The Israeli government has been forced to apologise for circulating a spoof video mocking activists aboard the Gaza flotilla, nine of who were shot dead by Israeli forces last week. The clip, set to the tune of the 1985 charity single We Are the World, features Israelis dressed as Arabs and activists, waving weapons while singing: "We con the world, we con the people. We'll make them all believe the IDF (Israel Defence Force) is Jack the Ripper."
It continues: "There's no people dying, so the best that we can do is create the biggest bluff of all." The Israeli government press office distributed the video link to foreign journalists at the weekend, but within hours emailed them an apology, saying it had been an error. Press office director Danny Seaman said the video did not reflect official state opinion, but in his personal capacity he thought it was "fantastic".
Government spokesman Mark Regev said the video reflected how Israelis felt about the incident. "I called my kids in to watch it because I thought it was funny," he said. "It is what Israelis feel. But the government has nothing to do with it."
The clip features a group led by the Jerusalem Post's deputy managing editor Caroline Glick, wearing keffiyehs and calling themselves the Flotilla Choir. The footage is interspersed with clips from the recent Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound aid ship, the Mavi Marmara. The clip has been praised in Israel, where the mass-circulation daily Yediot Aharonot said the singers "defended Israel better than any of the experts".
13 comments:
I listened to the song after the post. What was wrong with it? I guess the PC police are trying to shut down debate and declare the illegal entry into a foreign country by terrorist legit.
i dont take sides, just posting this to get even again: http://i.imgur.com/WDqCe.jpg
Give us all a break, if it were 8 americans youd be crying for WW3.
And they wonder why there's anti-Semitism in the world...
If they want to be viewed as the more "mature" nation, then they need to start acting like it.
Cruel mockery is not a "debate".
I think its a chicken and the egg scenario, apparently Israel was in the right in all of the processes that they did in how they handled the flotilla , under international law on blockades, if a ship is attempting to break a blockade, it is to be asked to change its destination to another port (which the warships did ), if they reject your message, then they are allowed to destroy the ship with a torpedo (it doesn't matter if its in the blockades territorial water or international water, it is not piracy as some have said). The israelis seem to have been trying to avoid casualties by sending a commando unit to take control of the ship (which again they were legally allowed to do so ) but rather it seems to be the protesters that provoked the action by throwing the soldiers overboard and using knifes on them. From a legal stand point the israelis were totally in the clear but weather they were heavy handed in there actions or not is the question.
Might i point out that this issue might have a political spin on it. a post grad friend of mine studying international relations at chicago university (some might recognise it is at the university president obama lectures at before he went into the white house ) has told me it's very politically useful for the turks to boost their credibilty with the muslim world because they might be somewhat frustrated with the EU holding out on them, so they might be trying to turn to other sources for political alliances. This does seem a credible theory and would explain turkeys actions and response.
Looking into the issue with the little time i have, it does seem that the UK news, have been selective in the information they are giving and who they are talking to, i would not wish to state it is anti-semitism but does seem perplexing.
At this time- David and Goliath and an Old-Testamentical attitude- In the end the Israeli's cannot win because in this struggle they became Goliath. And each time anyone lashes at them, they won't turn another cheek- they will hit back if possible with a vengeance.
As long as the Palestinians can show the world that they are the underdog, abused and mistreated by those Nasty Israeli's, the world will take sides with those poor victims whatever moral and / or judicial rights the Israeli's have in the historical contaxt of this whole sad story.
But in the end the Palestinians are just pawns that can be used or discarded by the political factions all around Israel and Palestine.
If someone including the Israeli's can use the Palestinians by treating them well for any political reason. they will do so. But the moment the situation changes, the Palestinians are dropped, forgotten or even bashed down just as fast.
it was an AID ship..no terrorist, no weapons, no explosives. it was a humanitarian mission and israel knew very well they were about to cross that bit of sea. it wasnt a ship violating a blockade if they are telling israel well in advance "hey well be brining food to the people you are starving on this date".
the story that they found weapons is BS, the story that the commando was being attacked first is BS (all the deads and injured are people that were already on the ship and there are videos showing what happened.)
and the UK news are perplexingly antisemitist?? lol how comes pretty much every other nation condemned israel actions? you are very clearly very biased.
<span>Guest. I am trying to look at the legality of this all. If i tell you that next week i am going to hit you in the face and you ask me not to, it is still assault, it doesn't matter about weather they asked in advance, if the israeli ship asked them to change direction, they are obliged to do so. shooting before or after is irrelevant in legal terms.
Some intresting things i found out, which are not reported wisely in the news such as, the israelis before hand agreed to the flotilla it would allow all passable aid to be delivered to gaza after it was checked at Ashdod port.
As i said before, i am more concerned about this from a legal stand point and from it, the israelis were in the right (though it can be discussed if there response was heavy handed)</span>
E, is there any rule on how far from the blockaded area you have to be before it becomes illegal to attack the ship for trying to breach it? If this had happened in the middle of the Atlantic, would it still have been legal?
Good question insolitus, i would presume what most navys would decide to trail the ship requesting it to change port, once the ship has gotten to a distance where ordering the ship to change port (with it still rejecting), then a more radical action would be required.
How do you establish a legal blockade, anyway? It can't be just might-makes-right thing, can it?
It is just the might and will that are needed to establish a blockadeand get it going, but once the political ramifications are fully shown that is when the legality comes into question.
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