If you are in international waters, and a ship from another nation boards you, it is essentially a declaration of war. Self defence by the people on the ship!

If you are in international waters, and a ship from another nation boards you, it is essentially a declaration of war. Self defence by the people on the ship!

 

THE. BOTTOM. LINE.

 

Those Israeli troops acted illegally. END OF DISCUSSION.

What the footage doesn't show is the beginning of the incident so it remains subjective as evidence. This may be well after things went tits up.

 

And personally if somebody boarded my boat illegally I'd quite happily whack him and throw him overboard

If you are in international waters, and a ship from another nation boards you, it is essentially a declaration of war. Self defence by the people on the ship!

 

According to the BBC

 

"The UN Charter on the Law of the Sea says only if a vessel is suspected to be transporting weapons, or weapons of mass destruction, can it be boarded in international waters. Otherwise the permission of the ship's flag carrying nation must be sought."

 

Previous aid shipments were according to Israel notorious for smuggling weapons to Hamas, although there is of course no hard evidence of this if Israel can prove that they suspected weapons were being smuggled then they are in the clear

 

 

Just been watching the footage on ITV news

 

Clear evidence of soldiers being brutally attacked with clubs and a soldier being thrown overboard, those doing the attacking deserved to be shot judging by that footage. Self defence by the Israelis

Hmm, you're on a ship in international waters when armed troops jump on board at 4.30 a.m. What is your likely response?

 

i) "Oh, hello, you're a bit early. Would you like a cup of tea?"

 

ii) "What are you doing on my ship? Oh, hang on, you've just shot one of my colleagues. Get the f*** off my ship before I force you off."

Hmm, you're on a ship in international waters when armed troops jump on board at 4.30 a.m. What is your likely response?

 

i) "Oh, hello, you're a bit early. Would you like a cup of tea?"

 

ii) "What are you doing on my ship? Oh, hang on, you've just shot one of my colleagues. Get the f*** off my ship before I force you off."

 

Israel had the right to board those ships

 

1) The ships were trying to beat a blockade on Gaza, they knew full well that the Israelis would confront them at some point

 

2) Israel suspected them of smuggling weapons to Hamas so were entitled to examine the ship

 

The fact that only 9 died out of 800+ shows that this was done professionally and was not an attempted massacre

Israel had the right to board those ships

 

1) The ships were trying to beat a blockade on Gaza, they knew full well that the Israelis would confront them at some point

 

2) Israel suspected them of smuggling weapons to Hamas so were entitled to examine the ship

 

The fact that only 9 died out of 800+ shows that this was done professionally and was not an attempted massacre

So by the same logic the Iraq war was OK because the UK and US governments, among others, suspected Iraq had stockpiles of WMD?

Israel had the right to board those ships

 

1) The ships were trying to beat a blockade on Gaza, they knew full well that the Israelis would confront them at some point

 

2) Israel suspected them of smuggling weapons to Hamas so were entitled to examine the ship

 

The fact that only 9 died out of 800+ shows that this was done professionally and was not an attempted massacre

 

I daresay a commando raid in the dead of night, in international waters wasn't the best tactic for a peaceful solution

 

 

Also there's considerable opinion that the blockade itself is illegal under international human rights and humanitarian law according to several UN members including the UN High Commisioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

Edited June 1, 201015 yr by Severin

I daresay a commando raid in the dead of night, in international waters wasn't the best tactic for a peaceful solution

 

And if the Israelis didn't intend any deaths, why did they not go on board the ship with tear gas as an alternative to just shooting them?

1) The ships were trying to beat a blockade on Gaza, they knew full well that the Israelis would confront them at some point

 

A blockade which is also illegal under international law.

So by the same logic the Iraq war was OK because the UK and US governments, among others, suspected Iraq had stockpiles of WMD?

 

I will save that one for later, am off out for a meal in 20 mins

I daresay a commando raid in the dead of night, in international waters wasn't the best tactic for a peaceful solution

Also there's considerable opinion that the blockade itself is illegal under international human rights and humanitarian law according to several UN members including the UN High Commisioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

 

It was a diplomatic f*** up, I think the operation should have been carried out in Israeli waters, would been better for everyone, coming so soon after the stolen passports it is bad PR for Israel but I still maintain that the soldiers had the right to defend themselves

And if the Israelis didn't intend any deaths, why did they not go on board the ship with tear gas as an alternative to just shooting them?

 

If they had wanted to they could have done what France did with the Rainbow Warrior and SINK the ship so I don't believe causing deaths was ever part of the plan

It was a diplomatic f*** up, I think the operation should have been carried out in Israeli waters, would been better for everyone, coming so soon after the stolen passports it is bad PR for Israel but I still maintain that the soldiers had the right to defend themselves

 

Ships also techncally have the right to pass through territorial waters of UN countries aswell, though admittedly this is less stringently enforced.

If they had wanted to they could have done what France did with the Rainbow Warrior and SINK the ship so I don't believe causing deaths was ever part of the plan

 

Even the Israelis aren't stupid enough to think they could've got away with that without international condemnation. Why didn't they bring tear gas on board? Why didn't they have back-up circling above them to rescue them incase it turned violent on the ship?

Even the Israelis aren't stupid enough to think they could've got away with that without international condemnation. Why didn't they bring tear gas on board? Why didn't they have back-up circling above them to rescue them incase it turned violent on the ship?

 

I have never done any military service I am not qualified to state how a military operation is carried out, there will be an inquiry and undoubtedly those are the sort of questions that will be asked, I await the answers with interest too

I have never done any military service I am not qualified to state how a military operation is carried out, there will be an inquiry and undoubtedly those are the sort of questions that will be asked, I await the answers with interest too

 

Oh God, an inquiry. Like the UN inquiry which concluded Israel were guilty of more war crimes than Hamas during the Gaza war, and resulted in... no sanctions at all for Israel.

It is not Palestinian territory though, they were handed it in a carve up but Palestine was given to the jews by god thousands of years ago and Palestinian soil includes sacred jewish areas such as Bethlehem and the place where jesus was born, I am not religious myself but it is jewish territory

 

I'd still be interested to see Craig explain this comment. I still don't understand how he can say he's an Athiest yet assert that God apparently promised Israel to the Jews, all in the same post.

Whilst we're on the subject of illegal Israeli military activity

 

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100601/twl-l...-s-3cd7efd.html

 

 

Lebanon's military fired anti-aircraft artillery at Israeli warplanes that were flying over Lebanon, a senior Israeli security official said on Tuesday.

 

"Our aircraft have been targeted by the Lebanese anti-aircraft guns while flying over southern Lebanon, and there was no damage," the official who requested the anonymity told AFP.

 

A military spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the report.

 

Lebanon issues almost daily reports of Israeli violations of its air space, but its military rarely opens fire unless the planes fly within range of its guns.

 

The overflights violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a devastating 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah militia, but Israel argues they are needed to monitor arms smuggling.

 

I'd still be interested to see Craig explain this comment. I still don't understand how he can say he's an Athiest yet assert that God apparently promised Israel to the Jews, all in the same post.

 

I was explaining the roots of why the Jews lay claim to that territory, I can't rewrite history to accommodate the fact that I don't practice religion