We haven't posted much about the Gaza flotilla mishegas, because it's such an obvious PR stunt of "peace activists" for Hamas. As Claudia Rosset says in Forbes:
With a flotilla of "peace activists" steaming toward the blockaded Gaza strip, Israeli authorities have been worrying about a showdown turning into a public relations disaster. That's a sorry reflection not on Israel but on the willingness of a world audience to swallow almost any amount of propaganda, if it comes with a Gaza label.It also seems to be about some serious posh accommodations. Elder of Ziyon is all over that:
The basic narrative spun by the organizers of this "freedom flotilla" is that some 700 "activists" from dozens of countries have boarded eight or nine ships filled with tons of "humanitarian aid." Their mission is to run the Israeli blockade, "break the siege of Gaza" and "establish a permanent sea lane between Gaza and the rest of the world." The umbrella website for this venture is labeled "The Free Gaza Movement," and on it the "Free Gaza Team" of the "Freedom Flotilla Coalition" professes a dedication to nonviolence and respect for universal human rights.
All that might make sense if Gaza were a peaceful and democratic enclave, unreasonably walled up by its neighbors. But there's some important information that the flotilla crew omits. Gaza is a terrorist enclave.
...Who are these "activists," exactly? ....News outlets have been giving numbers ranging from 600 to 800, aboard either eight or nine ships, coming from such places as Greece, Algeria, Ireland and Turkey. The blockade busters include the requisite Nobel Peace laureate, Irishwoman Mairead Corrigan-Maguire. From Gaza, John Ging, head of the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) has strayed outside his theoretically apolitical brief in order to applaud the flotilla. The Free Gaza website features video messages offering a bon voyage from such hoary fixtures of the lynch-Israel gang as Noam Chomsky, and one of the U.N. Human Rights Council's favorite Israel-haters, Richard Falk.
Under the heading "Donate" the Free Gaza site makes special mention of a "major donation" from Malaysia, "thanks to the passion for justice" of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir and his wife. An excited Al Jazeera reporter, in an English-language broadcast Thursday, made a point of mentioning contributions of some sort from Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen. And among the cheerleaders for this effort is former British parliamentarian George Galloway, who perhaps has more time to devote to Hamas-run Gaza now that he no longer has the option of consorting with Iraq's late dictator, Saddam Hussein.
For this coalition to describe itself as affiliated in any way with "freedom" is an abuse of the term. Likewise, the show of bringing tons of "aid" is hollow at best. Israel, in an attempt to head off a confrontation, offered to let the Gaza flotilla unload its cargo at an Israeli port and have the goods delivered (after inspection) to Gaza by land. The flotilla folks weren't interested. Nor were they willing, despite their avowed love of universal human rights, to try pressuring Hamas to let them bring letters and food to the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
This ship convoy is not about freedom and not about aid. It is patently about helping Hamas and harming Israel.
As I mentioned previously, the moonbats who are trying to sail to Gaza have to document how terrible the lives of Gazans are have wonderful choices for working out.
But where can they stay? Surely they must be forced to sleep under the stars, or in tents, because the entire sector has been flattened by the IDF.
Luckily for them, the Al Deira hotel is available and waiting for them to help them rough it in Gaza.
The people who sacrifice so much for the human rights of Gazans must first be confronted with the bullet-pocked entrance:
Then they move on to the decrepit reception area:
They are forced to walk up the war-ravaged stairs:
Where they then must face the horrors of war in their room:
(Yes, the bottom picture is one of the guest rooms, not a lobby,according to the person who posted it on their guest book.)
They unfortunately missed the special last Christmas when the hotel offered family specials, so they cannot as easily interview the children of Gaza about their misfortune:
The deprivation is unceasing, viewable around every corner:
Luckily, the hotel offers wireless Internet access, so these human-rights advocates can write articles about all of the terrible conditions they have been forced to witness firsthand:
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