Flotilla: Israel's customary lethality now changes everything Posted by Helena Cobban

Flotilla: Israel's customary lethality now changes everything Posted by Helena Cobban


http://justworldnews.org/archives/004002.html
Israel's security forces have become accustomed over many decades to using lethal force against opponents, then claiming it was the opponents who "fired first". They have become accustomed, moreover, to their government and its cheerleaders around the world having such a dominant position in the media that they can hope to have this version of events generally accepted-- or at least, accepted by enough of the people in power around the world that they don't need to worry about the real facts getting out.

It seems they don't understand the 21st century.

The Freedom Flotilla organized by an international group of nonviolence activists and humanitarians has all along pursued textbook rules of nonviolent action. In particular they allowed their ships to be inspected by governments before they took them to sea, they continually announced their intention of taking the humanitarian supplies to Gaza, and they worked hard to make their action as visible as possible.

None of that stopped Israel from using deadly violence against them. The number of the dead among the hundreds of civilians on board the five boats is not yet clear. Israel's Ynet is reporting 15 dead. The BBC reports that Israeli Channel 10 TV is saying 19.

And then, just as if this were an Israeli death squad going in and killing someone in a distant village in the West Bank in the middle of the night, Israeli military and political leaders come out with the rote accusation that the victims had been the first ones to open fire.

Unbelievable.

Around the world-- and perhaps even inside Israel-- it is already clear that very few people indeed believe that version of events. And indeed, the diplomatic/strategic repercussions for Israel around the world are already starting. There are even reports that PM Netanyahu might cancel or postpone his Wednesday trip to Washington.