Ruth Dudley Edwards: Gaza-bound vessel really a ship of fools

[shira]

Ruth Dudley Edwards: Gaza-bound vessel really a ship of fools

Whether they know it or not, anti-Semitism is driving these activists on a 'mercy mission', says Ruth Dudley Edwards





Sunday June 26 2011
IT was the Fifties and I was about seven when I pointed to the photograph of Hitler in my republican granny's lair and said: "What about the Jews, grandmother?" "British propaganda," she replied.

Grandmother Edwards was not stupid, but she was adept at filtering out information that didn't fit her world view. As far as she was concerned, the Nazis had been allies of the IRA and enemies of the Brits so they were the good guys.

<snip>

Let us be clear. Whether they know it or not, that gaggle of posturing, ignorant Irish clowns who are setting sail towards Gaza on the MV Saoirse are driven by anti-Semitism. Otherwise they would be protesting against -- for instance -- the Islamist killings and bombings that are forcing tens of thousands of Christians to flee the Middle East, the ethnic cleansing in the Sudan, the ill-treatment of servants and women in Saudi Arabia, the hanging of gays from cranes in Iran, the massacres of protesters in Libya and Syria, the torture of Irish-trained doctors in Bahrain for tending to injured demonstrators and the vicious anti-Jewish propaganda that teaches Arab children to hate.

The explanation given by Jim Roche of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign -- a spokesman for the Irish contingent -- is that "the people of Gaza are being slowly starved and are being completely deprived of their human rights to live in dignity".

more...
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/ruth-dudley-edwards/ruth-dudley-edwards-gazabound-vessel-really-a-ship-of-fools-2806080.html

[shira]

1. The Audacity of Anti-Semitism: Racist, Nazis: Hate-Filled Claims of Flottilla Passengers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNxKqwZxFH8&feature=player_embedded

[shira]

2. US Boat to Gaza proudly presents antisemite Gilad Atzmon at its fundraising party

http://engageonline.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/us-boat-to-gaza-proudly-presents-antisemite-gilad-atzmon-at-its-fundraising-party/

The US Boat to Gaza proudly advertised:

In concert and talk.

A benefit for the Bay Area’s flotilla passengers who will be onboard The Audacity of Hope. You’ll meet them as they get ready to go on the “Freedom Flotilla – Stay Human” to break Israel’s illegal naval blockade, an awesomely courageous revolutionary liberatory, even world-history-making action.

Atzmon is a worldwide-renowned jazz saxophonist par excellence. He was born and raised in Israel. After serving in the Israeli military he became an expat and lives in London. He also holds a PhD in philosophy and is a prolific writer and speaker on Israel-Palestine.

Please join Gilad, his pianist Daniel Raynaud, and the passengers.

May 10, 2011 at 4:30pm

Gilad Atzmon is an unambiguous and explicit antisemite. These are the kinds of things that Atzmon likes to say:

“They try to call me an anti-Semite, I’m not an anti-Semite. I’ve got nothing against the Semite people, I don’t have anything against people – I’m anti-Jewish, not anti-Jews.

“I think Jewish ideology is driving our planet into a catastrophe and we must stop.”

“The Nazis were indeed . . . evil. They did things that were disastrously inhuman and unacceptable. But this doesn’t mean the Jewish ideology is correct, because in fact Jewish ideology and Nazi ideology were very similar.”

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dept of Beer]

8. You should fix your lead in. It is disingenuous.

That's not what she said in her quote.

[shira]

10. Oh? Well what did she mean by that quote? n/t

[Dept of Beer]

13. You are being disingenuous.

IF you need more clarification on the term then go watch FOX News.

[hack89]

47. Why did Germany scare the world? nt

[tootrueleft]

36. CAMERA?? LOL!! Another humdinger. For the liberals....

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=CAMERA

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) is a powerful Boston-based lobby group that tries to curb criticism of Israel in U.S. media.

According to its Executive Director, what sets it apart from other media watch-dog groups is its "sizable paying, activist membership.2

CAMERA is widely regarded as a pro-Israeli lobby group that as put by Journalist and author Robert I. Friedman - "CAMERA, the A.D.L., AIPAC and the rest of the lobby don't want fairness, but bias in their favor. And they are prepared to use McCarthyite tactics, as well as the power and money of pro-Israel PACs, to get whatever Israel wants."

Good find :applause:

Nothing like some fair abnd balanced input

[shira]

37. So you have nothing to rebut Alice Walker's views but shooting the messenger. Good show!

So nice to see on a liberal board that you have no problem with Alice Walker's views.

[tootrueleft]

40. When the messenger is a bought and paid for israeli propaganda machine, its beneath rebuttal.

[shira]

43. The allegations are backed by links and direct quotes. n/t

[tootrueleft]

50. The repost from a credible source instead of bought and paid for propaganda machines.

[Fozzledick]

4. I believe the technical term is "useful idiots"

Except, of course, for the IHH terrorists, who know exactly what they're up to.

[Dept of Beer]

12. But there are no "useful idiots" on the Israeli side of the argument?

splitting hairs, splitting hairs...

[Fozzledick]

15. Are you refering to anything specific, or just throwing mud because you got nuthin'?

[Dept of Beer]

17. I'm just poking holes in your absurdity.

[Fozzledick]

18. Disingenuous and dubious

So that's all you've got huh? :rofl:

[Dept of Beer]

21. In reference to the apologists of the apartheid state I have plenty.

I'll just watch them keep on embarrassing themselves as they play the victim card.
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Fozzledick]

22. Oh, so you have the Big Lie technique!

I should have known...

[Dept of Beer]

29. Yes, you should have.

[Fozzledick]

31. I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt...

"Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

[Dept of Beer]

32. Then why do you keep on opening yours?

:rofl:

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dept of Beer]

34. Now getting back to that apartheid state...

[King_David]

61. Apartheid state huh?

OK , color`s shown !

Nuff said.

[shira]

5. Gaza flotilla 2011: Key organiser is alleged Hamas operative

Mohammed Sawalha, a key organiser of the second flotilla which is set to attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza later this week, is alleged to be a Hamas operative with long-standing connections to the militant organisation. Last year’s flotilla resulted in widespread media coverage and international condemnation when nine individuals aboard the Mavi Marmara were killed by Israeli soldiers. Israel maintained that its soldiers had acted in self-defence after being attacked by activists from the controversial Turkish Islamist charity IHH.

more...
http://justjournalism.com/the-wire/flotilla-organiser-is-alleged-hamas-operative/

[Dept of Beer]

7. Alleged by whom?

[shira]

9. Read the rest of the article. n/t

[Dept of Beer]

14. Alleged is a dubious word. Is there anything concrete?

It is always important to discredit any and all that would appose hegemony.

[tootrueleft]

35. JUSTJOURNALISM?? LOL! For the liberals here...

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Just_Journalism

Just Journalism (JJ) is a pro-Israel media flak organization seeking to influence the way the Middle East is reported in the UK media. By the date of its oldest reports, it seems that JJ originated only after May 2008.

London Review of Books campaign

Just Journalism has pursued a campaign for the elimination of UK-state funds for publications and media that are critical of Israel. In particular it has conducted a campaign against the London Review of Books primarily because it published the original article about The Lobby by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt.

[shira]

38. Again you got nothing besides shooting the messenger. Well done!

So nice to see on a liberal board you have no problem with Hamas operatives running "humanitarian" flotilla operations.

[tootrueleft]

41. When the messenger is a bought and paid for israeli propaganda machine, its beneath rebuttal.

So nice to see on a liberal board you use sources whos purpose in life is to defend a right wing goverments crimes against humanity.

[shira]

44. The allegations are backed by links and direct quotes. n/t

[tootrueleft]

45. Then repost the relevant article from an independent source

[Dept of Beer]

49. And on this sheet of paper I have the names of 50 communist sympathizers.

[LeftishBrit]

52. Shooting the messenger is appropriate when messengers are toxic people...

and that applies whether the messenger is Gilad Atzmon or Ruth Dudley Edwards.

Plenty of nasty messengers on both sides!

[shira]

55. The sources that Tripman takes issue with are not toxic. n/t

[shira]

42. YOUTUBE - Sawalha calls for elimination of Israel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHhOPla-Unk

[Dept of Beer]

6. So unless these protesters go protest all the other

bad things going on in the world then they are unknowing anti-Semites?

Seriously, that is just weak.


Whenever there is criticism or protest of Israel, and this is a good example, it is viewed as anti-Semitism.

Whenever Israel parcels off more Palestinian land for its population it is viewed as a rightful expansion.



This isn't anti-Semitism. It is anti-apartheid.

[shira]

11. Nah....posts #1 and #2 are plenty of evidence that bigotry is driving many flotilla participants. NT

[Dept of Beer]

16. Again, I have to use the word dubious in reference to your posts.

[Fozzledick]

26. ... for lack of an meaningful rebuttal.

[Dept of Beer]

30. I'll leave that sidestep up to you.

[holdencaufield]

20. Priorities

On a scale of global injustice, what is REALLY going on between Israel and the Palestinians doesn't even register. There are more fatalities each year from bathtub accidents than from the conflict between these two adversaries.

And yet -- when was the last time you saw a flotilla of erstwhile citizens arrange aid to Somalia, Sudan, or even North Korea?


When you're spending all your time and energy picketing the local council's decision on the zoning regulations for house-pets while you're next door neighbours are killing old people for their social security cheques -- you have misplaced priorities. There is typically a reason why people's priorities get out of whack -- one is an irrational hatred of your ex-spouse who just happens to be on the local council and there is no way you're going to let her get away with enforcing a ban on Bull Terriers.

Both sides have legitimate grievances that could -- if people would butt-out of it -- ultimately be resolved peacefully by the parties themselves. There is no genocide, apartheid, or fratricide going on -- despite what you might have come to believe. I will only speculate on why people are willing to overlook so much from one side just so they can demonize and vilify a people on the other side who have done them no harm.

[Dept of Beer]

23. There is indeed an apartheid state in existence.

If some wish not to see the obvious then all I can do is laugh at their myopic view.

[JDPriestly]

24. I remember a time when Palestinians could cross into Israel and

work in peace. That was before Palestinians bombed innocent Israelis who were just living their lives.

Yes, the two sides can live together, but the guarantee of peace and security has to go two ways.

The Palestinian terrorists who bombed Israelis are what caused the Apartheid that has developed and worsened in recent years.

Here is a map of suicide bombs that went off in Tel Aviv between 2000 to 2005.

Both sides have to agree to guarantee security for all.

[Dept of Beer]

27. So now there is an agreement that there is an apartheid state, but only

the Palestinians are to blame. They asked for it. Did they also ask for illegal settlements as well?

[Fozzledick]

25. Actually, there are quite a few

Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya...

You don't seem to be concerned with them, though. I wonder why?

(Of course I couldn't honestly include "Palestine" in the list only because it isn't a state.)

[Dept of Beer]

28. So now you seem to be agreeing with me. Thanks. I knew you'd come around.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[leftynyc]

53. Great post

Expect to get nothing but bullshit responses to it, unfortunately.

[provis99]

19. Ruth Dudley Edwards is a supporter of British rule in Northern Ireland.

The Protestant sympathizers who favored Catholic oppression, like her, commonly support Israel against the Palestinians. Irish Republicans typically identify with the Palestinians because of an empathy of oppressive rule.

It is also common for protestant Orange Order marchers to fly the Israeli flag alongside the Union Jack during Marching Season.

So she doesn't have much credibility with me.

[shira]

39. (Video) Truth behind the Gaza Flotilla in under 3 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fEmmu6UEJPk

[shira]

46. Viva Palestina's George Galloway on video supporting & aiding Hamas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmhrWoSTpys

[shira]

48. FlotillaFacts.com (great resource on Flotillas I and II)

http://www.flotillafacts.com/

[LeftishBrit]

51. Please don't quote Ruth Dudley Edwards

She is a vile person, a virulent anti-immigrant bigot and a supporter of the Orange Order.

It is true, however, that there are virulent right-wingers on both sides; and as I've said before, I cannot give support to the Gaza flotillas (not the same as approving violence toward them) as long as they are so undiscriminating as to where they seek and accept support. EngageOnline is a generally respectable source - and Gilad Atzmon is certainly a nutty antisemite.

[shira]

56. Never heard of her before, but she scored perfect with this article.

Besides, no matter what she's done, I suspect she can't possibly be any worse than the bigoted rightwing, pro-Hamas flotillista hatemongers exposed on this page.

[shira]

57. Who Is Behind the Second Gaza Flotilla? (Hamas and friends)

The second flotilla is coordinated by Muhammad Sawalha, a senior UK-based Muslim Brotherhood figure connected to Hamas. Many of the participating organizations can be directly linked with the Union of Good (UoG), a coalition of European charities affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which in 2008 was designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Treasury for transferring funds to Hamas. The UoG was initiated by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood on a global scale, shortly after the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000.

For the Brotherhood, two chief centers of organization can be clearly seen. On the European and global scene, the centrality of its UK-based activists is once again demonstrated, while in the Middle East, its Jordanian branch is noticeable.

Other main organizers include the anti-Israel International Solidarity Movement (ISM), as well as far-left socialists from Europe and the United States. Many of the flotilla's main organizers have stated that its prime aim is to create provocations and harm Israel's image.

Following Israel's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which ended in January 2009, a series of international conferences was held in Turkey to restructure the struggle against Israel. A conference in February 2009 featured 200 radical Islamist scholars who came to meet with senior Hamas officials to plot a new, "third jihadi front" (in addition to Pakistan and Iraq) centered on Gaza. The conference gave birth to the infamous, pro-Hamas Istanbul Declaration, which also provided justification for attacking foreign navies which might try to prevent arms smuggling to Gaza.

In general, the same organizers stand behind the second flotilla, with several changes. The most important may be the IHH decision not to send the Mavi Marmara, the ship which brought the first flotilla its publicity following violent clashes between IHH activists and the IDF in which nine Turks were killed. Rather than take a leading role, it appears that the IHH will settle this time for sending activists to sail on other ships.

Thus, the flotilla is far from being a peaceful, humanitarian effort to support the Palestinians in Gaza. It should instead be seen as a major, pro-Hamas effort to delegitimize Israel by a "red-green alliance" of leftists and Islamists.

http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=0&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=378&PID=0&IID=7745&TTL=Who_Is_Behind_the_Second_Gaza_Flotilla

[shira]

58. Dutch Journalists quit flotilla

Press doesn’t trust Gaza-boat
By Wilfred van de Poll
29-06-11

The Dutch-Italian boat Stefano Chiarini, which is part of the international flotilla to Gaza, carries some eight activists from the Netherlands. Dutch journalists (including one from Trouw) were due to participate, but they have all backed out of the Flotilla. What’s going on?

“What we talked about confidentially last night appeared this morning in the Telegraaf! A journalist has leaked our information!” Anne de Jong (30) looked around furiously. In the Iliada-hotel in Gouvia, Corfu, 14 people were sitting: eight activists, two documentary-makers and four journalists. They were supposed to go along on the Dutch-Italian boat to Gaza.

Last year Anne de Jong took part in the first ‘freedom flotilla’; she is a spider in the web of the Stichting Nederland-Gaza (Netherlands-Gaza foundation), the organization that together with Freedom Flotilla Italia, purchased the vessel.

Her accusation (which came out of nowhere) caused bad blood among the journalists. What was this childish “pointing the finger” behavior?

In the past week, the journalists and activists on Corfu sought a way to define their mutual relationships. They would be in the same boat (literally), but the journalists were adamant about staying independent. This seemed possible, but it was clear that it wouldn’t be easy. Mutual trust was crucial.

But that trust was constantly shattered in Corfu, because of the environment of mistrust that the organization (consciously or not) created. “We are a completely open and transparent organization!” De Jong lashed out at the assembled journalists.

Eric Beauchemin (47), a journalist for the ‘Wereldomroep’ (Dutch World Broadcast station): “I’ve been doing this work for 25 years, but never have I seen a more closed organization. When we would ask critical questions they would accuse us of being unprofessional. Restrictions were imposed on us that hadn’t been agreed upon beforehand. We were prohibited from revealing which island we were on, even though they had promised we could. As if Israel didn’t know about everything already for ages…”

<snip>

http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article.php?viewall=yes&id=3433

[shira]

59. (From same link) Hamas behind the financing and organization of boat

“I didn’t get answers about their finances. Also the answer to my question to what extent they had connections to Hamas were unsatisfactory.”

And all of a sudden Amin Abou Rashed showed up in Corfu. He is suspected of having ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. El Maroudi: “officially he wasn’t involved in the foundation. Now, all of sudden he appeared to be active behind the scenes. That is peculiar for an organization claiming to be transparent. The moment I expressed my doubts about this issue, there was no reaction; they preferred to keep silent. For me this was the reason not to go along any further.”

Abou Rashed told Trouw he had secured the boat. Were there any ties with Hamas? “Of course. You can’t do without them in Gaza”

[shira]

60. Another Dutch report about Hamas behind boat operations and finances...

Now it appears that the infamous Dutch Hamas leader Amin Abou Rashed was also present in recent days in the training of the crew in Greece…The foundation was forced to admit that Rashed was present in Greece, because of his involvement in the purchase of the ship.

Now emerges a unique picture, when the Dutch Hamas leader Sheikh Amin Abou Rashed supports Yusuf al Qaradawi, spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. This Al Qaradawi is hoping to transform Egypt into a fundamentalist dictatorship. The Sheikh, a fierce anti-Semite and notorious for his inflammatory speeches, lived in exile in Qatar. After the revolt against Egyptian President Mubarak returned to Cairo. Al Qaradawi wants to stone gays and adulterers, would “dismantle” Israel, encourages suicide attacks inside Israel and believes that men should strike “rebellious” women.

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=nl&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraaf.nl%2Fbinnenland%2F10117800%2F__Censuur_op_Gazaboot__.html%3Fp%3D2%2C2