Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

PLO leader calls financial crisis "unprecedented"

Palestine Press Agency quotes Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO Yasser Abed Rabbo as saying that the PA's current financial crisis is "unprecedented."

He said that never before have the Arab nations been so delinquent in paying their pledges to the PA, echoing what PA prime minister Salam Fayyad said earlier this week.

Rabbo said that the financial crisis is "unprecedented and never at any time has the failure of previous Arab brothers for their obligations [been as serious] as is happening at the moment, and this is a surprise to us."

Like Fayyad, though, he said that the fact that the PA can't even stay afloat is not a reason that it shouldn't put in a bid for statehood in the US this September.

Because, we all know, the world needs another failed state.

Flotilla follies update

One French yacht, the Dignite, did manage to go out to sea. The flotilla activists are crowing about how they evaded the Greek Coast Guard, but, as usual, they are lying.

Here are the exciting details of how they managed to get out:

The French vessel escaped Greece on a technicality, as a pleasure craft, the Dignity is not confined by the regulations being used to block the larger Flotilla participants.

One of the passengers is tweeting in French. The passengers include Olivier Besancenot, a far left French politician.

The other flotidiots are still stuck in Greece, and being uncharacteristically quiet. Perhaps they are placing their bets on the flytilla instead.

Meanwhile, a company that had sold cement to the Swedish floatards has returned their money saying they want nothing to do with this stunt.

In a letter it sent to the Gaza flotilla organizers, the Swedish [Swiss?] company said that it had to cancel the deal due to "force majeure", and attributed the move to the Greek government's ban on Gaza-bound ships as well as to a letter by UN chief Ban Ki-moon discouraging Mediterranean countries from supporting the departure of the Gaza flotilla from their ports.

When Jewish leaders fall for the Arab "all or nothing" fallacy

Robert K. Lifton, former president of the American Jewish Congress, wrote an article in the Huffington Post that shows that even committed Zionists can find themselves believing the "all or nothing" fallacy that the Palestinian Arabs try to push.

He describes the fallacy well, without realizing it:

The alliance of aggressive nationalists and religious expansionists is endangering the dream of Zionism as conceived of by Theodore Herzl and shared by millions of Jews. Through their overzealous efforts toward expansion, in which they seek to extend Israel's jurisdiction over the biblical "whole land of Israel" -- the Territories gained in the 1967 Six-Day War -- they are endangering the Zionist foundations of that land.

For many years, I have been concerned that Israel not put at risk its Zionist purpose in an effort to expand its reach into the Territories. During my tenure as President of the American Jewish Congress, starting in 1988, we argued that in view of the demographics of Palestinian and Israeli population growth, among other factors, Israel would not be able to continue as both a Jewish and a democratic state if it attempted to annex the Territories as part of the state of Israel.

And also without realizing it, he describes why it is a fallacy:

It is in the hands of Mr. Netanyahu and his government to take the actions that save Zionism. He has said that he supports a two-state solution. His nationalist and religious coalition will be difficult to carry along to a two-state solution that is within the range of acceptability to the Palestinians.

Here is the crux of the issue. Because of years of the world accepting Palestinian Arab intransigence as a given, the former head of an unabashedly Zionist organization has accepted that a Palestinian Arab state must be within the parameters that the Arabs insist - and Israeli Jews are the ones who must do all the compromising.

Lifton uses the straw man that Thomas Friedman, Jeffrey Goldberg and others use: that the only choice is between Israel annexing the entire West Bank and Israel giving up the entire West Bank (with minor land swaps.) Yet this is not even close to true.

The concept of a Palestinian Arab state is not identical to the demand that Israel withdraw from all the crucial lands needed for defensible borders and to to maintain a Jewish presense in historically and religiously significant areas.

When Palestinian Arabs insist that the two are congruent, the Western reaction should be that, in that case, the demand for an independent state must not be all that important to the Palestinian Arabs.

A people that cry for independence and the dignity that comes with it are not usually in a position to make demands on the parameters of that solution. A people who acquired land in a defensive war are not usually the ones who are desperate to get rid of that land. This fun-house mirror situation exists only because of the combination of Arabs who refuse to compromise - and Westerners (including clueless Jews) who are frightened of words like "apartheid."

Because of the misguided policies of previous Israeli governments and the US, the Palestinian Arabs now feel they have nothing to lose - and therefore, no incentive to negotiate. That is the reason they have refused to hold talks - because they already have a functioning government, land under their control, billions of dollars of aid coming in to prop it up, full support by the West of their negotiating position, plenty of Jews willing to do their arguing for them - and no threat of losing their gains. Only when they are frightened will they finally start to take negotiations seriously.

Netanyahu's idea of a Palestinian Arab state that takes up less than 100% of the equivalent of the West Bank and Gaza should not be considered outlandish. On the contrary, it would completely destroy the "demographic threat" that so frightens Jews like Lifton. Palestinian Arabs who pretend to want a state so much should realize that they have something to lose by not compromising. By telling the Palestinian Arabs that they are in the right and Israel must be the only party to compromise, Lifton and his cohorts in the "peace camp" are feeding the intransigence of the enemy - and making peace that much more remote.

Lifton is also claiming to represent a large swath of American Jews. While it is unclear why American Jewry's opinions are more important than that of Israeli Jews in making decisions that only affect the lives of the latter, Lifton may want to revisit the results of a recent poll of American Jews - one that was done by his former group, the American Jewish Congress, only last autumn.

In the framework of a permanent peace with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to compromise on the status of Jerusalem as a united city under Israeli jurisdiction?
Yes 35
No 60
Not sure 5

As part of a permanent settlement with the Palestinians, should Israel be willing to dismantle all, some, or none of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank?
All 6
Some 56
None 37
Not sure 2

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? “The goal of the Arabs is not the return of occupied territories but rather the destruction of Israel.”
Agree 76
Disagree 20
Not sure 4

Should the Palestinians be required or not be required to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in a final peace agreement?

Required 95
Not required 3
Not sure 2

It sounds like Lifton is not speaking for as many American Jews as he is pretending to.

Afternoon linkdump

Adam Holland exposes some hypocrisy courtesy of Mondoweiss and Jonathan Cook.

A moderate summer camp and moderate college class named by the moderate PA after a moderate terrorist.

Spanish moonbats protesting for the release of the Flotiloonbats by chaining themselves to some poles.

Jew-hatred in the book shop of the American Colony Hotel, Jerusalem.

What will the PA do after September? A sobering analysis.

(h/t Nick, T34)

A brief history of weapons smuggling to Gaza

From the IDF:

May 7th, 2001: Santorini
The Santorini was intercepted on its way from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip. It contained a large shipment of 40 tons of weapons including Strela anti-aircraft missiles—the same kind that terrorists fired at and narrowly missed an Arkia Israeli passenger jet taking off from Mombassa, Kenya in November 2002. The shipment also included mortars, rifles and guns, grenades, mines and explosive material, anti-tank RPG-7 missile-launchers, and artillery rockets.

Three crew members aboard the Santorini were convicted for trying to smuggle weapons from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip—the captain, a professional weapons smuggler and two of his relatives aboard the ships had been involved in three previous smuggling attempts backed by Hezbollah and the PFLP-GC.

The Santorini ship was acquired by the PFLP-GC in a small island off Syria, and registered as Syrian. During previous smuggling attempts by the crew, arms were packed in Syria and transferred to Lebanon by a Syrian bus. Part of the anti-tank weaponry originated from Iran.

January 3rd, 2002: Karin-A
The Karin-A was intercepted in the Red Sea, heading towards the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. It carried 80 submersible containers containing 50 tons of weapons, including: RPG-7 rockets, RPG-18 anti-tank rocket launchers, Iranian-made anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, 2200 kilograms of high explosive demolition blocks, Sagger anti-tank launchers and missiles, as well as rifles, machine guns, AK-47s, 735 hand grenades, 700,000 rounds of small ammunition, and diving equipment. The submergible containers were to be dropped into the sea and then washed ashore to the Gaza Strip or picked up by a smaller vessel and delivered to the Strip.

The Palestinian Authority was heavily involved in the smuggling attempt, especially Yasser Arafat’s former Chief Financial Officer and confidante at the time, Fuad Shubaki. The crew of the Karin-A also included senior members of the P.A . , indicating Arafat’s direct involvement. The ship was purchased in Lebanon and sailed to Sudan and Yemen to pick up civilian goods (watermelon seeds, sesame seeds, rice, toys, and clothes) to disguise the weapons aboard.

June 8th, 2002
Two Palestinians were found swimming along the northern Gaza Strip shore armed with four grenades, an AK-47, and four ammunition magazines in an attempt to infiltrate an Israeli community.

August 4th, 2002
IDF naval forces identified an armed Palestinian wearing a oxygenated scuba diving suit and carrying an AK-47, 8 grenades, 4 ammunition magazines, who was on his way towards an Israeli community from the Gaza coast.

November 23rd, 2002
After many attempts to communicate with an unknown Palestinian fishing boat heading from the Gaza Strip towards the direction of Israel, the bomb-laden boat exploded near an Israeli security patrol boat, moderately injuring three and lightly injuring one.

January 7th, 2003
A suspicious life raft found floating along the northern Gaza Strip coast was found to be booby-trapped with explosives.

May 21st, 2003: Abu Hasan
The “Abu Hasan”, intercepted in waters west of Haifa, was sailing from Lebanon to Egypt carrying a Hezbollah operative specializing in explosives bound for the Gaza Strip. The boat itself was a fishing boat, used purposefully to disguise its intentions. Cargo contained: a radio-activation system to detonate bombs remotely, CDs of directives on how to carry out suicide bomb terror attacks, five boxes with rocket fuses, and 25 Katyusha rocket detonators. The masterminds of the arms smuggling attempt were connected to Arafat’s Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah.

May 9th, 2006
Early in the morning of Israel’s Independence Day, the Israeli Navy spotted a suspicious vessel crossing from Egypt into the southern Gaza Strip. After ignoring repeated warnings issued by the Navy, the Navy opened fire towards the vessel, whose crew then steered the boat to hide behind a Palestinian civilian boat. The crew was then spotted to be tossing large sacks off the vessel into the water. The Navy ceased fire out of concern that the Palestinian civilian boat would be hit, and the suspicious vessel escaped. The large sacks tossed overboard were later found by an underwater robot to contain over 500 kilograms of explosives.

May 14th, 2006
The Israeli Navy spotted a suspicious Palestinian vessel off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip and issued warnings ordering the crew to stop the vessel. Upon receiving the warnings, the crew began to toss large bags off the ship into the water. The Navy apprehended the vessel and detained the crew for questioning. The bags were later found to contain several hundred kilograms of explosives.

There's lots more.

The ISM and Mahmoud Abbas agree: Stunts are meant to undermine Israel itself

Here is a video of Adam Shapiro, of the ISM and Free Gaza movement, speaking at Rutgers last year. In his speech he says explicitly that the flotilla is a tactic in a larger war there the goal is to undermine Israel altogether, where he wants to change the conflict from Israel versus the Palestinian Arabs into Israel versus the world -to internationalize the conflict:

Funny, because here was what Mahmoud Abbas said in the New York Times last month:

Palestine’s admission to the United Nations would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice.

Shapiro puts the flotilla as just one tactic among many: protests within Israel, protests against the security fence, BDS and so forth. It is a stunt meant purely to pressure and delegitimize Israel.

Similarly, Abbas is saying that going to the UN is a stunt that is also meant to internationalize the conflict, to place the entire world against Israel. He says it a bit more cleverly but it is the same thing.

(h/t Akiva and CHA)

Hamas declares the siege of Gaza is over!

From Safa:

The head of the Palestinian government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, said that the Gaza Strip isopen for those who want to invest, and said, "We will cooperate with him, including availability of our resources."

Haniyeh suggested during a [ceremony marking] the opening of a series of projects in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday night that the sector is now post-siege. He said: "We have turned around the five years of the siege, and what we are doing now is a challenge to the blockade."

He pointed out that there were thousands of tons of building materials filling the cities of Gaza, and those who want to invest will find the means.

Examples of building projects include a park and playground in Nusseirat, the Central Market, the Maghazi Youth Club, and the Palestinian Social Centre in Deir el-Balah.

He praised such projects, they reflect the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.

Haniyeh stressed that this human effort all over Gaza set up many projects of all levels, to demonstrate that Gaza had defeated the plots and triumphed over the blockade.

The flotilla drones can celebrate! Their job is done!

AP joins the "Gaza isn't so bad but it is really bad" meme

Last week I mentioned how the New York Times resurrected the meme that started last year, saying that while Gaza is not in such bad shape it is still a really horrible place.

And then, like an obedient son, Reuters followed suit.

Today, little brother AP joins the party:

Maher Khoudari boasts that his Gaza grocery has a wide assortment of chocolates for sale — even some you couldn't find in the cosmopolitan Israeli city of Tel Aviv. The problem is, there is no one to buy them.

So AP actually believes that Gaza shopkeepers are so ignorant of basic economics that they import rare and expensive chocolates that no one in their market could buy???

Israel eased its blockade of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory a year ago and now allows virtually all consumer goods in, meaning there are no longer acute shortages of foods or basic household items. Tiny construction projects have begun sprouting up, and Gaza is awash in big ticket items such as cars and refrigerators.

But deep troubles remain....

"Israel has made much of the fact that there is no starvation in Gaza," said Gaza economist Omar Shaban. "But the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not about food," he added. "The humanitarian crisis is about education, it's about development, about imprisonment."

Funny...everyone in Gaza gets a free education.

Amjad Shawwa, a development worker and anti-blockade activist, says the blockade has deprived nearly 7,000 Gaza fishermen of a living, and water, sanitation, electricity and road projects remain stalled.

"You probably won't find hungry people, but the feeling of injustice and frustration is pervasive in all homes," Shawwa said.

Of course, neither AP nor the other media have the imagination to go across the border to Rafah or El Arish and ask average Egyptians there what their lives are like - whether fancy chocolates and expensive cars are for sale there, whether they are getting free education and medical care, and whether they feel "frustrated." Because, apparently "frustration" is now the scourge that must be eradicated from people's lives.

Or is that only from some people's lives?

Thomas Friedman, trusting dead men (David G)

From David G:

At the Aspen Ideas Festival, Thomas Friedman was quoted:

"...Every one of the Arab leaders is a dead man walking. It’s about dignity.”

Friedman's belief is that eventually technology will bring about the downfall of all current Arab despots (even, apparently, the benevolent ones.)

Nearly ten years ago Friedman had a different view of Arab leaders.

One Friedman's most famous columns, An Intriguing signal from a Saudi Prince began:

Earlier this month, I wrote a column suggesting that the 22 members of the Arab League, at their summit in Beirut on March 27 and 28, make a simple, clear-cut proposal to Israel to break the Israeli-Palestinian impasse: In return for a total withdrawal by Israel to the June 4, 1967, lines, and the establishment of a Palestinian state, the 22 members of the Arab League would offer Israel full diplomatic relations, normalized trade and security guarantees. Full withdrawal, in accord with U.N. Resolution 242, for full peace between Israel and the entire Arab world. Why not?

This is interesting on a number of levels:
a) These leaders, most of whom are still in power, are now dismissed by Friedman as yesterday's news, are precisely the ones he was telling Israel to trust and make peace with.

b) In a recent column Friedman wrote:

For the last 30 years, Israel enjoyed peace with Egypt wholesale — by having peace with just one man, Hosni Mubarak. That sale is over. Today, post-Mubarak, to sustain the peace treaty with Egypt in any kind of stable manner, Israel is going to have to pay retail. It is going to have to make peace with 85 million Egyptians.

That same "logic" would have applied with every single other Arab regime; if the people of the newly free regimes opposed peace with Israel, Israel would have to adjust its expectations.

c) Though right now Friedman poses as a supporter of freedom and democracy, in 2002 he didn't care how Arab regimes treated their citizens. If they made (an insincere) offer of peace to Israel, he would let them off easy.

How the Dutch flotilla backfired and gained Israel sympathy

From Yochanan Visser at Pajamas Media:

A Dutch ship was organized as part of the Gaza flotilla in order to help Hamas, portray that effort as humanitarian, and create anti-Israel sentiment. The story of how this effort backfired is a fascinating tale of contemporary political warfare. Indeed, the end result has been to make the Dutch debate more pro-Israel and anti-Islamist.

Many articles — often with Dutch Internet media taking the lead — exposed alliances between Dutch far leftists and local Islamists who, together with some Christian groups, formed the organization Nederland-Gaza organizing Dutch participation in the second Gaza flotilla. The result has been a serious public debate and an actual increase in pro-Israel activity and support in the country.

The Dutch blog KeesjeMaduraatje was one of the first to publish material about extremist elements in the second Gaza flotilla, revealing that Free Gaza Holland’s chairman, Rob Groenhuizen, was a convicted communist extremist who used to be a member of Dutch groups affiliated with the German terrorist Rote Armee Fraktion.

Groenhuizen’s group also had ties with the Palestinian terrorist organization PLFP and members participated in a terrorist training camp in Yemen in 1976.

In an e-mail exchange, Groenhuizen’s wrote about the second flotilla’s real goal:

This game about humanitarian aid is part of a tremendous plot — something that Israel tries to postpone as long as possible — but with every uprising in the Arab world and each mistake Israel makes, the end is coming nearer. … Everybody knows Israel is not sustainable.

Other Internet media reports about ties between Dutch NGOs and extremist Palestinian groups caused the Dutch government to change the guidelines on government subsidies for NGOs that fund anti-Israel groups. There is now a debate in the country over cutting back sharply on such funding.

While these developments have exposed the Gaza flotilla as an operation of Hamas and radical left groups seeking to delegitimize and discredit Israel, they also have much broader significance. What has happened in Holland is a case study showing how Internet publications and research on the hidden radicalism and extremist ties of purportedly humanitarian and moderate groups can change government policy, media attitudes, and public opinion.

Read the whole thing.

Speaking of the Dutch, here is an update on the amazing disappearing Dutch flotidiots from Radio Netherlands:

The Netherlands-Gaza Foundation www.nederland-gaza.nl had reserved 32 places on board the Stefano Chiarani. Prominent Dutch citizens had been invited. In the end, 15 people expressed an interest. Now there are only seven people left, and one or two might still jump ship before the boat actually sets sail. All the Dutch journalists, including myself, withdrew last week after we lost confidence in the organisation.

The floatards think that they are winning, though:

Another day has passed. And yet another delay. One of the latest press releases from the Netherlands-Gaza Foundation quotes 19-year-old Chris Verweij, the youngest of the Dutch participants: "Whatever happens with our flotilla, Israel will not stop us. We might not sail today or tomorrow or next week or next month. As Mahatma Gandhi said: first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

He has it exactly backwards: Last year they fought, now the world is laughing at them, and next year they will be ignored.

Israeli group launches "counter-flotilla"

From Ma'ariv:

Right-wing group Im Tirtzu has in the past few hours participated in an act of protest at the port of Piraeus in Greece against the flotilla ships trying to leave to Gaza.

Im Tirtzu leaders Erez Tadmor and Ronen Shoval accompanied by four other activists arrived at the shores of Greece, where they hired a yacht to pass by the ships of the pro-Palestinian flotilla protesterss the ships of the pro-Palestinians in the port of Piraeus. Activists sailed between the ships with their yachts covered in posters with the picture of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Activists also distributed information materials in English, which states that "freedom flotilla" of leftist activists "must sail towards the oppressed cities in Syria - and not Gaza." In light of the extraordinary act of right-wingers, there was much media interest among the journalists who came to Greece to cover the international flotilla.

(h/t Joel)

Latest setbacks for flotidiots (updated)

From AFP:

A small French pleasure craft with eight protesters on board left Greek waters overnight and set off for Gaza in an attempt to break an Israeli naval blockade, organisers said Tuesday.

The "Dignite al Karama" is so far the only boat in a planned flotilla organised by pro-Palestinian activists to set sail from Greece, after the authorities there blocked other vessels from taking part in the protest.

The 19-metre (63-foot) motor cruiser is carrying, among others, the former French far-left presidential candidate Olivier Besancenot, Green Party Euro-MP Nicole Kiil-Nielsen and trade unionist Annick Coupe.

They expect to be off Gaza within an day or two, the group told AFP.

But the latest tweet from the floatard camp seems to indicate otherwise:

I am getting reports that the French boat in #freedomflotilla2 that left from corseca and has been in intl waters is turning back

(UPDATE: Confirmed.)

Another tweet indicates that the "Stefano Chiarini" boat, which is registered in Togo, is being de-registered by that country - causing much consternation among the anti-Israel flotidiots:

Togo threatening to deregister our boat (Togo flagged) due to pressure from Israel. #flotilla2

Our vessel the Stefano Chiarini is registered in Lome togo. Togo now wants to de-register our ship. #freedomflotilla2

Oh Togo! Now you're controlled by Israel too?! You've lost your mind, Togo... Please God, they're lost..

It's like watching a slow-motion train wreck, without the fear of any injuries outside the very sensitive feelings of the hypocritical anti-Israel flotilosers.

UPDATE: New tweets say that Togo did not de-register the boat.

Hamas using flotilla to incite against Mahmoud Abbas

That fabled Palestinian Arab "unity" continues to unravel, as Hamas activists are trying to characterize Mahmoud Abbas as being an Israeli stooge in the flotilla follies.

Dutch Hamas leader - and leader of the flotillas in 2010 and 2011 - Amin Abou Rashed's Facebook page quotes a story in Safa.ps and picked up elsewhere, claiming that the Greek offer to transfer flotilla aid to Gaza was not negotiated by Israel, but by Mahmoud Abbas together with Greece's foreign minister.

The source for this rumor seems to be simply the flotilla fools themselves, who are now calling it a "stab in the back" by Abbas who had in 2008 characterized such actions as a "silly game."

Who knew that the flotilla flop would be yet another wedge issue between Hamas and Fatah?

Flotilla Follies keep on going. Comedy gold!

From AFP:

Thirty pro-Palestinian activists on a Canadian boat bound for Gaza that was stopped out of a Greek port Monday for breaking a ban, defied authorities by claiming they had all captained the ship.

Greek coastguards halted the Canadian vessel Tahrir about 10 minutes after it left port on the island of Crete Monday afternoon with some 40 people on board, organisers said.

"We have been boarded by about 15 armed special forces," David Heap of the Canadian Boat to Gaza organization said by phone from the vessel.

"I'm being blocked by a man with a machine gun," he said over the noise of shouting from passengers he said were being pushed around. "We are not using force back," he added.

The Tahrir, which was carrying activists from Canada, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey, was forced to turn back to Aghios Nikolaos port in Crete, as Heap and others shouted, "We have to go to Gaza. Let us pass!"

It had sailed without a captain in the hope of avoiding a severe legal repercussions.

Passenger Joseph Dube, a former Belgium senator with an expired captain's licence, had sailed the ship and agreed to take full legal responsibility, according to the Tahrir's spokesperson Huwaida Arraf.

When authorities boarded the boat and demanded to speak to the captain, some 30 passengers "claimed they were the captain," she said.

"Everyone took part in manning the boat in one way or another -- they all had a go at sailing it. The idea is that it will be difficult to arrest 30 people," she said.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the passengers on the Tahrir.

"We left as a volunteer crew. It was legal for us to do so under international law, they had no right to stop us," Heap said, adding: "Our destination is still Gaza."

Earlier on Monday, French activists had been joined by their American counterparts to stage a "symbolic departure," on the Louise Michel boat in defiance of the Greek ban.

"And we're off!" shouted the passengers, cheering and waving as the captain of the Louise Michele unfurled the sails and wildly beeped the boat's horn, chanting "One, two, three four, Occupation No More!"

Activists from the impounded Audacity had begun a hunger-strike in front of the US embassy on Sunday to protest against the arrest of their captain, who was allegedly being held in "shocking conditions".

They were quickly moved on by police.

French Captain Alain Connan said he had decided not to set sail because he risked being slapped with a long prison sentence.

Head of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) Moustafa Barghouti said the demonstration was an "exciting moment" and that people in Gaza had "already called to say how grateful they are for such a devoted show of solidarity".

Standing out on deck wrapped in a Palestinian flag, he said the protest was helping "expose not only Israel's blockade and occupation but also the complicity of the European and American governments".

Fatah-oriented Palestinian Arab media are pretty much ignoring the entire flotilla story. Hamas prime minister Haniyeh saluted the would-be seafarers.

The US Boat to Gaza website adds:

Two boats from France – a cargo ship and a smaller passenger boat – are in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. (They did not set sail from Greece.) We are not sure what they are planning on doing.

The Irish boat was sabotaged beyond repair last week and the Greek boat was also sabotaged but we do not have an update on their status.

Free Gaza called for a protest today in front of the Greek embassy in London.

I couldn't find any footage of this massive London protest - for some reason none was uploaded to the Free Gaza site - so we will have to make due with footage of the Dublin protest, where a huge crowd of eight people or so got to listen to other people shouting unintelligible slogans with bullhorns:

Montreal managed to scrounge about a dozen lethargic protesters in support of the floptilla:

The flotidiot's tweets are also hilarious, as they compare the Greeks stopping them from sailing to Nazis "following orders." Their smug sense of self-righteousness - where they are now "fasting" for their flotilla - is classic. You can get a taste of their holier-than-thou attitudes in this report from Euronews:

Of course, Israel is the source for all evil, and now the Greeks are guilty by proxy.

And here are the poor, starving children that they are trying to help so badly:

Grapel still in custody

Last week Yediot Aharonot published a rumor that Ilan Grapel would be released in by the weekend.

Obviously, that didn't happen.

Palestine Today says that Egypt rejected a US plea to release Grapel, saying it is a matter for the Egyptian judiciary.