The following statement was delivered by Yossi Gal, Israel’s director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“I want to once again deliver a message that has been delivered in both public and private channels to the Rachel Corie ship heading toward Gaza:

We have no desire for a confrontation. We have no desire to board the ship. If the ship decides to sail the port of Ashdod, then we will ensure its safe arrival and will not  board it. Israel is prepared to receive the ship and to offload its contents. After an inspection to ensure that no weapons and war materials are on board, we are prepared to deliver all of the goods to Gaza. Representative of the people on board and relevant NGOs are welcome to accompany the goods to the crossings. We will work with the UN and international organizations to ensure that all the goods are used for the benefit of the people of Gaza.”

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Thanks again to all of you who sent in your questions and comments! We answered a ton of them live but there were many more you all sent in that we would like to respond to! Below, find our “overtime” segment for the twitter press conference! continue reading…

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There’s been a lot of misinformation being reported about the nature of Egypt and Israel’s blockade of Gaza. While the casualties on both sides are a tragedy, Israel had no choice but to stop the flotilla from breaking the blockade – and international law. While Israel was forced to take action in international waters, its actions are supported by international maritime law.

Below, find 13 clear points which explain Israel’s maritime blockade, supported by international law. continue reading…

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Seizure of the Gaza flotilla: Press conference with Deputy FM Danny Ayalon

31 May 2010

Link to video

DEPUTY FM AYALON:  Good morning, everyone. I want to report this morning that the armada of hate and violence in support of the Hamas terror organization was a premeditated and outrageous provocation. The organizers are well-known for their ties to Global Jihad, Al-Qaeda and Hamas. They have a history of arms smuggling and deadly terror. On board the ship we found weapons that were prepared in advance and used against our forces. The organizers’ intent was violent, their method was violent, and unfortunately, the results were violent.

Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome. We repeatedly called upon the organizers and all those who were associated with them, through diplomatic channels and any other means we could, to stop this provocation.

The so-called humanitarian aid was not for a humanitarian purpose. Had it been for a humanitarian purpose, they would have accepted our offer to deliver all humanitarian supply through the appropriate channels which are used on a daily basis, as we make sure that Gaza will not be in short of humanitarian supplies. On a daily basis, we do that. We ask them to send this through the appropriate channels, whether it’s the U.N., whether it’s the Red Cross, whether it’s our people, but to no avail. continue reading…

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In Gaza, Hamas continues to govern along the extremes. Moderate voices are being drowned out by the few in power who wish to create a complete Islamic society. In a bizarre piece of legislation announced this week, men have been banned from working in women’s hair salons.

Instead of finding ways to move towards nonviolence and improve the lives of its people, they spend their time on petty measures that many would describe as an unnecessary infringement on human rights. Putting individuals out of work is the exact opposite of what Hamas was “elected” to do.

For the full story on the latest Hamas ruling, click here.

Photo provided by Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.

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