Months after the incident off the coast of Gaza on May 31st, the BBC program “Panorama” presents thorough research and analysis from both sides, resulting in arguably the most complete account of “the Flotilla.” From the origins of the flotilla organizers and participants to what happened when Israeli soldiers boarded the Mavi Marmara, the BBC’s piece is a must-watch. Check out the segment below.

Pt. 1

Pt. 2

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Earlier today, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) fired at Israeli soldiers working along the Lebanese border in northern Israel.  The force was in internationally recognized Israeli territory, carrying out routine maintenance which was coordinated with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). The soldiers were working on clearing trees near Israel’s security fence when they were struck by incoming fire from the other side of the border. As the pictures and map below show, the area between the security fence and the internationally recognized “Blue Line” (the border between Israel and Lebanon) is 115 meters, over a football field length. As the IDF were east of the Blue Line, they were clearing not in Lebanese territory and did not incite the Lebanese attack.

For Illustrative Purposes Only

Israeli soldier performing maintenance prior to LAF attack

Looking at the above 2 images, it is clear that the road in which the IDF was removing brush from is in fact east of the Lebanon border. The image of the cherrypicker above shows maintenance on Israel’s security fence, but the fence itself is not the internationally recognized “Blue Line.” The road pictured above corresponds to the road highlighted in purple on the map.

Following what Israel’s  Northern Command General called a “sniper ambush,” the IDF force immediately returned fire with light arms at a force of the LAF, and the IDF also made use of artillery fire. Several minutes later an Israel Air Force (IAF) helicopter fired at the LAF Battalion Command Center in Al-Taybeh, damaging several LAF armored combat vehicles.

In a statement, the Israeli government blamed Lebanon for provoking the clash, saying it took a particularly grave view of the action as IDF soldiers had been working in complete coordination with UN peacekeepers.

“Israel sees this incident as a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, one of a long line of violations, first of which is the massive arming of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon,” the statement read. “Israel views the government of Lebanon as responsible for this grave event and warns of possible consequences if these violations continue.”

Following this initial skirmish, Lebanese forces fired an RPG at an Israeli tank operating in Israeli territory. The tank returned fire. A ceasefire has been declared to avoid exacerbating tensions between the two sides in what has already been the most serious military engagement since 2006. Israel plans to file a formal complaint to the United Nations.

Dov Harari, IDF Lieutenant Colonel from Natanya, was killed in the attack. He was 45.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

For decades the Middle East has been continuously in turmoil, with a de facto state of war for many countries exacerbated by internal politics. Today we have the most important conflict emerging which will shape every corner of the Middle East. On one side of this conflict are Islamic extremist groups who are pushing for the implementation of Shariah, or Islamic law. Their goal is the creation of a unified Islamic Kingdom (Caliphate) which most Muslims acknowledge has not existed since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. On the other side stands the moderate camp, which despite their positions as leaders in government, shield themselves from progressives and liberalizing forces in order to keep the status quo which has kept them in power for decades.

The internal political map and dynamics inside Lebanon, a small but important state in the Middle East, always reflected the regional forces and conflicts in a very clear and sharp way. continue reading…

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In a small Jerusalem café, I sat with Noam Shalit and tried to discuss his son, Gilad. I say tried because each time Noam, a soft-spoken, bespectacled man, began a sentence, the owner of the café rushed over with complimentary plates of humus, salads and desserts. Passersby, glimpsing Noam through the window, burst inside to embrace him. “We are with you,” they cried. “We will get our Gilad home.”

That our is the key to understanding the devotion that Israelis feel for Gilad Shalit. The Israel Defense Forces is a citizens’ army in which most young men serve for a minimum of three years, followed by several decades of reserve duty. Young women serve for at least two. Our soldiers are literally our parents, our siblings, our children. Israel is also a small country with few if any degrees of separation between families. Even those who have never met the Shalits know someone who has. And all of us have loved ones—a brother, a son—who could suffer the same ordeal that Gilad began four years ago today. continue reading…

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Yasser Kashlak, organizer of another flotilla which will be leaving from Beirut, has been found to be a friend of Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Said Mr. Kashlak in a letter for Nasrallah, “In the name of the Palestinian people… we stress that we are taking the path of resistance.”

One of the ships, Miriam, is being led by Samar al-Hajj, who is the wife of a Lebanese officer who served a prison sentence for his involvement in the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Three weeks ago, to celebrate the officer’s release, al-Hajj met with Hezbollah’s Nasrallah to thank him for his support.

There are a lot of unknowns about the incoming Lebanese ships. However, according to international law, Israel has the right and the obligation to redirect ships trying to break the law. Israel can then bring them to an Israeli port for inspection.

Please stay tuned for future updates. To read more, click here.

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PARIS (AP)— The Turkish Islamic charity behind a flotilla of aid ships that was raided by Israeli forces on its way to Gaza had ties to terrorism networks, including a 1999 al-Qaida plot to bomb Los Angeles International Airport, France’s former top anti-terrorism judge said Wednesday.

The Istanbul-based Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, known by its Turkish acronym IHH, had “clear, long-standing ties to terrorism and Jihad,” former investigating judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. continue reading…

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“Dear Judge Goldstone,

My name is Dr. David Zangen.  I am a consultant in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem.  Over 50% of my patient population is Palestinian from Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.  I speak Arabic and initiated the first training program for Palestinian physicians in the field of Pediatric Endocrinology.  The trained physicians were fully respected and were included as first authors on our studies that we published in the world’s leading professional journals.

But, at the same time, I happened to be the Chief Medical Officer of my brigade during Operation Defensive Shield, in Jenin, 2002.  I was responsible for the medical treatment of our soldiers, but also for enabling the hospital in Jenin to provide full medical services to the civilian population, and I was personally involved in numerous medical treatments that Palestinians (including fighters) received from Israeli physicians. continue reading…

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Fifteen years ago today, on July 18, 1994, terrorists bombed the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires.  Eighty-five people were killed.  More than 300 people were wounded.   Since then, details of the attack have emerged, revealing that the bombing was carried out at the behest of key leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The leaders that perpetrated this attack have yet to be brought to justice.

Read more about the Argentinian bombing and its aftermath, 15 years later, in the Forward‘s “As Iran Extends Its Reach, a Lesson From Argentina.”

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