Jun 09 2010
KPFK Fund Drive – Day 1
Listen to the entire program
The Real Story Behind the Israel’s Raid of the Freedom Flotilla
The Israeli commando attack last week on the Freedom Flotilla bound for Gaza has left nine activists dead, and Benjamin Netanhayu’s right wing Likud government more internationally isolated than ever. The activists aboard the aid flotilla intended to break Israel’s four year blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza by bringing supplies to Palestinians. Eight of the nine killed were Turkish citizens, and the ninth was a 19 year old Turkish American. Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak stated that there will be internal and military investigations into the clash at sea, and to determine the legality of the blockade. In subsequent events, Israel seized a another aid ship in the flotilla, the Irish flagged Rachel Corrie. And on Sunday, Israeli naval commandos killed four Palestinians when they opened fire on a “squad of militants” in diving suits off the coast of Gaza. The al-Aqsa Brigades said the divers were simply conducting training exercises. On Monday, a 21 year old American activist Emily Henochowicz lots an eye after Israeli forces shot her with a tear-gas canister during a protest in Jerusalem.
The political firestorm resulting from the raid has also dealt a likely fatal blow to the Israel-Turkey alliance. Turkey has been one of Israel’s few friends in the Islamic world and the two countries shared military technology. Israel used Turkish air space to train for a possible attack on Iran. Now, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the attacks at sea a “bloody massacre” and called for an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
In the United States, anti Israeli comments made by veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas have “gone viral.” Thomas stated that Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine . . . Remember these people are occupied. And it’s their land.” Thomas also stated that the Israelis should go back to Poland, Germany, and the United States. Thomas’ comments caused a media frenzy obscuring serious discussion of the nature of the U.S.-Israeli alliance in the wake of the raid, and the Obama administration’s recent approval of a ten year $30 Billion military aid package to Israel.
GUESTS: Mary Thompson Hughes, Co-Founder Free Gaza Movement, Norman Finkelstein, prolific scholar and author of a number of books, including Beyond Chutzpah: On the misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, and The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. His latest book is called “This Time They Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion.”
Thank you Gifts:
Free Palestine Dollar-a-Day Pack – $365
• Uprising Conversation with Huwaida Arraf – CD – $35
• Norman Finkelstein – This Time We Went too Far – book – $100
• American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein – DVD – $125
• Occupation 101 – 2 DVD set – $120
3 Responses to “KPFK Fund Drive – Day 1”
What a crock of shit! Typical palestenian lies and bull shit!. Israel is isolated from Islamic countries and the bunch of protestors in other countries are immigrant (illegal and legal) migrants from moslem countries. In reality, no one gives a shit about the 9 dead terrorists. Israel was handling the issue with kids gloves, 9 dead is too little. Israel was restrained in not sinking the ship.
Yes Its a pity about ISrael – Turkey Alliance, as soon as the ISlamist Radical ERdogan is out of the way. Secularism will rule once again in Turkey and the relations will be back to Normal. With Erdogan’ dictatorial way within Turkey and encouragement to Islamic radicalization, this is just a matter of time before Secular forces in turkey will set things right!
Why is everyone attacking Helen Thomas? She spoke of Jews in Palestine. The only Jews in Palestine are the Israeli settlers and their IDF soldier-guards. Many Israelis would like the settlers to leave Palesine, and every US administration since 1971 has said the settlements are contrary to US policy. Certainly Helen Thomas could have been more polite, but was she anti-semitic? Or was she just saying what many people think about the settlers who are stealing Palestinian land, attacking Palestinian villagers and their mosques, and even attacking the IDF when it tries to prevent them from new construction.