Photo via charismamag.com

Israeli officials defend flotilla action to Christian supporters

During conference calls today with Christian groups, Israeli officials defended the Jewish nation's action against a flotilla of aid ships that left nine pro-Palestinian activists dead, reports Charisma News Online.

On a call with more than 3,000 participants affiliated with Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said the flotilla's sponsor, a Turkey-based charity known as IHH, has ties to al-Qaida and is an ally of Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization that controls the Gaza Strip. Rather than delivering humanitarian supplies, Ayalon said the activists wanted to end the blockade, which Israel insists is needed to prevent groups from smuggling weapons to Hamas.

"We have it on tape, although supposedly their mission was humanitarian—even though there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza—they said actually their mission is to break the blockade on Gaza," Ayalon said. "Why do they want to break the blockade on Gaza? Because the blockade works."

He said Israeli officials tried to divert the six Turkish ships so their contents could be inspected and all but one cooperated. When Israeli soldiers boarded that ship, the Mavia Marmara, early Monday morning, they were met by 75 to 80 "mercenaries" carrying axes, iron pipes, knives and machetes, he said. Nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed, including one American of Turkish origin, and seven Israeli soldiers were injured.

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[06/06/2010]

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