Gaza Aid Convoy

Below I reproduced the article by Dr M on the 31st May Massacre of civilian activists on board the M.V. Mavi Marmara by the Israeli commandos.

An article by

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

on June 3, 2010 11:30 AM |

1. The Israelis claim that the activists on the M.V. Mavi Marmara had attacked their commandos with guns, iron rods, scissors and pointed sticks.

2. The last time Free Gaza sent a small boat to take relief supplies to Gaza, Israeli commandos boarded it and towed it to Ashdod.

3. The activists must know that the same thing might happen to them. But it is ridiculous to suggest that the civilian activists planned to fight against the well-armed and well-trained Israelis.

4. Claiming that the activists attacked the commandos first is equally ridiculous. The forces ranged against them were powerful and enormous, capable of sinking their boats. The Israelis have been known to ram supply boats with their armoured naval vessels. What is clear is that the Israeli's were the ones to attack first by dropping their commandos from the helicopter.

5. The Israelis claim that the activists seized the pistols belonging to the commandos. Again this is ridiculous. These are trained soldiers, wearing protective armour and most certainly skilled in unarmed combat. It is most unlikely that raw activists can disarm and seize the guns of the black-suited commandos.

6. In any case, shooting with live bullets against a group of civilians probably armed with wooden sticks is unjustified. The hazy pictures shown by the Israel propagandist of rods being used may not be iron rods at all. They could be wooden sticks as the pictures are dark silhouettes which cannot be identified as activists or soldiers.

7. Our Malaysian reporter who has been released and is in Jordan tells of wooden sticks and water jets from fire-hoseswhich were used by the activists. His story is much more credible. But knowing the Israelis, they will continue to lie about their criminal acts even if they are seen to be committing them by the whole world.

8. Incidentally, the Rachel Corrie is named after a brave 23 year old American girl who stood in front of a bulldozer which was about to destroy a Palestinian house. The Israeli operator of the bulldozer simply ran over her and killed her. This is the standard behaviour of Israelis. The much condemned Chinese faced with the same situation, stopped his tank.

9. It is no surprise that the Israeli commandos would readily kill unarmed civilians. This is the degree of their arrogance. Their sufferings during the holocaust has not made them better humans. They are worse than the Nazis.