More Israeli-related news..

Jeffrey Goldberg has a good summary of how Israelis feel about the flotilla clash:

But: I happen to be around a lot of Israeli generals lately, and one I bumped into today said something very smart and self-aware: "Does everybody in the world think we're bananas?" He did not let me respond before he said, "Wait, I know the answer: The whole world thinks we're bananas." I asked this general if this was a good thing or a bad thing. After all, Nixon seemed bananas and he achieved great things internationally. So did Menachem Begin. This is what the general said, however: "It's one thing for people to think that you're crazy, but it's bad when they think you're incompetent and crazy, and that's the way we look."

Goldberg also interviewed Congresswoman Jane Harman's opponent. After reading that, re-elect Jane Harman. Please.

This comes via the IDF:

In a special meeting of the Security Cabinet it was disclosed that a group of 40 people on board the Mavi Marmara was found with no identification papers. Moreover, they were equipped with bullet proof vests, night-vision goggles, and weapons.

On board the Mavi Marmara ship that arrived as part of the flotilla to Gaza was a group of approximately 40 people with no identification papers. This was disclosed by the Israeli Security Cabinet, which gathered on Tuesday evening (June 1) for a special meeting.

According to intelligence disclosed during that meeting, these protesters wore bullet-proof vests, and carried with them night-vision goggles, weapons, and large sums of cash. Each person in this group had the exact same amount of cash in his pockets. While the rest of protestors was sent to the lower deck during the Shayetet Naval Special Force's interception of the ship, the group divided into cells and remained on the upper deck in order to attack the soldiers.

An announcement delivered at the completion of this special meeting stated that blocking the entrance of these ships into Gaza is an act of self defense. The Cabinet places full responsibility for the incident on those who started the violence which clearly endangered the lives of the IDF soldiers, and commends the IDF for the way it responded. The meeting on this subject will continue on Wednesday (June 2).

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the meeting that he regrets all loss of life, but gives full support to the IDF. "This was not a flotilla for peace, but instead was a violent and organized force. We have films and photographs which show what our soldiers faced, but the last thing that can be said about this ship is that it was a flotilla of peace," he said.

"We know from the experience of Operation Cast Lead, and beforehand, that weapons entering the Gaza Strip are used against our civilians. Within Gaza there is a terror state aided by Iran, and therefore we attempt to prevent the entering of weapons to Gaza by land, air and sea. On the Francop ship alone we caught approximately 200 tons of weapons which were smuggled by Iran to Hezbollah,“ he added.

The Prime Minister emphasized that "Opening a martime channel to Gaza will present a grave danger to the security of our civilians. Therefore we are upholding the policies of the maritime blockade, and check the ships. There is no possibility to establish these policies without checking the contents of the ships. It is true that there is international pressure on and criticism of this policy, but we must understand that it is necessary in order to ensure the security of Israel and her right to self defense."

Via the ADL:

As the international community is engaged in a biased rush to judgment against Israel and a diplomatic lynching, now is the time for the United States to firmly stand with the Jewish state and its people. The U.S. must show the world that it not only supports Israel's right to defend its borders and citizens against terrorism, but that it supports Israel's right to protect itself from people who pretend to be "peace activists," and parade under the guise of humanitarians while supporting Hamas and violently attacking Israeli military personnel.

America should assert a moral voice and declare that it will not join the global community in a cynical, double-standard, hypocritical and expedient effort to condemn Israel. The U.S. should reiterate its support and understanding for Israel, that as a sovereign and democratic nation it has the right to act on behalf of its national security and express its confidence that Israel can conduct its own investigation into the matter without the intrusion of international bodies.