Israel's attack of the Aid Flotilla

[Abu]

So I've been following the discussion here: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/non_aviation/read.main/2226297 about the recent Israeli attack on the flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza, which, I might add, is a Palestinian Territory.

The Israeli army attacked the group in International Waters. There are conflicting reports but eyewitness accounts state that the activists on board the Mavi Marmara were not armed and they were only trying to warn off the IDF Commandos with their hands as they boarded the ship but the IDF came in shooting and wounding. The IDF, however, states that they boarded with paintball guns and handguns, that were only to be used in an adverse scenario, and the activists were armed with grass roots weaponry (knives, bats, stun grenades, firearms and the like).

Obviously it's a case of he said she said. The IDF versus the activists, and even though the UN has ordered an impartial investigation, if the IDF are in the wrong, the worst that they'll get is a slap on the wrist and a spot of international condemnation. The forum members in the link that I've posted to above are quick to designate critics of Israeli policies as Anti-Semites.

Does Israel, as a sovereign nation, have a right to search independently verified aid ships, in international waters and with no apparently threat to Israel, bound on a humanitarian mission to Gaza?

Discuss.

[Mahuta ♥]

No, my post may be too simple, but I am really wondering, what hard would had been done to Israel if they allowed the aid flotilla to reach Gaza? When I think about it, the only answer I get is that they really want Palestinians in Gaza to stay like that, and perhaps die of lack of health facilities, lack of nutrition..etc.

I may not be that knowledged about political stuff, but doesn't Israel NOT have the right to attack in international waters and killing upto 10 people? The way the attack on the activists was carried out, is the way we would see if this aid flotilla was full of soldiers aiming to attack Israel.

""was to prevent the infiltration of thousands of rockets, missiles and other arms that could hit our cities, communities or people". This is what the Israeli Prime Minister said, it was clear that the convoy was not one that would carry such things, even if they doubted it, they could have just held the convoy and made sure it doesn't carry any sort of weapons then let it pass. Why the deadly raid? If this flotilla was an arab one, we could put a possibility that, well, Israel is afraid of the attack..etc, but this flotilla was Turkish, which once again confirms, for me, the fact that Israel was not trying to just defend the state, but rather stop any sort of aid from entering Gaza.

I am sure my post sounds absolutely anti-Israeli attack, and everyone on here knows this, but this time, I am talking logic. Why?

The Israeli goverment claims that "They are part of the IHH, which is a radical Turkish Islamist organisation which has been investigated by Western governments and by the Turkish government itself in the past for their links with terrorist organisations."

I don't see how that's even possible when the Prime minister was in full support of the aid flotilla?

I really really wonder WHY this deadly attack, when the flotilla was only trying to help out citizens in Gaza if Israel wasn't really aiming to keep the Gaza strip as it is and intend to not allow any sort of medical, nutrition aid to reach.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/201053113252437484.html

[Tilia]

I haven't followed this very carefully, but if I understand things correctly, they attacked a ship on international water, which they were not allowed to do. Wasn't the ship unarmed, as well? In that case there was absolutely no reason for them to act in that way. Then, as the intention was to provide the civilian with food, medicines, etc, it's just cruel to stop these ship.

I might sound really anti-isreali now, but one must be able to criticise Israel without being accused of being anti-semitic. I have nothing against Jews or the Israeli people, I just don't approve of the blockad of civilians.