The world's biggest little terrorist is Israel, charges Elias Akleh* As expected by many, the Israeli army attacked the Freedom Flotilla ships 31 May with gas bombs and live fire, murdering at least 19 international activists, 16 of them Turks including one MP, and injuring 29 others. The Israeli navy then kidnapped the 700 humanitarian activists and their ships, forcing them to dock in Ashdod. Since the organisers' declaration to challenge the illegal Israeli siege of Gaza, Israeli officials and military had threatened to intercept the Freedom Flotilla and send the activists back. When activists insisted on going through with their journey Israelis declared that such a journey would be a provocation to Israeli laws and a threat to its security. Later on, the Israelis announced that the organisers of the flotilla are pro-Hamas and pro-Al-Qaeda terrorists attempting to smuggle weapons to Gaza, and that every passenger on the flotilla is a potential terrorist, presumably including Israeli citizens taking part. The Israeli attack against the Freedom Flotilla was pre-meditated and pre-planned by the Israeli military headed by its defence minister, Ehud Barak, and approved by its prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. Five large tents were erected at the Israeli port of Ashdod to hold the activists hostage. Three Israeli military ships loaded with 300 specially trained Israeli commandos accompanied by military helicopters and attack speed boats intercepted the unarmed ships, the biggest Israeli naval battle since its illegal establishment in 1948. Once again Israel had lived up to its infamous terrorist reputation. Israel's 62-year-old history is full of terrorism, genocide, wars, violations of all human rights, breaking of all national laws, and war crimes that would fill many large volumes. To start with, the Israeli navy attacked the ships in international waters. They attacked unarmed civilians. They attacked a humanitarian mission to aid people in need, similar to humanitarian missions to a devastated area like Haiti, which gives the mission a special protection status by international law. The Israelis killed unarmed humanitarian activists. They kidnapped the activists and took them hostage. They took the ships and put their hands on all the goods they carry similar to what they had done in the past with previous "Break the Siege" ships. To cover its past war crimes against Gaza and the illegal siege, Israel has just committed a major international crime against representatives from 40 different countries including members of parliaments. Besides the crimes of murder the Israelis have committed an act of piracy in the international waters. The Israelis, as usual, portray themselves as the eternal victim claiming that they had to kill the activists in an act of self-defence. They want us to believe that the activists had come from 40 different countries with a conspiratorial plan to attack the Israeli navy, and that these activists illegally boarded the Israeli battle ships, shooting and throwing gas grenades. The poor Israeli soldiers could do nothing but defend themselves. This reminds me of Golda Meir's statement: "We could never forgive the Palestinians for making us shoot their children." Israel's justification for boarding the Freedom Flotilla because they didn't know what these vessels were carrying is a childish justification. There are hundreds of vessels in the Mediterranean whose contents are not known to the Israelis. Does that mean that they have the right to board even one of them? The Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Israeli war crimes against Palestinians, especially the illegal and lethal siege of Gaza, are being increasingly recognised and opposed by many nations. The unremitting "Break the Siege" campaign has exposed Israel's genocidal plan against Palestinians, and is gaining more international support. Israel's attack on the Freedom Flotilla is meant to terrorise and intimidate future humanitarian internationals, to break the "Break the Siege" campaign. Their special emphasis on the Turkish vessel came as revenge for Turkey's courageous opposition to Israel's war crimes against Palestinians, and Turkey's successful mediation in the Iranian nuclear crisis. Israel's siege of Gaza and its attack on the Freedom Flotilla are clear indications that Gaza is still under the Israeli occupation. Israel's so-called withdrawal from Gaza in September 2005 is just a redeployment of Israeli forces rather than a withdrawal as Israelis like us to believe. Israel still controls every aspect of life in Gaza. Israel wants us to believe that its siege of Gaza is a response to capturing their soldier Shalit, who was, in fact, participating in the siege at the time of his capture. Palestinians have the right to defend themselves from the terror of such soldiers. On the other hand, Israel does not want us to remember the tens of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, who were kidnapped and snatched from their families by the Israeli terrorist army after midnight. The Freedom Flotilla is the ninth attempt of "Breaking the Siege" to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza, a humanitarian duty the UN has failed miserably to fulfil. Five of these trips were successful, while the rest suffered from Israeli piracy and kidnapping. The volunteers came from 40 different countries including European countries and the US. They include members of parliaments of these countries. These volunteers, unlike some of their bought pro-Zionist governments, represent their citizens' compassion, and their courageous will to help their needy brothers and sisters. They are not terrorists, as Israel claims; rather, they represent civilised humanity. The Israeli piracy against the ships has ignited a spontaneous global Intifada, with its anger echoing through the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the US. Thousands of protesters against Israeli terror are walking through the capitals of major countries towards Israeli consulates. Governments of many countries, especially those with citizens among the flotilla volunteers, have summoned their Israeli ambassadors to protest the attack. Turkey's relationship with Israel is destined to suffer a great deal by this act of piracy. Turks have surrounded the Israeli consulates in Istanbul and Ankara and the house of the Israeli ambassador and vowed not to leave until the Turkish vessels and Turkish volunteers are released. Turkey has summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest the attack and has recalled its own ambassador from Israel. It cancelled three joined military exercises with Israel. Prime Minister Erdogan called Israel's attack "state terror". An urgent meeting of the Security Council was called by Arab governments, yet the US, as usual, came to Israel's rescue and sabotaged efforts to issue a resolution against Israel, calling instead for an "impartial investigation" of the matter. It is as clear as the sun that Israeli forces forcefully and illegally boarded the flotilla ships. Israelis are the aggressors not the victims. They were armed to the teeth attacking unarmed humanitarian activists. The American rescue operation is not surprising, since the American administration is a full partner in imposing the siege on Gaza. "The Gaza Bombshell" report by Vanity Fair explains how the American administration conspired to topple the democratically elected Hamas government in Gaza. The administration is also paying the Egyptian government to keep it onside in the siege against Gaza, and to build a steel wall and watch towers on the Egyptian border with Gaza. Most of the American congress members are more loyal to Israel than to their own country. They spend the tax money of their citizens to subsidise Israel's illegal colonies and roads on usurped Palestinian land to provide virtually free homes to Israeli extremists while American tax payers are losing their homes. They vote to spend billions of dollars to provide free education to Israeli students, and full free medical coverage to every Israeli Jewish citizen, while American schools are facing budget cuts and crowded classrooms, and American citizens cannot afford to pay for medical coverage. They give Israel billions of dollars worth in financial aid and military technology. Such support to terrorist Israel is the major cause for increasing anti-American sentiments around the globe. Israel's attack demonstrates once again that Israelis consider themselves above the law. Those countries claiming to be partners in fighting global terror should also join in fighting Israeli terror. Those countries, which are fighting Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean should also fight Israeli piracy in the Mediterranean. * The writer is an Arab of Palestinian descent, born in the town of Beit-Jala. He currently lives in the US.
