Israel has a bad habit of picking fights with vessels named after the finest aspirations of human civilization. Three examples:

• the USS Liberty, viciously and deliberately attacked by Israel in June 1967
• the Dignity, a relief vessel to Gaza, rammed by Israel in December 2008
• the Spirit of Humanity, the latest Free Gaza Movement relief ship, hijacked by Israel in late June 2009

The USS Liberty after Israel's attack

The attack on the USS Liberty was arguably one of the most significant – yet least reported – events of recent history. The most lethal attack on a US naval vessel in the post-World Two Two era, it took place during the 1967 ‘Six Day War’ between Israel and its neighbours.

The attack on the Liberty is the subject of an excellent 2002 BBC 4 documentary Dead in the Water by British  journalist Peter Hounam. Available via Google Video, where you can currently download a copy, it might be a good idea to do just that if you’d like to watch it again! The Thought Police have already chased Max Blumenthal’s powerful ‘Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem‘ video off (Google-owned) YouTube.

Peter Hounam is also the author of Operation Cyanide: How the Bombing of the USS Liberty Nearly Caused World War III, published in 2003.

Dead in the Water is the British Broadcasting Corporation at its best. Viewers of the BBC’s war-glorifying and Zionist-dominated International TV service never see quality programs such as this.

“Israel was attacked and fought back in self-defence”

REALITY CHECK

Matityahu Peled, Israeli General and subsequently peace activist :

“To pretend that the Egyptian forces massed on our frontiers were in a position to threaten the existence of Israel constitutes an insult not only to the intelligence of anyone capable of analyzing this sort of situation, but above all an insult to the Zahal [Israeli army].” (cited in Ha’aretz, March 19, 1972.)

Menachem Begin, terrorist & subsequently Israeli Prime Minister:

“In June 1967 we again had a choice. The Egyptian army concentrations in the Sinai approaches did not prove that Nasser was really about to attack us. We must be honest with ourselves. We decided to attack him.” (cited in New York Times, Aug. 21, 1982.)