Abbas accuses Israel of 'state terrorism' in Gaza flotilla raid
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calls for international investigation headed by UN into Israeli raid on Gaza-bound flotilla; meeting with U.S. envoy George Mitchell on Wednesday.
By DPA Tags: Israel news Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas Gaza flotillaPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel Wednesday of "state terrorism" for attacking a six-ship flotilla Monday carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
"Our people were subjected to state terrorism" when the Israeli forces attacked the so-called "Freedom Flotilla" in high seas, he told the opening session of the second Palestine Investment Conference in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Israeli naval commandos stormed the flotilla before dawn Monday, after the vessels had refused orders to change course and sail to the Israeli port of Ashdod, instead of the Gaza Strip.
At least nine of the pro-Palestinian activists on board one of the ships were killed in the assault, which, according to footage released by the Israeli military, showed the activists attacking the commandos as they rappelled onto the ships.
The incident provoked wide international condemnation and strained Turkish-Israeli relations.
"The flotilla came from the West to break the siege on Gaza," Abbas said. "The freedom convoy here has come to break the economic blockade on the Palestinian people," he added in reference to the presence of large number of Arab and foreign investors at the Bethlehem investment conference.
"This is not the first time where Arab and Islamic blood mixes with Palestinian blood in the history of this conflict," said Abbas. "The Freedom Flotilla is not the first serious attempt to support the Palestinian people and break the siege and it will not be the last."
The Palestinian leader called for an international investigation headed by the United Nations Security Council into the Israeli attack on the ships, telling the Arab world that "there should be a united Arab stand to end the siege of Gaza."
He also called for international protection of the Palestinian people wondering "how long will this Israeli occupation continue?"
"We are waiting for world justice," he said. "We waited for a long time but we will not despair."
Abbas will meet later Wednesday with special U.S. envoy George Mitchell, who is heading a ranking US delegation to the investment conference.
Sources said Abbas is expected to give Mitchell answers the U.S. envoy asked from Abbas in his second round in the indirect Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which got underway last month.
Abbas said he will also travel to Washington on June 9 for a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas |
| Photo by: AFP |
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I hope the Israeli people are smart enough to not only read and watch news published from within it's own boarders. The Israeli Govt is very good at covering up and inform it's citizien exactly what they want them to think. That is why the passengers were kept away from media. Pictures from the Gov't has been released but all cameras and so on was taken and not returned. All communications seems to have been blocked as telephones, internet etc suddenly went out. That most people on these ships have terrorist ties sounds to me like a joke. My country had 11 people on the boats, including politicians, doctors, a very well known writer- hardly terrorists. I wonder if the Israeli people knows what kind of goods that are forbidden in Gaza? It is not only weapons which of course needs to be banned. BUT, can someone please tell me why: Spices for cooking, cement and plastic toys are banned??? These kinds of goods are not military goods and thus would mean that the blockade is a collective punishment. -This is In direct violation of international law and as most people around the world see it, counter productive to the meanse of getting rid of Hamas. Have they disappeared yet? The Israeli Gov't say that they let many trucks of supply into Gaza each day. That is great but, when relieforganizations, the EU, the UN say it is not nearly enough supplies and that people are on the edge of starving....then it might be a good idea to listen to the UN. Israel does not decide how much a country should eat. However, I doubt this is discussed much in Israeli media. The fact is still: people died due to the fact that Israeli forces tried to take control of other countries ship in international waters. No one disputes this-I hope! This is exactly what also happens outside the coast of Africa. The rest of the world calls it Acts of Piracy. It does not matter if it is done in the name of a country or by rouge soldiers. All we people around the world can ask of you is to start looking around you and listen to other information than what I have read here today. As I see it, there must be a reason for why the EU and UN call for an indipendent international investigation is not met already. The Israeli Gov't is in hiding and is also as of right now transporting away the prisoners from the prison they were held in. This without letting them see their lawyers. This is as far as I understand it against Israeli law as well...... Something to think about
blame the other guy lie, lie, lie continue to continue, until... the weak minded believe the lie. Israel forever! shalom
Look who is talking about terrorisim!!! A terrorist nation who have been terrorizing the State of Israel since 1948 until now, is accusing a soverign nation of terrorisim with a straight face. Let him tell us with a straight face how many terrorist activities he had been active in and how many he had advised including stopping Israeli products into the West Bank.
Hmm..... Force 17, Tanzim and numerous other made up groups. OK, not 'state' terrorism per se but 'PA Authority' terrorism. Love them hypocrits!
Those who are in favor to Palestinians should live in gaza strip facing the Hamas death penalties, hiding rockets every day launched to Israel or sjould even live in the neighborhood where the bombs blow. You all would implore for IDF actions against PA.
The biggest problem is that the Palestinian groups who support the Palestinians do not have any commitment to peace. Fatah and Hamas only makes terrorismo.A help the Palestinians get from their allies and the UN is never transformed into benefits for the population. The cargo of these vessels were intercepted by the IDF certainly would be used to idenizar relatives of suicide. These activists are crazy, like a cargo ship disobeys the orders of a warship? They are suicidal. What they really wanted was to get the media against Israel.
This from the same guy who fully supported the Gaza invaion of 2009 and the killing o hundreads of people just to keep his hold on power. c'mon, you can't have it both ways, you're either with ISrael against Hamas or you're a PA spokesman , for all PA.
If not actually providing intelligence, Abbas and Fatah were certainly encouraging the IDF to finish Hamas off. He is such a two faced opportunist
Israel has every right to act against all ur sabotages Mr Abbas
Abbas the ever present hypocrit asks in the above article "how long will this Israeli occupation continue?" The simple answer is this. When palis stop shooting, stop firebombing, making rockets and shooting them and mortars into ISrael and decide that rebuilding is more important than killingm jews. It will all end whren Palis love their own children more than they do love killing jews. When Abbas stops behaving like a "poor me " victim and starts to behave like a statesman and does right by his people. Curently he is s poor leadser, highly corruptand a weak kneed today to hamas. All not good for the palis.
He should talk. he was part of t4eh Munich massacre, Incites pali to kill jews, allowed fatah to strike at ISrael diorectly. Abbas is one to talk . Then again I understand he has to pay lip service to hamas, as He is not a strpong leader but bends to whatever way the winds blow. A weakling and a coward, and a huge hypocrit
Hamas, Turkey and Iran win the key public relations battle. Israel, USA and Abbas are big losers here. If elections were held now, Abbas would surely get trounced
"There was no massacre and you know it." Ten dead sounds like a massacre to me, Freddy. Just par for the course for Israel, is it? "The IDF was lynched by islamists activists" Errr, how many IDF soldiers were actually strung up, Freddy? Those soldiers were assaulting a ship on the high seas, and so that ships crew is ENTITLED to resist that assault. Calling that a "lynch" is (a) an abuse of the english language and (b) an insult to what is SUPPOSED to be the IDF's "elite" force.
A massacre would be for example whatn the Tuirks did to the Armenians. There is no comparison to the genocideal massacre they committed versus the killi9ng of the ten demonstartros who were trying to kill IDF troops. Pretty rotten deal when you try to kill soldiers, they have a thing called fighting back. Then these so called peaceful demonstartors were in fact affiliated with hamas. So they knew the risks and rolled teh dice and lost. klearn to understand the Kings English Johnboy it really makes you look stupid when you dont
Peaceful activists didn't have to fight. They made their statement by participating in flotilla. Their resistance was very well orchestrated show. And you definitely enjoyed every moment of it. The fact that 8 IDF commandos where hurt and are in the hospital withwith stub
Using the words 'ours' and 'they'. Is this code for Abba to work or reunite with Hamas? Now what would this mean for Israel?
Justice Justice Justice wake up help those in need give them their land back Justice Justice Justice
After the war whioch saw ISrael in control of West Bank and gaza, it tried on many occassions to witrhdraw and give teh land back to egypt and Jordan Respectively (they owned it before the war) problem was it contained something that we today call palestinioans. Neither egypt or Jordan wanted these people as they were then and are now violent, unruly, death worshiping etc etc. Wonder why theswe two arab countries would say no to their brewethren. I suppose thasts juctice for you egypt and jordanaian style.
There was no massacre and you know it. The IDF was lynched by islamists activists and they would do the same to you and you know it.
9 people were killed and about 30 wounded
See the videos in all the newspapers and you will know why. IDF were wounded too or don't you care about Jews? Turkey is at fault here and Israel's defence minister for allowing young men into a violent trap.
( dead do not make a massacre. It makes only for stupidity when 9 people decide they will try to kill soldiers . The nine dead told the world they were peqaceful , they held hands and sang Kumbaya for the cameras, and then promptly turned and behold firebombs, steel batons, knives and yes guns. each and every one of them that attacked a soldiers and tried to kill one put their own lives in danger. These nine losers lost that fight and paid for their stupidity and their religious hate for jews with their lives, and no I was not there, but the video clearly shows these same peqaceful protesters trying to mob abnd kill soldiers. And no Cesare, you were not there eithers, but the truth is still the truth. They pretended to be one thing and turned out to be another no better than terrorists. Soldiers took their lioves, but not until several were badly wounded and stabbed and beaten and shot at. Israel showed remarkable restraint, this evidenced by the very low body count. as for the 30 wounded, Clearly they decided it was not worth forfeiture of their lives. So Cesare, you got it wrong, and instead of doing researchc , you chose to shoot your ignorant mouth off what a pity you could have made a difference otherwise
To Fredy and Sabra: The IDF was lynched...hmmm I didn't read of any of them been killed in the unjustified raid, but indeed I did read about 9 people on the ships killed and many more Civilians wounded. And if there is a decision to violate international law by raiding ships in international waters with fully equipped martial troops you expect those unlawfully raided to greet them with flowers? On which planet do you live? Oh I forgot, selfdefense is only right and legal if you are IDF...