Mossad chief: Israel gradually becoming burden on U.S.

israel was never a asset to usa

This problem will only be solved by imposing a peace treaty followed by disingagement on the U.S. side. It does not make sense for my country to have presence in 7 Arab countries and be friend to Israel at the same time. there is something wrong there and the current administration is getting to recognise it. It is never too late to disengage from full unquestionable support to Israel. Time has come for a real change for the sake of my country.

"assessed that the passengers on board were sleeping" What a joke! There were 600 people on that ship. There was no way a helicopter could approach them without at least one guy noticing it, who would then wake up the others. That's illusional, and I don't believe for an instant that the commandos took that for serious.

Now everyone is racing to look like an angel. GET THAT PEACE GOING

Look on the video showing that when the Israeli force was go from the helicopter to the ship board (and the Israeli force didn't do them anything), those "Peaceful & Humanity" people starting to hit them with metal poles, chairs, knifes, ax and other weapons. Look on the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LulDJh4fWI&feature=popular those are the people who are nick themselves as humanity & peaceful people? the Israeli force didn't do anything to them, and those terrorists starting to do a lynch on them. In the start of this struggle, the Israeli force was only with guns with color-bolts. You can see in the video who starts, how those terrorists starting to do on the Israeli force a lynch. In the video you can see how they throwing a solider off board! Those people are not humanity, and not want to help. Those people want to kill, they are terrorists!!! Only when the force was starting to understand that their life are in dangers, other soldiers come to help. this time with M16 to save the life of their friends. Look on the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LulDJh4fWI&feature=popular. On the ship the soldiers found a lot of weapons!

"... the army had decided against sabotaging a ship in the Gaza flotilla at the center of Monday's deadly clashes, out of fear that the vessel would be stranded in the middle of the ocean and at risk of a humanitarian crisis..." Drollish perverted logic but it does make sense to Israelis.

It is in everyone's interest for a peace agreement to be reached between Israel and its' Arab neighbors...everyone's interest except that of the leaders of Israel. For them, anything is better than peace. And America has supported these people. It is high time that America directly intervened and forced a peace agreement...something it is perfectly able to do and something the world wants it to do.

you have not become a burdon to THIS american, my friend. never forget you are at war w/the world. you have many friends on this planet, maybe not as vocal as the critics. but we stand beside you, not behind you...hiding!

Israel has always been a burden. This, from a former Israel sympathizer

Mossad lately seems to be burdensome on Israel these days not to mention its few friends.

plenty of americans are friendly towards israel even if the great arab friend obummer is an enemy of the alll the west

US govt is having no other choice other than supporting state of Israel. In middle east Israel is the only true friend of USA. USA need Israel as much as Israel need USA. So ditching Israel by USA is impossible.

Again the setup intended to discredit Israel is being played out by the media before the truth is known. Watching the video shows the protestors clearly attacking the Israeli soldiers as the soldiers dissented by rope from a helicopter. I find it deplorable that Turkey would support people who were supposed to be peace protestors, but were in fact armed and very dangerous. This campaign to destroy Israel’s image and make her a war criminal is meant to completely reshape Israel into the human rights violator the Islamic world wants the rest of the world to see. Making the Arabs the victims will changes the whole dynamics of Arab/Israeli conflict. The Arabs who have started numerous wars with Israel have released terrorism upon the world to make it pay for the creation of Israel in what is viewed as Islamic lands. The West better wake up to the game being played here by the Moslems.

One guy with his head screwed on the right way for a change. Problem is the others won't care enough to do anything to correct the situation, other than passing out compliments to the Obamas on how intelligent they are etc. etc.

should have go down on the boat armed and not exposed as seen on the footage. we are often accused for being aggressive - show me another army that will behave with more tolerance than IDF. UN twist around the situation and accusing us for deffending ourselves.

It may be time for Israel to reconsider the peace process and withdraw from it. If Israel cannot be treated fairly by the world community then there is no point to further negotiations. Past appeasement and weakness by Olmert, Livni, Barak, Peres, and Rabin and others have destroyed our deterrance. Israel must develop a real policy of Mutual Assured Destruction the type of policy the US had during the cold war against any country that would seek to destroy Israel both physically and economically. Normal rules of diplomatic behavior does not seem to work. http://ralphsrant1.blogspot.com

Is it beause Israel doeasn't require 40.000 American soldiers on its soil in order to defend itself ?

DEMOCRATIC ... FREEDOM ... LIBERTY.... TRUTH QUALITIES that have been CHEAPLY SOLD for NOUGHT ... ISRAEL IS INNOCENT... JUST TRYING TO DEFEND HERSELF in a WORLD gone MAD- the WORLD SINS have DELUDED their MINDS... their ABILITY to see CLEAR & TRUTH...

Ron Ben Yishai says, over here http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3896796,00.html "A few minutes before the takeover attempt aboard the Marmara got underway, the operation commander was told that 20 people were waiting on the deck where a helicopter was to deploy the first team of the elite Flotilla 13 unit.". Colonel Itzik Turgeman tells the committee the deck was quiet & the passengers assumed to be sleeping. The habit of having different truths depending on the audience is very damaging to Israel - anything that is said that exonerates or supports Israel's atrocities is treated with deep suspicion or mistrust - because there are always so many different versions of the story about why it is not Israel that is at fault.

Israel had some positive strategic value to the US during the Cold War with the Soviets. At the time, the dictatorships in the region were pro-Soviet, Israel was pro-West, Israeli victory over the Arabs meant victory of Western Weapons over Soviet weapons, and this general framework was used to evaluate the "worth" of countries. We have a completely different geo-political background today. Sovietism has been discredited, and Egypt turned Westward soon after 1973, even before the collapse of the USSR. The US can now look at specific interests in the area, mostly assuring oil supply and diminishing Arab hatred towards it. Is Israel of any help in these matters? Quite the opposite. The Palestinian problem is used as means of recruiting volunteers for al-Qaida. And when Iraq took over Kuwait in 1990 and war ensued, the US had to PAY Israel not to get involved and not to respond to missiles by Saddam that were meant to confuse Arabs and their loyalties. Quite simply, Israel only means strategic trouble for the US. If there is "value" to Israel it is in its shared democratic and humane tradition with the US. If Israel refuses to engage in peace efforts, one wonders how long (I mean "short") it will take for the US to completely remove itself as Israel's "best friend" and Defender in Chief.

"rapidly becoming a burden" is more like it

It's not the jews, it's their arrogant "leaders"

This latest incident is going to be an eye-opener for Israel. I don't think that the Obama administration is "anti-Israel," but the United States is going to have to play a delicate balancing act frowning upon privateering while supporting its good friend Israel. Israelis should understand that the U.S. is currently engaged in two long, never-ending, expensive and wildly unpopular wars that are part of a larger world population that doesn't like Israel. With Iran, there is a possibility that we might take on a third war that we cannot afford. As long as Israel acts conscientiously, it's easier for the United States to position itself as "the ally of the only real democracy in the region." The American press routinely reminds us that Israel is a flourishing democracy which follows the rule of law and is compatible with our values. Lately you guys seem hellbent on screwing that up and taking our friendship for granted. I know some right-wing tough guys will come on here and say "Good! We don't need America!" I hope you fools never find out how wrong you are.

"IDF troops had observed the Mavi Marmara and as the deck seemed quiet, assessed that the passengers on board were sleeping" how do Israelis believe this BS? Helicopters, navy ships, military boats, load communications going back and forth...and the passengers were asleep! LOL!

I'm so very unhappy about Israeli politics. Now there are 9 people dead, who tried to bring som humanitarian relief to people who suffer since years under the Israeli blockade. I understand the Israeli arguments, but this death toll is too high. I can't understand Israel anymore. As you suffered because of the intifadah I came to Israel in a time where no tourists came, because I was shocked with the murders, but now I don't understand you anymore. As a German, who was born after WWII, I have ever thought that Israel would be a better state and I always have defended your politics in discussions with my friends. But now? Please help me to understand your side of this issue. Petra Schwartz

Israel made wrong!

"the vessel would be stranded in the middle of the ocean and at risk of a humanitarian crisis. " Hmm... NOW THERE IS NO CRISIS AT ALL... THIS "SENIOR OFFICER" SHALL BE COMEDIAN ASAP!

It is posted on YouTube. It supports Israel's version of events.

These people are out to destroy Israel and kill you. If you are not prepared to fight them to protect your wife, children, and land, you will suffer the consequences.

Humanitarian crisis on ship that carries tons of aid? Please smoke something less harmfull before you make your next statement. Good lord, this brabbling hurts the mind!

It would have been better than killing those provocateurs. Even if we assume those ships could have stranded there, i am certain that they had food. Or the Israelis could have provided them until they were escorted to the dock.

"Non-violent peace activists". Pigs arse.

Israel is not worried about the 1.5 million people in crisis for 4 years in Gaza, but fears stranding one ship of 600 people for a few days? Do they think we are fools to believe this sort of lame excuse?

İsrail must accept that it was a terrible attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvS9PXZ3RWM

.. or horrified.

Well my dear Muslims lets hear it. Clearly the ship was not attacked as the palis and Turks like to portray , but the 30 some odd protester whpo were the hard core resisters (hamas) lay in wait. Seems some of the protesters had pistols as well. Now doesnt that put a different tone on it. Damn Turkey, they could have vetted these protesters and removed these troublemakers and nine people would be alive today. But since when does doing the right thing trump martyrdom

Turkish woman, 1-year-old son return from Israel http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=0601093747646-2010-06-01

There is a funny side to this story. When I read the above story I couldn't help remember the Dubai hit job. That was funny too. Commandos were hit with clubs and beaten, seriously funny. Maybe they should have waited until the morning and simply boarded with boats. They can use cameras so they can film all the culprits who attack them. The ship would be in Israeli waters and no one internationally would say much. Come on Israel get better advise, some real stupid people are in charge these days.

If I was a peacefull aid worker I would not hide my face from identification.. seems like premeditated violence.

I am a normal Turkish citizen.I want you to be sensitive about our frendship.Because all of us frends centuries years.We musnt be a part of wrong political games... Me and my family all so too sad about this events.Please Descartes this problems with friendship relations.Thanks for Attenttions... Berat ADALI/İSTANBUL

It is better to challange 500 hostil people and kill dozens and do not have a human crisis...???

The IDF used nets to foul the propellers. The 6th ship was too large for nets to be effective.

How come I don't believe the IDF. When the aid boots cannot returne because of sabotage we know who did it.

All said and done the killing appears to be rather convenient. Ordinary civilians will think twice before joining another Gaza relief flotilla knowing they may pay for it with their lives. One can say that "deterrence" has been achieved in this case....

Tell it to the grieving families, and explain to your commandos why you dropped them on a ship full of angry pro-palestinian activists so they had to fight for their lives....

Israel must be strong . Loss of life unfortunate but Israel took the only correct course available.

Really now, the more Israelis try to whitewash this with their inane "hasbara" the more Israel is going to be loathed globally. Is the world supposed to thank Israel for not sabotaging the engines because of its supposed humanitarian concerns?! How pathetically twisted.