Jerusalem – Israeli Navy Seizes ‘Rachel Corrie’ off Gaza Without Incident, Ship Docked In Ashdod [video]

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    In this image made from video released by the Israeli Defense Force on Saturday, June 5, 2010, Israeli army and navy soldiers on boats are seen approaching the Gaza-bound 1,200-ton Rachel Corrie aid ship. Israeli forces seized the Gaza-bound aid vessel swiftly and without meeting resistance, preventing it from breaking a naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory days after a similar effort turned bloody. (AP Photo/Israeli Defense Forces)Jerusalem – Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel without meeting resistance on Saturday, preventing it from breaking an Israeli maritime blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory days after a similar effort turned bloody.

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    The military said its forces boarded the 1,200-ton Rachel Corrie cargo ship from the sea, not helicopters.

    The takeover stood in marked contrast to a violent confrontation at sea earlier this week when Israeli commandos blocked a Turkish aid vessel trying to break the blockade. At the time, Israeli commandos rappelled from helicopters and a clash with passengers left nine pro-Palestinian activists dead.

    Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich says Saturday’s takeover took only a few minutes and that the vessel was being taken to Israel’s Ashdod port.

    The Irish ship — named for an American college student who was crushed to death by a bulldozer in 2003 while protesting Israeli house demolitions in Gaza — was carrying hundreds of tons of aid, including wheelchairs, medical supplies and cement.

    The standoff has raised international pressure on Israel to lift the 3-year-old blockade that has plunged the territory’s 1.5 million residents deeper into poverty.

    Activists on board the boat, including Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan, had said they wouldn’t resist if Israeli soldiers tried to take over their vessel.
    A handout image provided by Israeli Defence Force IDF showing passengers being assisted by Israeli Navy soldiers as they disembark the seventh flotilla ship, Rachel Corrie, at Ashdod Port, Israel, 05 June 2010. An Israeli naval force boarded a ship carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip, ending a tense, hours-long high seas standoff between the vessel, "the Rachel Corrie," and Israeli navy boats. Unlike an Israel Navy takeover earlier this week of aid ships bound for the blockaded salient, 05 June boarding of the Rachel Corrie was carried out without violence and there were no reports of injuries in the seizure of the ship, which the Israeli military said was carried out with "the full compliance of the ship?s crew."  EPA/
    This latest attempt to breach the blockade differs significantly from the flotilla the Israeli troops intercepted on Monday, killing eight Turks and a Turkish-American after being set upon by a group of activists.

    Nearly 700 activists had joined that operation, most of them aboard the lead boat from Turkey that was the scene of the violence. That boat, the Mavi Marmara, was sponsored by an Islamic aid group from Turkey, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief. Israel outlawed the group, known by its Turkish acronym IHH, in 2008 because of alleged ties to Hamas. The group is not on the U.S. State Department list of terror organizations, however.

    By contrast, the Rachel Corrie was carrying just 11 passengers from Ireland and Malaysia, whose effort was mainly sponsored by the Free Gaza movement, a Cyprus-based group that has renounced violence. Nine crew were also on board.

    A handout image provided by Israeli Defence Force IDF showing Israeli Navy officers making first radio contact with the seventh flotilla ship, Rachel Corrie, 05 June 2010. An Israeli naval force boarded a ship carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip, ending a tense, hours-long high seas standoff between the vessel, "the Rachel Corrie," and Israeli navy boats. Unlike an Israel Navy takeover earlier this week of aid ships bound for the blockaded salient, 05 June boarding of the Rachel Corrie was carried out without violence and there were no reports of injuries in the seizure of the ship, which the Israeli military said was carried out with "the full compliance of the ship?s crew."  EPA/

    Israel orthodox Jews look at the Mediterranean sea at the port of Ashdod June 5, 2010. The Israeli navy prepared to board another aid ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, as Washington condemned as "unsustainable" a blockade which Israel enforced earlier in the week by killing 9 people aboard a Turkish vessel. Irish and other activists on the Rachel Corrie ignored orders to divert to Israel's Ashdod port. Should it continue to approach the Palestinian enclave, the navy would board the vessel, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. REUTERS/Baz Ratner


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    23 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Unbelievable how not a single word of this is being reported in the news since there’s no negative news about Israel involved this time…..

    a yid
    a yid
    13 years ago

    Thank God there were no injuries in this operation.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Boruch hashem. The soldier is wearing a kippah, its shabbos who said he could be micholel shabbos like that?

    m1g8
    m1g8
    13 years ago

    these israelis are just hurting inoccent activists and ppl who are suffering in the gaza reffuge camps. they have a siege on ppl who do not deserve it and they continue to kill innocent men and children as seen on the mavi marma.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Go Isreal go !

    moshie
    moshie
    13 years ago

    Ilove this killing people in afganistan is not a problem, whatever america barack. Husien obama decides to do is ok, even without defending them self, but if israels is defending them self from chamas teror thas a problem, well listen up prime minister just paray and belive in hashem and be strong keep up with the great work yoir doin, of course with hashems help and everything will. Be just fine!

    m1g8
    m1g8
    13 years ago

    i am sorry for writing comment #4 . it was a joke and i was bored. pls forgive my insensitivities.

    Upset
    Upset
    13 years ago

    Reply #3: The answer is obvious as the others have stated correctly that one is allowed to do whatever is neccessary in the army on Shabbos to protect other Jews. However, my question is why did #3 not know this obvious answer and not ask his question in a more humble way without first assuming that this soldoier was violating Shabbos? This shows our yeshiva system has failed us not to know such a simple answer and to ask the question in this way without condemning a Jew in this way. We need to improve our Yeshiva education and teach real Torah and Torah values in our schools.

    Upset
    Upset
    13 years ago

    Reply #13 This is not something to joke about. If you are bored open up a mussar safer but don’t write such things even as a joke. Again this shows how are yeshiva system has failed us if someone can think of writing such things as a joke. There are real people sufferring in israel and some of the soldiers on the ship were badly hurt and you write such things as a joke. Think before you make such jokes. You owe those soldiers an apology.

    Rachel W.
    Rachel W.
    13 years ago

    Did anyone notice the gorgeous deep blue color of the sea…? Contrast with the oil-sullied waters in the US of A… Hashem, Your wonders and Your messages do not escape us!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Why is it written 9 political activists? They were TERRORISTS!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Arrest the “activists”!!!!