VICTORY AT SEA September 30, 2010
Posted by wmmbb in Israel-Palestine.trackback
Israel managed to keep a catamaran, Irene, from sailing to Gaza carrying “a consignment of medicines, toys and water purifiers”.
The government spokesman said the confrontation had been peaceful. An eyewitness reports a different story.
The Independent reports, via PA:
Israeli authorities boarded a British yacht, took down its flag and “almost strip searched” its crew as they attempted to break the blockade to Gaza, a Briton on board said today.
Vish Vishvanath was one of nine people travelling on the British-flagged catamaran Irene when it was intercepted.
The freelance photo-journalist from Twickenham, south west London, said the vessel had been “hijacked” in international waters and surrounded by about eight boats whose crew trained machine guns on them.
The armed Israeli authorities who came on board took down the boat’s British flag, he said, “which is something you’re not supposed to do”.
According to the report, the vessel was boarded about 20 miles from Gaza. The captain of the catamaran ignored the Israeli Navy request to them to turn back. When the armed personnel boarded the crew and passengers refused to cooperate, with the result that former IDF members were tasered.
The interesting detail in the report:
A Holocaust survivor lectured the commandos at length for about four hours.
Those sailing the catamaran presented the supposition: All Zionists are Jews, but not all Jews are Zionists.
Looks sort of like the US blockade of Cuba in ’62, except there’s no danger of this leading to a nuclear war.
Stan, the analogy with the Cuban Missile Crisis breaks down on several grounds, but nonetheless it is an interesting comparison. Let’s remember that Israel is a nuclear state and not a member of the IAEA, whereas Iran is a member.
The 48th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis is coming up on 16 October this year.