US protester's tried to boycott Israeli ship from unloading on American soil

[me2lord]

1. Tried to Boycott Israeli Ship, Blocked Chinese Ship Instead
by Hillel Fendel 

Some 500 anti-Israel protestors arrived at the Oakland, California port early Sunday morning, hoping to block an Israeli ship from unloading its cargo. However, the ship did not arrive, and the crowd prevented workers from unloading a Chinese ship instead.

The protestors say they were protesting the recent Israel-Turkey flotilla incident, though they displayed great ignorance about what actually happened; one of them even compared barely armed Israeli Defense Forces troops with Somali pirates.

“My grandmother's Jewish. I'm not anti-Semitic," protestor Frank McClain told a local Oakland newspaper. "But what Israel's doing is murdering people. They staged a raid in international waters. If Somalis had done that, they'd be called pirates and we'd have punished and stopped them immediately.”

In fact, as videotapes have shown, Israeli soldiers warned the ships well in advance not to enter the waters under legitimate Israeli blockade; boarded the ship armed only with paintball guns and pistols in case of need; and were set upon and attacked as they rappelled down by lynch mobs armed with iron clubs, knives, and even their own pistols that the attackers took from them. Several of the soldiers were held captive for a while below deck. Ultimately, the Israelis were able to regroup, defend themselves, ward off the terrorist activists, tend to their wounded, and gain control of the boat that had been set on a near act-of-war course.

Nearly all of the nine dead were identified as members of Turkish Islamist organizations, most of them of a radical and anti-Western nature. Four of them had previously declared their wish to die as martyrs.

"Free, free Palestine! Don't cross the picket line!" the picketers shouted – and in fact, the longshoremen chose not to clash with them, for fear of “getting into fistfights,” a union leader said. No one was arrested.

The Israeli ship arrived only at 6 PM, more than 12 hours after the protestors, but by that time most of the latter had left. The local union decided not to order night shift workers to unload the Israeli ship, and it will be unloaded sometime on Monday. A Foreign Ministry official told Israel National News that the general practice is that ships that arrive towards evening are unloaded the next day, "such that the protestors did not actually accomplish much other than to block a Chinese ship... The police are planning to be on hand on Monday to ensure that all goes smoothly."

The Picture, Not the Facts

Asked about the fact that the anti-Israel protestors actually blocked a Chinese ship and not an Israeli ship, Israel’s Consul-General in San Francisco, Akiva Tor, said, “The protestors were basically interested in painting a certain picture, and they don’t generally get down to the exact facts…”

Proving the extent of this phenomenon, protest organizer Richard Becker actually said, "This is the first time [that] an Israeli ship was blocked from unloading in a U.S. port… We consider this to be a huge victory and a historic moment.”

Two pro-Israel protestors arrived on the scene in mid-protest, ensuring that not only pro-Arab scenes would be broadcast. "Israel is a democracy, just like America, and Israel is faced with a fight for its life," said Faith Metzer of El Cerrito. A third pro-Israel man arrived a bit later, after he saw the protest on television.
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[dgbygrace]

Iran to send blockade-busting ship to Gaza

JERUSALEM – Iran said Tuesday it would send a blockade-busting ship carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza, fueling concern in Israel, where commandos were training for another possible confrontation at sea.

Israel warned archenemy Iran to drop the plan. The Iranian announcement came days after Israel eased its three-year-old blockade of Gaza under international pressure following its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla last month.

"No one in their right mind can believe that a ship sent by the ayatollahs and their Revolutionary Guards has anything to do with humanitarian aid," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. "I don't think there is one single country in this region and beyond that would let such an ayatollah ship come near its coasts."

Security officials said the prospect of an Iranian boat headed for Gaza had Israel deeply worried, and that naval commandos were training for the possibility of taking on a vessel with a suicide bomber on board. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose operational details.

After an international outcry over the killing of nine Turkish activists in a May 31 raid, Israel eased its land blockade of Gaza but insisted on maintaining a naval blockade it says is necessary to keep weapons shipments out of the hands of Gaza's Hamas rulers. Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas, with its violently anti-Israel agenda, overran the Palestinian territory in June 2007.

Egypt had joined Israel in blockading Gaza, but it opened its land crossing with the territory indefinitely after the May raid to let thousands of Palestinians through. Egyptian transportation official Mohammad Abdelwahab suggested his country was ready to back off the naval blockade as well.

He said Egypt would not prevent the Iranian ship from passing through the Suez Canal, a strategic passageway that connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea that Gaza borders.

"As long as the ship is not at war with Egypt and doesn't pollute the air, water or land, then it will be allowed to cross," Abdelwahab said.

Iran's state television reported that an Iranian ship called "Infants of Gaza" would sail Sunday for Gaza carrying 1,100 tons of relief supplies and 10 pro-Palestinian activists.

Israel considers Iran the most serious threat because of its suspect nuclear program, its long-range missiles and its support for Lebanese and Gaza militants.

The Iranian ship is one of several that activists say will head for Gaza in the next few months. One is said to be heading for Gaza from Lebanon within days.

International Mideast envoy Tony Blair has been at the forefront of global efforts to ease the Israeli blockade, and on Tuesday, he told Gaza businesspeople and civic leaders that he expected the amount of goods entering Gaza to nearly triple within weeks. Gazans say they need far more than that.

Israel has in principle to reopen land crossings so more cargo can move through, and limited quantities of construction materials will be allowed in, he said. But it wasn't clear how freely Palestinians would be able to move in and out of their territory, he added.

"Some of this will be resolved satisfactorily, and some of this will be a struggle, frankly," Blair told the group by video link from Jerusalem.

Blair also expressed concern about whether Israel would allow exports, largely banned under the blockade. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told The Associated Press: "Exports will be expanded further down the road."

Construction materials desperately needed to rebuild after Israel's offensive against Hamas 17 months ago have been largely barred because Israel said militants could use them to build bunkers.

The vast majority of Gaza's 1.5 million people have been trapped in their tiny territory for three years, and a ban on trade wiped out tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

Blair's audience was skeptical of Israel's promises, and some told the envoy that consumer goods weren't the answer to Gaza's problems.

"We are not in need of more ketchup or mayonnaise," said civic leader Amjad Shawa. "We need our freedom."

[me2lord]

The vast majority of Gaza's 1.5 million people have been trapped in their tiny territory for three years, and a ban on trade wiped out tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

Blair's audience was skeptical of Israel's promises, and some told the envoy that consumer goods weren't the answer to Gaza's problems.

"We are not in need of more ketchup or mayonnaise," said civic leader Amjad Shawa. "We need our freedom."

Hello   thanks for posting this very informative piece of Info with Israel and Gaza and what started 3 yrs ago with Israel.   This I believe with all my heart this ties into Daniels prophesies of the End.  I have for the longest time believed the King of the  South is Palestine/Gaza because they are directly south of Jerusalem, and have a king.   It is my opinion just as theologians have assumed it to be others.  I have studied this stuff for quite a long time. 

The bible does not say who it is other than the King of the North and the king of the South and gives events that take place with them.

Though Daniel 10 and 11 speaks of these 2 kings and reading it they sound as if they are directly connected by land to Israel.   This is why I think like I do.   We are  all guessing until we  see more clearly the verses giving us  facts proving exactly who it is. lol   And Russia and China is not mentioned by people in any way in these verse other than Gog and Magog which is near the Russian border between Afghanistan and Russia and they come at the very last war against Israel out of the mountains as Ezk 38 points out to us and then the Lord comes and destroys all of them together.

What I am leading up to in all this is the 2300 days spoken of in Dan 8:13-14  and the rebellion which brings Christ back at the very End of this war against Israel.   I believe it has already started and the Gaza war is the one where it started.  I thought it was Lebanon three yrs ago but after reading this you brought I am changing my stand and seeing it is the King of the South more so than the King of the North which I read to be Lebanon.

Placing us further into the 2300 days of tribulation than thought by scholars who believe we are in the Last Days.   I have not problem in trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me in these matters verses theologians who could only assume on these things also and many of them left their writing for they have passed on.   If they were here  they would be changing their minds also I do believe. 

This is one of the reasons why I tell those servants of the Lord on the forums I go to they need to consider  the Lord has hidden truths that we gleam as we enter into the Last Days and began to understand better as this has been God's will because he kept the Seal on the End closed to us in the bible, and they need to be opened to the verses coming forth.   Most of them can't let go...and learn new.lol   so they will see soon it was not what they have been taught  with the Pope, but with the ancient people of Babylon coming forth to finish up prophecy just as the bible tells us so..lol

In Christ's love

[dgbygrace]

Wow Vickie, that does seem to tie in!

I never thought about it all like that.  Looking more into it!!