I hope they stay afloat:
"US tries to renew talks in Mideast; Palestinian plan a key challenge" by Tia Goldenberg, Associated Press / June 16, 2011
JERUSALEM — The first big challenge for the US envoys is to find a formula for talks that would entice the Palestinians to drop their bid for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September....
Translation: US is a tool of Israel.
“There are talks going on to see if there’s a formula that will allow for the restarting of the talks that would cause the Palestinians to abandon their unilateral approach,’’ said another Israeli official....
They also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday....
Getting their orders.
In a statement late yesterday, Netanyahu reiterated his key demands for a resumption of talks. He said the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, accept a demilitarized Palestinian state
with an Israeli security presence along its border with Jordan, and drop their demand for a return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. He also said all of Jerusalem must remain in Israeli hands....
But no Palestinian preconditions. The guy is either an asshole, insane, or doesn't care.
And what self-respecting nation would ever allow itself not to have a defense force?
And have you ever noticed that diversity must be shoved up everyone's ass but Israel's?
Actually, when you look at Nutanyahoo's conditions that's pretty much the way things are.
The Palestinians say there is no point in negotiating if Israel continues to build homes in Jewish enclaves inside territories claimed by the Palestinians. Israel counters that the talks should resume without preconditions, and settlements should be one of the topics discussed.
The chutzpah is really astonishing!
Since the breakdown, the Palestinians have forged ahead with plans to seek UN recognition for a state, with or without a peace deal with Israel.
All for it. That is how Israel came into existence.
That effort faces major obstacles, not least because the United States, which opposes it, has veto power on the Security Council, which must approve new member states....
And the dictatorship of empire is exposed.
--more--"
Related: Divided Palestinians cancel meeting (New York Times)
The ships are still sailing:
"Turkish boat drops out of Gaza flotilla" by Associated Press / June 18, 2011
ISTANBUL — A Turkish boat that became an international symbol of anti-Israeli activism has dropped out of a Gaza-bound flotilla that plans to set sail for the Palestinian territory at the end of this month, organizers said yesterday.
May God bless the bravest people in the world. They know what they are sailing into.
The withdrawal of the Mavi Marmara ferry from the convoy — which aims to break Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip — removes a potential flashpoint for confrontation.
Last year, nine activists died in a botched Israeli commando operation on the Turkish ship in a similar flotilla, with each side accusing the other of starting the violence.
If you are a black Somali you are either arrested and jailed or shot.
Israel has warned that it will not allow any more ships to break its naval blockade and said without providing details that security forces have adopted new tactics since last year’s raid in an effort to limit casualties.
IHH, the Islamic aid group in Turkey that refitted the Mavi Marmara after Israel returned it following the raid, said technical problems prevented it from joining 10 other ships that will head for Gaza from European ports on June 25. The original plan was to sail around the first anniversary of the Israeli raid before dawn on May 31, 2010.
“We did not want the flotilla to be postponed again,’’ IHH president Bulent Yildirim said. “When we fix the Mavi Marmara, our journey will continue. I hope it will not take a long time.’’
Organizers said their decision to exclude the Turkish boat was not a response to appeals from any government.
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Related: Gaza health conditions in crisis
They need the help yesterday.
Also see: GISHA: The top 10 reasons why the opening of Rafah just doesn't cut it
"Americans join Gaza flotilla" by Associated Press / June 21, 2011
NEW YORK — A group of Americans hopes to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip in the coming days when it joins a flotilla of ships sailing with aid to the Palestinian territory.
Notice it is never described as a siege?
Nearly half of the 36 Americans who will sail on the US-flagged boat, called the Audacity of Hope, attended a news conference yesterday announcing that they would fly to Athens to prepare for the journey. The ship draws its name from the title of President Obama’s second book.
Activists describe Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s 1.5 million residents as a human rights violation. But Israel says its blockade stops weapons from reaching Iran-backed Hamas militants.
Nine activists died in a botched Israeli commando operation on a Turkish ship during a similar flotilla last year. Each side accused the other of starting the violence.
Last week, organizers of the new Gaza-bound flotilla said the Turkish ship that became an international symbol of anti-Israeli activism has dropped out of operation. The withdrawal of the Mavi Marmara ferry from the convoy that aims to break the blockade removes a potential flashpoint for confrontation.
Israel has warned that it will not allow any more ships to break the blockade, and said without providing details that security forces have adopted new tactics since last year’s raid in an effort to limit casualties.
IHH, the Islamic aid group in Turkey that refitted the Mavi Marmara after Israel returned it after the raid, said technical problems prevented it from joining 10 other ships that will head for Gaza from European ports on June 25.
Those paragraphs sure seemed familiar.
Turkey has demanded that Israel apologize and pay compensation for last year’s flotilla raid, but the possibility of a diplomatic confrontation over a second flotilla could divert Turkey’s focus on problems with neighboring Syria and its uprising against President Bashar Assad.
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Also see: For a week, Jerusalem’s Old City lightens up
