# Freedom flotilla on way to Israel with medical supplies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111 "2010-05-20T09:23:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/1 "2010-05-20T09:23:16Z")
[http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=283759](http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=283759) Seems to me a rather pointless stunt - Israel has the capacity to stop them getting through. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Electric\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/2 "2010-05-20T09:36:35Z")
Oh dear. I think I know someone who’s part of that. I don’t really understand a certain activist crowd’s response to Israel. I can understand opposing their policies, but…Israel is not actually _Mordor_, as some of them seem to think. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/3 "2010-05-20T09:46:37Z")
Sorry, obviously the title should have read Palestine instead of Israel. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/4 "2010-05-20T10:34:32Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > Israel has the capacity to stop them getting through. That will be a pretty big public relations win for the Palestinians, then. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/5 "2010-05-20T11:01:08Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > That will be a pretty big public relations win for the Palestinians, then. Did you notice the name of the ship? It’s a huge finger to the Israelis ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/6 "2010-05-20T11:02:14Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > Seems to me a rather pointless stunt - Israel has the capacity to stop them getting through. So you have no problems with Israel bullying Palestinians and those who try to help them? ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/7 "2010-05-20T11:08:15Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > So you have no problems with Israel bullying Palestinians and those who try to help them? I would side with the Palestinians on the whole issue (I never saw the justification for the Israelis marching in and kicking them off their land). It’s still a pointless stunt though ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/8 "2010-05-20T11:21:10Z")
Without getting into GD it’s all a publicity stunt. It’s like we used to have anti Iraq war protests in Chicago. EVERY single Saturday the activists were out on Milwaukee Avenue. I hated them, as they were so loud and blocking traffic. Did it help? No, the war went on. Then as soon as Mr Obama was elected president, they stopped coming. Not when he became president, but the Saturday after he won they stopped. There hasn’t been a protest since. OK, we’re still in Iraq, so why aren’t they out there protesting anymore? The answer is they were really anti-Bush not actually trying to get the troops home. So you see this is the same thing. It’s not about helping any people. They can get help if they wanted it. It’s about using the poor people to promote a poltical agenda. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/9 "2010-05-20T11:27:39Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Without getting into GD it’s all a publicity stunt. > > It’s like we used to have anti Iraq war protests in Chicago. EVERY single Saturday the activists were out on Milwaukee Avenue. I hated them, as they were so loud and blocking traffic. Did it help? No, the war went on. Then as soon as Mr Obama was elected president, they stopped coming. Not when he became president, but the Saturday after he won they stopped. There hasn’t been a protest since. > > OK, we’re still in Iraq, so why aren’t they out there protesting anymore? The answer is they were really anti-Bush not actually trying to get the troops home. > > So you see this is the same thing. It’s not about helping any people. They can get help if they wanted it. It’s about using the poor people to promote a poltical agenda. What is their political agenda, if not to help the Palestinians? ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/10 "2010-05-20T14:53:45Z")
> [@Electric\_Sky](#): > > Oh dear. I think I know someone who’s part of that. > > I don’t really understand a certain activist crowd’s response to Israel. I can understand opposing their policies, but…Israel is not actually _Mordor_, as some of them seem to think. I think they see it more as liberating the Shire. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/11 "2010-05-20T15:51:04Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > OK, we’re still in Iraq, so why aren’t they out there protesting anymore? The answer is they were really anti-Bush not actually trying to get the troops home. You ever think that might be because Obama is actually committed to bringing the troops home and has set timetables for doing so? My guess is that the protesters no longer feel that it’s necessary. I bet if Obama breaks his word on a lot of this shit, they’ll be out there protesting again. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/12 "2010-05-20T16:00:27Z")
> [@Electric\_Sky](#): > > OI can understand opposing their policies, but…Israel is not actually _Mordor_, as some of them seem to think. One does not simply _float_ into Mordor… I’ll come in again. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/13 "2010-05-20T18:40:09Z")
Why aren’t they going in through Egypt? ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/14 "2010-05-20T18:47:53Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Why aren’t they going in through Egypt? They tried that before and got stopped. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/15 "2010-05-20T20:55:01Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > Did you notice the name of the ship? > > It’s a huge finger to the Israelis I’ve read the article several times just to make sure, but I don’t see that it mentions anywhere the name of any specific ship. Could you explain what you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/16 "2010-05-20T21:07:02Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > I’ve read the article several times just to make sure, but I don’t see that it mentions anywhere the name of any specific ship. Could you explain what you mean? I beg your pardon - the name isn’t in there, it was in a different article on the same subject. The Irish (sorta) ship is called the ‘Rachel Corrie’ after that American girl who got run over by an Israeli bulldozer. She tried the whole Tienanmen Square trick, and it didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/17 "2010-05-21T14:07:40Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Why aren’t they going in through Egypt? Because then they would have to pose for pictures while soldiers of an Arab dictatorship are blocking their shipment of support for Arab terrorists. That’s not news. on the other hand, " Jews are news." ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/18 "2010-05-21T14:36:48Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Because then they would have to pose for pictures while soldiers of an Arab dictatorship are blocking their shipment of support for Arab terrorists. > That’s not news. > > on the other hand, > " Jews are news." Firstly, they went through Egypt before and were stopped. Secondly, they aren’t carrying weaponry or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/19 "2010-05-21T18:06:38Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > I beg your pardon - the name isn’t in there, it was in a different article on the same subject. > > The Irish (sorta) ship is called the ‘Rachel Corrie’ after that American girl who got run over by an Israeli bulldozer. > She tried the whole Tienanmen Square trick, and it didn’t work. Didn’t work out that well for Tank Man either - has anyone at all seen him since the protest? ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111/20 "2010-05-21T18:08:55Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Didn’t work out that well for Tank Man either - has anyone at all seen him since the protest? I never thought of that - is he dead? Do we even know who he is? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-flotilla-on-way-to-israel-with-medical-supplies/540111.md?page=2)