I feel disgusted

Last week's incident involving the flotila of boats trying to break into Gaza is continuing to dominate the news in Israel and around the world, and I really am shocked and disgusted at how the outside world appears to be viewing these actions. Israel is a very vibrant democracy and as a people we have many different views on most issues but the support for the army's actions has been virtually unanimous and shocked at how the world has viewed these actions.

I can understand the general view of the majority activists and citizens around the world who I genuninely want to help the people of Gaza but sadly are not aware of the full picture. Are they aware though that the reason Israel and Egypt have the blockade of Gaza in place is because Hamas undemocratically overthrew the Palestinian Authority that was previously ruling in Gaza after Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005.

Israel has continuously been told that the Palestinians will agree to peace with Israel if we withdraw from their territory, but are you aware that since 2005, Hamas and their supporters have been constantly firing thousands of rockets into Israeli towns to try and kill as many Israelis as possible. There have been more rockets again this week. This is another reason why Israel is not letting in material to Gaza that Hamas can be used to make rockets.

The third reason that Israel is maintaining its blockade is because for over three years Hamas has been holding captive the Israel solider Gilad Shalit, who they kidnapped from Israeli territory. Since then no one has been allowed to meet with Gilad Shalit, not even the Red Cross.

So I can understand that if you do not know about these issues you would want to let aid into Gaza. Something which Israel is constantly doing by sending food and aid into Gaza, so the people are not starving.

Sadly though there were at least 50 people on one of the boats that were not interested in peaceful measures but wanted to attack Israel. On their journey they even recorded measures saying they wanted to die as martyrs in a fight with Israel, and told Israeli soldiers to go back to Aushwitz. These terrorist supporters were only interested in killing as many Israelis as possible which they tried to do.

The Israeli soldiers therefore had to defend themselves and that is why the world seems to be so critical. This is because unlike in previous centuries where Jews who were attacked were unable to defend themselves. The Jewish State of Israel now has an army that knows how to defend itself and that is what the world does not like.

That is why there is all this critism of Israel for defending itself, while there was no critisms of actions in Thiland, Chechnya, Sudan, the Congo and yes even by European troops in Afganistan. That is why I am disgusted because the world does not care about armies defending their citizens unless it is Israel, and I really don't know why that is.

Israel's response to the Gaza Ships

Yesterday was a difficult day for all Israelis and those that care about Israel, as we all want to live in peace. Sadly though sometime when Israel's safety is put at risk, it has to take actions which are not always easy, especially when its citizens and soldiers are attacked.

As whenever Israel is forced to defend itself it comes under huge international pressure and so we have to clearly state our argument about why Israel's actions were correct, below is my attempt at this.

• Yesterday was a tragic day which must be fully investigated and we must learn lessons for the future.
• The events occured when activists were attempting to illegally enter Israeli borders on the way to Gaza.
• Gaza is ruled by Hamas a terror organisation which calls for Israeli destroyed through violence and is illegally holding an Israeli citizen captive.
• Israel does not have peaceful neighbours but neighbours which want its destruction and so needs to take actions to defend itself and Israel's citizens.
• Israel has the right to ensure to check what passes its border into Gaza, as Egypt does. And Israel does allow humanitarian goods into Gaza.
• The activists on the boat were told they could come to Israel and have their goods inspected before having humanitarian goods allowed into Gaza.
• The activists on the boat refused to come to an Israeli or Egyptian port as requested and so Israeli soldiers were sent to six boat to persuade them to do this peacefully.
• The Israeli soldiers were not armed for battle, only with pistols tucked into their backs.
• On one of the six boats, the activists, many supporters of extremist-Islamist groups, were preparing for a battle, with knives and metal rods.
• When the soldiers landed on the boat they were attacked and some had their guns stolen and shot at.
• One soldier was even trampled on as they attempted to throw him overboard.
• Therefore, the handful of soldiers were being attacked by a lynch mob of peace activists, and had to defend themselves
• Only after fourty minutes of combat with this lynch mob did the soldiers have to use live-fire to defend themselves.
• Luckily after hundreds of years of Jews being attacked by lynch mobs, the Jewish people now have a State and an army that is able to fight back and defend itself.