Die Linke rips criminal Israeli flotilla attack

[Die Neue Zeit]

http://twocircles.net/2010jun01/german_opposition_party_rips_criminal_israeli_flot illa_attack.html


Germany's opposition party The Left (Die Linke) on Tuesday lashed out at Israel for what it termed its "criminal" attack on the Gaza peace flotilla.

The head of The Left Gregor Gysi said in a press release that the Israeli military action on the aid ships was "not justified" at all.

According to the Left Party, five Germans were aboard the Marmara, the main passenger boat in the protest flotilla.

A senior official of the party, Christine Buchholz was quoted saying that number included two female German lawmakers, Annette Groth and Inge Hoeger.

A total of 10 German peace activists were reportedly on board the ships when the Israeli assault occurred.

http://www.linksfraktion.de/pressemitteilung.php?artikel=1227107656 (German)



From left beginnings courtesy of Karl Marx (http://www.revleft.com/vb/album.php?albumid=553&pictureid=4808), from extreme anti-militarism expressed by August Bebel (http://www.revleft.com/vb/album.php?albumid=553&pictureid=4807), from the humanitarianism of Hugo Haase (http://www.revleft.com/vb/album.php?albumid=553&pictureid=4806), and the pro-peace foreign policy position of Oskar Lafontaine (http://www.revleft.com/vb/album.php?albumid=553&pictureid=4805), Die Linke has - in spite of pro-Israel advocates scattered here and there - come out united against the usual Israeli aggression.

[Comrade B]

My ma, who is German, was looking for information on German politician's stances on this. Does anyone have any further information on German political parties' stances on this?

[Crux]

Yeah, jacob, what the hell is up with the pro-israel tendency in die linke?

[GreenCommunism]

it's the anti-germans, and some german comrade said there are chances over a split since a rapper made a song that called anti-german sons of *****es. there were fights and had threats against him because he wanted to organize a show for that rapper.

oh and he says their all pot smoking hippies who have no ideas what their talking about. :) all under 30 since many die linke member are very old and lived in communist east germany.

[Q]

Yeah, jacob, what the hell is up with the pro-israel tendency in die linke?

I think that is just the "norm" in Germany. Given their history it doesn't really surprise me.

[Ligeia]

Just because I think this post which I made in the other thread fits in here,too:
Here's a link to a press conference with Inge Höger, Annette Groth and Norman Peach (LINKE-members that were passengers on the flotilla) : Link
(http://www.n24.de/news/newsitem_6095332.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)Some bits and pieces as a summary:
-they were first at the Challenger 1 but it suddenly had technical problems(just like Challenger 2) so they entered the Mavi Marmara
-they assume that the technical problem probably were due to sabotage
-they were only allowed to return to Germany because they are delegates, other German passengers weren't allowed and had to stay in prison and nobody knows what will happen to them
-they suspect the killings were planned
-they think it must have been like 16-19 dead people
-they seem to have frisked them and taken some of their things away since two of them said something along those lines "I've only returned with my clothes on"
-at ca. 4:30 zodiacs(rubber boats) started to encircle their ships for 10 minutes, then they could hear heavy detonations (obviously fragmentation- and gas- grenades, teargas...not sure if other gases had also been used)
-then came the helicopters with the descending soldiers
-Norman was in the room that they used as sick bay: first came 3 Israeli soldiers which weren't wounded heavily, then after some time of shootings many people entered (two-digit numbers of people), all heavily injured
-he made some photos but they took his camera (the Isreali government probably took all visual material and you won't see any of this)
-all in all they didn't expect such brutality

And here's another link to an interview with Inge Höger: Link (http://www.anonym.to/?http://origin.wdr.de/themen/politik/international/israel/interview.jhtml)
Which states that:
-all had to gather at the upper Deck
-their hands were tied with cable strips
-men had to kneel, women could sit on benches...for hours
-they were not allowed to move
-they took all their belongings (except their passports)
-they frisked every single passengers and they had lists with photos of every single person (the photos were made at a meeting about the departure of the flotilla in Crete which means the Israeli secret service probably made them)
-soldiers were pointing with their guns on them
-there were probably some directed head-shots
-only the ship's doctors treated the injured (if they could get to them at all)
-many injured just lay around for a long time without treatment
-at last the Israeli Army tried to take them with the helicopters but it took a long time and they were treated badly (the injured)
-some defended themselves with sticks but the violence definitely originated in the Israeli army

I guess there'll be many more accounts on this by those who were allowed to return in the next days.

I think the german government(CDU-FDP) condemned this, as well but it's not like they mean it.

[GreenCommunism]

-some defended themselves with sticks but the violence definitely originated in the Israeli army

any way to prove this? also i don't understand did the crew resist the attempts of the israeli to go on their ship since they were in international water and absolutly right.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Yeah, jacob, what the hell is up with the pro-israel tendency in die linke?

Holocaust guilt notwithstanding, I should remind you that the pro-Israel tendency isn't in the majority, despite the opinions of Herr Gregor Gysi and co.

[Ligeia]

any way to prove this? also i don't understand did the crew resist the attempts of the israeli to go on their ship since they were in international water and absolutly right.
I'd say: wait for more accounts of eye-witnesses in the next days.
It seems that the navy at least was throwing grenades before entering the ship and the ships didn't stop although they were asked to (but on the grounds of being on international water which means on grounds of their rights,they didn't stop).
I guess there'll be no other way to prove this (apart from eyewitness accounts) than visual footage (but this material is now in hands of the Israeli government).

[Die Neue Zeit]

Almost nobody seems to get the subtlety here that is tied to the shitstorm RCP thread.


I guess there'll be no other way to prove this (apart from eyewitness accounts) than visual footage (but this material is now in hands of the Israeli government).

Were all the visual footage materials seized? Surely other videos were made in more discrete ways.

[Ligeia]

Were all the visual footage materials seized? Surely other videos were made in more discrete ways.
That was just an assumption based on some witness accounts I've read. It seems like they've searched and took all belongings they could find from every single passenger. So no matter how discretely someone shot photos or made videos, they've taken their stuff away.
Though, I hope that their acts weren't carried out so cleanly after all and somebody has still some footage somewhere.