You are reading a single comment by @The_Seldom_Killer and its replies. Click here to read the full conversation.
  • Today/ Last Night, the 'Zionist Entity' opened fire on an aid convoy going to the Gaza Strip.
    http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/31/israel-gaza-aid-death.html
    up to 19 dead.

    Some interesting books to read:
    Joe Sacco's Palestine and Footnotes in Gaza.
    Sari Nusseibeh's Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life
    Hatim Kanaaneh's A Doctor In Galilee.

    To follow on a literary note, author of the Wallander books, Henning Mankell, had withdrawn from an appearance at the Hay on Wye literary in order to take part in this aid flotilla and was on board while it was being stormed. The flotilla also carried former US ambassador to Iraq and Mauritania Edward Peck along with a number of people who are neither of arabic descent or muslim faith. This rather suggests that the typical Israeli line of propoganda is going to take a substantial kicking if trotted out.

    On the subject of propoganda, the Israeli defence forces released some heavily edited footage of the raid which was shown on BBC News this morning. The footage was all of about 25 seconds long and was being used to evidence the use of force against the raid party. This was used to support the position that they only started shooting when were attacked in what they believe was a legal raid. I'm not sure why they were surprised at this, afterall, it would seem that they were only attacked because they were pointing guns at people and have a long track record of shooting first and asking questions later. People staring at the wrong end of a gun don't usually feel as if they are being afforded an opportunity to seek legal advice on the legitimacy of a raiding force and whether it has the full backing of international law. History also suggests that if the Israeli's are releasing footage then there is probably going to be some other footage of thiers that would offer a far greater context to the event.

    On the subject of the legitimacy of the raid, plenty of arguments are being bandied around both pro and con. However, it may be far more definitive to consider the legitimacy of conditions imposed on Gaza that suggest that there is a need for an aid convoy in the first place.

About