The Gaza-Flotilla History In Pictures | VOL. 62 * NEWSLETTER * JUNE 2010 |
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.”1
Quote: The term, “anti Semitism” was coined in 1879 C.E. (A.D.) from the Greek by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr, in order to justify anti Jewish campaigns in Europe. Its phenomenon was not new, but a modification of a satanic movement that began with Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
When G-d miraculously brought out His elect nation from Egypt [2], Satan simultaneously birthed forth a plan of destruction aimed at eradicating this nation whose divine commission was to bring the knowledge of G-d and His Salvation unto all the earth. Having keen understanding of this divine mission, Satan knew it meant his own demise. He therefore set into motion a myriad of slanderous tales and malicious lies about this nation, thereby instilling deadly sentiments in the hearts of the nations against Israel; vile sentiments that persist until this day.
What “slander”, then, began in Egypt, at the time of the Exodus? Greek satirists, poets and writers of the first century C.E. (A.D.), such as Lysimachus and Apion of Alexandria, Manetho, Appolonius Molo, Posidonius, Chaeremon[3] and others, recorded what they allegedly learned from ancient Egyptian documents.
The Egyptian accounts depicted the Jews as blind, lame, degenerate and unclean – a rabble afflicted with leprosy and scurvy, which took refuge in Egypt’s temples causing famine and epidemics throughout Egypt. An oracle of Ammon declared that a crop failure and the epidemic could be stopped only by purging the temples of unclean persons. Consequently, the Egyptians drove out that vile mob of Hebrews into the wilderness.
The tales continue: a liar, Moses, made himself their leader by pretending to work miracles. Coming from Heliopolis, the city of the sun, Moses taught his people to offer prayers toward the rising sun. Ouf of 110,000 lepers expelled from Egypt, many drowned in the Red Sea while others, after travelling for six days, developed buboes (boils) in their groins, which forced them to rest on the seventh day to recuperate. Hence their Sabbath. When they came to a place they called Judea, they robbed and murdered the inhabitants, and built a town called Hierosyla (town of temple robbers), afterwards known as Hierosolyma[4] .
Apion of Alexandria accused the Jews of vile, sacrificial practices, including human sacrifice, since no stranger was permitted in their temple. According to Apion Jewish law required the capture of a Greek foreigner, at a certain time of the year, fatten him up, and then slay him with religious rites in a certain forest. After tasting his entrails they were to swear everlasting enmity with the Greeks. Finally Apion stated that “the Jews swear by G-d, the Maker of heaven, earth, and sea, to bear no good will to any foreigner, and particularly to none of the Greeks”[5]. As proof, that the Jews have neither good laws nor the right worship of G-d, Apion pointed out that Jews were never rulers but always subjects of other nations. Though Rome was destined to rule them forever, they refused to submit to her dominion[6].
Such accounts systematically defamed the Jewish race, and maliciously misrepresented their faith and traditions. It is remarkable that such vicious pagan legends, perpetuated by Greek and Roman “intellectuals”[7], have persisted almost verbatim throughout the centuries. Tacitus, in his anti-Semitic writings re-echoed those charges in his “History,” v. 2 5; to the church fathers and protestant movement, likewise the Nazis during the 20th century, and the Arabic and Islamic movement today.
Anti-Semitism, like a camelion, may change its “colors” and adapt to modern times, but it still concocts most outrageous tales and lies as it spews out malicious slander.A case in point is the tale of the “benign” Gaza flotilla, as exposed by HonestReporting.com, June 7, 2010 (quoted verbatim):
Special Analysis: Fauxtography – Reuters Caught Again
Reuters is once again exposed doctoring photos to change the images of the Gaza flotilla “peace activists”.
Eagle-eyed blogger Charles Johnson of “Little Green Footballs” was responsible for exposing Reuters’ Fauxtography during the 2006 Lebanon conflict. Examining photos of bloodied and battered Israeli naval commandos on board the Mavi Marnara, published by the Turkish press, Johnson has once again exposed Reuters’ doctoring of photos.
“Little Green Footballs” then identified another cropped Reuters photo: The picture (3) is a cropped version of this photo from the IHH website: Reuters has cropped out a big knife and a big pool of blood as well as another badly injured Israeli soldier lying on the ground:.Photographer and image analyst David Katz is vastly experienced in the photographic process, from the initial capture of the image through selction, editing, correcting, caption sending, together with the newsroom processes that would leave an image ready to be viewed through the media. We asked him for his professional opinion:
My initial reaction was to avoid hasty accusations against Reuters as this was a fairly unique set of circumstances and one that I felt needed a bit more investigation before pointing fingers began.
My understanding was and still is that the images were taken by someone onboard the ship and deleted by the security services before being returned to the IHH activist who then had the images retrieved through special software in Turkey upon their return and then passed to the newspaper to help embarrass Israel even further.
It’s not clear at this point whether Reuters took them as some kind of screen grab or were offered it in a more conventional way for distribution. What is clear, however, is the picture was obviously cropped. One could play Devil’s advocate to say that it was not done intentionally – perhaps the knife was not spotted by the Reuters picture desk or someone may have innocently, through overwork or tiredness, just made a mistake. After all, the original images had not come from Reuters staff or freelance photographers but an activist on the ship with an agenda.
However once LGF highlighted the second image that was lightened and run through Photoshop, not only did this highlight the knife that was cropped out in the Reuters image, it also showed a seriously wounded soldier who had also been removed from the image to deliberately hide the true intentions of the terrorists.
It is crystal clear that someone at Reuters has deliberately hidden key parts of the original images. What we do not know at this stage is, who at Reuters did this and more importantly why?
The use of imagery in the media war is becoming more and more widespread. There has to be a responsibility from the bloggers, website hosts and especially from the international news wire services in the way they use the images.
This appears to be a deliberate attempt to change images for a specific reason. Reuters needs to investigate this and act in an appropriate manner.
Since being exposed, Reuters has uncropped the offending photographs. However, this still leaves questions over how this was allowed to happen. Evidently Reuters has not yet learned the lessons of the 2006 Fauxtography affair. HonestReporting.com
1 Ecclesiastes 1:9 | Quote: from Annelore’s Book, “Blood Enmity” 2 This is the reason for which, in the final reckoning of G-d with the nations, He will call Egypt His people, blessed by Him (Isa. 19:22 25). 3 50 C.E., Nero’s teacher; scornfully recounts and ridicules the departure of the Jews from Egypt in his work, “History of Egypt” 4 Josephus, “Contra Apion”, see pp. 20 5 Josephus, “Contra Apion,” ii. 11 6 A sentiment shared by both Christianity and Islam: the former claims supremacy, as the “New Israel”, over the “rejected” and “replaced” Jews. Islam claims supremacy based on the revelations of god to Mohammed. Both demand submission of the Jews to their “superiority”, and both regard the Jews as “forsaken” by their G-d. These attitudes explain how it is possible that Arab and Christian nations accept lies about Israel. They can put extreme pressure against her, without fear of G-d or pangs of conscience. Their religious doctrine against Israel has “seared” their conscience. 7 There was only one who refuted those slanderous statements (in particular those of Apion). This was the Jewish historian Josephus who, because “there are so many people who are more easily caught by superficial talk than by accurate knowledge, and delight in denunciation more than in commendations…,” considered it necessary to examine the accusations carefully. Thank G-d for Josephus.
But alas, there were by far more false rumor-mongers than men, such as Josephus. Large numbers of people would gleefully believe, and then pass on the malicious insinuations and lying accounts. Judaism’s rejection of idol worship was little understood, and the refusal of Jews to participate in emperor worship was seen as lack of patriotism.The Gaza-Flotilla Sugar Arms
Page 2 One could say that these smuggled arms caches were “sugar-coated” since they lay hidden under mounds of sugar bags. However, nothing is “sweet” about deadly arms designated for killing Israelis. Such was the “humanitarian” cargo transported by “humanitarian” ships bound on a mission of “peace”. The wickedness of such pretense knows no bounds; likewise the wickedness of blaming Israel for defending herself against deadly terrorists while, at the same time, commending those who gleefully harbored the terrorists, their knives, batons and pistols. Ironically, the Israelis armed themselves only with rubber bullets which cannot kill.During the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, among the first to arrive was an Israeli medical team of skilled doctors, nurses and advanced equipment that saved many lives. Nevertheless, what absurd, obscene lie quickly spread worldwide through the media? “Israel took advantage of this situation as an opportunity to harvest organs from helpless Haitians”.
Truly, the hapless inventors of such tales match the ancient Egytpian tale bearers along with Apion, the Spanish inquisitors and many others.
Fox News youtube videos, and photos speak louder than words about the tales, malicious lies and slander. The photos below are taken from a youtube video on the blog site of www.terredisrael.com.
What was the real purpose of the Gaza Flotilla; and Censored footage from the Gaza flotilla by Fox News:
The Fictitious Gaza Blockade
Page 3 It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Today, photos, videos, and news films can all be edited to show a different “truth in pictures.”¥ The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” has been compromised by the doctoring of images to suit a story and to be “politically correct.”The photos on this and the previous page have not been altered but do tell the true story “in more than a thousand words”.
Now, how “sweet” is this? How “sweet” to supply Palestinian terrorists with weapons designated to murder Israelis under the cover of sugary “humanitarian aid”! How do reputable newspapers and agencies agree unashamedly with clandestine terrorism and flagrantly vilify Israel’s soldiers?
The truth of G-d’s Words spoken so long ago by Isaiah the prophet is yet true today:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”8
“Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.”9
Despite attacks by Hamas, Israel maintains an ongoing humanitarian corridor for the transfer of perishable and staple food items to Gaza. This conduit is used by internationally recognized organizations including the United Nations and the Red Cross.10
Well over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel over the last 18 months equaling nearly a ton of aid for every man, woman and child in Gaza. Millions of dollars worth of international food aid continually flows through the Israeli humanitarian apparatus, ensuring that there is no food shortage in Gaza.
Since the end of the IDF operation in Gaza (18 Jan 2009) until 5 June 2010, 1,025,686 tons of aid, 49,610 tons of cooking gas and 136,097,330 liters of fuel have been delivered to the Gaza Strip.
Food and supplies are shipped from Israel to Gaza six days a week. These items were channeled through aid organizations or via Gaza’s private sector.
Large quantities of essential food items like baby formula, wheat, meat, dairy products and other perishables are transferred daily and weekly to Gaza. Fertilizers that cannot be used to make explosives are shipped into the Strip regularly, as are potato seeds, eggs for reproduction, bees, and equipment for the flower industry.
In 2009 alone, more than 738,000 tons of food and supplies entered Gaza. Pictures in local newspapers show local markets aplenty with fruit, vegetables, cheese, spices, bread and meat to feed 1.4 million Gazans.
In the first quarter of 2010 (January-March), 94,500 tons of supplies were transferred in 3,676 trucks to the Strip: 48,000 tons of food products; 40,000 tons of wheat; 2,760 tons of rice; 1,987 tons of clothes and footwear; 553 tons of milk powder and baby food.
In a typical week the IDF coordinates the transfer of hundreds of trucks containing about 15,000 tons of supplies. During the week of May 18, 2010 there were more than 100 truckloads of animal food, 65 trucks of fruit and vegetables; 22 truckloads of sugar, some 27 truckloads of meat, poultry and fish; and 40 trucks of dairy products. At holiday times, Israel increases transfers. During the Muslim holy days of Ramadhan and Eid al-Adha, Israel shipped some 11,000 heads of cattle into the Strip.
8 Isaiah 5:20 9 Isaiah 59:14-15 10 By Arutz 7: “Blockaded” Gaza is Awash in Goods, excerpted article from the MFA site, by Hillel Fendel The Israeli Humanitarian Lifeline to Gaza
Page 4 No Palestinian is denied medical care in Israel. However, if the Hamas regime does not grant permits for medical care, the Israeli government can do nothing to help the patient. Israel will facilitate all cases of medical treatments from Gaza, unless the patient is a known perpetrator of terror.
Maintaining medical aid for all in need – The medical corridor 11Israel maintains a corridor for the transfer of medical patients out of Gaza, and about 200 medical staff members go through the crossings every month. Israel also helps coordinate the transfer of Jordanian doctors into Gaza.
In 2009 alone, 10,544 patients and their companions left the Gaza Strip for medical treatment in Israel. Moreover, there were 382 emergency evacuations from Gaza for medical purposes.
The Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem donates $3 million in aid annually to treat Palestinians in Israel. Following fears of a swine flu outbreak, three Israeli hospitals were assigned to treat cases in the Gaza Strip and 44,500 immunizations were transferred to the Strip.
Since 2005, Palestinians exploited medical care arrangements more than 20 times to carry out terror attacks.
In 2009, some 4,883 tons of medical equipment and medicine were brought in.In the first quarter of 2010, Israel shipped 152 trucks of medical supplies and equipment into Gaza. In a typical week (in May 2010), some 37 truckloads of hygiene products were shipped to Gaza through the land crossings. In addition, a new CAT scan machine was recently shipped to Gaza.
In 2009, Israel coordinated the transfer of medical supplies for the disabled including wheelchairs, crutches and first aid kits. Other equipment shipped to Gaza include heart-monitors, baby feeding tubes, dental equipment, medical books, ambulance emergency equipment, artificial limbs and infant sleeping bags.
While the import of cement and iron has been restricted into Gaza since these are used by the Hamas to cast rockets and bunkers, monitored imports of truckloads of cement, iron, and building supplies such as wood and windows are regularly coordinated with international parties. Already in the first quarter of 2010, 23 tons of iron and 25 tons of cement were transferred to the Gaza Strip.On 13 May 2010, Israel allowed approximately 39 tons of building material into Gaza to help rebuild a damaged hospital. The construction material for al Quds hospital was transferred after safeguards in place and French assurances ensured that the construction material would not be diverted elsewhere.
On 24 May 2010 Israel opened the Kerem Shalom crossing to 97 trucks loaded with aid and goods, including six trucks holding 250 tons of cement and one truck loaded with five tons of iron for projects executed and operated by UNRWA.
According to the UN report of May 2010, 120 megawatts (over 70%) of the Strip’s electricity supply comes from the Israeli electric grid, while 17 MWs come from Egypt and 30 MWs are produced by the Gaza city power station. Since January 2010, there has been deterioration in the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip since the Hamas regime is unwilling to purchase the fuel to run the Gaza City power station.Throughout 2009 Israel transferred 41 trucks of equipment for the maintenance of Gaza’s electricity grid.
Israel facilitates the transfer of fuel through the border, and maintains that the diversion of fuel from domestic power generators to other uses is wholly a Hamas decision. Over 133 million liters of fuel entered Gaza from Israel over the last 18 months.
During the first quarter of 2010, the UN coordinated with Israel the transfer of equipment for UNWRA to upgrade the sewage pumping station. In 2009, 127 trucks containing more than 3,000 tons of hypochlorite entered the Gaza Strip for water purification purposes. Moreover, 48 trucks of equipment for improving the sanitation infrastructure led to a substantial reduction in the Beit Lahya facility’s waste levels. The United States, Israel, Canada, and the European Union have frozen funds to the Palestinian Hamas government since 2006, recognizing it as a terror organization. Israel has taken measures to support trade and commerce, the banking system, and the existing financial market in the Gaza Strip.Gazans produce much of their own food products including olives, citrus, vegetables, Halal beef, and dairy products. Primary exports from Gaza are cut flowers and citrus, with trade partners being Israel, Egypt and the West Bank. During 2009, 7.5 million tons of flowers and 54 tons of strawberries were exported from Gaza with Israeli cooperation.
In 2009, 1.1 billion shekels (about $250 million) were transferred to the Gaza Strip for the ongoing activity of international organizations and to pay the salaries of Palestinian Authority workers. 40 million damaged bank notes were traded for new bills, and at the request of the Palestinian Monetary Fund, 282.5 million shekels were transferred from Gazan to Israeli banks.
In February 2010, an agreement was reached with the Palestinian Authority’s National Insurance Department to ensure that pensions reached those formerly employed in Israel. The funds were deposited in banks in Judea and Samaria, while the Palestinian Authority was given the responsibility of distributing the funds to the pensioners in Gaza.
- Projected life expectancy in the Gaza Strip (2010) is 73.86, greater than Estonia, Malaysia, Jamaica and Bulgaria.
- The infant mortality rate in Gaza is 17.71 per 1000, lower than that of China, Jordan, Lebanon and Thailand.
- Fertility rates are about five children per family, equal to many African nations such as Rwanda and Senegal.
Palestinian families receive the same subsidized healthcare as Israelis, about 10% of the cost for the same treatment in the United States. Israel transfers school equipment supplied by UNRWA including notebooks, school bags, writing implements and textbooks. Israel is currently coordinating the transfer of 200,000 laptops for Gaza schoolchildren and the shipment of 74 maritime containers for conversion into Gaza classrooms.In the first quarter of 2010, Israel transferred 250 trucks with equipment for the UNWRA summer camp, including arts-and-crafts equipment, swimming pools, inflatable toys, ice cream machines, musical instruments, clothing, sports equipment.
About 20% of the population in Gaza owns a personal computer – this is more than Portugal, Brazil, Saudi Arabia or Russia. They have access to ADSL and dial-up Internet service, provided by one of four providers.About 70% of Gazans own a TV and radio and have access to satellite TV or broadcast TV from the PA or Israel.
Gaza has well-developed telephone landlines, and extensive mobile telephone services provided by PalTel (Jawwal) and the Israeli provider Cellcom.
According to USAID report, 81% of households in Gaza have access to a cell phone. The PA-owned cell phone provider Jawwal has more than 1 million cellular subscribers.
Despite the inherent dangers involved, Israel permits Gazans and visitors to travel between Gaza and Israel, from Gaza to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and even abroad for medical treatment, religious pilgrimages, and business trips. Whenever possible Israel allows for diplomatic activities and trade and commerce with the Gaza Strip.In additional to medical travel, 21,200 activists from international organizations and over 400 diplomatic delegations were permitted entry into Gaza, while 2,200 Palestinians employed by international organizations were given exit permits from the Gaza Strip.
147 permits were given to Palestinian students for academic studies around the world and special permission was given to Gazan footballers to train in Judea and Samaria and compete in international matches abroad.
During the Christmas holiday, approximately 400 permits were given to visit Bethlehem from Gaza as well 100 permits to travel abroad. In addition, 257 permits were given to businessmen from Gaza to facilitate business operations.
********* This says it all; as does G-d’s Word concerning Israel and His warning to the nations:“Behold, all who are incensed against you [Israel] shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.”
Neither the American President, nor the EU, the UN, or Egypt can help Israel. The G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Who says to His people, Israel, “I, the LORD your G-d, hold your right hand; it is I Who say to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you,'” is Israel’s sole help.
“Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your G-d; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.”
And why would G-d do this? Because…
“… Israel is My Servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, My friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and NOT CAST YOU OFF.'”
Because of the nations’ perpetual hatred and enmity against the Jewish nation and people, G-d promises:
“Behold, I will make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains [of anti-Israel world powers] and crush them, and you shall make the hills [of military, financial and political mighty men plotting Israel’s demise] like chaff; you shall winnow them and the wind [of of great conflicts] shall carry them away, and the tempest [of my wrath] shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the LORD, in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.”12
Unhappily, Israel’s leaders are indeed acting like “worms” before the world leaders, making Israel like the ground for nations to walk on. However, G-d will plead the cause of His people and put the cup of staggering and the bowl of His wrath into the hand of Israel’s tormentors13.
This anti-Israel American President will fall one day, and so will all the mighty world powers, those men of might and riches, each and every one who proudly strives against the Holy One of Israel and defies the G-d of all the earth. Though today Israel is regarded as the least of nations, G-d has already announced by Jeremiah that one day “Jacob shall be CHIEF of the nations” for one thousand years, and a blessing in all the earth like dew and showers on the the grass14.
Hence, may all the righteous stand with G-d’s chosen and not stand aloof as though Israel was of no concern, lest G-d not remember their righteousness but treat them as His enemies15 because they were in “partnership” with them when they betrayed His people Israel while supporting Israel’s enemies16.
Speaking the truth and G-d’s warning in love, I am
yours in Yeshua,
11 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA): Behind the Headlines: The Israeli humanitarian lifeline to Gaza;
25 May 2010; the article is reproduced here in its entirety, beginning with “Despite attacks by Hamas…”12 Isaiah 41:11-13, 10, 8-9, 15-16, 13 Isaiah 41:14; 51:22-23 14 Jer.50:24, 29; 31:7; Rev. 20:6; Mic; 5:7 15 Psalm 83 16 Obadiah 10-11; Ezek. 18:24, 26-28