Kevin Ovenden, a trustee of the Hamas support outfit Viva Palestina, is to be congratulated. He was decorated for his services to the terrorist group on the latest convoy to Gaza just last week.
Now here is another token of recognition from Fathi Hamad of Hamas, currently the interior minister in Gaza:
Turning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamad said, “We are coming to occupy Haifa and Akko. We’ll have armies from all around the world, and the convoys arriving in Gaza are carrying a message to our people, saying that we must stick to the path of jihad. The enemy is trying to impose a siege on us, but they are the ones under a siege and behind fences.”
Haifa is inside the area proposed as a Jewish state by the United Nations in the partition plan of 1947.
The message is plain: annihilate Israel.
This is what Kevin and his cronies back. The vicious antisemitic hatred of Hamas, violence, and brutal oppression for Palestinians themselves under the terrorist boot.
For shame.
And what company he had. This blog has covered a few of his companions on the convoy. Here is another: former Sinn Fein politician Padraig McShane, posing with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and having a lark in a smuggling tunnel.
In this picture he shows off his artwork at the Hamas camp in Latakia, Syria, where the convoy stayed for two weeks.
And here’s Mr McShane in action back home:
Padraig McShane had a had a reputation as a firebrand after he swore, kicked a chair and walked out of a council meeting in Ballycastle a year ago.
In a statement on Friday, he said he was leaving Sinn Fein. But he remained tight lipped about the reason why.
He said that his decision followed “certain allegations” which might be taken up by “certain hostile media elements”.
“My adjudication on this matter leads me to believe that those hostile elements within the media would use any allegation to attack my party and the job of work it has undertaken,” he said.
It is understood he will remain as a councillor representing the Glens District in Moyle Council.
At a meeting of the council, a year ago, Mr McShane swore and was abusive during a debate chaired by Ulster Unionist Willie Graham.
He kicked a chair as he walked out of the chamber.
Later he apologised for his behaviour but said that he had been dealing with “an extremely emotive issue”.
Oh well, at least one convoy participant did manage to suss the little far left martinet Kevin Ovenden.
Shortly after finishing my last blog post this morning I decided to go for a walk. Since the tour buses were going to the refugee camp, which I experienced yesterday, and since we have three hours before our scheduled departure for Cairo, I figured I’d enjoy my new-felt freedom and just walk around town and see what I could see. Naturally the security people tried to discourage me, as they did yesterday morning and last night. And just as naturally I ignored their instructions. Two of them were traveling along with me, telling me to return, and attempting to impede my progress. I continued to ignore them until about a mile down the road one of them handed me his mobile phone saying the Convoy Leader wanted to talk to me.
The Convoy Leader! Aside from one occasion when I interviewed him for this blog, I haven’t said anything to him other than ‘hello’ whenever we passed and ‘congratulations’ after we arrived here. So I took the call. He immediately told me in no uncertain terms that I had to leave Gaza with the group today at 1PM. (Note that he didn’t ask me what I was doing or whether I planned to go with the group.) I told him that I’m packed already and fully intend to go. He then said that I have to return to the hotel. I asked why. He said that there is a ‘program’ this morning. I told him I wasn’t interested in the program. He said I have to return. I said, “Since I’m not interested in the program, why do I have to return?” He said that there are ‘security issues’. I asked what they were. He got irritated and told me that he just informed me that there are security issues, and that I need to follow orders now. He then hung up.
Well, I stood there a few minutes considering my options. I really don’t appreciate being talked to in such a disrespectful manner, and I felt tempted to rebel. Eventually, though, I decided that a full mutiny was not called for, so I turned around and returned to the hotel to write this blog post. I was a little disappointed about not having an adventure this morning, but mostly I was feeling compassion for the Convoy Leader who works so hard and alienates so many.
After five weeks of observing his management style, I’m not the least bit surprised that he handled this situation the way he did. In fact, I would have been surprised if he had handled it any other way. The only management style he’s ever displayed is Force and Control.
Read on here.
Well done Kevin.
Gene adds: While in Gaza, some Turkish members of the Viva Palestina convoy visited with Islamic Jihad and took the opportunity to play “Dress Up Like a Jihadi,” complete with guns and rocket launchers.
Turkish participants on the Viva Palestina convoy in Gaza with Islamic Jihad
