Israel Self Defense on the Mavi Marmara

In a de ja vu moment which is so typical for the Middle East, Israel has been provoked once again by Palestinian activists to use force to defend themselves in order to spur an international  public relations incident.

This is what usually occurs. The Palestinians resort to violence. When Israel responds to defend the lives of its soldiers and citizenry, Israel is blamed improperly and unfairly  by the international community for causing the violence that was precipitated the Palestinians themselves.

Israel is now under fire for boarding a ship called the Mavi Marmara carrying Palestinian activists heading for the Gaza strip and killing at least ten people on board. The U.N. plans on holding a special session to condemn Israel. Ambassadors have been recalled to their home countries. Neighboring Turkey has issued a strong rebuke of the Israeli government.

Prime-Minister Netanyahu has canceled his visit to the White House to return to Israel to deal with the latest diplomatic upheaval plaguing Israel.

Unfortunately, as is typically the case, the criticism of Israel is unwarranted and misplaced.

Israel repeatedly asked the ship to dock in Ashdod where Israel would inspect the ship to determine if there was any security risks. If there were none, Israel would allow the materials on board to be transferred to the Gaza trip.

The so-called activists on the ship flatly refused Israel's offer and instead intended to transgress the blockade set up by the IDF to prevent weapons smuggling into Gaza.

Israel was left no choice but to board the ship. After all, there was no way of knowing whether this ship was backed by Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. The highest level of scrutiny is absolutely necessary especially since the ship did not heed Israel's offer to dock in Ashdod.

When Israel boarded the ship, the activists  responded with violence beating the Israeli soldiers with sticks. One Israeli soldier was stabbed in the stomach. Some The activists even stole  IDF guns and opened fire on the soldiers.



Israel simply had no other alternative but to respond and defend themselves which is exactly what they did.

The ship had  no business being in a  restricted zone in the first place.  They are squarely to blame for not cooperating with the Israeli navy and they are wholly responsible for precipitating the violence on board which led to the ten deaths.

Yet, it does not matter that the activists are fully responsible for the incident.  The activists know that they can cause violence and get away with it because the international community will always blame Israel and turn a blind eye to Palestinian violence.

We definitely live in an upside down world.

Below you can see more footage of the ship commandos attacking Israeli soldiers on board.
 

Israel Self Defense on the Mavi Marmara

College Lacrosse Player Charged With First-Degree Murder

UVA College Lacrosse Player, George Huguely, is charged with killing his former girlfriend who also was a lacrosse player at the University of Virginia.  Huguely allegedly repeatedly banged his former girlfriend's head into the wall until she was found unconscious  in her dorm room with multiple blood forced trauma wounds.

Aside from focusing on this horrific act of domestic violence which can not be overlooked or underestimated, one has to ask why would a guy like Huguely do something like this if in fact he did as the evidence presently indicates? 

In the long run, for most sane people seeking college degrees and athletic careers, there is no incentive to killing. Huguely had everything going for him. He was a top lacrosse player at UVA and was scheduled to play in the upcoming championship NCAA series. Who knows where his athletic abilities would have taken him?  Now, he is headed for the slammer instead of the playing field. 

Certainly, this is not a  guy who was a delinquent or lived a life marred with turmoil or rebellion. Huguely was a very successful person and had a promising future. His neighbors in Bethesda, MD where he grew up described him as "a wonderful, charming, polite young man." No one should ever engage in violence no matter how difficult life may be. However, you would expect a juvenile delinquent who grew up with no parents to engage in violence  not a star lacrosse player like George Huguely.

This case highlights the fact that our children are not immune to engaging in acts of violence if their personal problems are not addressed properly. The truth be told, it is very rare that a person in George Huguely's position would kill his former girlfriend in such a horrific fashion.  But all it takes is one time for a person to snap and carry out the unthinkable. 

Apparently, Huguely had a drinking and anger problem.  He drunk the entire day before he killed his former girlfriend which is a recipe for disaster since he was distraught that he recently broke up with the girl that is now the victim in this case.  When you are in not in the right frame of mind, a person is capable of doing anything if he feels desperate or is under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. It does not matter if you are a Professor at Harvard Law School or a street gang member. The potential for violence is the same

Parents and mental health professionals should be forewarned. Regardless of whether your child comes from a healthy family, all it takes is one bad decision or one difficult situation and the child that you thought would never hurt anyone  faces years of incarceration.

The overriding lesson here is that if you suspect that your child has a problem or even yourself, get them help or seek professional help for yourself  immediately no matter how embarrassing or uncomfortable it may be for you. The consequences of not doing  so may be far worse as in George Huguely's case.

College Lacrosse Player Charged With First-Degree Murder