Would there be another showdown, or would the world watch as Isreal turns the sole dictator in the Middleeast.

Questions to be answered in a few days.

Meanwhile, the MV Rachel Corrie aid ship is heading towards the coast of Gaza, aiming to break the Israeli blockade.

Activists on board told the BBC's Andrew North in Jerusalem by telephone that they were about 150 miles (240km) away and aimed to arrive just outside Israel's 20-mile (30km) exclusion zone off Gaza by Saturday morning.

They said there were 20 people on board, including five Irish nationals, six Malaysians and nine crew members.

One of the activists, former Nobel peace prize winner Mairead Corrigan Maguire, said their humanitarian aid shipment included cement and construction materials - items banned by Israel.

Israel has made it clear it will not allow the ship - named after a US college student who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer as she protested about house demolitions in Gaza - to dock in the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli government has instead offered to take the aid in by land, once it has checked there is nothing in the shipment that can be used for weapons.

After Monday's deadly assault on the six other aid ships, Israel's response is being closely watched, our correspondent says.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire told him that they planned to sail all the way into Gaza, but would show no resistance or violence if Israeli forces stopped them and boarded the ship.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10236884.stm

By now, they should have learnt their lessons, but you never know with a thug like Netanyahu.

@Beaf

There is going to be a showdown by the looks of it. Israel is caught between a rock and a hard place.

If they allow the ship through it shows Hamas how weak Israel could be, if they don't many activists in the world would come down on Israel. Well Israel brought it on itself by being stubborn, the UN has urged it to peacefully lift the blockade years ago. Lets just see what happens, a few days would answer.

Israel has made it clear it will not allow the ship - named after a US college student who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer as she protested about house demolitions in Gaza - to dock in the Palestinian territory.

Beaf:

By now, they should have learnt their lessons, but you never know with a thug like Netanyahu.

I think his only brother was killed as a mercenary in Africa, remember 90 minutes at Entebbe?

Ikomi:

@Beaf

There is going to be a showdown by the looks of it. Israel is caught between a rock and a hard place.

If they allow the ship through it shows Hamas how weak Israel could be, if they don't many activists in the world would come down on Israel. Well Israel brought it on itself by being stubborn, the UN has urged it to peacefully lift the blockade years ago. Lets just see what happens, a few days would answer.

You couldn't be more right about the bolded. But I believe (or rather hope) there is enough sanity left in that country to realise that it is time for them to back down.

Israel is rapidly becoming a leper in the commity of nations. They have been condemned by several international press bodies and there are quite strong reactions from European countries like below;

Norwegian military cancels seminar as a matter of principle.

The military has called off a seminar with an Israeli Special forces officer after requests by the Ministry of Defence to remove him from the list of participants.
Full story here

Norwegians are also boycotting Israeli goods and there are loud calls for similar action in other Earopean countries like the UK.

Afam:

I think his only brother was killed as a mercenary in Africa, remember 90 minutes at Entebbe?

I didn't know that. Maybe that is part of what is affecting his brain.

Afam:

I think his only brother was killed as a mercenary in Africa, remember 90 minutes at Entebbe?

Yonatan Netanyahu

That does not explains his strong hardline position, as it should also be known to him as a leader of a people that two wrongs can never make a right.

His wisdom as a leader should supersede the anger he bears inside. I respect every leader though as it is never an easy position to get to, but a leaders time in office tells if the time and effort he spent to get to the position was worth it.

Netanyahu , do the right thing.

Tow the ship back to Ashdod, arrest the terrorists 'peace activists ' and deport them back to where they came from.

Ikomi:

Yonatan Netanyahu

That does not explains his strong hardline position, as it should also be known to him as a leader of a people that two wrongs can never make a right.

His wisdom as a leader should supersede the anger he bears inside. I respect every leader though as it is never an easy position to get to, but a leaders time in office tells if the time and effort he spent to get to the position was worth it.

What insinuated anger are you talking about ?

See what beer parlour talk can do to some people's analysis of real issues ? lol.

frosbel:

Netanyahu , do the right thing.

Tow the ship back to Ashdod, arrest the terrorists 'peace activists ' and deport them back to where they came from.

lol Frosbel your sick.  

frosbel:

What insinuated anger are you talking about ?

See what beer parlour talk can do to some people's analysis of real issues ? lol.

Ur a sick mind, what do you understand by the post you condemn.

Ikomi:

your a sick mind, what do you understand by the post you condemn.

What I am saying is that we all know Netanyahu lost a brother years ago during a successful raid on Entebe, but the fact is that he has gotten over than episode decades ago.

All Netanyahu is currently trying to achieve is to guarantee the security of his people !

frosbel:

What I am saying is that we all know Netanyahu lost a brother years ago during a successful raid on Entebe, but the fact is that he has gotten over than episode decades ago.

All Netanyahu is currently trying to achieve is to guarantee the security of his people !

Ohh well now I know your a sick mind, at least we all now know that you and Netanyahu communicate on a one-to-one basis and he personally told you what he has gotten over and what he has not, or that you read his emotion in one of your direct talks with him. Idiot.

Ikomi:

Ohh well now I know your a sick mind, at least we all now know that you and Netanyahu communicate on a one-to-one basis and he personally told you what he has gotten over and what he has not, or that you read his emotion in one of your direct talks with him. Idiot.

Lol.

An ignorant man will always resort to abuse when he loses an arguement !

Ikomi:

Ohh well now I know your a sick mind, at least we all now know that you and Netanyahu communicate on a one-to-one basis and he personally told you what he has gotten over and what he has not, or that you read his emotion in one of your direct talks with him. Idiot.

Afam:

Oh yeah, partners in ignorance.

frosbel:

An ignorant man will always resort to abuse when he loses an arguement !

If you noticed I took your first statement as a joke, thinking it was coming from a misinformed or jocular person, but I noticed you were trying to turn a stupid statement into that of fact so am calling your lunacy thats all.

frosbel:

Oh yeah, partners in ignorance.

I no get right to laugh at your stupidity again? Na only laugh I laugh e dey you like dis.

Sorry no violence this time. Probably because there are no Islmalic fundamentalists on board. Maybe next time huh?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100604/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gaza_blockade

Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan, who was on the ship with other activists, said they were determined to press on but would offer no resistance if Israeli forces came aboard.

"We will sit down," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the ship. "They will probably arrest us , But there will be no resistance."

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8vpq50zmO8&hl=en[/flash]

Mariory:

Sorry no violence this time. Probably because there are no Islmalic fundamentalists on board. Maybe next time huh?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100604/ap_on_re_mi_ea/gaza_blockade

Thugs only learn when their own stupidity has knocked them for six. That is what has happened to Israel this time; Netanyahu has given orders that nobody should be harmed this time. Civilisation hits the murderous Israeli leadership!

Beaf:

Thugs only learn when their own stupidity has knocked them for six. That is what has happened to Israel this time; Netanyahu has given orders that nobody should be harmed this time. Civilisation hits the murderous Israeli leadership!

Deluded !

Thats the word, I remember now.

frosbel:

Deluded !

Thats the word, I remember now.

You keep hauling abuses and NEVER providing any back up arguments.

You have the mentality of all Al-Qaeda like people;
"follow me, or I brutalise you! Believe me, or I kill you! Join me, or I lynch your family!"
Its the way of Uganda's child molesting Lords army and Boko Haram.

When someone starts posting Fox News as his major source for news, that is a good sign he is deranged.

Especially listening to Glenn Beck the same guy that compared Obama with Hitler and called him racist.

Frosbel ur sick.

Ikomi:

When someone starts posting Fox News as his major source for news, that is a good sign he is deranged.

Especially listening to Glenn Beck the same guy that compared Obama with Hitler and called him racist.

Frosbel your sick.

Na now you know say the guy sick? E don tey wey I know.

Ikomi:

When someone starts posting Fox News as his major source for news, that is a good sign he is deranged.

Especially listening to Glenn Beck the same guy that compared Obama with Hitler and called him racist.

Frosbel your sick. 

Okay, when I start watching your gay supporting, pro-murder abortion, liberal, socialist, anti-Jew, MSNBC and ABC news channels, maybe that will make you happy.

Abeg commot jo.

Afam:

Na now you know say the guy sick? E don tey wey I know.

Try and manufacture some original ideas of your own and stop regurgitating Beaf's misled comments.

I laugh as I watch people try to spin the truth. It really is amazing. Anyways the ship has been towed to Israel with no violence. This will make some people very angry.

Israeli troops say they have taken control of an aid ship trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military says soldiers boarded the Irish-owned Rachel Corrie from the sea and did not meet any resistance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10245176.stm

Mariory:

I laugh as I watch people try to spin the truth. It really is amazing. Anyways the ship has been towed to Israel with no violence. This will make some people very angry.

This is the whacked sentiment people try to profer that just does not ryhme, who has called for violence, the aim is calling to attetion the fact that the Isreali imposed blockade of Gaza is illegal.

If anyone wanted violence they would have fitted machine guns to their boats, why are these littel things so hard for you guys to understand.

@Ikomi, Beaf, Afam ( copy cat ) - enough of your silly remarks which are based on ignorance of the facts and reality. ENOUGH.

The blockade is there to ensure no military equipment or which can be used for military purposes get into Gaza. If all of the Gaza population are Hamas terrorists than the blockade is a "massive collective punishment" as you put it. But as we all know, not all of people in Gaza are Hamas terrorists, the blockade is not affecting all of them. Yes, there are those who are affected due to dual-use materials that are not allowed in, but it is not a collective punishment. It is called collateral damage. All countries act like that. Gaza is not unique. What do you think happens when the West is not allowing dual-use materials to get into Iran due to their nuclear programme?

The population in Gaza have all the food and peaceful needs they require (apart from those dual - use as discussed earlier). There is no humanitarian crisis there and most of the "aid" transferred in this flotilla was not even required. Hamas is not even allowing it to enter.

I suggest you learn the facts and stop using slogans from the media. The blockade on Gaza is international! Egypt has a boarder with Gaza and is doing the same things. Everyone in the region are afraid of having an Iranian port in Gaza - this is exactly what will happen once the blockade is removed. The blockade was put with the backing of EU countries. The British Navy committed to help as well (though has done nothing yet to prevent arm smuggling into Gaza).

Stop the hypocrisy regarding Israel who only wants to protect its citizens. Take the threat away from Israel and you will get a cooperative friend. As long as everyone in the region is threatening Israel's existence, Israel has no choice but to defend itself. Blockade is just one tool.

Lastly, the economy in Gaza is shuttered mainly due to the people of Gaza themselves. Before 1996 when Hamas started with suicide bombings inside Israel, the boarder was 100% open and 40% of Gaza working population used to cross everyday to work in Israel. Gradually, since the number of workers from Gaza allowed to work has been reduced due to their own actions. Since 2005 when Israel left Gaza for good, the boarded is closed. Why the Europeans are not helping them to build businesses? Maybe Hamas is not interested? Think about it.

When Israel left Gaza, it left behind green houses and other equipment that the Israeli settlers used to create one of the finest produce (when later sold to Europe). What did Hamas made of it? Terror camps.

Facts do not hurt if you know them. They open up the mind. You should try it once in a while.


( customized comment from the Times )

Ikomi:

This is the whacked sentiment people try to profer that just does not ryhme, who has called for violence, the aim is calling to attetion the fact that the Isreali imposed blockade of Gaza is illegal.

If anyone wanted violence they would have fitted machine guns to their boats, why are these littel things so hard for you guys to understand.

Dear God! So your definition of violence is a gun? Using a knife on another person isn't violence? Using a stick on another person isn't violence? Using a stone on another person isn't violence? Using a metal bar on another person isn't violence? Using flash bangs on another person isn't violence? You know I think I now understand the "littel" things you speak of. I now understand.

Anyways, the aid on the ship will now be transferred by land and may be refused by Hamas as with the previous cargo. Judging by the following statistics, this is understandable.

Life expectancy at birth:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total population: 73.68 years
country comparison to the world: 110
male: 72.05 years
female: 75.4 years (2010 est.)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gz.html

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2008
74

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/oPt_statistics.html

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2008
48

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/nigeria_statistics.html

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2008
58

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/sudan_statistics.html

Life expectancy at birth (years), 2008
50

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/somalia_statistics.html

Can Israel transfer the aid to Nigeria since Hamas doesn't want it?

frosbel:

@Ikomi, Beaf, Afam ( copy cat ) - enough of your silly remarks which are based on ignorance of the facts and reality. ENOUGH.
. . .
( customized comment from the Times )

The bit above in red worries me beyond measure. You cannot deliberately change a news agencies words! Its just not done!
When you have posted the unaldulterated content from the Times, I will reply you.

Beaf:

The bit above in red worries me beyond measure. You cannot deliberately change a news agencies words! Its just not done!
When you have posted the unaldulterated content from the Times, I will reply you.

The only part I customized was '@Ikomi, Beaf, Afam ( copy cat )'

Everything else is original.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7144671.ece