Ideally, all members of the France-based Flytilla would have been allowed entry into Israel and Palestine. Because of Israel’s policy of forbidding vocal and prominent opponents of Zionism and the Israeli state, such as Noam Chomsky and Norman Finklestein, most of the Flytilla activists were denied entry into Israel. Some, however, arrived in Tel Aviv only to be flagged, held, and eventually deported:
“Over 120 passengers were denied entry and are awaiting deportation for security reasons, they will leave within the next 24-48 hours,” said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
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Hundreds more pro-Palestinian activists hoping to join those that arrived in Israel were prevented from boarding flights for Tel Aviv from various European airports after Israel told airlines that certain people on passenger lists would not be allowed into the country.
As the number of Flytilla activists was rumored to be in the hundreds, it appears that the Flytilla was shot down just like the Flotilla was sunk.
The Israeli government’s policy of preventing humanitarian activists from helping the plighted Palestinian people is indicative of the fascist atmosphere permeating throughout Israel. Whether it be pledging loyalty to a “Jewish and democratic state”, forbidding Arab Israelis from living in your community, or denying vital reconstruction materials to the Palestinians, it is becoming clearer and clearer by the day that Israel is far from a democracy, and certainly not one to be looked upon as a model for the rest of the Middle East. The myth of Israel being a bastion of democracy and western values in the world’s most turbulent region is being uncovered for all to see, with much thanks to the free flow of information via the internet. There still remains a lot of debunking, eye opening, and educating to be done. Hopefully in the future, Americans will realize the truth about their supposed unwavering, democratized, western ally.
