More Evidence Revealed About Flotilla's True Intent

'I want to be a shahid': Flotilla activist hoped for martyrdom

In footage apparently captured on board the Gaza-bound boat Mavi Marmara and released by the IDF, passenger wishes for death in confrontation with Israel troops.
 
For the rest of the Haaretz article go to:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/i-want-to-be-a-shahid-flotilla-activist-hoped-for-martyrdom-1.293953

After Initial Reports of Bloodshed at Sea, it is Clear What the Gaza Flotilla's Goal Was: an Altercation with Israeli Troops

My initial perception of the flotilla has been, sadly, confirmed by their hostile actions towards the Israeli Navy and Israel's security rights at large.  This is a sad day for all who truly long for peace. 

This is the actual statement issued to the flotilla just prior to the forceful action taken by the Navy.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6jDIQr59Sk&feature=player_embeddedhttp://

The "Humanitarians" on Hamas's Side

Israel Prepares to Fend Off Ships Heading to Gaza, Wall Street Journal

"Israel says it intends to prevent, by force if necessary, the ships from reaching port. It has also said that if the ships dock at an Israeli port first, it will allow the full shipment of humanitarian cargo to reach Gaza, after undergoing security checks."

Why didn't the title of this Wall Street Journal article simply state Israel's willingness to allow the aid into the Gaza strip if the "humanitarians" would simply follow the security protocol? After all, Israel is at war with the Hamas ruled Gaza strip whether these people on the aid ships notice that or not. In fact, this aid shipment would not be very different form the daily truck convoys allowed into Gaza by the Israeli military (even during the 2008/9 month-long offensive), despite this ongoing conflict. 

It seems that the main point of this "humanitarian aid" flotilla is not to provide Gazans with the building supplies that they already receive and smuggle daily across the border. The clear purpose of this mission is to declare exactly which side the members of the flotilla are on in this bloody conflict over the right to exist.
The flotilla has chosen to actively support Jihadi Hamas and their entrenched ideology that Israel has no right to exist in the Middle East. 
The flotilla can call their efforts "humanitarian" for the purpose of gaining world sympathy.  But regardless of what is on board, the members of this flotilla are making a declaration of support for one side over another in a protracted and very violent conflict between two peoples not their own.  Both Israel and Hamas will manage this challenge at the front line (make no mistake, world PR is part of the front line of this one)however they see fit. 

It is about time that more of the world recognizes that Israel is not solely to blame for any humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  The tragic narrative of the Arabs in the Gaza strip is filled with a complicated history.  There should be no blame on Israel for putting its own security at the top of the priority list, while trying to cater to world PR during its fight for survival against Hamas.

The Passing of a National Hero

This morning I learned of the passing of Zvi Shafir ז"ל, the grandfather of good friends of mine here in Israel. This man was a great representative of a fantastic generation here who pioneered the establishment of the modern Nation of Israel. He was one of the lucky Jewish refugees from a morally tattered Europe who made it to then Palestine and toiled to create this country for the generations to come. Zvi was part of a generation who will hold legendary status in the lengthy annals of Jewish history. It is of my opinion that proper tribute can hardly be paid to Zvi and the many others of his time who created a new future, pride, and a hope of surviving and prospering for the Jewish People. I feel lucky to have known him. His passing simply highlights how my young generation must truly cherish the opportunity to still sit and learn first-hand of the tribulations of those times over 60 years ago.

Please take some time to watch this incredible video interview produced just weeks before his death by his granddaughters:

Zvi's Memories from Gustavo Sales on Vimeo.

The Newest Method to Indiscriminately Attack Us

Hamas has resorted to new outrageous offensive maneuvers against us... indiscrimately floating explosive barrels towards our beaches. So far, thanks to our diligent naval and intelligence services, no real harm has been done.


Israel Searches for Explosive Barrels in Sea

By JOSHUA MITNICK

TEL AVIV—Israel closed a stretch of beaches north of the Gaza Strip after two explosive-laden barrels washed ashore and Palestinian militants promised more, in revenge for what some in Hamas said was Israeli's assassination of a top Hamas leader last month.

Reuters Mounted police officers patrol a beach in Ashkelon, Israel, on Tuesday.
.
Maritime authorities warned civilian vessels to be alert to possible dangers in the Mediterranean after the military linked the barrels to two explosions at sea Friday. At the same time, police deployed helicopters and mounted units to comb the length of Israel's coastline to the Lebanon border in search of additional explosive devices.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference that Israel would respond to the explosives found on the beaches, and Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza shortly after that, officials on both sides said, according to Reuters. No injuries were reported. An Israeli army spokesman said the strikes targeted two sites where tunnels were dug to help gunmen infiltrate from Hamas-ruled Gaza into Israel and to smuggle in weapons from Egypt.

continued...


http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703338504575041521232295824-lMyQjAxMTAwMDAwMzEwNDMyWj.html

A Thanksgiving Feast for the Immigrants

Hi all and happy Thanksgiving.
We had close to 100 people at our Thanksgiving potluck feast / party last night and it was an amazing networking event for all. Introducing the new immigrants here to each other and especially the young people in the army goes a long way in helping those who need it. It is the network of support between us all that is so priceless in Israel. I cooked up two giant birds for the celebration as well. The most important thing is simply connecting everyone.

This brief article that was in The Jerusalem Post today gives a summary and quotes me about the event. In case you don't know, a "Lone Soldier" is some one who came from another country to join the army in Israel and has no immediate family (parents) in the country.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243016253&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

A Story Close to Home With Many Israelis

Israeli households are filled with many stories similar to those of these women featured here in the The New York Times. In this tribute story to American women combat veterans, heroic stories of service are told, and the issue of post traumatic stress disorder is addressed. Few countries find their servicewomen on front lines or in dangerous battlefields. Driven by necessity and extraordinary will, women serve vital roles in both the American and Israeli armed forces. Their exploits serve to inspire us all.

"In early October 2004, her convoy of about 30 vehicles set out from Kuwait for Mosul, one of Iraq’s most violent cities. On the way, she said, they were hit three times with roadside bombs. One exploded 200 feet from the unarmored Humvee in which Mrs. Pacquette spent day and night pointing her rifle out an open window. " Please take a look at the rest of the article to learn more about their stories.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/us/01trauma.html?pagewanted=1&ref=us

Inspiration In Arms

The narrow streets were dark and filled with sounds. Figures moved behind blackened windows on the overbearing buildings. My finger on the trigger, senses honed on my surroundings, I ensured my fellow Jews the right to a sacred prayer at the grave of one of our revered heroes. I was filled with a profound sense that this was the right thing to do. We stood as symbols of modernity: guardians of the Jewish State. This moment embodied the spirit of why I joined the IDF, and was one of the proudest of my life. While we were not welcomed, and our presence required military defense, our mission sought only peaceful access to a Jewish holy site and our ancestral roots.

During my recent IDF Reserve duty, my fellow soldiers and I rode into the heart of Nablus to Kever Yosef to pray Slichot before the coming holiday season. It was an experience I will never forget. After 5+ years of being an Israeli citizen I have had innumerable experiences to instill in me a faith and unwavering confidence in our nation. It was in this spirit that I felt fortunate to be a part of this unique excursion that, sadly, many do not have the chance to ever partake in.

Kever Yosef --Joseph’s Tomb – according to biblical tradition, is near the ancient Canaanite city of Shechem, in the heart of the modern-day Palestinian city of Nablus. Believed to be the site of Joseph’s burial, it has been a place of prayer, worship and preservation by Jews for millennia. With increased tensions in the area at the beginning of the Second Intifada, the IDF had soldiers stationed to protect the tomb for Jewish visitation, study, and prayer. This era of Jewish guardianship came to an abrupt end in October 2000. Early that month, an armed Palestinian mob converged on the site, killing one of the soldiers on guard and causing massive destruction to the tomb. Following this attack, the IDF withdrew its presence from the site; it was a strategic weak point surrounded by armed, densely populated Palestinian areas within the city. Since this incident, Jews have been unable to safely go to this holy place, and it has been continuously pillaged and defaced. Only those Jews willing to brave the serious risks associated with entering the city of Nablus in very limited, organized military convoys have made it to the Kever in recent years, and sadly, such groups have been few and far between. A small group of Jews were able to sneak onto the site in 2008 to perform some minor restoration work. But the tomb has been inaccessible to the Jewish public since 2000. Today, the Kever Yosef stands as a burnt, desecrated ruin, which I believe is a grave insult and dishonor to Jews the world over.

Based on requests coming in from many of his soldiers, my Battalion Commander decided it was worth the risk to visit the Kever Yosef. Early in the day, the Commander collected the names from each company of those willing to participate in this voluntary mission. The primary objective was to pray Slichot at the Kever Yosef that night. This traditional prayer for forgiveness is said during the week prior to Rosh Hashana. I eagerly placed my name on the list and was allocated to the cover team that was assigned to hold a defensive perimeter around the Kever. I was filled with pride to be part of a mission so noble in purpose. The plan was to reach the Kever Yosef in the cover of the deep night, while most people slept, so as to create as little disruption as possible to the inhabitants of the city and their Ramadan celebrations. Once on site we had up to thirty minutes to pray and extract by an alternate route.

Conditions upon our arrival were not to permit the inconspicuous, stealthy mission for which we had hoped. The City of Nablus turned out to be alive with Ramadan celebrants crowding the streets, deep into the early hours of morning. The greeting of our armored convoy in the city was less than hospitable. This was not to deter us, however, and we made a successful insertion into the neighborhood surrounding the tomb, where we quickly set up our defenses. Soldiers began their Slichot prayers as soon as we were able to secure the perimeter. When my turn came to enter the Kever I was filled with a sense of history, purpose, and pride for my Jewish Nation. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with my comrades, dressed in full combat gear, reading from my prayer book by the wan light of the candles and flashlights. I prayed from my heart and with the deepest conviction for the forgiveness associated with the beginning of the new year. The tomb’s condition was just as I had expected: burnt, broken, and abandoned; a truly sad sight. I found just enough space to place my candle among the other candles on top of the burial site, a concrete slab, inside the tomb. I was profoundly moved to participate in this rare event, one of the few times in almost a decade when people came to this place with the purpose of reverence rather than desecration.

One of the key morals in the story of Joseph’s life, and his role in the development of the Nation of Israel, is the aspect of unity between brothers. After Joseph’s brothers turned on him and sent him off to an uncertain fate, it became their destiny to suffer and struggle. Only after the brothers reunited and saw the error of their ways did the Nation of Israel have a chance of surviving and even prospering. It is this strength in unity that we, the modern Nation of Israel, must always hold dear. If we do not stand together as a united people, then someday it may, once again, be the Kotel that is in the condition of the Kever Yosef.

David Matlin