Israeli naval vessels thwarted the advance of a pro-Palestinian boat attempting to reach Gaza on Saturday in defiance of Israel's blockade of the territory, the military said.
The ships diverted the Estelle to the nearby port of Ashdod after passengers refused to steer the vessel off its course, the military said in a statement. The some 30 passengers on board did not offer resistance.
"A short while ago, Israeli naval soldiers boarded the Estelle en route to the Gaza Strip attempting to break the maritime security blockade," the statement said.
Victoria Strand, a spokeswoman for Ship to Gaza in Sweden, which sent the Estelle, told the Associated Press that armed, masked soldiers boarded the boat and cut their communications as they were some 30 nautical miles from Gaza. She said activists on board told her that some six naval boats surrounded their vessel.
"This is a demonstration of ruthlessness," Strand said.
The Swedish-owned, Finnish-flagged Estelle left Naples, Italy, on Oct. 7 with about 30 people from eight countries, carrying items like cement, basketballs and musical instruments...I wouldn't fret too much if I were you, sweetie. I think they'll be able to muddle through without those things. After all, they still have their new iPhones. Oh, and also their "homemade" rockets.
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| No basketballs for Hamas? It's an outrage! |
Sometimes Israel seems to be the last Western country whose men, in the preponderance, are prepared to play a man's role in the defense of the nation. (I humbly beseech Scaramouche's pardon for the unabashedly male chauvinist language and pov; she well knows how much I respect the grit, intelligence, and skill of the strong women of the conservative blogosphere . . . but, let's face it, Western societies have become dangerously feminized places.)
ReplyDeleteFor Israel's sake, I hope the Likud-led coalition that presently controls the country's government can hang on until the threat from Iran can be neutralized.
I have no problem with your so-called chauvinism. In fact, I happen to share it (even though I'm a chick.
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