The ship of horrors

Instead of goodwill, Gaza-bound flotilla featured knives, terror connections

Yoram Ettinger
Israel Opinion

Tell me who are your supporters/organizers and I’ll tell who you are!


Israel’s Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center sheds light on the nature of Turkey’s IHH, the chief organizer of the flotilla to Gaza: This radical Islamic, anti-Western organization poses as a humanitarian relief fund, while supporting Hamas and several Jihadist organizations in Bosnia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Algeria, Chechnya, etc. The IHH initiated a number of “humanitarian aid” convoys to anti-US Islamic terrorists in Iraq’s Fallujah Triangle. According to the Danish Institute for international Studies, the group is connected to al-Qaeda and global Islamic terrorism. The Istanbul office of IHH was raided in the past by the Turkish security services. Explosives, manuals, weapons and Afghanistan-oriented documents were confiscated during the raid.


According to a French intelligence report, Bulent Yildirim, the president of IHH, recruited “Jihad warriors” and transferred money, firearms and explosives to al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists in various countries. IHH also produced documents that facilitated air travel by Islamic terrorists, posing as relief workers.


In respect to the IHH-organized Gaza mission, Israel’s aim of cooperation was demonstrated by Jerusalem’s offer to allow the flotilla to reach its destination (in spite of the daily flow to Gaza – via Israel - of food, oil, cement and multitude of products) following a thorough examination of its content.


The flotilla’s aim of confrontation was demonstrated by its rejection of Jerusalem’s offer and by the handguns, knives, screwdrivers, and iron pipes employed by terrorists on board.


Clash of civilizations

Israeli soldiers were prepared for a peaceful takeover in face of (erroneously-assumed) civil disobedience. Therefore, they were equipped with paintball guns as the primary weapon and handguns as an emergency weapon, to be used only if facing death. They resorted to handguns in response to an attempted lynch by scores of terrorists, who assaulted the soldiers with iron pipes, knives, and screwdrivers. Handguns were snatched from soldiers by the lynching mob and directed at troops.


Overall, five boats were taken over peacefully and one (with 600 passengers) became an arena of confrontation between Israeli soldiers and terrorists. Israeli restraint in fact minimized fatalities among terrorists.


Would NATO allow a “humanitarian aid” convoy, organized by the radical Islamic anti-Western IHH, to travel unchecked to a Taliban stronghold?! Would Germany, Italy or France allow such a convoy to reach “Baader Meinhoff”, “Red Brigade” or “Action Direct” terrorist strongholds?


On a final note, the “Gaza Flotilla” highlights the role of the Jewish State as the outpost of Western democracies in face of Islamic terrorist offensive. De-legitimizing and weakening Israel – the role model of counter terrorism – would be a tailwind for Islamic terrorists – the role model of international terrorism - facilitating their assault on the Free World. It’s not a clash over Gaza; it’s a clash of civilizations!