Founder of Ground Zero mosque has ties to Gaza Flotilla

New York Post: The imam behind a proposed mosque near Ground Zero is a prominent member of a group that helped sponsor the pro-Palestinian activists who clashed violently with Israeli commandos at sea this week.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a key figure in Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization, according to its Website.

Perdana is the single biggest donor ($366,000) so far to the Free Gaza Movement, a key organizer of the six-ship flotilla that tried to break Israel's blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip Monday. [MORE]

This story does not surprise me in the least. Just the fact that Rauf wants to build the mosque near Ground Zero should have been the tip off. With all the places in New York City to build a mosque, especially neighborhoods that have a large Muslim population, Rauf wants to place it near Ground Zero.

I think the reason for the location is so that the mosque can serve as a symbol of Muslim victory over the west. The very name of the mosque is a reference to battle where Islam triumphed over the west.  Given NYC officials’ high susceptibly to Political Correctness, it was pretty much guaranteed that the mosque was going to be approved. Now that this little bit of information about Rauf has come to light, watch New York City officials twist themselves like pretzels to justify their decision rather than rescind the approval.

I really wish that those folks, who make themselves slaves to the concept of tolerance, would at the very least seek tolerance in return. This one-way street tolerance game is getting quite stale. 

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The New York Post

Via: Hot Air

Video: Netanyahu Defends Israel In Flotilla Incident

Netanyahu really brings his point home at the 6:46 mark. 

The Last Tradition: Benjamin Netanyahu courageously defends his nation against a world who has lost their sense of moral clarity! 

Israel has the right to exist and defend herself against aggression and millions of right thinking Americans stand with her, always.  

My friend Sam, nail this.  Netanyahu offers some much needed common sense to this whole flotilla incident. There was a well know blockade in place. No one can argue that Israel has more than enough reasons to be cautious about any cargo entering Gaza, no matter what the stated cause is. With a blockage in place and Israel under constant treat, shouldn’t any sane person expect, Israel to defend themselves by enforcing the blockage? So why are so many in the media acting like Israel’s boarding of the Turkish ship is such an aggressive act?

Sarah Palin seems to asking the same question. 

The Weekly Standard: The media, as usual, seems to be reporting only one side of the Israeli Flotilla incident. Don't trust the mainstream media to give you both sides of a story fairly... you must seek out fair reporting to ensure you have all the information. 

As far too many in the media, and in various governments, rush to condemn Israel, we must put the recent events off Israel’s coast into the right perspective.  This “relief” convoy was not about humanitarian aid, as the liberal mainstream media keeps reporting.  The whole operation was designed to provoke Israel, not to provide supplies to Palestinians held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.  Anyone who sees the video of Israeli commandos being attacked as they land on that ship knows the people aboard were vicious thugs, not “peace activists.” The media insults our intelligence with their outright mischaracterization of who these enemies are.  [MORE] 

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Last Tradition

Via: The Weekly Standard

Flotilla of Peace financed by terror

This weekend’s big story was how a flotilla of “peace activists” was headed towards Gaza to bring relief supplies to the Palestinians.  The relief mission was in defiance of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza.  The Israeli Defense Force, in an attempt to stop the flotilla boarded a Turkish vessel and that is when all hell broke loose.

On board the Turkish vessel IDF clashed with the “peace activists” and IDF ended up killing 10 of the “activists”. The operation put Israel in a very bad light, until the videos started to roll in.

These so-called “peace activists” were armed and ready. It is almost like a trap was set for Israel. We learn today that the flotilla was finance by a terrorist organization. 

The Weekly Standard:The Turkish organizers of the Gaza Strip-bound flotilla that was boarded this morning by Israeli commandos knew well in advance that their vessels would never reach Israeli waters. That's because the organizers belong to a nonprofit that was banned by the Israeli government in July 2008 for its ties to terrorism finance.

The Turkish IHH (Islan Haklary Ve Hurriyetleri Vakfi in Turkish) was founded in 1992, and reportedly popped up on the CIA's radar in 1996 for its radical Islamist leanings.  Like many other Islamist charities, the IHH has a record of providing relief to areas where disaster has struck in the Muslim world. 

However, the organization is not a force for good. The Turkish nonprofit belongs to a Saudi-based umbrella organization known to finance terrorism called the Union of Good (Ittilaf al-Kheir in Arabic). Notably, the Union is chaired by Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, who is known best for his religious ruling that encourages suicide attacks against Israeli civilians.  According to one report, Qardawi personally transferred millions of dollars to the Union in an effort to provide financial support to Hamas. 

The situation is rapidly escalating. The UN Security Council is already condemning Israel’s actions (where is the Security Council’s swift actions when it comes to Iran?). Turkey is threatening military reprisals and will send another flotilla this time escorted by the Turkish Navy.

US Officials are saying the US will stand with Israel.  There was a time when few would have wondered what America’s response would have been, today given the administration’s shabby treatment of Israel, we all have to wonder.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The New York Times

Via:  The Weekly Standard

Video h/t: Hot Air

Via: The New York Times

Via: Ian Welsh

Via: IBN Live

Via: ABC News