Free Republic

The military commander of Tripoli, a key figure in the revolution that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, called on other militias to pull their weapons out of Tripoli, accusing them of terrorizing the city's population. The remarks by Abdulhakim Belhadj, whose Tripoli Military Council claims a mandate from Libya's new rulers, follow rising concern about potential conflict among armed groups that converged on Tripoli to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi and have stayed on to demand stakes in a future government. They also follow the announcement a day earlier of another group that it would collect weapons and provide security in the name of...

Gulf media is reporting on the “International Conference for the Defence of occupied Jerusalem” opening in Qatar today. According to a Gulf News report: February 22, 2012 Manama: Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani will open the International Conference for the Defence of occupied Jerusalem, to be held in Doha next week. The conference will include speeches by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Arab League Secretary-General Nabeel Arabi, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekme Al Deen Ihsanoglu, and United Nations Coordinator for the peace process in the Middle East Robert Serry. Some 350 figures...

According to the Spanish daily ABC, a Libyan rebel commander who played a key role in overthrowing the rule of Muammar Qaddafi previously participated in the May 2010 attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza aboard the Turkish-owned vessel the Mavi Marmara. The operation famously culminated in a deadly clash between Israel Defense Force commandos and “activists” armed with iron rods and knives aboard the ship. The paper’s source for the story is the rebel leader himself: Mahdi al-Harati, the commander of the so-called Tripoli Brigades, which are widely credited with having played a decisive role in the rebel...

With the exception of the United States, nearly all the world's nations; newspapers, radio and TV news stations; the United Nations; and the world's Leftist academics and organizations have condemned Israel over the Gaza flotilla incident. The characterizations of the Jewish state range from a society so evil that it should not be allowed to exist to a villainous nation that is responsible for a) the suffering of millions of innocent Palestinian men, women and children; b) the lack of Mideast peace; therefore c) the Muslim world's anger at the West; and therefore d) Islamic terrorism itself. Let's hope the...

Hundreds of anti-Israel activists arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday as part of a “fly in flotilla.” Border officials refused to grant 124 of them entrance, and they were brought to Givon and Ela prisons to await deportation. Those refused entrance – citizens of Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Holland, and the United States – were on a list sent out to airports in advance of the planned fly-in. Another 200 of those whose names were on the list were prevented from boarding planes to Israel. Many others successfully entered Israel. From there, some continued to a Palestinian Authority-controlled...

The flotilla to the Gaza Strip seemed to come to an official end on Thursday after organizers decided to send more than half of the activists in Athens home as they consider their options in face of Greece’s continued refusal to let the ships sail to the Gaza Strip. Huwaida Arraf, one of the leaders of the Free Gaza Movement behind the flotilla, told The Jerusalem Post that most of the activists had been sent home to engage in education and advocacy. A few dozen activists have remained behind in Athens to continue fighting for the release of the ships,...

Greek authorities on Saturday arrested the captain of the U.S. ship the "Audacity of Hope" that intended to take part in the Gaza Flotilla aimed at breaking Israel's legal blockade of Gaza, repors CNN. The ship was prevented from sailing on Friday. The captain is being held by the police and will be brought before a judge on Tuesday. The Greek Coast Guard claims he will be accused of attempting to leave the port without proper permits and endangering the lives of the boat's passengers. The Turkish daily "Hurryat" reported that inspection of the technical problem on the Irish boat...

Greece has banned Gaza Strip-bound ships from leaving Greek ports, and a vessel carrying several dozen US activists seeking to deliver aid to the Palestinian territory was asked to return after departing without permission. Greece on Friday banned ships heading to the Gaza Strip from leaving Greek ports, and a vessel carrying several dozen Americans which left port without permission was asked to return. A flotilla of nine Greek and foreign-flagged vessels and several hundred activists have said they want to break Israel’s sea blockade and deliver aid to the Palestinian territory. Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry said coast guard authorities...

How a brilliant legal strategy might prevent the Free Gaza Movement’s next propaganda strike against Israel.The logic is simple. Hamas is recognized by the United States government as a terrorist organization, thus it is a crime to provide material support for them. The Free Gaza Movement (FGM) is preparing another international “freedom flotilla” which seeks to deliver supplies to Hamas-controlled Gaza, bypassing the established channels that Israel has set up to allow the flow of humanitarian goods into the region. Therefore, any company which collaborates with the flotilla in any way is aiding a terrorist group and is vulnerable to...

The Dutch-Italian boat Stefano Chiarini which is part of the international flotilla to Gaza carries some 8 activists from The Netherlands. Dutch journalists (including one from Trouw) also applied, but they have all backed out of the Flotilla. What’s going on? “What we talked about confidentially last night appeared this morning in the Telegraaf! A journalist has leaked our information!” Anne de Jong (30) looked around furiously. In the Iliada-hotel in Gouvia, Corfu 14 people were sitting: 8 activists, 2 documentary-makers and 4 journalists. They were supposed to go along on the Dutch-Italian boat to Gaza.

Gaza Freedom Flotilla Establishes Information Websites (photo) There is food in Gaza, but no democracy. By Joel Leyden Israel News Agency Jerusalem, Israel ---- June 28, 2011 .... The organizers of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla have established two Websites to provide information and daily updates to the media and the general public. The Gaza Flotilla Website is located at Gaza Freedom Flotilla Website and the Justice For Gaza information Website is located at: JusticeForGaza.com. Sources tell the Israel News Agency that the organizers of the second Gaza flotilla who come from Iran, Syria, Turkey, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, IHH, Qatar, Libya,...

It’s really getting hard to distinguish this crackpot from any other far left America-hating Jew-hating radical… Crazy Ron Paul says that Israel’s Gaza blockade is an act of war. For the record, Ron. The people of Gaza are not starving as every week 10,000 tons of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies are sent by Israel to Gaza. But, they have shot off 4,000 rockets at Israel since the voluntary withdrawal from Gaza. (video at source link)

Prime Minister Binyamin ordered Israel's defense establishment Monday to interdict the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla 2, Voice of Israel radio reported. Netanahyu gave the order during a meeting of his Security Cabinet dedicated to preparations Israel was taking in advance of the new flotilla expected to set sail for Gaza this week. The Cabinet voted in favor of a Navy plan to prevent the upcoming flotilla from arriving in Gaza and granted the IDF authority to prevent the ships' arrival by any means necessary. Navy commando boards Gaza-bound weapons ship Earlier Monday, Israel and Egypt agreed to the arrangement whereby ships...

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker will join the flotilla of ships next week that will try to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip. She says the goal is to bring supplies and raise awareness of the situation there. Last May, during a similar attempt by activists, Israel raided six ships. On one, clashes broke out and Israeli commandos killed nine people. (snip) AW: I think Israel is the greatest terrorist in that part of the world. And I think in general, the United States and Israel are great terrorist organizations themselves.

Frontpage InterviewÂ’s guest today is Neal Sher, an attorney practicing in New York City. Along with Ed Morgan, a prominent Toronto barrister and law professor, he is presently representing Cherna Rosenberg, who has been subjected to the mortar attacks from Gaza into Sderot. Previously, Sher was the Director the Justice DepartmentÂ’s Office of Special Investigations, which investigated and prosecuted Nazi criminals in the U.S. In that capacity, he was responsible for bringing many dozens of prosecutions and for barring former UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim from coming to this country. He also served as the National Executive Director of AIPAC...

Obama's good pal Rashid Khalidi raised money for the venture. In 2008 The LA Times withheld a video that contained footage of Barack Obama celebrating with a group of Palestinians who were openly hostile towards Israel. Barack Obama reportedly even gave a toast to a former PLO operative, Rashid Khalidi, at this celebration. This was something the LA Times hid from the American public before the election. The media refused to release the video. Terrorist Bill Ayers, Barack Obama and his good friend Jew-hater Rashid Khalidi There were also reports that terrorists Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn were...

Taking the Legal Route By Ari Bussel And the war rages on. Turkey warns Israel from the latter’s response to the next Flotilla, making Turkey an active instigator of events. Hamas, reports the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in Israel, “initiates a media campaign against UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon because of his concerns regarding the flotilla. Hamas spokesmen and media accuse him of surrendering to Israeli pressure and call him responsible for the flotilla’s safety.” Interesting to note, of course, is that Hamas cannot accuse UN Secretary-General of responsibility for misery or starvation in Gaza, because these are non-existent. There...

A group of self-proclaimed peace activists bringing dual-purpose materials to Gaza have refused to deliver the goods – preferring that they remain at sea rather than be transported through Israel. The activists are aboard a ship carrying 4.6 miles of sewage pipes. Materials such as pipes have been allowed into Gaza only under international supervision in recent years, as Hamas and other terrorist groups often use the pipes in manufacturing short-range rockets to fire on Israeli civilians (pictured right). However, under an agreement reached with the help of the Egyptian and Malaysian governments, the goods could be delivered to Gaza...

Just a headline so far. Things seem to be heating up again in Israel. Arabs Rioting in Jerusalem Area: http://bit.ly/j6FBpO

Cell seeks to avenge assassination of Imad Mughniyeh; attack could target Israelis in immediate future, security sources warn; Talal Hamia named as Hezbollah commander charged with carrying out strike. Hezbollah is planning a terrorist attack against Israelis abroad within days, security sources warned on Thursday night. The warning of the imminent attack did not mention specific locations. It was issued as many Israelis were abroad for the weeklong Pessah holiday. Security is being stepped up at potential Jewish and Israeli targets overseas, the sources said. They named Hezbollah operative Talal Hamia as the commander of a small but well-organized overseas...