Israel vows to stop Libyan 'peace' ship

Rick Moran
American Thinker
11 July '10

I'm not sure what the unbalanced Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi is trying to accomplish here. The ship full of activists is registered under the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation so it is obviously a ploy of some kind beyond simply provoking a reaction from the Israelis. He has no relations with the Jewish state so he can't break them off. He's not crazy enough to start a war - I think. Perhaps he just wants a little attention from the international press.

Whatever the reason, the Israelis aren't playing:

Israel made clear on Saturday night it would not allow the Moldovan-flagged ship commissioned by a Libyan charity to dock in Gaza, amid conflicting reports about whether the ship was headed for Gaza or the Egyptian port of El-Arish.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement saying that the ship was "an unnecessary provocation," and it would have been better had it not set sail.

"It is possible to bring merchandise into Gaza, after it has been checked, through the Ashdod port," Barak said. "However, we will not allow the entrance of arms and ammunition into Gaza. We recommend to the organizers of the flotilla to accompany Israeli naval ships into Ashdod or to sail directly for El-Arish."

The Amalthea departed on Saturday evening from a port southeast of Athens, carrying 2,000 tons of cargo, including sacks of rice and sugar, and corn oil and olive paste, mostly donated by Greek companies and charities, organizers said.

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Lost at Sea: NGO Legal Distortions in the Wake of the Flotilla Incident

NGO Monitor
03 June '10

Since the violent clash between the Free Gaza flotilla and Israeli naval forces on May 31, numerous NGOs and “human rights groups” have issued harsh and one-sided condemnations of Israel’s actions. Many of these statements have been couched in the terminology of international law. However, as the following analysis demonstrates, these claims are legally incorrect or dubious. They represent the continued exploitation of international law for political ends.

Claims:

1) Israel used excessive/disproportionate force

2) The blockade of Gaza is illegal and constitutes a form of collective punishment

3)Despite Israel’s 2005 “Disengagement,” Gaza continues to be under Israeli occupation

4)Israel’s actions constitute an act of piracy

1) Claim: Israel used excessive/disproportionate force

NGO quotes:

Adalah- “The Israeli military attack violates international law as it targeted civilians and civilian targets, and involved the use of disproportionate force.”
Amnesty International- “Israeli forces appear clearly to have used excessive force…Israel says its forces acted in self-defence, alleging that they were attacked by protestors, but it begs credibility that the level of lethal force used by Israeli troops could have been justified. It appears to have been out of all proportion to any threat posed.”

Analysis:

Israeli naval forces were met by violent activists wielding guns, knives, clubs and chains. According to video and audio released by the IDF, soldiers initially attempted to employ non-lethal force. Deadly force was only authorized after the soldiers were confronted by a well-armed crowd, and after they faced live fire. Several Israeli soldiers suffered gun and knife wounds. The right to self-defense in the face of an immediate and clear threat to one’s life is not contested in international law.

(Read full report)

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