When one of my Write on For Israel students posted a pro-Israel Facebook status, she got some flack. She stood up for herself well, but eventually I jumped in.
How do you think we did?
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Rebecca בקי Sebo supports the Israeli Navy and its right to defend themselves against terrorists.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/RebeccaSebo?v=wall&story_fbid=124300707604267&ref=mf
You, Amnon Ophir and 4 others like this.
Rebecca בקי Sebo
go do some research, they have an agreement with Turkey to not let ships in who are in agreements with Hamas. Turkey did not listen, they said they were a peace commission, so when Israeli navy went aboard to search and make sure it was just food and supplies the "peace commission" attacked them with knives, metal bars, etc., so soldiers had to fight back. They offered to take the supplies for them, they asked them many times to turn around and warned them they would have to come aboard.
14 hours ago
Jeb Buffinton
My dear Rebecca, this was not just a Turkish provocation, as the right-wing Israeli press wants you to believe.
"Jewish Voice for Peace condemns Israel's attack and killing of members of the Freedom Flotilla aiming to bring much needed aid to the besieged Gaza Strip... The flotilla passengers included retired US diplomats Amb. Edward Peck and Col... See More. Ann Wright, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, and former UN assistant Secretary General Denis Halliday, as well as humanitarian aid and human rights workers, several Members of Parliament from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, Malaysia, and Palestinian Members of the Knesset." (http://www.jewishvoiceforp
Experts who viewed the IDF film of the boarding said it was clearly manipulated, with images added in to give the impression that the people on board had attacked the soldiers. What if they're right?
"Jewish Voice for Peace condemns Israel's attack and killing of members of the Freedom Flotilla aiming to bring much needed aid to the besieged Gaza Strip... The flotilla passengers included retired US diplomats Amb. Edward Peck and Col... See More. Ann Wright, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, and former UN assistant Secretary General Denis Halliday, as well as humanitarian aid and human rights workers, several Members of Parliament from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, Malaysia, and Palestinian Members of the Knesset." (http://www.jewishvoiceforp
Experts who viewed the IDF film of the boarding said it was clearly manipulated, with images added in to give the impression that the people on board had attacked the soldiers. What if they're right?
13 hours ago
Emily Hecker
Tell your friend Jeb that there were six ships in the flotilla, and while five of them (presumably the ones with passengers of such high esteem) agreed to comply with the Israeli blockade, port in Ashdod and have all their aid shipped to gaza through legitimate land routes, one ship (which contained 40 passengers with ties to Al-Qaeda and other ... See Moreterrorist groups) refused. This legally gave Israel the right to board or even simply attack the ship. They chose the more humane of these options and were immediately overwhelmed with assailants.
If you have seen the videos, they clearly show the IDF descending on ropes without weapons in their arms immediately being barraged with metal poles. They were armed primarily with paintball guns, and only after struggling for forty minutes, watching one of their soldiers being tossed 30 ft to a lower deck and seeing another be stabbed in the stomach, did they deem it necessary to open fire.
If you have seen the videos, they clearly show the IDF descending on ropes without weapons in their arms immediately being barraged with metal poles. They were armed primarily with paintball guns, and only after struggling for forty minutes, watching one of their soldiers being tossed 30 ft to a lower deck and seeing another be stabbed in the stomach, did they deem it necessary to open fire.
11 hours ago
Michael Naftali Unterberg
Michael Naftali Unterberg
I don't know what experts Jeff has heard from, but this British expert seems to find the film real and very compelling. And agrees with Emily.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
I don't know what experts Jeff has heard from, but this British expert seems to find the film real and very compelling. And agrees with Emily.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
11 hours ago ·
Jeb Buffinton
The IDF has already been forced to retract the Al-Qaeda links fabrication. http://maxblumenthal.com/2
I'll see if I can find the source for the claim that the film was manipulated.
See also, "U.S. citizen who lived in Turkey among the nine people killed when Israeli commandos ... See Morestormed Turkish aid ship... forensic report said he was shot at close range,with four bullets in his head and one in his chest." These are not the kind of wounds one receives in close range combat as the IDF has claimed. This sounds more like a firing squad. http://bit.ly/8YnYku
I'll see if I can find the source for the claim that the film was manipulated.
See also, "U.S. citizen who lived in Turkey among the nine people killed when Israeli commandos ... See Morestormed Turkish aid ship... forensic report said he was shot at close range,with four bullets in his head and one in his chest." These are not the kind of wounds one receives in close range combat as the IDF has claimed. This sounds more like a firing squad. http://bit.ly/8YnYku
11 hours ago
Emily Hecker
I apologize, I did not realize there had been a retraction. Still, they apparently had similar sentiments to those of Al-Qaeda terrorists, according to the woman in this video before she boarded the flotilla: http://www.facebook.com/vi
This also does not change the fact that these ships had ... See Morereceived fair warning for days in advance that they were about to illegally break a blockade and that they would be met with force if they tried to do so. They were given an alternative to have their aid delivered to Gaza through legitimate means; instead, they chose confrontation, and lost 9 of their people.
This also does not change the fact that these ships had ... See Morereceived fair warning for days in advance that they were about to illegally break a blockade and that they would be met with force if they tried to do so. They were given an alternative to have their aid delivered to Gaza through legitimate means; instead, they chose confrontation, and lost 9 of their people.
11 hours ago
Emily Hecker
Also, the man who reported these gunshot wounds is a member of the IHH, the Islamic Turkish charity that supported the flotilla and also had legitimate ties to Al-Qaeda. Not exactly the most trustworthy source.
10 hours ago
Jeb Buffinton
All this Al Quaeda link stuff is hearsay and innuendo, and isn't that important anyway to the facts of this attack. Sounds like FOX or George Bush trying to sell something. It's political spin on a brutal attack, defending a larger, unjustifiable policy of taking the people of Gaza hostage. The UN has called for a release of Gaza. Israel is losing ... See Moreimportant allies over this, but the Netanyahu administration cares more about appeasing it's hard-line coalition partners than the moderates in his own country, relations with allies, and even less about justice. There are many Israelis that are as disgusted as many of us are about this, but the US press is typically not telling that story. American Jews often feel that their only option is to support every Israeli decision, no matter what. Many Israelis who do not agree with Netanyahu wish y'all would become more skeptical.
10 hours ago
Michael Naftali Unterberg
I appreciate your point, Jeb. True enough.
Many of us can, and do, disagree with many aspects of the Netanyahu administration's policies, and are skeptical about what any government says.
We are also skeptical of "peace activists" with steel truncheons, knives and chants of kaibar and shaheed.... See More
We are also skeptical that the undeniably awful suffering of Gazans is completely the result of Israeli policy, or could also have to do with living under a theocratic repressive regime.
We are skeptical that people are being fair when they don't complain about the Egyptian blockade of Gaza.
We are skeptical that Hamas which has launched nearly 10,000 rockets into Israeli cities aren't getting them delivered from somewhere.
We are skeptical that Kennedy should have allowed Russian nukes into Cuba, and can't see why Israel should be less responsible.
No one can accuse the Israeli government of always being smart, doing the right thing, or even of always acting in their own self interest. But we get skeptical when people are ONLY blaming Israel for those things, and trust their accusers to the degree that they do not believe the evidence when shown to them on video.
Mostly, we are skeptical that things will get better for Palestinians if they are not held accountable. Hamas has declared unending war on Israel until it is destroyed and withholds aid from its own people to make political points.
We can, and should, fairly criticize both sides. Hopefully that will lead to a better future.
Many of us can, and do, disagree with many aspects of the Netanyahu administration's policies, and are skeptical about what any government says.
We are also skeptical of "peace activists" with steel truncheons, knives and chants of kaibar and shaheed.... See More
We are also skeptical that the undeniably awful suffering of Gazans is completely the result of Israeli policy, or could also have to do with living under a theocratic repressive regime.
We are skeptical that people are being fair when they don't complain about the Egyptian blockade of Gaza.
We are skeptical that Hamas which has launched nearly 10,000 rockets into Israeli cities aren't getting them delivered from somewhere.
We are skeptical that Kennedy should have allowed Russian nukes into Cuba, and can't see why Israel should be less responsible.
No one can accuse the Israeli government of always being smart, doing the right thing, or even of always acting in their own self interest. But we get skeptical when people are ONLY blaming Israel for those things, and trust their accusers to the degree that they do not believe the evidence when shown to them on video.
Mostly, we are skeptical that things will get better for Palestinians if they are not held accountable. Hamas has declared unending war on Israel until it is destroyed and withholds aid from its own people to make political points.
We can, and should, fairly criticize both sides. Hopefully that will lead to a better future.
9 hours ago ·
9 hours ago ·
Jeb Buffinton
Thanks for you long & interesting comment, Michael. Good sharing opinions, even differing ones, with you guys.
6 hours ago
1 comment:
i am always amazed by how much we can garner on facebook, of all places! i think you all did very well- especially in educating while staying respectful.
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