(Floating) Animal Farm
Mark Steyn hits on how Orwellian it is to present those on the Mavi Mavari as "humanitarian" "aid" workers:
In contrast to the general directions of Helen ("Go back to Germany and Poland") Thomas, the peace-lovers aboard the Mavi Marmara were more specific:In response to a radio transmission by the Israeli Navy warning the Gaza flotilla that they are approaching a naval blockade, passengers of the Mavi Marmara respond, "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz" and "We're helping Arabs go against the US, don't forget 9/11."Such amusing conversationalists.
These are not "humanitarian" "peace" "activists". These are, in any objective sense, a party to the conflict. They're not trying to bring "peace", they're trying to help their side win. That's their choice, and may the best man win, but the media collusion in presenting them as "humanitarian" "aid" workers is Orwellian - and all the more so in a world in which the Turkish Prime Minister accuses Israel of killing children on the beach and in which the doyenne of the White House press corps no longer recognizes Israel's "right to exist".
Now the Israeli navy is beseeching the MV Rachel Corrie (an Irish ship funded by the Malaysian government) to land in the port of Ashdod, where the authorities will deliver the (entirely unneeded) "humanitarian aid" to Gaza. The Rachel Corrie is flipping 'em the bird and saying "Gaza, here we come."
This ship is merely the latest memorial to Miss Corrie, a foolish young American killed while enjoying the frisson of vacationing in someone else's despair. There's never been a better time to read Tom Gross' piece on "The Forgotten Rachels":
Rachel Thaler, aged 16, was blown up at a pizzeria in an Israeli shopping mall. She died after an 11-day struggle for life following a suicide bomb attack on a crowd of teenagers on 16 February 2002....But Rachel Thaler, unlike Rachel Corrie, was Jewish. And unlike Corrie, Jewish victims of Middle East violence have not become a cause célèbre in Britain. This lack of response is all the more disturbing at a time when an increasing number of British Jews feel that there has been a sharp rise in anti-Semitism.
Thaler is by no means the only Jewish Rachel whose violent death has been entirely ignored by the British media. Other victims of the Intifada include Rachel Levy (aged 17, blown up in a grocery store), Rachel Levi (19, shot while waiting for the bus), Rachel Gavish (killed with her husband, son and father while at home celebrating a Passover meal), Rachel Charhi (blown up while sitting in a Tel Aviv cafe, leaving three young children), Rachel Shabo (murdered with her three sons aged 5, 13 and 16 while at home), Rachel Ben Abu (16, blown up outside the entrance of a Netanya shopping mall) and Rachel Kol, 53, who worked at a Jerusalem hospital and was killed with her husband in a Palestinian terrorist attack in July a few days after the London bombs.
Corrie's death was undoubtedly tragic but, unlike the death of these other Rachels, it was almost certainly an accident. She was killed when she was hit by an Israeli army bulldozer she was trying to stop from demolishing a structure suspected of concealing tunnels used for smuggling weapons.
Rachel Corrie's death was precisely tragic - she fell because of her own moral failings.
All the other Rachels' deaths were atrocities. Innocents cut down in the name of a hate cult.
If the world's economic situation gets any worse, invading the middle east might not look so bad to the pansies in Europe compared with the threat of an emboldened Islamic supremacy movement.
brian at June 7, 2010 6:33 AM
What's with this "may the best man win" business? Evil exists, and I'm against it.
When the Turks apologize for their behavior toward the Armenians and the Kurds, I'll begin to listen. Until then, they get all the respect of Charlie Rangel crying about taxes.
MarkD at June 7, 2010 7:03 AM
I add a Shiri to the Rachels: Shiri Nigari, 22 year old beauty who was full of life, died from injuries sustained in a bus bombing. http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/04/shiri-negari-was-symbol-of-life.html
gcotharn at June 7, 2010 7:48 AM
"When the Turks apologize for their behavior toward the Armenians and the Kurds..."
Don't forget the Cypriots, who've had half their island illegally occupied by Turkey since 1974.
Martin at June 7, 2010 9:50 AM
The difference between those Rachels and Rachel Corrie is Rachel Corrie wasn't murdered for being Jewish. She killed herself by standing in front of a bulldozer.
Tragic as her death is, and as much sympathy as I have for the people who loved her and will always miss her, let's not sugar coat the facts. Those other Rachels were innocent and should not even be compared to Rachel Corrie.
Sabrina at June 7, 2010 10:16 AM
These stupids who go over there to poke their noses in serious things seem to assume as Americans nothing will happen to them, that their divine presence will stop everything and everyone in their tracks.
On some news page, someone was whining about an American "teen-ager" who was killed with 5 bullets on that ship the other day which attempted to injure the Israelis.
I commented they needed to take remedial shooting lessons, to stop wasting 4 bullets.
That 19 year old was a man. To attempt to portray him as a kid, teen-ager, is just more propaganda.
Someone also said if Iran pops a nuke at Israel, Israel will not DARE fire nukes back. Ho ho ho ha ha ha hee hee hee.
Actually Israel will not DARE to fail to respond with nukes. If they accept a nuclear attack with no response, nukes will be coming at them from every direction. Dumb.
irlandes at June 7, 2010 11:27 AM
This episode has made me incredibly angry - as much for the gullibility of what seems like the majority of the world as anything else. A large proportion of my university educated, professionally employed friends have bought into the line that Israel 'attacked' the convoy, sneer about "who believes this bullshit about paintball guns", think the aid is desperately needed, etc.
I didn't quite realise how bad it was until I tried arguing with one of them that the offer had been made to land the cargo at an Israeli port, inspected, and trucked to Gaza, and that in fact this had already happened. He said "Isn't part of Israel's blockade preventing aid getting in by land as well?"
I was stunned - he actually believes they are intentionally starving Gaza, rather than inspecting cargoes before entry. Most of the aid that goes in comes from Israel, for crying out loud! Even after I explained that, his answer was "I don't buy it. Why does aid have to go via Israel?" and "name one other country in the world that prevents stuff getting into their neighbours".
I pretty much gave up at that point. To believe that no other country in the world has ever been subject to blockade or sanctions requires a special kind of cognitive dissonance...
Ltw at June 7, 2010 4:54 PM
Ltw,
Did you point out that Egypt was also participating in the blockade along side Israel?
Why would Egypt do it if they didn't agree at least in part?
Jim P. at June 7, 2010 6:01 PM
Sigh, yes I did Jim. He played the "Israel is more decent shouldn't they be held to a higher standard" card...you can't win. Moral equivalence only works one way apparently - Palestinians have just as much right to defend themselves by this logic, but that doesn't allow Israel to adopt their tactics.
The latest refutation is that building materials, concrete and steel, are prevented from getting through. Well, yes, because they build tunnels with them for smuggling weapons.
Ltw at June 7, 2010 6:15 PM
Here's a good commentary on Rachel Corrie: her life and death, the way she has been portrayed in some media, and the reactions of her college are powerful examples of an America with many morally confused individuals.
Anyone with a heart must extend the deepest condolences to Rachel Corrie's parents. But anyone with a conscience must regard Rachel Corrie's activities with contempt. One hopes that it is not asking too much of people to entertain simultaneously two conflicting emotions – grief for the parents and contempt for the daughter.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31705
Trust at June 7, 2010 6:55 PM
To what extent are people really believing the MSM these days? If you've seen the video and photos online it's clear that these people aren't peace activists.
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emoluder at October 12, 2011 12:45 AM
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