Tuesday, June 01, 2010

And more...

The ADL has updated their report on the Free Gaza Movement.
On May 31, 2010, Israeli naval forces intercepted a flotilla of ships en route to Gaza organized by FGM, several European Palestinian solidarity organizations and Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), an Istanbul-based Islamic charity with ties to Hamas. During the operation, people aboard one of the ships reportedly attacked the Israeli inspectors, prompting a confrontation that resulted in at least nine deaths and injuries on both sides.

FGM organizers have sent several boats to Gaza since August 2008 under the guise of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The missions have consistently sought to provoke confrontation with the Israeli military, in turn creating widespread propaganda value for organizers, who have used the international attention they receive to present their one-sided and biased views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Indeed, FGM's mission, as stated on its Web site, is to elicit international opposition to Israel's policies: "We want to break the siege of Gaza. We want to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation."
Here's some additional information from Y Net News:
Israel's investigation has revealed some 100 people infiltrated the peace and humanitarian aid activists making their way to Gaza, with the explicit design to attack Israeli soldiers using cold arms.

Some among that group are believed to have ties with World Jihad groups, mainly al-Qaeda[..]

Some of the suspects were found to be carrying large sums of money. Others had Kevlar vests and gas masks; and all were found to be carrying weapons such as knives, metal clubs and slingshots.

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