Freedom Flotilla II
[23] Originally it was thought that the MV Mavi Marmara would lead the flotilla, but in mid-June, IHH announced that the ship would be unable to sail due to technical issues.
"[42] In June 2011, the IHH conveyed a message to the Israeli government through Turkish Jews that the organization was not interested in another clash with Israel, and a proposal that the ships be inspected in a third-party country, such as Cyprus, before being allowed into Gaza.
[47] Several Dutch journalists who were due to travel in the flotilla backed out in late June, accusing the organizers of non-transparency, particularly with regard to their relations with Hamas, restrictiveness, dishonesty and "shocking" gullibility.
According to Flotilla spokesman Dror Feiler, there was no direct evidence Israel was involved,[54] and he estimated the damage would take several days to repair.
Other flotilla organizers suspected that the damage was the result of a sabotage operation by Israeli naval divers, and demanded that the Greek police and port authorities provide security for the vessels.
[56] A number of passengers on the flotilla said they had been mugged on the streets near the port and had mobile phones stolen, and that suspicious "fishermen" had been sighted near the ships, loitering without bait or buckets, by waters that are known to be contaminated.
[13][14] On 1 July, the American-manned flotilla boat Audacity of Hope, which was not carrying any aid, sailed from Perama in violation of this Greek ban.
Canadian Soha Kneen and Australian Michael Coleman were arrested after they used kayaks to surround a Greek coast guard vessel pursuing the boat.
[10][66] Activists claimed that the coast guard vessel rammed the boat against a cement pier and demanded that it be fixed immediately at Greece's expense.
[14][64][67] Activists Soha Kneen and Michael Coleman were tried and found guilty of obstructing the interception of the Tahrir, and were sentenced to 30 days in prison.
[68] In the early morning of 5 July, the French yacht Dignité – Al Karama, carrying eight passengers, evaded the Greek coast guard and left a port near Athens, but turned back on its own after several hours.
The remaining 15 passengers were transferred to Holon, where they were interviewed by Immigration Authority personnel and signed documents stipulating that they would leave the country within 72 hours, before being deported.
[77] Israeli officials stated that the flotilla's main purpose was to cause a provocation[78] which was designed to serve Hamas's military objectives.
[81] To deal with any casualties that could result from a naval interception from the flotilla, the Israeli Navy converted the mess halls on two vessels into operating rooms fully equipped for surgery, and planned for them to feature a full medical staff, including surgeons and anesthesiologists.
Medevac helicopters were also planned be at hand in case any of the injured needed to be evacuated to hospitalized in Israel, and Medical Corps personnel were to be deployed at the port of Ashdod.
Gen. Yoav Mordechai added, "There is an unequivocal directive from the government to enforce the naval blockade that is recognized by international law, and we will not allow it to be broken.
IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi announced that Israel may deploy snipers to minimize troop casualties on the next flotilla.
[87][88] Alex Fishman, dean of Israeli military correspondents, criticized these claims and said "There isn't a shred of substance to the report that extremist elements will put up violent resistance to IDF soldiers aboard the flotilla.
However, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon later said that reports from army sources that flotilla participants were planning lethal violence were accurate.
[89] Similarly, Israel's Prime Minister's Office replied that the materials issued by the IDF spokesman are based on reliable intelligence assessments.
[90] The decision was rescinded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day, along with a statement that journalists would be invited onto Israeli naval vessels.
[92] On 28 June, a YouTube video of a man called "Marc" who claims to be an activist denied from boarding the flotilla on account of his homosexuality was exposed to be a hoax.
There can be only one reason why anyone would consider such an outcome desirable: The absence of a blockade would allow the free passage of arms to the terror-embracing Hamas government, which has frequently demonstrated its goal of ending Israel's existence as a nation.
If flotilla participants really want to ease Gazans' isolation, they should encourage Hamas to acknowledge Israel's right to exist and to forswear terrorism.
They paid little attention to the complaints of people like Ilan Pappé, former professor of history at the University of Haifa, "Israel uses genocidal policies in Gaza."
[119] Philip Missfelder, foreign policy spokesman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) parties, the largest combined group of MPs in the German parliament, said on 5 July that the so-called Gaza flotilla activists "endanger peace efforts" and their action is "part of the asymmetrical warfare against Israel."
"[122] Four Nobel Peace Laureates, Mairead Maguire, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "to urge you to use your good offices in support of the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza....by appointing a representative to inspect and seal the cargo of the boats of the Freedom Flotilla II—thus assuring the Israeli government that the boats are carrying humanitarian supplies such as toys, medical supplies, cement and educational materials.
"[123] On 7 July 2011, MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomsky, wrote "Today the U.S. and Israel are vigorously seeking to block the flotilla.
In January 2009, Greece had distinguished itself by refusing to permit U.S. arms to be shipped to Israel from Greek ports during the vicious U.S.-Israeli assault in Gaza.
Thank you for not allowing people interested in disturbing good order and international law from coming without supervision to Gaza, which is led by a terrorist group.
