This Is Non-Violence?

July 10, 2011 9:41 by Pesach Benson

Although the air flotilla bills itself as non-violent, AP reports otherwise:

Others who managed to get through Israeli border controls traveled to the West Bank where some joined a demonstration against Israel’s separation barrier. Associated Press Television footage showed some foreign activists, along with Palestinians, cutting through the barrier’s barbed wire fence with clippers. Another protester started a small brush fire.

Flytilla organizers will no doubt say these activists don’t represent the Welcome to Palestine campaign. But the moral myopia of flytilla organizers like Paul Larudee — hamming it up with with Ismail Haniyeh endorses everything Hamas stands for — suggests that foreigners literally playing with matches does indeed represent the effort.

I haven’t found the AP Television footage online yet, so if you’ve seen it,  please post a link in the comment section so I can update this post.

UPDATE 11:30 a.m.: Maan News adds:

In Bethlehem, one of the “flytilla” organizers told Ma’an that it was possible that a handful of the passengers joined in the protests. There were 11 activists in the West Bank as of Saturday, he said.

Category: Backspin Tags:flytilla, foreign activists, non-violence, Paul Larudee
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