Israel transfers hundreds of Gaza flotilla activists to airport for deportation
All 680 activists to be released on Wednesday; 325 have been transferred from prison to Ben Gurion Airport; first of three Turkish Airlines planes arrives to pick up Turkish nationals.
By Noah Kosharek, Liel Kyzer, Barak Ravid, The Associated Press and DPA Tags: Gaza flotilla Benjamin Netanyahu Israel newsIsrael has begun deporting the first batch of foreign activists seized aboard a six-ship humanitarian aid flotilla seized in an Israel Navy raid en route to the Gaza Strip, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, indicating that the rest of the activists will be escorted out of the country throughout the day.
325 foreign activists were transferred on Wednesday morning from the Ela detention facility in Be'er Sheva to Ben Gurion Airport for flights to their countries of origins.
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Israeli soldiers walking in front of one of the Gaza-bound ships at the port of Ashdod June 1, 2010 |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Another 186 flotilla activists were still at the prison in Be'er Sheva but Israeli authorities were processing their release "at this moment," said a prison service spokeswoman
A Turkish Airlines plane landed at Ben Gurion on Wednesday morning, to pick up detained Turkish activists. Two more Turkish Airlines planes are expected to arrive over the course of the day. A deputy Turkish foreign minister arrived on the first plane to accompany the activists on their trip home.
The decision to deport the hundreds of foreign activists was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided late Tuesday, in the face of mounting world criticism of Monday's assault.
Israeli officials said all 680 activists held would be released, including two dozen Israel had threatened earlier to prosecute charging they had assaulted its troops.
In addition, 124 activists from 12 Muslim nations - most of them without diplomatic ties with Israel - crossed the Allenby Bridge aboard five Jordanian buses.
Jordanian government spokesman Nabil Al-Sharif said there were 30 Jordanians in the group. Jordan is one of two Arab nations with a signed peace treaty with Israel.
The bridge's Jordanian chief, Brig. Mahmoud Abu Jumaa, said Jordan will help repatriate the activists - who include lawmakers and journalists - to their respective countries in coordination with their governments.
Kuwaiti ambassador Sheik Faisal Al Sabah said there were 16 Kuwaitis aboard the buses. They will be flown home aboard a Kuwaiti government-chartered plane later Wednesday, Al Sabah said.
He said the other activists came from Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Oman and Bahrain.
Dozens of other activists remain in Israeli detention, but most are expected to be deported in the coming days.
"It was agreed that the detainees would be deported immediately," Nir Hefez, a spokesman for Netanyahu, said in a written statement to reporters Tuesday. Netanyahu made the decision after consultations with his top ministers.
The activists arriving in Jordan said they had been treated poorly by Israel before being deported.
"The Israelis roughed up and humiliated all of us - women, men and children," said Kuwaiti lawmaker Walid al-Tabtabai, who was on board one of the ships with other activists from Muslim countries.
"They were brutal and arrogant, but our message reached every corner of the world that the blockade on Gaza is unfair and should be lifted immediately," he added.
The bearded lawmaker said there was not a single weapon with the passengers aboard all the ships.
Algerian Izzeddine Zahrour said Israeli authorities deprived the activists of food, water, sleep and use of toilet facilities.
"It was an ugly kidnapping and subsequently bad treatment in Israeli jail," he said. "They handcuffed us, pushed us around and humiliated us".
Mauritanian Mohammed Gholam said Israel wanted the detained actto sign documents saying that we entered Israel illegally.
"We refused to sign anything and told our captors that we didn't wish to go to Israel, but to Gaza and that their commandos kidnapped us from international waters," he added.
The activists from Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa were processed in and around Israel's port of Ashdod on Monday evening, where the six ships of the blockade-running convoy had been escorted after a raid on a Turkish-flagged vessel left nine people dead.
One hundred and twenty of the nearly 700 passengers were transferred Tuesday evening to the border crossing with Jordan, from where they will be returned to their home countries.
The Interior Ministry said 682 activists were ordered deported, and that 45 left on Tuesday, while others were jailed as they challenged the orders, or in hospital being treated for injuries.
Israel gave the following breakdown of countries and numbers of those activists ordered expelled, excluding the nine killed and the seriously wounded in Monday's raid:
Australia 3; Azerbaijan 2; Italy 6; Indonesia 12; Ireland 9; Algeria 28; United States 11; Bulgaria 2; Bosnia 1; Bahrain 4; Belgium 5; Germany 11; South Africa 1; Holland 2; United Kingdom 31; Greece 38; Jordan 30; Kuwait 15; Lebanon 3; Mauritania 3; Malaysia 11; Egypt 3; Macedonia 3; Morocco 7; Norway 3; New Zealand 1; Syria 3; Serbia 1; Oman 1; Pakistan 3; Czech Republic 4; France 9; Kosovo 1; Canada 1; Sweden 11; Turkey 380; Yemen 4.
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let's play poker
The deaths of those peace activists must be considered an act of asymmetrical warfare against Israel. They wantonly died at the hands of the IDF just to make Israel look less pink and fluffy than usual. It was a vicious plot to undermine Israel's reputation as the most humane state that has ever graced the earthly plane. I look forward to the day when these so called Palestinians and their fellow travelers cease to kill themselves with Israeli bombs and bullets. They are all just playing for sympathy.
More than half the 'activists' were Turkish . This has to be Turkish Government approved adventure. Erdogan has gone mad and will drag both Turkey and Israel and the rest of M.E. into hell. Please please Ataturk soldiers come and get the new crazies out, we haven't had a 'coup d'etat' there for some years and now is the time.
When Jews tried to immigrate to Palestine after WWII and the British blocked them, the world's sympathy was with the Jews. Now when pro-Palestinian activists try to run the Israeli blockade, world sympathy should be with the activists. Shame on the Israeli government. Don't they remember their own history?
Rather ironic that the Turks would complain, certainly considering their treatment of the Kurds, the Armenians, involvement in Cyprus etc- pretty much two faced on their part. Oh wait why couldn't they enter Gaza thru Egypt? right hypocrisy
It would be best to depose the activists and witnesses on the main ship where the deaths occurred so they can be held to their testimony without allowing them opportunity to embroyder it later on at an inquest by any Goldstone.
Israel to "DEPORT" activists??? That hardly seems like the right word to use. I don't recall that the activists had any intentions to lay foot in Israel until they were abducted from international waters and dragged there. Please get your terminologies right and don't twist the truth.
A big puzzle -- who are the people who have been injured or have lost their lives? Why has Israel not released this critical information? Perhaps they're are contacting relatives...? Or?
for the next ships that attempt to break the embargo and send aid to gaza...disable the propellers
WOW what a great humanitarian gesture? I have tears in my eyes. Wow I am speechless. By the way what about the bodies of the murdered peace activists? Are they free to go too? or they are going to be charged with resisting arrest in international waters?
Israeli's board a foreign vessel, in international waters, assault activists who are "defending" themselves and, then "abduct" them. "including two dozen Israel had threatened earlier to prosecute charging they had assaulted its troops" Priceless, I guess you have to be Israeli to follow that convoluted logic, as always.
shouldn't they be punished?
Next time disable the boats' motors with either a pinpoint hit on the external propulsion systems or through some other means and then tow the ships into port where the militants can be smacked around properly as they try to strut their egos.
If the activists want to help the Gazans, they should help them to get rid of the terror regime of Hamas. Only then it will maybe possible to bring some peace in the region!
So the so-called peace activists will maybe see what is the reality of the Hamas terror regime and understand what suffering they are bringing to their own people by refusing to make peace with Israel, only in order to maintain their power in Gaza. They have already murdered all the supporter of Fatahand the christian palestinians living in Gaza. Last week they destroyed a children holiday camp of the UN pretending they were not enough islamist... The world should liberate Gaza from this Hamas regime, it would be the best help for the people of Gaza.
The longer they are held, the more publicity they get. Solution: Throw them out.
don't worry though, still more to come and more will be against israel, as i said a year ago, israel will implode, i used to say what a shame, after this i know say hopefully israel will disappear soon, thats right, no more 50/50, thanks for making 100% against you now, because the good have no control over israel, only the evil.
BIG MISTAKE.IT WILL NOT HELP IN THE PR.FOR THE moslem/communist BROWNOSING WORLD,ISRAEL WILL BE THE BAD BOY,NO MATTER WHAT IT DOES...THE STATE SHOULD DEPORT THOSE ENEMY COMBATENTS TO gaza,LET THEM ROT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulation Israel, the whole world hates you -- even more than before.
Israel's Sharpeville massacre, dont worry, South Africans couldnt see what it meant till much later either.
According to latest news the next vessel is on its way. Departing from Malta the MV Rachel Corrie has been send by the FGM arriving somewhere wednesday. This time just I hope the IDF will stay off board, kills the engine and brings it slowly in the burning sun to Ashdod.
Unless there's specific actions that individual activist can be charged with, Israel has no right to take collective action against everyone. After all this aggression was performed in international waters. Israel's propaganda machine stating the activists ties to terrorist groups and they fought with slingshots and sticks is pathetic. There are numerous dead and injured on the activists side, and pray tell how bandades were used on the goon squad. The US needs to condemn this violence and move to the middle in their resolve to get both sides to stop. For Israel, it needs to focus less on the rockets coming from Gaza and more on the illegal settlements and racist acts they heap on the indigenous population on a daily basis.
Very magnanimous of the PM to let off these goons. I personally dont think the fellas who attacked the soldiers with pipes et al should have gone scot free especially after they go around professing that they were only holding white flags.
Specifically will Israel return cell phones, laptops, camcorders, cameras, without destroying/deleting all associated photos, videos, messages, audios, and all other evidence so the world really knows what happened ? You know the answer.
Well that's encouraging. Future "Activists" will now know whom they are allowed to Shoot and Stab.
...is a roll call of honour for the whole world
It was so difficult for you, leaders of Israel, to imagine what will be the sad end of the story? Never was israel in a such horrible situation! And you are going on, no one will resign, without shame!
After kidnapping foreign citizens in international waters, Netanyahu had no other choice. Having this drag out in a court could lead to the prosecution turning into the prosecuted. And this would be going on for months, with full media attention. It would be interesting if there are any law suits as a result of this.
Yes, let's make another mistake by sending home those who attacked our troops - I'm sure it'll look good on TV when they get their heroes welcome.... This government is completely inept.
Dear citizens of Israel, 1- Necdet Kent - Turkish Consul General at Marseille, who granted Turkish citizenship to hundreds of Jews. At one point, he entered an Auschwitz-bound train at enormous personal risk to save 70 Jews, to whom he had granted Turkish citizenship, from deportation. ..... 2-Jews had fled Spain in the late 15th century when the Spanish government committed one of the most heinous acts in history, the ethnic cleansing of the Jewish population of Spain through near-total displacement of its Jews. Although the Jews had existed in Spain prior to the invention of the Spanish language or even the arrival of Christianity, in 1492 they were subject to mass violations of human rights and were forced to flee--or as the Spanish government put it, they would "incur the penalty of death.".. Sultan Mehmet stated: "Who among you of all my people that is with me, may his God he with him, let him ascend to Constantinople, the site of my royal throne. Let him dwell in the best of the land, each beneath his vine and fig tree, with silver and with gold, with wealth and cattle. Let him dwell in the land, trade in it, and take possession of it." and saved many jews... so why using such a force to stop them? please bring those people responsible for this unequal force use to justice... all the best from Istanbul a Turkish citizen who believes still there is a Hope for Peace
Israel uses brute force as it's first, last and only option. And even at that, lately they've ended up on the losing end of these confrontations - - like that stupid 2006 war in Lebanon and now this debacle. The magic is gone. Israel is now run by vicious thugs backed up by incompetent goons.
If over 100 of them are in involved in global Jihad, why releasing them. Why is Israel keeps on apologising for denfending herself. Israel should go on the offensive and warn anyone who is willing to violate Israel's sovereignty of grave consequences. If Israel stands strong and backs it up with actions, it might not be popular but it will get respect.. If not be prepared for more of this with each one yielding more conssessions. This has to stop now.
It's funny to read that the activists are linked to terror group and tjust after to read that all will be released and deported !
israel is frightened
We will hear from the people involved and we will let people in Israel understand how much propaganda coming from their leaders they have to cope with.
This is probably best one and all are deported otherwise the world would accuse Israel of playing favoritism.
in an ideal world, they'd serve some jail time too... at least the ones who assaulted the soldiers
Nulifer Cetin thats who! Next time stay at home with your Baby!
And I was so hoping you'd stick to your guns. Still...more ships on the way!
Too bad. I was looking forward to following Israel's attempt to prosecute them for the crime of defending themselves against masked gunmen with automatic rifles who attack them in the middle of the night while in international waters. And I was curious how many years in prison Israel would deem appropriate punishment for such a horrific crime.
what happened? why did u change your mind?
Isreal is going crazy !!!
Israel is wrong to release those who were violent. Like any normal, independent country Israel should prosecute and jail them. Yes, it will make them celebrities, but it also might deter others and most importantly it will be justice. Releasing them weakens Israeli position that they caused the violence. No country would allow their soldier's blood spill unpunished.
The list of countries should give Israel pause for thought..
I've read multiple independent accounts that the activists & journalists equipment (cameras, laptops, phones, video tapes) has all been confiscated. We've so far heard only one side and that's what MFA wants us to hear - and see. If the activists property isn't returned, intact - it sounds an awful lot like IDF have something to hide.
... perhaps Bibi brought a whiff of sanity with him from chuts-la-aretz (=overseas)...
It is beyond all belief that these terrorists have broken Israeli law by trying to ram a blockade set in place to avoid the smuggling of arms into Gaza, overtly declare their desire to be martyrs,spew out anti-Semitic epiphets, attack and seriously injure Israeli soldiers, cause an international rumpus that in spite of their clear intent which was not humanitarian, virtually leaves them squeaky clean in the eyes of the world and YOU SET THEM FREE! Israel it is time to make a stand -this is a traversty of justice even for the poor soldiers that went on board!
What the hell are you thinking? Everyone on that ship that attacked the IDF should be detained and prosecuted. No exceptions. They are terrorists, not peaceful people, nor are they diplomats.
It's becoming increasingly obvious that Israel has lost it. There is no way these charges would not have stuck. Your move Israel and this time don't shoot your pther foot!