it?

[EFerrari]

4. These people have boarded the Marmara. n/t

[LakeSamish706]

5. Good, I hope they get on with it and I am certain that their demise will not end the same way that

the flotilla to Gaza ended.

[IndianaGreen]

6. I hope these assholes make it all the way to Istanbul

and that they succeed in alienating whatever friends Israel has in Turkey.

I am sure Turkey won't do to them what Israel did to the freedom flotilla.

[shira]

13. Don't the Kurds and Armenians deserve a humanitarian flotilla?

[azurnoir]

32. Yes they do however shira isn't such a flotilla by the same standards

that you are others holding FreeGaza to supporting the PKK? Especially if bringing such items as toys and wheelchairs to Gaza supports Hamas

[IndianaGreen]

51. Don't the Kurds and Armenians deserve a homeland of their own as much as the Palestinians?

And don't they have the right to drive the foreign invaders off their ancestral lands, just as the Palestinians do?

[shira]

59. Sure, I'm for 2 states - but I'm not for Israel committing suicide.

[IndianaGreen]

76. but Israel is already committing suicide, with the help of the pro-Israel people

Israel's Occupation will bring about its own destruction.

[azurnoir]

7. well good for them and it only took a mere 95 years wow n/t

[IndianaGreen]

8. Perhaps they will go to Haifa next in solidarity with the victims of the Nakba

"Jewish villages were built in the place of Arab villages. You do not even know the names of these Arab villages, and I do not blame you because geography books no longer exist, not only do the books not exist, the Arab villages are not there either Nahlal arose in the place of Mahlul; Kibbbutz Gvat in the place of Jibta; Kibbutz Sarid in the place of Huneifis; and Kefar Yehushu'a in the place of Tal al- Shuman. There is not one single place built in this country that did not have a former Arab Population."

Moshe Dayan, Address to the Technion, Haifa (as quated in Ha'aretz, 4 April 1969)

http://www.alnakba.org/villages/villages.htm

[BestCenter]

73. Kurds are different from Arabs (n/t)

[IndianaGreen]

78. Turks are not Arabs

and neither are Iranians.

[shira]

12. Why don't you join them?

[BestCenter]

72. Well, the Mossad has been training Kurdish forces for years

The Kurds are similarly hated by their Arab/Turkish/Persian neighbors as Israel is... enemy of their enemies is Israel.

[shaayecanaan]

75. Complete rubbish...

The Mossad has been actively working against Kurdish groups like the PKK etc in recent years and havent trained any Kurds since 1975.

[BestCenter]

86. hm

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3899714,00.html
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=129635§ionid=351020204

[Yeahyeah]

9. So these students see the oppressive situations as analogous.

but have my country right or wrong beliefs.i see.i see.interesting.interesting.

[Malikshah]

38. What a sorry state of education in Israel, and of parenting, to raise children who

would see the two as analogous...

[shira]

60. Education is worse worldwide when violent thugs are portrayed as peace activists

....and Israelis are demonized no matter the evidence for or against them.

[Yeahyeah]

77. Keep pounding your head against that wall.

[Malikshah]

82. Well, I'll give credit where credit is due--- no cut and paste job on

this one. Still-- same old shtick. Make sure to use some oil so the jaw doesn't get squeaky.

[azurnoir]

83. A Gulf Coast vacation perhaps? n/t

[LAGC]

11. Good for them!

I'm all for peaceful gestures. Turkey has its own skeletons in the closet. Let oppression be fought with peace! (Let's just hope the Turkish forces don't massacre the peace activists like Israeli forces did...)

[Tripmann]

15. Grand. Let them deliver the aid unimpeded

And turkey can show the Israeli government how acts of charity and compassion should not be met with bullets in the back of your skull.

It would be the ultimate PR backfire.

[shira]

17. Why would Turkish military shoot passive, peaceful demonstrators?

[Tripmann]

20. Why would they illegally board a ship in international waters?

Y'know shira, I've actually yet to see a single person around here back up your propaganda.

Nobody buys it. But keep going......

[shira]

23. It's not illegal to board a ship in Int'l waters determined to break a legal blockade...

....maintained also by Egypt and backed by the Quartet.

[Tripmann]

27. Do you think repeating that falsehood enough makes it true?

[shira]

34. It's not false. Israel broke no law. What's next, accusations of 'piracy'?

[Tripmann]

55. Bollocks

and you know it. And so does everyone else here.

[shira]

61. No, I don't know it's bullocks. It's as legal for Israel to do what they did as any other country

Blockades are legal, but in Israel's case you believe it's collective punishment.

Boarding a vessel in International waters determined to break a blockade is also legal.

Other Western countries have acted the same and in no way were their actions ever considered illegal. Only Israel's.

:eyes:

Pure bigotry.

[Tripmann]

81. Wrong as usual

In internationsl waters the IDF lose their juristiction and are no more entitled to board a ship without permission then somali pirates.

Unless of course, you are contesting that a countrys army can operate with impunity in international waters?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

85. The wording is clear, and Shira is correct

Surprised me too when I first looked at it. IIRC it dates from the 1940s

[azurnoir]

28. Egypt certainly has a strange way df showing support

Egypt just opened its borders indefinitely, but wait that's not all

US tunnel detection system left uncompleted

US military experts installing a network of tunnel detection equipment along the Egypt - Gaza border left the area ahead of schedule following the opening of the Rafah crossing, Egyptian officials said, citing security concerns.

Four US army engineers began work in early 2009, supervising the installation of a 13.5 kilometer long tunnel detection network which was essentially completed last month, with only follow-up training left on the agenda.

n admitted snag in the multi-million dollar system, Egyptian officials admit, is the un-accounted for ability of tunnel diggers to change course underground if the original tunnel-mouth is filled-in or destroyed.

The only failsafe mechanism, officials noted, was when US engineers informed Israeli officials of the whereabouts of the Gaza-opening of the tunnel, which was obliterated by Israeli air strikes.

The detection mechanism was a final attempt at monitoring the tunnel industry, after officials admitted that the steel wall inserted some 30 meters underground was a failure, with more than 450 estimated tunnels already having cut through the wall. Officials said tunnel owners paid some 10,000 US dollars to have welders spend days in the tunnels and cut through the wall.
Print Send to friend

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=290433

Guess Obama isn't keeping that Bushian deal either hmmmm

[shira]

37. Egypt' has actively blockaded Gaza for over 2 years now, and their sudden lift of the blockade...

...just goes to show Israel doesn't control Egyptian policy.

Now why weren't you and your knife wielding, stun grenade throwing, pipe beating fellow peace activists outraged at Egypt the past 2 years for their role in the blockade?

[azurnoir]

84. who says I wasn't but perhaps not as outraged as you were

with 80 something year old Holocaust survivor for calling Egypt on it

eta so how many of these innocent students will be in reality IDF do you thinK? I find it hard to believe that IDF will let them go out unprotected especially seeing as how IDF continues to protect the settlers who will turn on them in a blink

[EFerrari]

33. Careful, shira. Max Blumenthal has film of thousands of people

outside the Turkish embassy chanting "death to Arabs" in Tel Aviv. You don't want to see that all over youtube, do you?

[shira]

39. Well if that's what they're chanting, then by your logic they must be peace activists

[EFerrari]

40. Hilariously, more than one of those individuals tells Blumenthal

how peaceful Israel is and how the violence all belongs to "the Arabs".

[shira]

41. That's as side-splitting as spinning a story of thuggish anti-humanitarian flotilla peace activists

[EFerrari]

44. Which you are still doing this morning. The difference is

Blumenthal's tape is real.

[shira]

47. LOL. Why do you trust Blumenthal's video over IDF video? Any reason?

[cali]

19. sickening, cheap , childishly transparent stunt

[shira]

26. Not as sickening as sending a war party into Gaza masquerading as peace activists

[Tripmann]

31. A war party without firearms?

I'm thinking back to that scene in Monty Pythons the life of brian with the 'crack suicide squad'.

More unintentinal comedy.

[shira]

35. Knives, stun grenades, and metal bars are not the tools of peace activists.

[Tripmann]

36. The aid workers used stun grenades? Proof please......

[shira]

43. Stun grenade about 10 seconds into this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6sAEYpHF24&feature=player_embedded

Explain that one away.

[azurnoir]

45. Oh and shira I notice you have avioded my question

wouldn't if the Israeli flotilla is held to the same standards as the FreeGaza one be supporting the PKK?

[shira]

49. FAIL. Israeli students wouldn't be breaking a legal blockade against a terror entiry, would they?

[azurnoir]

53. No they'd be aiding a terror group unless there is a double standard

going here that is

[azurnoir]

46. Yes I think EVERYONE should watch this prize

and shirado the letters CGI mean anyhing to you?

[shira]

48. LOL? CGI? Yes, no amount of evidence will prevent demonizers from demonizing. Got it. Thanks.

[azurnoir]

50. Not that "evidence" anyways n/t

[shira]

52. Can you find anyone credible besides yourself to confirm that's just CGI?

[azurnoir]

54. yes my daughter who does it for a living

and doesn't give a rat's ass about this issue, in fact thinks I am slightly nuts because of it

[shira]

63. So let's see her prove it. As to your other point, I agree with her.

[azurnoir]

65. Good for you but she also gave a one word opinion about you also

however another poster pointed out something else this rather violent explosive flash goes off but yet no one flinches hmmm are we to believe that IDF are so well trained that they have overcome normal human reflexes?

[shira]

69. Looks real to me.....I enlarged to full screen and tapped play/stop for really slow motion...

....and noticed when it went off it lit up the whole boat so you could better see the IDF officers and what was inside the boat (at 11 seconds),

Then the smoke went off to the left due to the boat speeding right.

[Tripmann]

56. ROTFLMAO!!

THATS NOT A FUCKING STUN GRENADE!

Talk about pathetic.

It goes off 2 foot from the soldiers and they don't even flinch, some stun grenade.

If you pause just before the blowout you can also see where the entire screen flashes but the 'granade' hasn't gone off. Guess cgi moves faster than light :rofl:

More propaganda filth to excuse atrocities.

[shira]

62. Bullshit. You're hysterically denying every piece of evidence with no expert opinion to back you up

[azurnoir]

66. and just who is your expert opinion? IDF? n/t

[shira]

67. What video/audio, etc.. evidence released by IDF has been 'PROVEN' to be false? I'll wait...

[azurnoir]

68. IDF has admitted to editing tapes and vids

but again I would invite anyone to watch the video and decide for themselves

[shira]

70. Yeah, they condensed 6 minutes of mostly dead air time to 30 seconds...how is that fakery?

As to the video, that's strictly your opinion and you have zero backup.

Pathetic.

[azurnoir]

74. that's what they admited to do you have proof that is all they did?

but we all know it's most convincing when a lie is wrapped in the truth

[Tripmann]

80. What kind of stun grenade doesn't stun at 2 foot distance? Cop on shira.Your propaganda doesn't wash

[cali]

57. That is nothing but a straight out lie

[shira]

64. Much evidence exists showing the "peace" activists attacking the IDF being warmongering thugs.

From being backed by the IHH, to singing songs invoking death to Jews, telling Jews to go back to Auschwitz, using knives, metal bars, chains, and stun grenades to attack the IDF.....it's disingenuous to the extreme (a blood libel) to maintain these were "peace activists" deliberately executed by the IDF for no reason.

[IndianaGreen]

79. More echoes of Squealer from Animal Farm

[Donald Ian Rankin]

87. I agree, if that ever happened it would be sickening.

But since it hasn't, what is truly sickening is the attempt to brand peace activists as a war party.

[depakid]

29. This is even better than the Onion and Jesus' General!

Major props for the parody.

[LeftishBrit]

42. Maybe this will catch on...

It would be a good thing if nations in conflict started competing for how much aid they can give to those oppressed by each other. A much better form of national rivalry than most!