[Sticky_Fingers]

From the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11393836

Israel's military broke international laws during a raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, a UN Human Rights Council investigation says.
Its report said the action by commandos, which left nine dead, was "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality".
It said there was clear evidence to support prosecutions against Israel for "wilful killing".
Israel rejected the report as "biased" and "one-sided."
It insists its soldiers acted in self-defence during the 31 May raid.
Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed and many others injured after Israeli commandoes boarded the six-ship convoy as it tried to breach an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.
The convoy's passengers were detained and later deported by Israel.
There was widespread international criticism of Israel's actions, which severely strained relations with its long-time Muslim ally, Turkey.
'Biased' In a 56-page report, the UN panel of three international lawyers said: "There is clear evidence to support prosecutions of the following crimes within the terms of article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: wilful killing; torture or inhuman treatment; wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health".


The Convention is an international treaty governing the protection of civilians in times of war.
The UN fact-finding mission also said the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory was "unlawful" because of a humanitarian crisis there.
The panel had interviewed more than 100 witnesses in Britain, Jordan, Switzerland Turkey, but not in Israel.
Before the report was released, Israel dismissed the Human Rights Council as being biased, politicised and extremist.
After the findings were published, it said the report was "as biased and as one-sided as the body that has produced it".
"Israel... is of the opinion that the flotilla incident is amply and sufficiently investigated as it is," said the Israeli foreign ministry in a statement.
"All additional dealing with this issue is superfluous and unproductive."
The Israeli government has begun its own independent inquiry into the flotilla raid, the Turkel Commission. It has two foreign observers, but critics say its remit is too narrow.
There is also a separate UN inquiry - ordered by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - into the raid. Israel has said it will co-operate with the investigation.

I especially like the part where the Israelis dismissed the report before it was even published and their assertion that there was no need for it in the first place calling it "superfluous and unproductive". Of course nothing is going to come of this, it seems that this is just par for the course where Israel is concerned.

[old_aussie]

UN finds.....

I once found a good PC on the side of the road.

[Mr Benevolent]

Israel - Pre-emptive strike specialists since 1948 Who does their PR? They're a world joke by now. A very bad one.

[old_aussie]

Originally Posted by Confab

Israel - Pre-emptive strike specialists since 1948 Who does their PR? They're a world joke by now. A very bad one.

Learn history.

When Israel achieved its independence on May 14, 1948, the Haganah became the de facto Israeli army.

On that day, the country was invaded by the regular forces of Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/india/israel1948.htm

And the Israelis whipped the Arabs.

[Terry]

Before the report was released, Israel dismissed the Human Rights Council as being biased, politicised and extremist.
After the findings were published, it said the report was "as biased and as one-sided as the body that has produced it".

Read: Anti-semitic.

"Israel... is of the opinion that the flotilla incident is amply and sufficiently investigated as it is," said the Israeli foreign ministry in a statement.
"All additional dealing with this issue is superfluous and unproductive."
The Israeli government has begun its own independent inquiry into the flotilla raid, the Turkel Commission.

Dear rest of the world; Go fúck yourselves.
Regards, Israel.

Originally Posted by Sticky_Fingers

From the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11393836

I especially like the part where the Israelis dismissed the report before it was even published and their assertion that there was no need for it in the first place calling it "superfluous and unproductive". Of course nothing is going to come of this, it seems that this is just par for the course where Israel is concerned.

Israel are dicks.
Yes, so are Hamas, but two wrongs do not make a right.

[Mr Benevolent]

Originally Posted by old_aussie

Learn history.

When Israel achieved its independence on May 14, 1948, the Haganah became the de facto Israeli army.

On that day, the country was invaded by the regular forces of Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/india/israel1948.htm

And the Israelis whipped the Arabs.

You've forgotten who created Israel in the first place. 'One country promised the land of another to a third party.' Not a recipe for success. They should've stuck to their leader's original plan of moving to Africa. Far less potential for conflict.

[Makikomi]

Originally Posted by Confab

They should've stuck to their leader's original plan of moving to Africa. Far less potential for conflict.

Yup, because Africa is devoid of war & strife?..

Or would you be comfortable ignoring another war in Africa?.

Oh, back to the report.. '"disproportionate" and "brutal" - thats the price for attacking Israel, hippies should remember this before they go pricking about in other people's business.

Oh roll on the hysterics....1 and 2 and ......

[RMD]

I really ****ing hate Israel. Criticize them and suddenly you're anti-Semitic. Yes, you faced a genocide over half a century ago, I'm very sorry about that, but please for fúcks sake stop playing the victim card. Pack of pissed off cowardly bullies.

[amacachi]

Originally Posted by Makikomi

Yup, because Africa is devoid of war & strife?..

Or would you be comfortable ignoring another war in Africa?.

Oh, back to the report.. '"disproportionate" and "brutal" - thats the price for attacking Israel, hippies should remember this before they go pricking about in other people's business.

Oh roll on the hysterics....1 and 2 and ......

I love how you point out how predictable everyone's reaction to something ****ty that Israel did is in every thread about Israel.

[Sticky_Fingers]

Originally Posted by Terry

Israel are dicks.
Yes, so are Hamas, but two wrongs do not make a right.

Never said they did, the world is a dirty shade of gray but the zealots on both sides of this conflict and their respective cheering section here on boards (and the media in general) only see it in black and white. Israel focked up here, the least they can do is admit it. Its obvious that Hamas are a bunch of murdering scumbags but Israel have not exactly showered themselves in glory.

Personally I would like the world to step back and offer the belligerents a compromise, put them on a desert island and let them duke it out themselves, no support for either side and no quarter asked for or given, winner takes all. Once a victor emerges I then suggest we nuke the island from orbit so their rabid zealotry doesn't infect anyone else and as a clear warning to others. Its the only way to be sure.

[Mr Benevolent]

Originally Posted by Makikomi

Yup, because Africa is devoid of war & strife?..

Or would you be comfortable ignoring another war in Africa?.

Oh, back to the report.. '"disproportionate" and "brutal" - thats the price for attacking Israel, hippies should remember this before they go pricking about in other people's business.

Oh roll on the hysterics....1 and 2 and ......

Israel's land was gifted to them from the UK, who took it from Palestine without any questions. That was frankly unpardonable and almost insane considering the political environment in the Middle East even before Israel showed up. Now Palestine is in tatters because of an agreement between two third parties that locked them out of the decision-making process. Israel's history of utter paranoia and refusal to openly negotiate has made matters a lot worse. Small wonder Israel is under constant terrorist attack, it's not exactly blameless itself. Israel has created all its own problems and a nuclear exchange would not surprise me. The only reason Israel has not been overwhelmed by now is the US friendship it has. If it does many other internationally repellent acts it may well lose that too in time.

Yup, because Africa is devoid of war & strife?..

Africa would've been a far better place to put Israel than the Middle East in terms of political sensitivity. Its current location virtually guarantees conflict.

Criticize them and suddenly you're anti-Semitic.

Agreed, it's very irritating.

[R0ot]

And what will the UN do about it....... NOTHING.

[Sticky_Fingers]

Originally Posted by Makikomi

Oh, back to the report.. '"disproportionate" and "brutal" - thats the price for attacking Israel, hippies should remember this before they go pricking about in other people's business.

Oh roll on the hysterics....1 and 2 and ......

NOTE*Not a personal attack, just making a point

Makikomi lets say that if I was to comment on your sig and say that the picture really doesn't do a female member of your family justice you would be well in your rights to dole out a ban for personal abuse but would you say that you would have the right to come over to my gaff with a flamethrower and set the place ablaze and have your buddies shoot anyone who tried to flee the building.

I'm sure you as a rational person would consider this disproportionate and brutal. Why then do you see fit to justify an action that, while may not be as despicable as the one I've outlined above is still wholly irrational and disproportionate to the threat posed?

Your are one of the blind cheerleaders that I was alluding to in my earlier post, you and and your opposite number on the other side of the fence are the problem, blind to the faults of your "team" and thus having nothing constructive to bring to the table. The sad thing about it is that in this world its the blind men who seem to be kings while the one eyed among us who deplore the scummy actions of both sides can only look on in horror as both tribes try to justify the most heinous atrocities committed against each other with a childish "well he started it waah wahhh".

[Zebra3]

Originally Posted by Makikomi

Oh, back to the report.. '"disproportionate" and "brutal" - thats the price for attacking Israel, hippies should remember this before they go pricking about in other people's business.

Israel's supporters should remember that Palestine was a peaceful place where muslims and a small numbers of jews and christians lived in harmony until the invasion of the country by European jews who went pricking about in other people's business.

Hamas and their likes only exist because of the brutal occupation the Palestinians have been under since 1948 which has resulted in the theft of four million acres of their land.

Israel is a state built on ethnic cleansing, land grabbing, torture and all sorts of human rights abuses.

[bluewolf]

What's the point in the UN even publishing a report, they're not going to do anything about it. Everyone will get on with business as usual and israel don't give a damn. Pack of paranoid cowardly bullies is right.