Mass Detentions as Israel Declares ‘Flytilla’ Over
Officials Defend Locking Up Suspected Activists for Eventual Deportation
Long a popular tourist attraction in the West, Israel is struggling tonight to defend the mass detention of passengers who flew into the Ben-Gurion International Airport and are suspected of being “pro-Palestinian activists.”
Termed the “flytilla,” a number of activists planned to fly into Israel to visit Palestinian families in the occupied territories. The Israeli government quickly responded with a list of 342 “unwanted” passengers who were to be barred from visiting the nation.
But blocking the passengers wasn’t enough. Soon, Israel started arresting people on arriving flights it believed to be involved, and has sent at least 64 of them to “detention centers” where they will be held until their eventual deportation.
It seems that the massive campaign against passengers and the summary arrests are drawing far more attention to the issue than a few hundred activists could have done in the first place. Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu defended the move, insisting the government has a fundamental right to block “provocateurs” from entry.
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Salah-u-deen
July 8th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
The only self proclaimed “democracy” in the middle east is once again showing it’s true colors.
Wolfgang9
July 8th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
Somebody who calls this country a "Democracy" has some very obvious reasons to lie.
W9
Johnny D
July 9th, 2011 at 2:54 am
I'm wondering when America is going to officially adopt Israel's 'no provocation allowed' statute and apply it domestically as we seem to have endorsed this policy as legit. I figure it would make things a lot easier for our beloved ruling class if civil disobedience was outlawed as one can surely appreciate how dangerous 'planned provocations' can be to the security of our Homeland, as well our freedoms.
tomofsnj
July 9th, 2011 at 3:51 am
It will do wonders for the Israel tourist business to know that if you visit Israel you can end up in Jail and treated like an animal because they have decided to judge tourist. I find this much like my bank who wrote me a letter with a list of new charges and rules on my credit card. The bank pretty much stated that I could do nothing. I agreed. I took my credit card and put it in my spare wallet and took out a different credit card from a different bank. I suggest the same for the land that makes mass arrests. Go to a land that one does not have to fear being placed in one of the many concentration camps that Israel runs. I am sure I would like to be free of the fear of harassment by overly armed thugs. Israel is for one religion and all others should allow them to be free by going someplace else. The will just make up lost income by bleeding more money from our prostitutes in congress.
Common Sense
July 9th, 2011 at 3:52 am
What kind of criminal state locks up people, with no prior records, for paying money to visit your country? First Israel, kills innocent humanitarians carrying aid to starving children in Gaza. Now this? This is just too funny.
Nike
July 9th, 2011 at 4:05 am
Not only do the 'new rules' apply to tourism in Israel, but we free citizens of the world are no longer allowed to travel through Greece without first getting the permission of our Israeli masters, no longer allowed to go sailing without their say-so, banned from free association with other free peoples without being labeled a 'terrorist.' Who gave these clowns so much power over the rest of us? And how long before I need the permission of my Israeli betters to travel anywhere in Europe – not just in Greece?
the zoo/ologist
July 9th, 2011 at 5:28 am
what will the orangatangs du next especially when the chimpanzeees & monkeys hide the zOO keys
RICHARD CARDULLA
July 9th, 2011 at 6:57 am
Isreal's claim to be a "Democracy" does not carry as much wait as it claims. I'm sure Attila would have won a election if the Huns held one. The Huns would chose Attila and the Isrealis have chosen there leader that thinks like they do. A "Democracy" is more than just a majority.
Nike
July 9th, 2011 at 7:16 am
Why don't my posts show up? And who is this so-called 'site administrator'? Surely the folks at antiwar – people so very concerned about government censorship – allow freedom of speech on their own website?
Gregorio
July 9th, 2011 at 11:17 am
But this is already being done in the U.S. Witness the FBI's pursuit and harassment of those who protest or agitate against war. Israel and the U.S. are both failed states in the sense their legitimacy is not founded upon the consent of the governed – wait, wait, a sizable majority in Israel are racist and paranoid enough to go along with the gangster state.
thedissenter
July 9th, 2011 at 11:42 am
The National had an excellent article on the subject analyzing the situation and predicting that, no matter what Israel does, it ends up shooting itself in the foot. I couldn't agree more. The article closed with this statement:
"The thing is, governments need to understand that these people [people around the world] are very unhappy with Israeli policies, and now they're doing something about it."
Yep. No matter what Israel does, their pesky little problem ain't going to be going away unless they end the occupation, the blockade of Gaza and free the Palestinians.