The following is a talk delivered by Scott Weinstein to a public forum in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 7. Weinstein is a Montreal-based nurse who volunteered for five weeks of medical duty in Haiti shortly after the January 12 earthquake. The full speech can be read at .
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The socialist youth organisation Resistance unequivocally condemns the outrageous, illegal and murderous attack by the Israeli Defense Force on the civilian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.
Israel's assault kills twice. The theft of urgently needed humanitarian aid that was destined for the starving people of Gaza, and the murder of at least nine innocent people by the Israeli commandos, is inexcusable.
International outrage against Israel鈥檚 May 31 massacre of activists on a boat bringing aid to Gaza has been expressed through ongoing mass protests around the world, condemnation of Israel's actions by most governments (except the US), and calls for the immediate lifting of Israel鈥檚 blockade of Gaza.
Nicaragua has suspended diplomatic ties with Israel. Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Ecuador and South Africa have recalled their envoys. Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia had already cut their diplomatic ties with Israel.
One sentence in the final declaration of the Search Foundation鈥檚 Left Renewal Conference (From Global Crisis to Green Future) captured the key issue: 鈥淐apitalism has been unable to address inequality, war and ecological degradation, and must be replaced by a democratic system that puts human need before greed, and socialises wealth instead of debt.鈥
Hundreds of Thais and an Australian remain in jail, as the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva continues to repress the grassroots pro-democracy Red Shirt movement. Some Red Shirt protesters are still in hiding.
This follows the full-scale military assault on May 19 that ended a six-week protest by thousands of Red Shirts in the commercial centre of Bangkok. Australian Colin Purcell, of Perth, has been caught up in the repression and is still detained by police.
Moshe Dayan, Israel鈥檚 most celebrated general, famously outlined the strategy he believed would keep Israel鈥檚 enemies at bay: 鈥淚srael must be a like a mad dog, too dangerous to bother.鈥
Until now, most observers assumed Dayan was referring to Israeli military or possibly nuclear strategy, an expression in his typically blunt fashion of the country鈥檚 familiar doctrine of deterrence.
In 2006, as Labor opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, made much of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, pastor and pacifist.
Bonhoeffer took part in the German resistance to the Nazi regime and helped German Jews escape the country.
Bonhoeffer was murdered by the Nazis in 1945.
For Rudd in 2006: 鈥淏onhoeffer is, without doubt, the man I admire most in the history of the twentieth century. He was a man of faith. He was a man of reason. He was a man of letters 鈥 He was never a nationalist, always an internationalist. And above all, he was a man of action 鈥︹
The picture is clear: the activists attacked in the Israeli military鈥檚 May 31 nighttime commando raid on a boat bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza were not armed.
In Israel, the media is broadcasting disinformation, using edited videos. But it is clear there was no crossfire during the raid, just Israeli fire.
Israel claims there was an attempt by activists onboard the Mavi Marmara, to steal weapons from soldiers. But either the army鈥檚 spokespeople or the soldiers themselves are telling false tales.
On June 3, a small group of protesters educated Edgewater residents about the threat climate change poses to their suburb. Edgewater, one of Melbourne鈥檚 newest suburbs, could be partly underwater if climate change is not stopped. According to council data, 370 Maribyrnong homes were affected during floods in 1974.
After Israel鈥檚 May 31 raid on a civilian vessel trying to deliver goods to Gaza, Egypt announced on June 1 that it would temporarily open its border with Rafah to allow humanitarian and medical aid into the Gaza Strip.
On May 31, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak responded swiftly to the Israeli navy's assault on the Freedom Flotilla, affirming Egypt's support for the people of Gaza.
Israel鈥檚 ambassador to Egypt was quickly summoned by Egypt鈥檚 foreign ministry, and told Egypt condemns the violence against international activists and rejects the continued Gaza blockade.
On May 30, 2010, 麻豆传媒 Weekly published an article titled 鈥淎ustralia expels diplomat but remains 鈥榝irm friend鈥 of Israel鈥. It contained the untrue and defamatory suggestion that Paul Howes, National Secretary of the Australian Workers鈥 Union, was thrilled by the killing of Palestinian Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhoh in Dubai in January this year.
About 2000 demonstrators gathered outside Israel鈥檚 Ministry of Defense late May 31 to protest the military's violent raid on an aid flotilla that attempted to break the country鈥檚 years-long siege on the Gaza Strip.
Haggai Matar, a member of the Coalition Against the Siege, told Ma鈥檃n news the protests were an expression of anger and shock about the Israeli navy raid that left at least 10 activists dead and dozens hurt a day earlier.
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