[Newsbot]

Title: Israeli navy takes control of activist boat bound for Gaza, Canadian in custody
Category: Military
Posted By: Curtman
Date: 2012-10-22 07:06:19
Canadian

[Curtman]

$1:

European lawmakers and other pro-Palestinian activists aboard -- including one former Canadian MP -- did not resist, and the Finnish-flagged vessel was perted to an Israeli port.
...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement praising the military for enforcing the blockade, said there "is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza" and accused the activists of trying to "to provoke and slander Israel's name."
...
The Swedish-owned Estelle left Naples, Italy, on Oct. 7 with about 30 people from eight countries, including Israeli activists, lawmakers from Norway, Sweden, Greece and Spain, and 79-year-old former NDP MP Jim Manly.

"We are committed to non-violence. We are committed to raising the illegal siege of Gaza. We think that it is important for the Canadian government to stand up for our rights," Manly said in a pre-recorded video statement which was to be released if the ship was intercepted.

The retired politician also said he hoped Canadians would contact the government to highlight the activists' innocence.

"Ask them urgently to insist with the Israeli government that it respect our human rights, our legal rights."

Manly's son issued a statement Saturday afternoon saying his father, who is also a retired United Church minister, was in Israeli custody

"While he is in good health for his age, he is not as resilient as he was in his youth and has medication he needs to take daily. I hope that the Israeli Defence Forces respect his human rights and legal rights and treat him with the respect and dignity he deserves," said Paul Manly.

Jim Manly's wife Eva has said her husband was on the Gaza-bound vessel to bring attention to "the suffering of the Palestinians of Gaza." She said she lost contact with Manly early Saturday.

"It's hard to imagine what threat one sailboat, loaded with humanitarian supplies and a small number of people, could do to" Israel's mighty military, she said.

The Harper government has been critical of similar missions in the past, calling them unhelpful.

A similar flotilla in 2010 ended in bloodshed -- nine people were killed and 45 injured after Israeli soldiers boarded a Turkish vessel trying to break the blockade.

for Jim Manly.

Israel slanders its own name, the flotillas just prove Israel is a war monger.

[2Cdo]

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

[Gunnair]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

Because of the prohibition on pot, of course.

Sheesh 2Cdo... where the hell have you been for the last couple of years?

[2Cdo]

Gunnair Gunnair:

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

Because of the prohibition on pot, of course.

Sheesh 2Cdo... where the hell have you been for the last couple of years?

Damn, haven't had my second cup of coffee today, plus didn't sleep too good last night.

[Curtman]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

They do.

$1:

The emir of pro-Western Qatar will become the first head of state to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in a high-profile visit breaking the isolation of the Iranian-backed Islamist movement Hamas that seized power in 2007.

Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani is officially visiting the Palestinian enclave to inaugurate reconstruction projects worth over $250 million, which an envoy of his oil-rich, conservative Arab emirate unveiled in Gaza last week.

But his trip will be loaded with political symbolism. The emir will be the first foreign leader to go to Gaza under the rule of Hamas.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement confirming the visit and urging "our people to express their good hospitality in welcoming the great visitor of Gaza".

Security was already being reinforced in places where the emir is expected to make a stop on the way from the Egyptian land border crossing at Rafah.

Gunnair Gunnair:

Because of the prohibition on pot, of course.

You're an idiot sometimes. This is one of those times.

[Freakinoldguy]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

Because it's nowhere near as much fun as causing an international incident and showing the Arab world your solidarity with them as full fledged anti-semites.

[2Cdo]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

Because it's nowhere near as much fun as causing an international incident and showing the Arab world your solidarity with them as full fledged anti-semites.

Exactly, but the "Curtmans" of the world view themselves as "progressive", denying the fact that they just don't like the jooos.

[Curtman]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Why don't these same people just go through Egypt to get aid to Gaza?

Because it's nowhere near as much fun as causing an international incident and showing the Arab world your solidarity with them as full fledged anti-semites.

Exactly, but the "Curtmans" of the world view themselves as "progressive", denying the fact that they just don't like the jooos.

There it is. Usually we make it to page 2 at least before some fool starts throwing the Anti-Semite BS around. It's a different flavour of Godwin's Law.

[2Cdo]

Curtman Curtman:

There it is. Usually we make it to page 2 at least before some fool starts throwing the Anti-Semite BS around. It's a different flavour of Godwin's Law.

The only fools are these morons and folks like you who think they are heroes.

[2Cdo]

Curtman Curtman:

They do.

$1:

The emir of pro-Western Qatar will become the first head of state to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in a high-profile visit breaking the isolation of the Iranian-backed Islamist movement Hamas that seized power in 2007.

Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani is officially visiting the Palestinian enclave to inaugurate reconstruction projects worth over $250 million, which an envoy of his oil-rich, conservative Arab emirate unveiled in Gaza last week.

But his trip will be loaded with political symbolism. The emir will be the first foreign leader to go to Gaza under the rule of Hamas.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement confirming the visit and urging "our people to express their good hospitality in welcoming the great visitor of Gaza".

Security was already being reinforced in places where the emir is expected to make a stop on the way from the Egyptian land border crossing at Rafah.

A head of state visit but nothing about "peace flotillas" with aid. Maybe because Egypt has, in the past, blockaded Gaza from their side. But not a peep from the "progressives" about that.

[Curtman]

This:

Ex-MP sits in Israeli custody while fellow protesters released

$1:

The Greek and Spanish members of the contingent were released on Sunday, said Ehab Lotayef, a spokesman for Canadian Boat to Gaza, the organization that helped organize Mr. Manly’s mission.

“Those who were released were released due to political pressure,” said Mr. Lotayef. “The Greek ambassador and the Spanish embassy staff were there from the very beginning on a political level rather than on a consular level and they put on enormous pressure. They both had members of parliament on the Estelle and they got their people out right away.”

But there has been no similar arm-twisting from the Canadian government, he said. “And this is really sad.”

The bizarre "staunch and unwaivering" support for a hostile foreign state by our government is something that I oppose absolutely. I don't care if they're "jooos" or whatever.

[2Cdo]

Curtman Curtman:

The bizarre "staunch and unwaivering" support for a hostile foreign state by our government is something that I oppose absolutely. I don't care if they're "jooos" or whatever.

Now you're being dishonest. When the Libs were cozying up to hamas and hezbollah it was "being fair and even handed" and applauded by you and yours.

You only oppose it because it's the Conservative party supporting the ONLY democracy in the region, that happens to be predominately made up of Jewish peoples.

[Curtman]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Curtman Curtman:

The bizarre "staunch and unwaivering" support for a hostile foreign state by our government is something that I oppose absolutely. I don't care if they're "jooos" or whatever.

Now you're being dishonest. When the Libs were cozying up to hamas and hezbollah it was "being fair and even handed" and applauded by you and yours.

You only oppose it because it's the Conservative party supporting the ONLY democracy in the region, that happens to be predominately made up of Jewish peoples.

Well that's fine if you want to believe that about me. Are you saying that Jim Manly is an Anti-Semite? Because that's what we're talking about. Whether I am or not, is really inconsequential to the thing.

$1:

Former Canadian MP (1980-88) and retired United Church Minister Jim Manly is among a crew of prominent internationals on the Freedom Flotilla’s ship, the “Estelle” approaching Gaza to peacefully challenge the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade. Also on board the Estelle are parliamentarians from Greece (Vangelis Diamandopoulos and Dimitris Kodelas), Norway (Aksel Hagen), Spain (Ricardo Sixto Iglesias) and Sweden (Sven Britton).

Now Israel is threatening to take this unarmed civilian vessel by force and the Canadian government, as well as Canadian politicians from all parties (including Jim’s own NDP), are letting him down. Not a word of support or concern about his safety.

We need to speak out and ask our Government and politicians to:

- Demand that Israel let the Estelle proceed to Gaza.

- Demand that Israel ensure the safety and security of the Estelle and everyone on board (especially focusing on Jim and his lifelong service to Canada).

[2Cdo]

Curtman Curtman:

Well that's fine if you want to believe that about me. Are you saying that Jim Manly is an Anti-Semite? Because that's what we're talking about. Whether I am or not, is really inconsequential to the thing.

$1:

Former Canadian MP (1980-88) and retired United Church Minister Jim Manly is among a crew of prominent internationals on the Freedom Flotilla’s ship, the “Estelle” approaching Gaza to peacefully challenge the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade. Also on board the Estelle are parliamentarians from Greece (Vangelis Diamandopoulos and Dimitris Kodelas), Norway (Aksel Hagen), Spain (Ricardo Sixto Iglesias) and Sweden (Sven Britton).

Now Israel is threatening to take this unarmed civilian vessel by force and the Canadian government, as well as Canadian politicians from all parties (including Jim’s own NDP), are letting him down. Not a word of support or concern about his safety.

We need to speak out and ask our Government and politicians to:

- Demand that Israel let the Estelle proceed to Gaza.

- Demand that Israel ensure the safety and security of the Estelle and everyone on board (especially focusing on Jim and his lifelong service to Canada).

And him and his band of "useful idiots" are safely in Israeli hands. No torture, or abuse.

Those calling for us to force Israel to bend to our demands are usually those screaming the loudest that we(the west) should not be telling foreign nations what they can and can't do. The whole lot are hypocrites.