Two weeks after the Gaza flotilla fiasco, the surf is still frothing, and Israel has announced an international observer-studded inquiry committee to check what the hell happened out there in international waters. This is the Weekend Holyland Update, flight 061310, please fasten your seatbelts and secure your credit cards. The pilot has turned on the self-pity sign.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, the majority of Israelis still cling to the notion that the resistance by the passengers of the flotilla flag ship Mavi Marmara constitutes "an attempted lynch" of our brave soldiers, who simply dropped in for a friendly chat, armed and masked, from a chopper, in international waters. Nothing seems to sway most of them - not the fact that despite taking three soldiers captive they did nothing to them but treat their sounds, not that they didn't even tie them up... nothing. The mass hysteria continued this past week as well, with screaming headlines about "senior terrorists" that were allegedly onboard and inexplicably released despite being such bad, bad men.

What hasn't been released yet by the IDF is full, uncut footage of the attack (Here's an hour-long video one of the activists managed to get past the soldiers. Warning: Some harsh images). Also not released yet are the personal effects of the passengers which were confiscated, including credit cards, which have apparently been used in Israel after the activists themselves were already deported. An Italian journalist and an American former nurse and aid worker have both furnished media putlets with proof of their cards used, at a grocery in the small town of Gedera and to buy beer and other stuff in Tel Aviv. IDF spokesman insists it has received no such complaints, which happens to be a lie.

A couple of days after the boarding of the Marmara, fisticuffs almost broke out in the Knesset as MK Anastasia Michaeli (Israel Beiteinu, racist FM Lieberman's party) tried to punch Arab MK Hanin Zouabi (who was on the flagship Mavi Marmara) in the face. Michaeli had to be removed, and Zouabi had to be assigned a bodyguard for fear that her colleagues might harm her. MK Miri Regev, last seen doing an absolutely atrocious job as IDF Spokesman, proved herself qualified to advance to second grade by demonstrating the ability to learn a single phrase in a language not her own, telling Zouabi in Arabic, from the Knesset dais, to "go to Gaza, you traitor". Zouabi, for some reason, passed on the obvious retort - "I was trying to; your thugs wouldn't let me".

A few days later, the Knesset's House Committee voted to strip Zouabi of some of her privileges - the right to a diplomatic passport and the right to be reimbursed for legal expenses accrued in the course of her duties. The two Arab parties which categorically oppose the existence of Israel (Zouabi's Balad and Ra'am-Ta'al) were of course delighted, pointing out this decision as a further erosion of democracy in Israel. Former Kahane member and current "National Union" MK Michael Ben Ari raised a toast upon winning the committee vote, from which the lone dissenter (Ilan Gilon, Meretz) was ejected from the committee hearing for insisting loudly that he be allowed to actually argue the matter.

The MK's then turned to further demonstrations of knee-jerk "patriotism" (Sam Johnson style) and jingoism. First, some idiot, can't remember who, took a page from the glory days of the GOP in 2003, demanding that hotels change the name of the "Turkish Hamam" to "Israeli Hamam". Israelis have canceled their vacations in Turkey in droves, and security industry-affiliated businesses have actually forbidden their employees from traveling there.

Then the idiots who make my laws decided to go the "Live Aid" route, recording a song written by the communications director for MK Ronit Tirosh (a useless shrill hack from Kadima), with the score composed by a popular singer known most recently for writing a stupid song from the viewpoint of a soldier, about how the dastardly leftist traitors hate him and stab him in the back while he defends them.  The song, which is addressed to a child, tellis him to sleep tight, play and eat, because the brave soldier is forgoing sleep, eating rations and wiping the dirt from his uniform in vigilant protection of said child...until the kid has to do the same. There's even a part about a soaring eagle. I'd translate the whole sickening, treacly thing, but then I'd get puke on my keyboard and we don't want that. Just remember I was nice, and spared y'all.

This, btw, came shortly after another public relations blunder. This satire site recorded a "We Are The World" spoof about the flotilla, titled "We Con The World". It was very well done, if offensive and mendacious ("there's no people dyyyying..."). This in itself was not a blunder, but a highly succeful bit of citizen propaganda, getting over 2.4 million views on Youtube before the site removed it due to a copyright claim by Warner. Although the video is wrongheaded, it is totally covered by fair use as a work of satire - a concept which YouTube really needs to grasp. You can view it here.

So what's the problem? That the Israeli Government Press Office was not content to let the video do its thing on its own, and just had to send it out in a mailer to foreign press and diplomatic corps, presenting it as official  propaganda. They had to apologize the next day, only a week or so after the "stroganoff" mess.

And finally in anti-Turkish and anti-flotilla protest news, some barbarians weren't content with songs, jokes and parliamentary action, and desecrated a momeorial to WW1 Turkish soldiers in the southern city of Beersheba.

On the other side of the political map, the Israeli left showed signs of life, bringing some 20,000 people (largest left demo in several years) to a demonstration against the violent takeover of the Marmara. Veteran peace activist Uri Avneri was attacked by thugs after the demo, but was rescued by police. A week later, some harder-core activists dyed three of Tel Aviv's main water fountains red in protest of the bloody events.

And a few quick notes to end the flotilla news:

In several countries in Europe there are now various boycotts on Israeli goods. Swedish longshoremen aren't offloading Israeli ships until the end of the month, there's a boycott of some major trade union in Britain, in Ireland a major retailer removed Israeli goods from the shelves, and in Spain there's also a boycott of some sort.

Israeli deputy PM Moshe "Boogie" Ye'elon, who was officially in charge when the fiasco happened (as Bibi was in Canada), complained that he wasn't kept abreast of events and consequently turned on the IDF's performance, despite usually being a rah-rah nationalist (and former IDF Chief of Staff).

An Iranian aid ship is making its way to Gaza, with another slated to leave within days. Relations between Israel and Iran being what they are, what with Iran conducting war by proxy against us through Hizballah and doing its best to arm and train Hamas - these ships even I think should be stopped. Conversely, an aid ship manned by Jewish peace activists from Europe is slated to arrive in July. Wonder if we'll shoot them too?

And finally, as mentioned above, an inquiry committee has been announced. It is headed by former Supreme Court justice Yaacov Tirkel, who was known during his time on the bench as a reliable rubber stamp for the security forces, and who has already opined that he doesn't think the inquiry committee is even necessary. It does feature two impressive international observers: Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Lord William David Trimble (the leader of the No. Ireland Proddies, who recently joined a pro-Israel group), and former Canadian Chief Military Prosecutor and international law expert Ken Watkin. The two will participate in deliberations but not be able to vote. Expectations for meaningful recommendations from this committee by thinking people: Nil. Also, the IDF has completed its internal investigation of the matter, and has concluded that its forces acted with total propriety. Israel still won't release complete footage of the events, won't address the very short range most of the dead activists were shot from, some in the back of the head, and won't address the matter of the credit cards.

On to other matters:

Remember the "price tag" system, whereby judonazi settler scum punish Arabs for unfavorable decisions and actions by the Israeli government? It has crossed the green line into Israel proper, as a mosque in the cillage of Ibtin, near Haifa, was desecrated with graffiti stating "slated for destruction", "There will be war for Judea and Samaria" and a couple Stars of David. This illustrates the greatest concern about the two-state solution - even if it happens, settlers evacuated from Palestine back to Israel will simply foment civil war with Israel's Arab citizens, as they suffer from the Jehovahist disease of inability to coexist with the Other.

An eight year-old who won a contest for short stories about Israel faces deportation, due to being the son of foreign workers from Columbia, and despite having been born in Israel and having zero ties to any other country. These are the things that happen when your Minister of the Interior is a racist Jehovahist.

Abuse of West Bank villagers continues unabated.

- A Jerusalem man was shot dead from very close range, several times, for failing to stop at an impromptu checkpoint. Eyewitnesses have the shooter dancing over the body, chanting "I killed an Arab, I killed an Arab". There is the possibility that he was not crowing, but merely reporting on his radio, but the opposite is also possible. I say this in light of stuff like the article Haaretz had this weekend (Hebrew only, for some reason) about the "Kfir Brigade" which was formed specifically and exclusively for jack-boot duty in the occupied territories. In the article there was a chilling paragraph about the soldiers relishing their exploits in Operation Cast Lead, where they got some relief from regular jack-bootery, and specifically bragging about how their unit "killed 59 Palestinians, only nine of whom were armed".(but goldstone? He's a lying sack of shit who's just out to get poor, maligned, righteous ole Israel).

- A 10 year-old boy from Hebron was arrested, detained for hours and beaten badly enough that he needed to be hospitalized.

 - A 13 yea-old from Bil'in was snatched in front of his mother at his familiy's olive grove, forced to crawl under barbed wire, and then abused for hours (this link, of an interview with the boy, contains a link to video of the initial arrest) before being forced to sign a "confession" that he threw stones at a demonstration.

A word about Helen Thomas: Very sad ending to a great, seminal, courageous career. She said a despicable thing and was rightly castigated for it, but US media figures say the same about the Palestinians all the time (including liberal blogger Matt Yglesias, who has since recanted and called his statement from 2002 "horrible") - and suffer no reprecussions whatsoever. Anyway, 89 is a very good age to call it quits, just sad it had to be on that note.

Some good news as we approach landing: The Supreme Court has decreed that it is illegal to give ultra-orthodox yeshiva students a living stipend when regular university and college students don't receive the same. The ultra-orthodox Knesset members are whining about how the court hates them and are vowing to make the arrangement permissable by legislation.

And finally, regional news: The Soccer War, Digital Version. Egypt has apparently jammed al-Jazeera's broadcast from the world cup, so al-Jazeera spiked the last ten minutes of Egypt's broadcast of the opening match. Can't we all just get along? Let people watch their footie, dammit!

And on that South Central note, the pilot will bring her in for landing, returning you to your local brands of crazy and stupid, which should be looking immensely preferable in comparison or you should seriously consider relocation (or revolution). WHU airlines is not responsible for any illusions, sympathies or misconceptions that may have been misplaced on our tours. Please collect your luggage and check your comments and thumbs. Thank you for flying the crazy skies.