A boat trying to run the known Israeli blockade of Gaza (apparently with relief supplies, reporters, and a US Representative - Cynthia McKinney) is rammed by an Israeli patrol boat to stop it.
Reports differ on if they were warned first, if they were trying to evade or not, or if the ramming was intentional or occurred during pursuit of an evading vessel.
Excuse me, but what is a US Congresscritter doing trying to run a known military blockade set up by an identified ally? Why?
To keep this a debate and not a Pit thread - what are the limitations in general for the involvement of individual Congressional members in international affairs?
It was a boat full of medical supplies and personnel. It was not a threat to the Israeli control of Palestine. They have had them firmly under their thumbs for decades. It was just about trying to save lives. That of course is counter to the Israeli plans.
There isn’t a sane Democrat in the country who will try to defend McKinney on any count. She’s a nut and an anti-Semite (and I’m not basing that off of her trying to aid Palestinians).
I also want to note, for those who don’t recognize the name, that this is the former South(?) Carolina congresswoman who punched a Capitol policeman because he wouldn’t allow her into the Chamber without ID (he didn’t recognize her).
So she was acting exclusively as a private citizen. Fine. Just a plain old private citizen idiot. No debate here afterall. Mods can move to the Pit if they desire.
gonzo, you run a military blockade you can expect to be stopped. You run a military blockade and you are lucky if you are not blown out out of the water whether you honestly claim to only carrying medical supplies or not.
Now I am intentionally staying out of the “Fuck Hamas” Pit thread, honestly, because I’ve tired of the same knee jerk idiocies being repeated each time Israel is brought up. Keep those idiocies there please. This thread is exclusively about running a military blockade and what you expect to happen when you do so. Any military blockade.
Presumably she thought the blockade was wrong, and that providing medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza was a worthwhile cause. And that her presence on the boat would make success more likely/publicize the cause.
And oddly enough, in a democracy, the fact that an “identified ally” does something does not require everyone in the US public to support it.
I presume, of course, you had a similar reaction to Representative Peter King (R) and his long term support of the IRA.
I mean, here you’re supposedly trying to kill off Hamas, and supposedly any civilians getting blown up are quite regrettable collateral damage. But here you are, blowing people up to keep food and medicine from reaching those same civilians. That’s a tough position to defend, and the Israelis are smart enough not to put themselves in that position.
Sadly I have to report that she was a representative from my own home state of Georgia. She used to represent the 11th district. Thank goodness she is gone.
If they had actually wanted to bring supplies they would have gone in by land. But then, that way they wouldn’t have been play the part of the brave blockade-runners, right?
I hope the stuff they brought was later sent in by way of the proper channels, but I doubt it.
The answer here is that Israel isn’t going to do shit to an American humanitarian vessel, but beyond that, sometimes personal safety has to be subordinatied to doing the right thing.
You appear to be unfamiliar with the concept of blockade running. How would the Israelis know that the boat was unarmed, carrying only aid, or with Americans and/or Europeans aboard, if the boat is deliberately avoiding interception?
What are the internal logistics like in Gaza at the moment? How safe and practical is it to get injured and needy people to the supplies that are being allowed in at limited crossing points over the Egyptian border?
I have no doubt there is grandstanding going on here. But it might well be the case that things are as simple as you seem to be suggesting.
How would they have known exactly? Do you suppose they have a magic supplies detector…or should they have just taken their word that it was full of medical supplies and personnel (from afar since they didn’t stop to let the Israeli’s board and inspect)?
Former. But good point.
Sez who? And why? Seems more like a stunt to me than ‘the right thing to do’, but YMMV.
To be sure. And sending it in via a pleasure craft in such a manner was definitely the optimal approach to getting that achieved.
Really? I suppose you think that Gaza has been blockaded on a whim? Or perhaps you don’t believe there really is a military blockade? Or maybe when you asked why ‘anybody’ would object you weren’t including the Israeli’s as ‘anybody’?
