Washington and Israel v. Iran and Flotilla Activists - by Stephen Lendman
Washington and Israel: symbols of how rogue states operate.
While high stakes nuclear roulette continues, the fate of Freedom Waves to Gaza activists hangs in the balance.
On November 2, Canada's Tahrir and Ireland's Soairse (Freedom) sailed from Fethiye, Turkey. Israel warplanes and naval vessels shadowed them in international waters.
Israeli warships interdicted them violently. Their boats were nearly sunk. Some on board were injured. Twenty-seven participants were arrested, roughed up, detained and imprisoned. All their possessions were stolen.
Some were released and deported. On November 9, a Tahrir press release headlined, "Canadians face two months of incarceration in Israel without trial," saying:
In court, activists tasted Israeli-style justice. They were told: sign voluntary deportation waivers admitting entering Israel lawlessly and agree not to try breaching Gaza's siege again, or face two months in prison uncharged without trial.
Participants, in fact, were kidnapped in international waters, then forcibly taken to Israel and imprisoned for trying to deliver vitally needed medicines to Gaza.
Most activists remain incarcerated. Canadian journalist Jihan Hafiz recounted what happened:
"There were three warships....four Zodiacs, four water cannon boats, as well as four regular gunboats. All of the commandos on all of these boats were heavily armed. It looked like they were taking on an army from a foreign country.""Two water cannons started to pour lots of water into the Irish boat, which flooded it, blew their sockets, and cut off the electricity."
Irish participants told Israeli commandos, "We're taking on water. We're sinking. We're going to go down at sea if you continue with the water."
Hafiz explained how violently they were treated. Guns were pointed at their heads. Participants were roughed up, mistreated, strip-searched, and filmed naked. Personal possessions were stolen and not returned, including journalists' equipment.
Canadian Boat to Gaza organizer Wendy Goldsmith said:
"Our friends have been assaulted, tasered, beaten, kidnapped, robbed and imprisoned." Israel's threatening two months detention. Why aren't Canadian officials helping?
