He just wants attention, csteele - like any other troll.

csteele wrote:

"The Israelis should have just sent the blockade-runners to Davey Jones' locker."

Probably one of the most unchristian sentiments I have seen on OLO in a hell of a long time.

Dear csteele,

I also disagree with the sentiments expressed by Proxy, but I also disagree with you.

Considering the Crusades, the Inquisitions, the Wars of the Reformation, missionaries supported by gunboats and other examples of Christian mayhem and violence those are very Christian sentiments.

Yet another layer of beneficiaries... http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3898304,00.html

How convenient?

csteele,
<<Probably one of the most unchristian sentiments I have seen on OLO in a hell of a long time.>>
You're right of course.
In retrospect, it sounds almost Islamic.
Let me see...
* Infidels are your sworn enemies (Sura 4:101).
* Be ruthless to the infidels (Sura 48:29).
* Make war on the infidels who dwell around you (Sura 9:123, 66:9).
* Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day (Sura 9:29).
* Strike off the heads of infidels in battle (Sura 47:4).
* If someone stops believing in Allah, kill him (al-Bukhari 9:84:57).
* Take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends (Sura 5:51, 60:13).
* Never be a helper to the disbelievers (Sura 28:86).
* Kill the disbelievers wherever we find them (Sura 2:191).
* No Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel (al-Bukhari 1:3:111).
* The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land (Sura 5:33).
Yep.
Definitely sounds Islamic.

Its a horrible thing that has happened with the boat.

Do you think, the people operating the boat might have reasonable foreseen that their actions could have resulted as it has done? In which case, the person in charge of the boat is at least partly responsible for putting the people in that situation.

Is there an alternative course of action Israel could have followed, apart from completely abandoning Israel or giving it to the Palestinians or another pie-in-the-sky...?

The only issue is whether the Israelis gave a full and comprehensive warning about the dangers before acting. Basically, the activists backed the Israelis into a corner then cry foul when they come out punching. At least, the matter is resolved for once and for all.
Blockade means blockade in that part of the world...

Blockade means blockade all over the world. We blockade our territorial waters, as did Israel here (Gaza is autonomous, not a State, thus it does not have control of the land below the waterline). The ships breached the Israeli controlled territory and were boarded after repeated warnings (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKOmLP4yHb4).

On 5/6 ships, those carrying the majority of the Westerners, this went off without violence, without hysteria and without bloodshed. On one ship however, a group of passengers took it upon themselves to attack the first soldier onto the deck, bashing him to the ground then clubbing him on it, then the second... These people were clearly in mortal danger (an iron bar is a deadly weapon, don't think so, come here and I'll show you) and their commander made the right decision to safeguard his men. As this would be the same response as I would expect of the ADF in the same situation, I see no problem with it.

The people of Gaza chose to support Hamas and war, imbeciles like this continue to endanger decent people in aid of what? A government that refuses to allow the aid in? What a sad, sad, joke

Interestingly, Hamas has blocked the aid - shows how desperately it was needed doesn't it (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/06/02/israel.palestinians.aid/index.html?iref=obinsite). The world is waking up to it too (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/boatloads-of-bloody-minded-pacifists/story-e6frezz0-1225874166305 & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwvIHJ3DhPg). Palliwood, never knows when to leave a good thing alone, now it is going to explode in their faces AGAIN.