A NEW KIND OF PIRACY

Attack on Aid Providers

The recent attack on a flotilla of aid ships in international waters shocked the world. Israel knew the ships had set off in spite of their warning. Those volunteering ships, aid, crew and passengers on the flotilla also knew Israel objected but nobody expected the Israeli Government would act so high handed in trying to abort the charitable mission .

It was too cowardly an act and too foolish and dangerous of the Israel soldiers to descend on to the ship of civilians before dawn, in the dark, frightening them into defensive action. Imagine a ship full of men, woman and children who see naval boats speed towards them and helicopters arrive overhead from which commandos in battle uniform rappel with machine guns and land in their midst. Did not the soldiers expect any reaction? With this act they managed to kill and wound, and confiscate not only the ship but also personal property. What a disaster!

Politicians, statesmen and stateswomen around the world were outraged but like a lot of mealy mouthed puppets what most seem to do is talk, words and more words: ‘this is deeply regrettable, a tragic loss of life, this is ridiculous, intolerable, unacceptable’ and they keep spewing a whole lot of pathetic words. We need action. Will punishment be meted out for the atrocities?

If the Israelis fear weapons being hidden with the aid material brought in an international body could be set up to inspect the goods coming in.

Recently British and Australian passports were forged in Israel and Israeli assassins killed Hamas commander Mahmoud al Mabhouh.

When US Vice President Joe Biden was in Israel to talk of curbing further build up of Israeli homes in occupied land the Israeli government snubbed the US and the whole world by announcing new plans for expansion of more than 1,600 homes.

These two incidents alone show how little respect Israel has for rest of the world.

In December 2008 with the aim of halting rockets from Gaza Israel launched a three week war with the Palestinians who had no planes, no bombs, no tanks, no modern artillery. 1,400 Palestinians were killed and 13 Israeli attackers died. A year on they have reported no success story, and in spite of Israel’s claim of allowing aid they see fit, 1.5 million Palestinians, cramped into a narrow strip of land, still lack food, clean water, medical facilities, schools and housing. If the Israeli government was as compassionate as it tries to tell the world it should by now have built up the infrastructure it destroyed.

I hope this last atrocious Israeli attack will result in serious action being taken against this unholy government. Let there be accountability in action, not just in talk.

It is now time to ask – Where Israel’s borders are?