Former US Ambassador Edward Peck’s Eyewitness Account Of The IDF Attack On The Freedom Flotilla
Posted by Phoenix Woman on June 1, 2010
As Peck notes, in response to an Israeli spokesman’s saying that the poor put-upon trained IDF commandos attacking the flotilla had “paint guns” against people with pipes and whatnot, the commandos also had automatic weapons, pepper spray, tear gas and other things the people they attacked at four o’clock in the morning in international waters didn’t have. (Note, also, the interspersing of the same snippet of grainy and slickly-edited black-and-white IDF video with that of the last video taken and transmitted by the flotilla before the IDF shut down all transmissions and confiscated all recording and communications devices from the flotilla.
12 Responses to “Former US Ambassador Edward Peck’s Eyewitness Account Of The IDF Attack On The Freedom Flotilla”
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Charles II said
FAIR has a piece on how the media have reported only what they have been told by Israel.
Phoenix Woman said
The Nation has a similar one. Pretty much IDF propaganda all the way, with only a few brief breaks such as Ambassador Peck’s appearance — and even that was tainted with the same looped sections of the IDF video.
Charles II said
I am more and more appalled by the Israeli press. Haaretz, which is supposed to be the voice of sanity in Israel has statements like this:
Except that the British killed only three people on the Exodus. Except that in 1947, Zionist settlers were regarded as provocateurs and extremists. Except that the people of Gaza live imprisoned inside barbed wire, denied basic medical supplies, clean water, and even adequate nutrition.
Or consider this statement:
Yes, the same way that the homeowner lays a trap for the burglar, or the successful businessman for the swindler, the flotilla organizers laid a trap.
There are some sane voices in Haaretz. Bradley Burstein, who usually tries to play both ends against the middle actually calls the Gaza siege Israel’s Vietnam. And Gideon Levy has been a steady voice of reason. But when voices of sanity are so few on the left, one knows that the nation has already lost its way.
jo6pac said
It’s amazing to see the spin being used was the same spin used by Paul Joseph Goebbels in that it’s blame the victims, how sad.
Charles II said
I don’t think comparisons to the Nazi state are appropriate, Jo. The Israeli press is free to report. The problem is classic groupthink: Our ancestors suffered terribly, so we could not possibly be guilty of causing suffering to others. This, coupled with an unrealistic desire for absolute security. Genuine security comes from being at peace with ones neighbors. This cannot happen while one is oppressing them.
Phoenix Woman said
About the only good thing is that all the Haaretz columnists did condemn the attack in one way or another. But the hardline Lkudnik mentality is seeping into every part of Israeli life. It really does resemble an even nastier version of South Africa, except with nukes – no wonder they tried to sell some to Pik Botha and his apartheid regime.
Charles II said
Yes, I’m sorry if that was not clear from the excerpts. The columns did condemn the attack, but consider on what grounds: they treated the aid convoy as an external enemy, to which the government’s response was not morally wrong, but just inept. That’s apologism.
Dan said
Charles, if you’re stil in this thread: Your “loon vs. non-loon” comment at Avedon’s place is worthy of its own post.
Charles II said
You’re welcome to start one, Dan. To me, it’s pretty straightforward. Either leaders are pragmatists, devoted to winning elections by satisfying the needs of their constituents, or they are demagogues, winning elections by stirring up fear and anger through appeals to very unlikely (or palpably ridiculous) scenarios.
Obviously, in real life, politicians are mixtures of the two tendencies. But Barry Goldwater and the New John McCain are almost pure demagogues. Goldwater probably believed his extremist ideas, while McCain is one step worse: he’s a pure opportunist.
As a voter, as bad as any leader may be, one still has to consider the alternative. I never was much of an Obama fan, nor a Hillary fan for that matter. They may well be dopes, or dupes, but neither is a demagogue.
Phoenix Woman said
Indeed.
Stormcrow said
Spam alert.
I opened this one in FF on a Linux box, since the linked username was clearly the message.
Looks like a straightforward spam website, but the means of presentation set my paranoia level to “high”.
Nothing on robtex.com. Whois times out, so registration is unknown.
Charles II said
Spam? ;-)
Thanks again, Stormcrow.