Uri Avnery's Column: My answers to Uri's questions - Part 4.

40.During the deliberations, did anyone bring up the similarity between the planned operation and the British action against the ship “Exodus 1947”, which ended in a political disaster for the British?

ANSWER: Maybe, maybe not. But if they did not, they must be suffering from a lack of long term memory.

41.Questions concerning the action itself: Why was the flotilla cut off from any contact with the world throughout the operation, if there was nothing to hide?

ANSWER: Well, why did they sink the USA ship "Liberty", though it was not the "Bismark"?

42.Did anyone protest that the soldiers were actually being sent into a trap?

ANSWER: Wait a minute. What trap are you talking about? They were sent to a ship in the international waters carrying foods to the people of Gaza, and manned by peaceful activists.

43.Was it taken into consideration that the plan adopted would place the soldiers for several critical minutes in a dangerously inferior position?

ANSWER: Israel is a firm believer in "If someone slap you on the right cheek, turn the left cheek to him". Have you not heard their argument "They attacked us", forgetting that they are the ones who attacked them in the middle of international waters?

44.When exactly did the soldiers start to shoot live ammunition?


ANSWER: Immediately. Believe it or not.

45.Which of the soldiers was the first to fire?


ANSWER: Does it matter? They were all there to carry out one task; shoot to kill.

46.Was the shooting – all or part of it – justified?


ANSWER: ditto. And how can it be all or part justified when they are the aggressor?

47.Is it true that the soldiers started firing even before descending onto the deck, as asserted by the passengers?

ANSWER: Yes it is. One of the activists was shoot in the middle of his head, meaning that the bullet came from the chopper, not from an eagle flying around, or a seagull throwing pebbles.

48.Is it true that the fire continued even after the captain of the ship and the activists announced several times over loudspeakers that the ship had surrendered, and after they had actually hoisted white flags?

ANSWER: Yes it is. And they shot people in the heads and faces at short distance.

49.Is it true that five of the nine people killed were shot in the back, indicating that they were trying to get away from the soldiers and thus could not be endangering their lives?

ANSWER: Absolutely true, though I don't know how many. But, doesn't this show that the Israelis are cowards as they shoot people in the back. Ain't that so.

50.Why was the killed man Ibrahim Bilgen, 61 years old and father of six and a candidate for mayor in his home town, described as a terrorist?

ANSWER: Remeber every one on the ship was intially labled as a terrorist. Remember that the soldiers carried on them lists with specific names. Maybe his name was on the list.

51.Why was the killed man Cetin Topcoglu, 54 years old, trainer of the Turkish national taekwondo (Korean martial arts) team, whose wife was also on the ship, described as a terrorist?

ANSWER: Maybe Israel does not have the stomach for "taekwondo", which is by the way Thai, not Korean",  but for "King Fu", which is chinese, or "Karate", which is Japanese.

52. Why was the killed man Cevdet Kiliclar, a 38 year old journalist, described as a terrorist?


ANSWER: To Israel, he is. Journalists blow the whistle.

53.Why was the killed man Ali Haydar Bengi, father of four, graduate of the al-Azhar school for literature in Cairo, described as a terrorist?

ANSWER: I am a graduate of Al-Azhar University; the second oldest still functioning university on the face of Earth. The first on is Al-kairowan University in Tunisia. And I carry the same Bachelor of Arts. My God, as per the Israeli criteria, I have categorized myself as a terrorist unknowingly. Damn, why on earth did you ask this question!

54.Why were the killed men Necdet Yaldirim, 32 years old, father of a daughter; Fahri Yaldiz, 43 years old, father of four; Cengiz Songur, 47 years old, father of seven; and Cengiz Akyuz, 41 years old, father of three, described as terrorists?


ANSWER: I give up. Please ask PM Netanyahu!

55.Is it a lie that the activists took a pistol from a soldier and shot him with it, as described by the IDF, or is it true that the activists did in fact throw the pistol into the sea without using it?

ANSWER: They always lie.

56.Is it true, as stated by Jamal Elshayyal, a British subject, that the soldiers prevented treatment for the Turkish wounded for three hours, during which time several of them died?

ANSWER: Definitely, though they were treated when some of them were injured on the ship. Isn't this "bite the hand that fed you".

57.Is it true, as stated by this journalist, that he was handcuffed behind his back and forced to kneel for three hours in the blazing sun, that he was not allowed to go and urinate and told to “piss in his pants”, that he remained handcuffed for 24 hours without water, that his British passport was taken from him and not returned; that his laptop computer, three cellular telephones and 1500 dollars in cash were taken from him and not returned?

ANSWER: Absolutely true. I have also read an article stating that in Thailand, unsatisfied Israel tourists move their bowls on the bed just before they checked out of the hotel.

58.Did the IDF cut off the passengers from the world for 48 hours and confiscate all the cameras, films and cell phones of the journalists on board in order to suppress any information that did not conform to the IDF story?

ANSWER: Yes they did.

59.Is it a standing procedure to keep the Prime Minister (or his acting deputy, Moshe Yaalon in this case) in the picture during an operation, was this procedure implemented, and was it implemented in previous cases, such as the Entebbe operation or the boarding of the ship “Karin A”?

ANSWER: They were all informed. It is a premeditated attack.

60.Questions concerning the behavior of the IDF Spokesman: IS it true that the IDF Spokesman spread a series of fabrications during the first few hours, in order to justify the action in the eyes of both the Israeli and the international public?

ANSWER: They always do that. Shower the media with false propaganda. Let them wonder, while in the meantime, they are gaining time for coming up with the biggest fabrication for the media.

61.Are the few minutes of film which have been shown hundreds of times on Israeli TV, from the first day on until now, a carefully edited clip, so that it is not seen what happened just before and just after?

ANSWER: Answer is implied in the question.

62.What is the truth of the assertion that the soldiers who were taken by the activists into the interior of the ship were about to be “lynched”, when the photos clearly show that they were surrounded for a considerable time by dozens of activists without being harmed, and that a doctor or medic from among the activists even treated them?

ANSWER: Imagine that!!!

63.What evidence is there for the assertion that the Turkish NGO called IHH has connections with al-Qaeda?

ANSWER: Nothing what soever. Al-Qaeda doesn't even exist, unless you mean the "Mujahedeen" who freed Afghanistan from the Russian occupation.

64.On what grounds was it stated again and again that it was a “terrorist organization”, though no evidence for this claim was offered?

ANSWER: Whatever Israel says goes. If they say they are terrorists, then you must believe them regardless of the ground on which their claim is based, be it sand or rocks.

65.Why was it asserted that the association was acting under the orders of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, when in fact it is close to an opposition party?


ANSWER: Confusion tactic.

66.If it was in fact a terrorist organization known to the Israeli intelligence services, why was this not taken into account during the planning of the operation?

ANSWER: Israel is crazy about showing off. Don't the Jews run Hollywood in the states. It is show business.

67.Why did the Israeli government not announce this before the attack on the flotilla?


ANSWER: And miss a big fat chance of "Show Biz"! They have to intimidate the whole world.

68.Why were the words of one of the activists, who declared on his return that he wanted to be a “shahid”, translated by official propaganda in a manifestly dishonest manner, as if he had said that he wanted “to kill and be killed” (“shahid” means a person who sacrifices his life in order to testify to his belief in God, much like a Christian martyr)?


ANSWER: Zionist media always twist words like "Shaheed", "Mujahideen", "Sunni", "Fundamentalists", etc.

69.What is the source of the lie that the Turks called out “Go back to Auschwitz”?


ANSWER: Here it comes; the sword and the shield, the holocaust and antisemitism; the tow overused things they have been using for decades. Suppose it is true that the turks called that out, so what. The Jews said even worse about none-Jews.

70.Why were the Israeli doctors not called to inform the public at once about the character of the wounds of the injured soldiers, after it was announced that at least one of them was shot?


ANSWER: It boggles me. Jewish behavior and attitude, maybe.

71.Who invented the story that there were arms on the ship, and that they had been thrown into the sea?

ANSWER: Who do you expect? The Jews of course. And how convenient it is that they were thrown into the see. Did Israel have an  a life insurance policy on them?

72.Who invented the story that the activists had brought with them deadly weapons – when the exhibition organized by the IDF Spokesman himself showed nothing but tools found on any ship, including binoculars, a blood infusion instrument, knives and axes, as well as decorative Arab daggers and kitchen knives that are to be found on every ship, even one not equipped for 1000 passengers?

ANSWER: See who has the motive to invent such a story. Israel, of course, or maybe the vegetables seller shown below.

73.Do all these items – coupled with the endless repetition of the word “terrorists” and the blocking of any contrary information – not constitute brainwashing?

ANSWER: Finally, you are right on the money. I apologize. I was going to give up.

74.Questions concerning the inquiry: Why does the Israeli government refuse to take part in an international board of inquiry, composed of neutral personalities acceptable to them?


ANSWER: Because if they do, the Israel will get her ass exposed. Remember the goldstone's report abbout what Israel did to Gaza.

75.Why have the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense announced that they are ready to testify - but not to answer questions?

ANSWER: They are using the "third amendment" right. It is obvious that if they let themselves be questioned, they will let themselves be incriminated.

76.Where does the argument come from that soldiers must not be called to testify – when in all previous investigations senior officers, junior officers and enlisted men were indeed subjected to questioning?

ANSWER: Not this time. Israel is in deep shit.

77.Why does the government refuse to appoint a State Commission of Inquiry under the Israeli law that was enacted by the Knesset in 1966 for this very purpose, especially in view of the fact that such commissions were appointed after the Yom Kippur war, after the Sabra and Shatila massacre, after the podium of the al-Aqsa Mosque was set on fire by an insane Australian, as well as to investigate corruption in sport and the murder of the Zionist leader Chaim Arlosoroff (some fifty years after it occurred!)?

ANSWER: That was in 1966. It is too old, and Israel really like to eat fresh vegetables.

78.Does the government have something to fear from such a commission, whose members are appointed by the President of the Supreme Court, and which is empowered to summon witnesses and cross-examine them, demand the production of documents and determine the personal responsibility for mistakes and crimes?

ANSWER: Oh, WOW! that is a biggie. Did I hear "cross-examine"? Are you serious?

79.Why was it decided in the end to appoint a pathetic committee, devoid of any legal powers, which will lack all credibility both in Israel and abroad?

ANSWER: It is a puppet show time.

And, finally, the question of questions: What is our political and military leadership trying to hide?

ANSWER: Everything.