The State of Israel is an independent nation.
Gaza is an Arabic enclave on the borders of Israel and within what should by rights be considered Israeli territory.
Gaza is ruled by a gang of Islamic religious fanatics whose Founding Charter describes the Jewish people as evil plotters against the welfare of humanity.
From Gaza rocket missiles are frequently fired into Israel aiming at Israeli settlements and cities.
These rockets along with other weapons were brought to Gaza mainly by way of the sea.
[This in itself would normally be considered more than enough to justify any and all control Israel should choose to exercise over what is brought to Gaza by way of the sea.]
Not only this but indications are that deliberate attempts were made to aim these missiles at kindergartens, hospitals, and schools.
Casualties and much damages has resulted from these attacks and it is only due to what appear to be clear cut miracles that the results have not been much much worse.
In addition, an Israeli soldier, Gilaad Shalit, was abducted in June 2006 from Israeli territory and is being held for ransom by the officials in Gaza.
Consequently, Israel has placed the territory of Gaza under a partial blockade. In effect this blockade is surprisingly humane and allows foods, medicines. and most essentials to go through.

In the past several attempts have been made by left-wing activists to break the blockade and bring ships and their cargoes into Gaza in defiance of Israeli regulations.
Some of these activists are Jewish, most are Gentiles.
Their motivations are mixed. In some cases they may have a genuine concern for the humanitarian rights of others.
[ Even if such is the case, it may still be asked as to why "the humanitarian rights of others" are considered grounds for political activity when Israel is involved and is depicted as an offending party. "The humanitarian rights of others" under Islamic and other regimes seem to be ignored. ]
There also exists as a motivating factor an open hatred of Jews.
The activists come from all over the world but among the most prominent are individuals from Spain, Germany, Turkey, and (to our great shame) Ireland.
All of these nations have a long history of Jew-hatred behind them.
None of them, apart from Ireland to some degree,  are known to have ever been noted for their respect for others.
In fact Spain, Germany, and Turkey are to be counted amongst the most cruel nations ever known to history.
Nothing has changed.
In Turkey Kurds, Armenians, and others are still severely discriminated against and persecuted.

The Incident

It was planned that eight ships  would set out with the announced intention of bringing supplies to Gaza. The flotilla was organized by the IHH which is, # a Turkish humanitarian relief fund with a radical Islamic anti-Western orientation. Besides its legitimate philanthropic activities, it supports radical Islamic networks, including Hamas, and at least in the past, even global jihad elements. # http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/ malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/ html/hamas_e105.htm The IHH receives partial funding and open support from the Government of Turkey. Out of the original eight ships, one turned back and another (from Ireland) is claimed to be still on its way??

Eventually, the flotilla consisted of three cargo ships and three passenger ships.
The casualties occurred on Mavi Marmara passenger ferry, one of three ships provided by the terrorist organization Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH).

The Other ships were organised by the Free Gaza Movement, an international coalition of lowlife activist groups.
The  Flotilla's ca. 690 passengers were mainly Turkish, but also included nationals of the US, UK, Australia, Greece, Canada, Belgium, Ireland, the Swedish author Henning Mankell, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 85, two Australian journalists and three German MPs.

The real purpose was not to provide provisions but rather to provoke a confrontation with the Israeli authorities and arouse world opinion.

# The [Israeli] Navy made initial contact with the flotilla at 11 p.m. on Sunday [May 30]
ordering the ships to follow them to Ashdod Port or otherwise be boarded.

# The actual boarding of the ships took place at 2 a.m. Monday [May 31] and was yet to
be completed by 8 a.m.

# Activists aboard the ships repeatedly said they would not respond with violence to the navy's interception of their flotilla prior to the boarding. #

All of the ships were occupied by Israeli authorities without untoward incident APART from the ship Mavi Marmara.
The passengers of Mavi Marmara were mainly Islamic Turks and open supporters of terrorism. They also included the German Left party parliamentarians Annette Groth and Inge Hoger, in addition to former Left party PM Norman Paech and three other Germans.

31 may 2010
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=2323
# On the day before the Gaza flotilla confronted the Israeli navy, Al-Jazeera TV documented the pre-battle atmosphere created by men on board the
flotilla, chanting a well known Islamic battle cry invoking the killing and defeat of Jews in battle:
"[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!"

# Khaibar is the name of the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. Many Jews were killed in that battle, which marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia. There are Muslims who see that as a precursor for future wars against Jews. At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard as a threat to Jews to expect to be defeated and killed again by Muslims.
 Source: IMRA.

Israel personnel bordered Mavi Marmara and according to their accounts did not expect untoward opposition. The soldiers were lowered by helicopter onto the upper deck. They were met with violence, attacked with steel bars, an ax, and knives.
Two of the first to board were overpowered and their pistols taken. One Israeli was thrown off the deck. The Israelis were fired upon both from the two pistols that had been taken from them and from a rifle that the Turls had brought with them.

Here is the link to the article "Navy Commandos: 'They came for war",
there are two You Tube videos within the article taped by the IDF.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177040
The videos show Israeli soldiers being lowered from helicopters and boarding the ships. It shows the Israelis being surrounded and attacked by iron bars and an Israeli soldier being thrown off the deck.

The Israeli soldiers were forced to defend themselves and about ten of the jihadist invaders were killed and several injured.
Some Israeli soldiers were seriously to moderately wounded but it seems may (God Willing) all recover.
The would be invaders from all of the ships were taken into detention in Israel. Those who needed medical attention received it.
Some have already been released and have left the country.

IHH Organizers of the Flotilla have Al Quada Connections and Saudi Finances
From: imra@netvision.net.il
The Terror Finance Flotilla by Jonathan Schanzer
The Weekly Standard (online)
May 31, 2010
http://schanzer.pundicity.com/7539/the-terror-finance-flotilla
Extracts:

The Turkish IHH (Islan Haklary Ve Hurriyetleri Vakfi in Turkish) was founded in 1992, and reportedly popped up on the CIA's radar in 1996 for its radical Islamist leanings.

However, the organization is not a force for good. The Turkish nonprofit belongs to a Saudi-based umbrella organization known to finance terrorism called the Union of Good (Ittilaf al-Kheir in Arabic). Notably, the Union is
chaired by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, who is known best for his religious ruling that encourages suicide attacks against Israeli civilians.

 In 2006, both the U.S. government and the United Nations designated the IIRO branch offices in Indonesia and the Philippines for financing al Qaeda. French magistrate Jean-Louis Brougiere also testified that IHH had an "important role" in Ahmed Ressam's failed "millennium plot" to bomb the Los Angeles airport in late 1999.

The U.S. government, it should be noted, also views the Union of Good as a terrorist organization. On November 12, 2008, a press release from the U.S. Treasury announced the umbrella group's leaders as Specially Designated
Global Terrorists (SDGT), stating that the group was "created by Hamas leadership to transfer funds to the terrorist organization."
...The Treasury, drawing from declassified documents, stated unequivocally that the Union of Good "compensated Hamas terrorists by providing payments to the families of suicide bombers.

Then there's the leadership. Apart from the aforementioned Qardawi, Union of Good's top officials include Hamas members, as well as Yemeni national Abd al-Majid al-Zindani, who was designated by the U.S. Treasury as a terrorist in 2004 for providing support to al Qaeda.

Turkish Thugs were well-Paid Mercenaries and well-Prepared
Breaking Footage from Mavi Marmara interception - stun grenade
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6sAEYpHF24

IDF Spokesperson 02 June 2010 , 14:53 Elana Kieffer

Video shows what took place as IDF soldiers intercepted the Mavi Marmara ship and were attacked by its passengers

Video footage shows Shayetet Naval Special Forces attempting to intercept the Mavi Marmara ship which is part of the Gaza flotilla. Passengers on board are seen throwing chains, metal pipes and a stun grenade at the soldiers while attacking them with water hoses. The passengers later use the same metal pipes to beat the soldiers who boarded the Marmara. The soldiers can be seen armed with paintball guns, to be used as a means of riot dispersal.

Five other ships arrived to the area with the flotilla, however IDF interception took place with no incident. The passengers on board these other ships cooperated nonviolently with IDF soldiers and there were no injuries.

In a special meeting of the Security Cabinet it was disclosed that a group of 40 people on board the Mavi Marmara with no identification papers belong to Al Qaeda. The terrorists were equipped with bullet proof vests,
night-vision goggles, and weapons.

On board the Mavi Marmara ship that arrived as part of the flotilla to Gaza was a group of approximately 40 people with no identification papers, who are mercenaries belonging to the Al Qaeda terror organization. This was
disclosed by the Israeli Security Cabinet, which gathered on Tuesday evening (June 1) for a special meeting.

According to intelligence disclosed during that meeting, the terrorists wore bullet-proof vests, and carried with them night-vision goggles, weapons, and large sums of cash.  Each person in this group had the exact same amount of cash in his pockets.  While the civilian protestors were sent to the lower deck during the Shayetet Naval Special Force's interception of the ship, the group divided into cells and remained on the upper deck in order to attack the soldiers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: ..."We know from the experience of Operation Cast Lead, and beforehand, that weapons entering the Gaza Strip are used against our civilians. Within Gaza there is a terror state aided by Iran, and therefore we attempt to prevent the entering of weapons to Gaza by land, air and sea. On the Francop ship alone we caught approximately 200 tons of weapons which were smuggled by Iran to Hezbollah" .

The Prime Minister emphasized that "Opening a martime channel to Gaza will present a grave danger to the security of our civilians. Therefore we are upholding the policies of the maritime blockade, and check the ships. There is no possibility to establish these policies without checking the contents of the ships. It is true that there is international pressure on and criticism of this policy, but we must understand that it is necessary in order to ensure the security of Israel and her right to self defense."

Protests are to take place in Dublin, Sligo, Galway, Belfast, Derry,  Monaghan & Cork today against the act of international piracy by the Israeli military last night when they attacked a flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza . ... The flotilla of six ships called the "freedom flotilla" includes one from the Ireland called the Rachel Corrie, named after the American activist murdered by the IDF in 2003. At least 8 Irish people are on board various ships in the flotilla.
Protest vigil for Palestine & murdered freedom flotilla passengers at GPO in Sligo 6pm today (IPSC) Contact Gerry Casey @ 087 9301 625 for more info. Belfast - 4pm on Monday 31st May at the CITY HALL BELFAST, Derry - GUILDHALL SQUARE 5 PM,

by Amos Harel

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/navy
-activists-tried-to-kidnap-3-commandos
-during-gaza-aid-flotilla-raid-1.294114?l
ocalLinksEnabled=false
Extracts:

During Israel's takeover of a Turkish ship in the Gaza-bound aid flotilla this week, some passengers tried to take captive three commandos who lost consciousness as a result of the activists' blows, according to early findings of a navy investigation. The three were dragged into one of the passenger halls below deck and were held there for several minutes.

After dozens of other commandos began searching the ship, the Mavi Marmara, the three soldiers regained consciousness and managed to join their comrades.

 "They were terrorists - hired killers who came to murder soldiers, not to assist the residents of the Gaza Strip," said a navy officer.

The operation on the Mavi Marmara began at about 4:30 A.M. on Monday. Because of the presence of hard-core activists including members of the IHH, the Turkish group organizing the aid convoy, most attention went to that ship. Navy chief Eliezer Merom and the head of the naval commandos, Lt. Col. A., were on vessels next to the ship. Lt. Col. A. climbed on the Mavi Marmara during the takeover.

As seen on a video documenting the takeover, the first four commandos to rappel onto the deck were attacked by activists with bars, axes and knives. The fourth commando, K., saw his team leader on the deck, with a Turkish activist holding the pistol he had grabbed from him and pointing it to his head. K. jumped from the rope and managed to shoot the activist holding the gun. This happened 20 seconds after the first soldier landed on the deck.

The commanders of the first unit were hit by the mob as they landed. One of the soldiers managed to fix another rope, after there were problems with the original one, for 10 more soldiers to land. The commandos cared for the wounded and took over part of the upper deck of the ship.

At this stage, six minutes into the operation, another force landed from a second helicopter, led by a major. At that point they realized that three commandos were missing and they began looking for them. A short while later the naval commando chief landed along with dozens more soldiers, some of whom climbed from boats. Others landed from a third helicopter.

The search involved limited shooting, in the bridge and on the lower deck, until the three men were recovered. The head of the naval commandos gave orders by radio to use live fire, two minutes after the incident had begun.

Shots had been fired earlier, but Lt. Col. A. later explained that in his orders he wanted to make sure that the troops realized that "the mood of the incident had changed."

The soldiers reported that the activists had fired on them during the confrontation and that at least two commandos suffered gunshot wounds. After the incident, 9mm bullet casings were found - a kind not used by the naval commandos.

The Israel Defense Forces says that during the operation a number of pistols and an M-4 rifle were taken from soldiers, but they believe that the Turkish activists had other weapons. The captain of the ship told the naval commando chief that the guns were thrown overboard before the ship was completely taken over.

The wounded activists were airlifted to Israel for treatment, some seriously hurt whose lives were saved by the evacuation.

The IDF did not question the activists extensively because of the decision to release them. In conversations after the takeover, activists said they were surprised by the use of helicopters, even though the navy had used this method before. However, nothing else appears to have surprised them because international law requires sufficient warnings before ships are boarded.

Post-operation assessments have the number of hard-core activists involved in the fighting at between 60 and 100. It appears that they were well trained and experienced, especially in view of the arsenal found and code books used to pass on orders from group leaders. Among the rioters, in addition to Turks, were Yemenis, Afghans and one person from Eritrea. All were apparently experienced in hand-to-hand fighting. Some of them did not retreat when shots were fired.

According to a senior officer, "Under the circumstances, and I do not like the result, I think we did the best we could. We took care of five ships without injuries. On the sixth ship, we faced a harsh attack and killed nine saboteurs.

"No real peace activist was injured. No soldier was killed, even though it came pretty close. In the end the ships are docked at Ashdod. It was very complicated and the result is near perfect."

Kuwaiti parliament member Walid Al-Tabtabai, who was on board the ship, told the Kuwaiti channel Al-Rai TV: "There were violent clashes between the activists and the army, and our friends managed to capture three Israeli soldiers. One of the Turks grabbed a soldier and brought him to us, saying:
'Here is a new [Gilad] Shalit."

In interviews with the Turkish press, friends and relatives of some of the activists who were killed said that they had expressed a wish to become martyrs.

Flotilla participants reported that some of the foreign activists on board converted to Islam during the trip. In an interview with Iqra TV, Sheikh Raed Salah said that he had befriended several non-Arab activists from Europe and the U.S., and that some activists had converted to Islam after befriending their Muslim fellows. He said that one had approached him in tears, saying, "I converted to Islam when I witnessed your brave Muslim
conduct."[21]


In article in the Hamas bi-weekly Al-Risala, Palestinian Legislative Council Member from Hamas Dr. Salam Salama wrote: "The pure Muslim Turkish Ottoman blood mixed with the Palestinian soil when the shahids and the wounded arrived in our holy, occupied land [after] the savage, barbaric, rapacious Nazi attack on the blockade-breaking flotilla... The Jews, those 21st-century Nazis, did not realize that they were putting the train back on the tracks from which it had been derailed when the Zionists stole Palestine
in 1948.
"...20 grooms could celebrate their marriage to the black-eyed [virgins of Paradise] last Monday, [May 31, 2010]... These valiant shahids who left their homes and families and came to help their enfeebled brothers in the blessed and holy land knew that the sons of Zion would try to stop them [from reaching Gaza]. But they were determined to proceed even if it meant giving their lives. This spirit of self-sacrifice and enthusiasm was a clear expression of their love for the holy land and its inhabitants."[24]

Questions to be Answered:
(a) Were twenty killed?
Were the others terrorists whose presence Turkey cannot admit to?
(b) Why are only black-eyed virgins available?

What do the women get, if anything?