Socialist Unity reported:
Today Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney… The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel.
I posted a comment noting that:
–Haaretz reported the Israeli army said “humanitarian goods found on board the boat would be transferred to the Gaza Strip, subject to authorization.” Also according to Haaretz:
Early Tuesday, the navy surrounded the vessel, which was also carrying humanitarian aid, and told the activists to turn back because of security risks in the area and the blockade, according to the IDF.
But the boat later entered Gaza’s coastal waters, the IDF Spokespersons’ Office said in a statement, after which a naval force boarded it.
No shots were fired during the boarding of the boat, and the crew was to be handed over to the appropriate authorities, the IDF said.
In the statement, the IDF Spokespersons’ Unit added that it “would like to emphasize that any organization or country that wishes to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, can legally do so via the established crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip with prior coordination.”
–If the Israeli government held the passengers and crew hostage or accused them of spying (the default reaction in some countries), I would be among those protesting.
–Cynthia McKinney may not be the sort of person with whom the Socialist Unity people should throw in their lot. I linked to Adam Holland’s latest post on McKinney’s journey through the twilight zone where “anti-Zionist” far Left meets antisemitic far Right.
You can read my comment here. Or rather you can’t, because it was deleted.
When asked by another commenter “What was deleted (and why)?” John Wight replied “Zionist trolling.”
Derek Wall, who took credit for persuading McKinney to run as the Green party candidate for president last year, sprang to her defense. So far I have not seen a word of concern from him about McKinney’s descent into the antisemitic abyss.
Finally I’m not sure what to make of this poem posted by another SU commenter. If it’s satire (and I think it is), it’s pretty good. It just keeps getting harder to tell.
Update: The poem (which had strong antisemitic overtones) has been deleted from the SU comments.
