Sinking the Flotillas with the Weight of the Law
The logic is simple. Hamas is recognized by the United States government as a terrorist organization, thus it is a crime to provide material support for them. The Free Gaza Movement (FGM) is preparing another international “freedom flotilla” which seeks to deliver supplies to Hamas-controlled Gaza, bypassing the established channels that Israel has set up to allow the flow of humanitarian goods into the region. Therefore, any company which collaborates with the flotilla in any way is aiding a terrorist group and is vulnerable to prosecution.
This is the method developed by the Tel Aviv-based Shurat HaDin, an Israeli civil rights organization that seeks to “bankrupt the terror groups and grind their criminal activities to a halt — one lawsuit at a time.” On June 5th, Roger L. Simon reported here at PJ Media on the law firm’s efforts and noted that in addition to contacting maritime insurance companies with warnings of potential lawsuits it had also warned Inmarsat, the satellite and communications company which services the boats. Shurat HaDin wrote in a press release,
We informed INMARSAT that we are acting to prevent the new flotilla of ships from approaching Gaza and carrying out a repeat of the dangerous confrontation that took place a year ago. The letter makes it clear that the company’s failure to terminate satellite services to the ships will result in both criminal and civil liability.
Inmarsat did not respond to Shurat HaDin. So on June 27 a lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade County in Florida by Michelle Fendel, a U.S. citizen living in Sderot, Israel, with her husband who teaches at a rabbinical school. They have the standing to sue given the fact that Hamas rockets flowing into Gaza are a direct threat to their lives and property. The defendants are Inmarsat PLC (the United Kingdom-based foreign corporation,) Inmarsat Inc., and their CEO Andrew J Sukawaty. The plaintiff is not seeking financial compensation, just a court order preventing Inmarsat from providing service to the flotilla.
Whether the lawsuit against Inmarsat will compel the company to cut satellite service (and thus prevent them from sailing) is still an open question. However this “lawfare” strategy is already showing results on other fronts.
On June 19 Shurat HaDin reported that as a result of their campaign the French boat in the flotilla lost its insurance and would not be able to join. The infamous Mavi Marmara — the Turkish vessel which saw nine dead jihadists last year in a clash with Israeli commandos — also had to pull out of the flotilla because of an inability to acquire insurance.
Yesterday the New York Times reported that Shurat HaDin’s tactics caused Greece to hold two of the boats docked in their ports, thus delaying the planned voyage this week.
There remains no victor yet in the lawfare battle over whether the flotilla will ultimately set sail this summer. According to the Times, Adam Shapiro, an FGM spokesman who advocates violence against Israel, says all of the ten vessels set to sail have insurance and have been deemed seaworthy. If that’s true then Greece may end up releasing the boats any day now.
The case against Inmarsat may be the last hope for those hoping to prevent another violent confrontation at sea.
Finally, some Jewish brains and balls go to work to “torpedo” these boats.
it would be great if they literaly did torpedo every one in the flotilla,
They should go after the money of these organizations. Unless you hit them in the pocket they won’t repent.
good for Israel.
…not a fan of lawfare but when you are dealing with evil people you do what you must.
sinking the ships as there are engaged in a war would be my preferred option.
War by any means is justified against these barbarians… and as a lawyer he’s using the tool he’s most familiar with.
I applaud his efforts.
Now if only they’d sue our own gov’t over immigration.
Oh, it gets even better. In yet another lawsuit (Bauer vs. Mavi Marmara) Shurat HaDin is going after the boats themselves. From the Israel Law Center website:
“The plaintiff, American biologist, Dr. Alan Bauer, who along with his son Jonathan was seriously injured in a Palestinian suicide bombing on March 21, 2002 in Jerusalem, alleges that FGM [Free Gaza Movement] and other American-based anti-Israel organizations have raised funds in the United States to outfit the Gaza Flotilla ships. The lawsuit contends that furnishing and outfitting the ships, which are being used for hostilities against a U.S. ally, violates American law. The plaintiff rests his claim upon a rarely-utilized “informant” statute (18 U.S.C. section 962) that allows a plaintiff (called an “informer”) to privately seize ships outfitted in the United States for use against a U.S. ally.”
One of those ships is the “Audacity of Hope” promoted by one of Obama’s friends and mentors, Rashid Khalidi. If the plaintiffs prevail, half the assets go the the plaintiffs, the other half to the US government. Wouldn’t *that* be sweet…
Full disclosure: I recently made a first-time contribution to the Center. Others might want to do likewise.
if they dont sink all of them I do hope they will seise all of them. further more they should prossecute every person involved in this action for crimes against the United States,
There has to be consequences for being classified as a terrorist organization. Which part of that is in any need of elaboration? All the power to legal talent being applied to a sound cause. Keep in mind that the jihadists and their apologists are more dangerous than run-of-the-mill bullies, but they are bullies nevertheless, and they deserve to be confronted, just as ordinary bullies should be, but with even more urgency and determination in their case.
Kudos to all those who figure out any way of depriving the terrorists of any semblance of legitimacy. By the way, keep in mind that GWB resolved to delegitimize Arafat by refusing to have anything whatever to do with him. He stuck with it, and he was right, regardless of whatever else he did which could legitimately deserve criticism.
Honestly why don’t they go for financial damages too? Money talks a lot more than just court orders, and it might put a little more of the fear of God into the CEO if financial penalties are also on the line. Besides, the people doing the work to file and being endangered by the rockets also deserve compensation. If they think it would be unseemly or hurt their standing to sue for money for themselves, they could at least designate a charitable organization in Israel for any money recovered to be donated. I think they should ask for cash, not just injunction against the sat provider. Maybe 2 separate lawsuits, if they are worried financial damages would hurt the likelihood of the original suit succeeding…
Why don’t the Israeli lawyers go after the media organizations that help Hamas by what they do and do not choose to report?
It is my understanding that missiles fired from drones are not hostilities.This is also the opinion of the POTUS, himself a legal scholar of international renown a and constitutional lawyer, his personal lawyers and advisors, and the AGOTUS Eric Holder. Israel, fire away, but no hostilities please! And insurers, it follows this would clearly not be an act of war, so pay up!
Israel, fire away!! Missiles fired from drones are not hostilities!! You will be backed by renowned constitutional lawyer and legal scholar Barrack Obama, his team of legal advisors, the attorney general of the USA, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. “Activities” in Libya sets the precedent. Insurers, pay up. Non hostilities do not represent an act of war.
They are actually naming boats after their favorite celebs:
http://www.dunningmarketing.com/moonbattery/flotilla_1.jpg
http://www.dunningmarketing.com/moonbattery/flotilla_2.jpg
Lawfare bankrupted the Ku Klux Klan.
SINK ALL OF THE SHIPS FULL OF RAGHEADS,COMMIES AND RUG MUNCHERS.
Bruce I am in total agreement with you. and I do mean sink them with all hands on board. DO NOT RESCUE ANY PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT GO DOWN WITH THE BOATS.as a matter of fact make sure they never make it to shore,
fortunately for israel, vagabond, i don’t believe there is anyone as crazy as you in the israeli government. if this happened, worldwide hatred for Israel would increase one-thousand fold. this is a battle that israel cannot win. just let the flotilla people do their thing. the blockade is not turning gazans against hamas, and strictly enforcing it won’t change that fact.
Too much reality, Marco!
not sure why the flotilla needs satellite services. Can someone explain how not having satellite services will prevent the ships from sailing
INMARSAT services include telecommunications in areas where there is no reliable service (like the open ocean), and Safety and Distress signals. The last set is the most important. You don’t want your friends not to know you’ve been sunk.
And the other is important for those fools because they’re mostly doing this for the Media.
One torpedo worth thousand words.
#2 said, “not a fan of lawfare but when you are dealing with evil people you do what you must.” – Lawfare is the primary tool used against the West by Islamists. It’s called ‘using your own weapons against you’; stealth Jihad at its finest, just ask CAIR; they think America/Israel are evil yet they get a pass to practice their crap right on our doorstep.
This ‘flotilla’ business is sad. These people are deliberately provoking a confrontation with a sovereign nation; and should a “no boots on the ground kinetic action” be taken against them it will be a good thing.
Its nice to see our side using Lawfare for once – and winning!
the ports of Egypt are open to GAZA shipments so there is no reason for any Fauxtilla other than provocation to make a media war on Israel.
There is no blockade, there are no starving Gazans.
The US citizens on the Audacity of Dopes should be arrested for acts of war on an allied nation.(see Rick Perry letter). As it is sure than Obumbler will not ask damages for abuse of this copyright book title- his publisher should.
I hope the people mentioned above are successful in their suits, and I agree they should ask more than prevention, they must demand a LOT of money as well.That is what will make corporations understand that there will be penalties for aiding and abetting USA enemies.
I support the legal approaches being taken to prevent the flotilla from approaching Gaza. The deaths which occurred during the “flotilla” of a year ago were a public relations disaster for Israel and the Israeli policy regarding goods entering Gaza was relaxed significantly (and not well enough publicized in my view). Posters who call for more killing – including the killing of Americans by a foreign power – really need to think about what they are saying. If a group from the Cuban exile community in Florida determined to launch a flotilla on Cuba, would you support Cuba’s territorial rights to kill them? Blithely saying “sink the boats” adds little to the discussion.
TimJ,
While I agree with you that calling for sinking the boats does not add to the discussion, I must say something regarding your comparison with Cuba.
No, I would not support Cuba territorial rights. You know why? Because I do not equate dictatorial regime in Cuba to free democratic society in Israel and I do not equate Cuban exiles who wants freedom for their compatriots with murderous terrorists who wants complete annihilation of entire race.
Why do you think those 2 actions are morally equivalent? They are not, and they are should not be looked upon the same way.
In my mind, Israel has absolute moral right to anything it can to protect itself against enemy like hamas. And by anything I do mean anything, not just legal or moral things. The wisdom of doing something like sinking flotilla is entirely different matter.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply Udar. It is my view that Cuba is – whether we like it or not – a sovereign state and as such its territorial claims must be respected. And I doubt that the the majority of Palestinians want to annihilate the Jewish people. Let’s have a beer some day.
Do you believe that obama and holder are going to let a little thing like the law stand in their way. You forget that these two clowns sold weapons to the Mexican drug cartels, surely obamas, muslim brothers shall receive more and better weapons than the cartel!
The acronym “FGM” for “Free Gaza Movement” happens to also mean something else associated with radical islamist regimes… (female genital mutilation, a.k.a. cliterodectomy)
But seriously, turnabout is fair play. Let the lawfare practitioners get a dose of their own medicine.