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welcome back here's a recap of the top stories on our cautious between riot police and protesters continue in the streets of athens following the government's approval of. the cuts are a prerequisite for more bailout cash from the e.u. to a looming a default. and russia continue to struggle to block of government provided some have to live. with little help. syria's unrest references spread across the middle east israel is concerned that hezbollah is moving. just in case president assad is overthrown. is also ready gets trouble as a humanitarian flotilla sails for gaza well will we see a repeat of last year's deadly raid well that's

a question in focus in today's edition of cross talk that's up next. if you can. follow in welcome to cross talk i'm peter lavelle freedom flotilla two point zero over a thousand pro palestinian activists from twenty two countries are said to join the freedom flotilla two in a bid to break israel's five year blockade on gaza where one point five million palestinians will what remains to be seen is whether there will be a violent repeat of last year's photo look at the gaza. strip. to cross off the second freedom flotilla i'm joined by cots in jerusalem he's a military correspondent and defense analyst for the jerusalem post also in jerusalem we have chris gunness he is

a spokesperson for the united nations relief and works agency a neutral humanitarian organization with over ten thousand workers on the ground in gaza who's neutral work is based on the united nations charter and universal declaration and in chicago we cross to ali abunimah he is co-founder of the electronic intifada and author of one country a bold proposal to end the israeli palestinian impasse all right gentlemen this is cross talk and i means cross talk rules in effect but first let's have a look at what is called the second attempt to break the gaza blockade. a dangerous provocation or a bold move in defiance of a blockade freedom flotilla two sets a sails for troubled waters again only a year after its predecessors tragic attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the gaza strip ignoring grave warnings from the israeli government the convoys carrying some one thousand activists from twenty countries determined to break an israeli blockade of the palestinian territory but after the recent political breakthrough

in cairo and the easing of passage through the rougher crossing on the egyptian border to allow passage of people and goods the flotilla campaign will look more like an attempt to talk on television and corner its security forces into aggression despite last year's debacle that's online activists killed and forty more wounded there israeli government has vowed to continue intercepting any vessels that proceed to gaza shores due to security concerns we've already introduced. this. time for. from iran concerning hundreds of tons of weapons israel simply cannot permit the free flow of weapons and more. hamas from the sea but this time it seems to be more about a tug of war between israel and pro palestinian forces as well as israel's resolve to avoid a precedent that would undermine its grip on gaza that will assume this is a lot of them and the u.s. has made it clear that it stands by its traditional ally and has even more of american citizens to stay clear of the second photo were to gaza we do not believe

the different to what is necessary or useful for to try to see the people of gaza and with see that it's not for there to be flow to the try to provoke actions by entering into israeli waters and creating a situation in which these are really scared of the right to defend themselves. none the less the organizers of the flotilla remain determined even in the face of possible violence it would seem that breaking the blockade of gaza is the key to alleviating what the united nations says has led to a humanitarian crisis in gaza. bain's and i are suffering. the second freedom flotilla to gaza faces many of the same political and security issues of the first flotilla the palestinians and their international supporters demanded an end to

what they deem as in the legal blockade of gaza but israel stands more isolated than street one of gazans than ever would choose to avoid the kind of catastrophic p.r. it received over its confrontation with the first flotilla or will it remain as uncompromising about its security as it's always been. for crossed off. ok chris if i can go to you in jerusalem in preparing for this program you get two different points of view what is this is this a political provocation or is this noble humanitarian mission because depending on what you want to read in western media it's one of the other and mostly it is a provocation how do you react to that being on the ground and knowing gaza so well . well the position of the united nations relief and works agency for which i speak is very clear on this if there were no humanitarian crisis if there weren't a crisis in almost every aspects of life in gaza there be no need for the if there

were blockade there'd be no need for the fertility let's look at the basic humanitarian facts on the ground ninety five percent of all water in gaza is undrinkable forty percent of all disease is water boarding schools by pool water forty five point two percent of the labor force is unemployed eighty percent a dependency a tripling of the abject pool since the blockade there is clearly a crisis in every aspect of life in gaza we're trying to build schools one hundred new schools big problems there there's a crisis of education there's a crisis of public health millions of gallons of untreated sewage floating into the sea every day because there's a crisis of public health let's get rid of this blockade and there be no need for ok i'm going to you are also in jerusalem so there is a need for this. just for more awareness reasons than any other purpose according to what christians said. well i think that in general the people of gaza

definitely to some extent are suffering but i think that there are different ways to insert humanitarian aid to the gaza strip we saw recently the decision by the egyptian government to open up the rougher crossing in gaza shares a lengthy border with egypt which they would be able to use if anyone were to ask to be able to transfer goods from egypt into gaza israel maintains land crossings that are used almost on a daily basis for close to two hundred trucks if not more to transfer medicine supplies and humanitarian goods to the gaza strip and as chris mentioned before schools are being built in gaza israel has approved dozens of schools for some reason is dragging its feet and not working and taking action on some of those permits that it's been approved to move forward with. inserting the building equipment but since last year's israel is definitely lax up the restrictions on the gaza strip i don't think that this is the way to do it we've seen most recently in february was the victoria ship interest carrying

a rainy in arms sophisticated missiles and radars to hamas in the gaza strip israel has said it cannot allow for ships to sail freely to gaza because they will carry weapons for hamas which will then use them to attack israeli cities and therefore if you really care for the palestinians use either egypt or israeli ports and land crossings to bring in humanitarian goods why do it through the sea when israel says it won't allow it to happen because of its security unless you really are seeking a provocation ok only if i go to you in chicago why would this photo under any circumstances at all bring arms as part of a humanitarian and i mean this is this would be so counterintuitive i don't understand why the israelis are so upset about this unless they just don't want to see a precedent to be set where a photo look can break the blockade that's what it's all about not security breaking the blockade is that right or wrong. well nobody believes that there are going to be arms on these ships not even the israeli government and it's reported

yesterday and i quote verbatim security officials and and foreign ministry representatives informed the cabinet on sunday that israel has no information indicating that terrorists or anyone affiliated with a terror group is planning to take part in the fla tilla and according to the same israeli government sources. the flip to the participants will be european peace activists and american peace activists and others presumably not interested in violence and will quote present a more difficult public diplomacy challenge so not even the israelis believe that this flotilla is a threat and in fact it's a mistake to reduce this to an issue of humanitarian aid because for example the u.s. boat to gaza is not carrying humanitarian aid it's carrying only letters written by americans directed to people in gaza letters of solidarity and aboard the u.s. boat to gaza is eighty seven year old holocaust survivor had the epstein pulitzer

prize winning american novelist alice walker and a number of other americans all of whose names and faces are available on the u.s. boat to gaza website so we have the absurd situation now where israeli commandos are training to prevent an eighty seven year old holocaust survivor from reaching the gaza strip and the real problem here is that israel is trying to present the flip tilla as a military threat and the military situation when absolutely nobody not even the israeli government believes that and the point about the blockade and white people is seeking to break it is because israeli officials themselves for example israeli foreign minister avigdor lieberman in june. last year have stated clearly that the puppets of the blockade as collective punishment and political question that's

a very very important point so if i go to you how do you react to that because it is we hear this a lot from members of the international community this is collective punishment against the people of gaza how do you respond to that. i you know personally i find it to be a little absurd you know israel pulled out of the gaza strip in two thousand and five with a hand extended for peace pulled out of the international borders instead of having the houses that are left behind and the settlements that are left behind to be used to to build agriculture and to build industry hamas which vialli took over gaza in two thousand and seven decided to continuously attack israel with the reigning arms that it obtains through ships that try to sail to gaza or to egypt and smuggle twenty thousand into the gaza strip. from the time it was under under under under under this order which is a commission so i think that excuse me i think that once again i think all that is really is that israel is a sovereign state has the right israel is

a sovereign state has as well as a partner protect your citizens and to protect its gaza part and they were ok i want to go to you chris before the break i want to listen i want to go to chris before the break that we just heard an interesting comment chris christie i did go to chris please before we go to the prayer you why police legal advice before the break then in how much prison and how much is how much autonomy does a big gazans have ok if israel isn't in control very little because although you are close enough mr cutts is talking precisely there's been no exports you can go in the month of may there is a there's a blockade there is an occupation israel controls the land the sea in the airspace in international that means that there is an occupation going on and if i could just respond to one thing that mr katz said earlier that people like you and so driving it for your good those along with ashley young life christmas day council. they're here to let you speak for those of us who are used to ya because katz's credo no i don't see you saying order without we've just heard from him is

a classic of the genre the idea that under is dragging its feet all right gentlemen i'm going to jump in right now ok cheney you discussed discussion right when we left off after a short break we'll continue our discussion on the flotilla stay with r.t. . if you see. twenty years ago this country. the sun. began to. take the. leap. good

news . on.

peace soon which brightened. soon from fans to questions. whose claims totty dot com. can you can. still. welcome back your cross talk i'm people about to mind you we're talking about freedom flotilla two point zero. and you can. start. ok chrissy you are starting to farther the break started to do explain with the situation of. if i could say the relationship between israel and gaza i mean how much autonomy does the gaza strip

have and isn't it just israel want to determine the economic development of it i mean they there seems to be this intent to control everything that is done in gaza to make sure that it's no threat to israel and they can have no independent policy of its own do either domestically or with other palestinians or abroad. thank you peace of give me this chance i think you've said it all israel is. because israel controls the land sea and air space of effective control means as an occupation but if i could address something which mr katz said earlier about why not bring things in through russia i'm afraid this is yet another example of his evidence free mode of journalism completely lacking any acquaintance with the situation on the ground i've actually been through the rough across it's one small road going north it's one small road going south if you like or need to feed seven hundred fifty thousand people each day it is hopelessly inadequate that is why we say to israel allow us

to do our humanitarians were the poorest of the few weeks ago severely europeans finished. costing hundreds of tons of humanitarian goods to gaza through iraq just a few weeks ago as europeans should not sail away to run trains we do the same for . gentlemen. we're going to jump in here you go away in chicago to gentlemen i'm going to go to chicago right now i'm going to chicago how is the blockade of gaza counterproductive for israel's own interests how would you address that because it doesn't seem to get israel any score any points whatsoever ok what does it get from blockading gaza. well let's step back for a minute and if you listen to what yaakov katz says he's representing very well the israeli government viewpoint it's very clear what the agenda is the only agenda is

to disconnect gaza which is part and parcel of historic palestine and its people to disconnect it completely to him ethically seal it and to dump it on to egypt that's why he's saying why don't you bring the goods through egypt but what is gaza really it is a giant prison for one point six million people eighty percent of them refugees from towns and villages destroyed towns and villages the in what is now israel and israel wants nothing to do with them for one reason only and that's because the jews that's the fundamentally racist nature of this blockade because if the people of gaza who are native and indigenous to palestine know what mr katz would call israel israel would open the prison gates of gaza and welcome them home so this is why the blockade is fundamentally political fundamentally of racist and fundamentally as you have

a chance to resist them israel wants to throw them all into egypt and they are not palestinians only parts of egypt they're part of palestine and i know this to kill us i'm going to let you respond right now you go ahead in jerusalem go ahead go ahead replied the alley i apologize but i think ali is completely falsifying the fact that israel has continuously offered the palestinians in negotiations a palestinian state built on an established land in the gaza strip and the west bank with continuity in a way of connecting those two parts as evil as this is really. pretty new in the deep eyes and there are twenty hammers into the air down the main interest israeli citizens so it's a total israel to reason he began to. say that. roald dahl's me at the races in the us and because they are all right gentlemen we're all talking over each other or else go ahead. go ahead i want chris to go you were saying something go ahead example i find your head where you have well we have

a situation. has chris here he is that gentleman and israel has the right to do this it's like ok let's talk about it if you can begin to build a state. this idea that gaza can become part of a state and that israel is opening its arms wide to that possibility simply is not borne out in reality to begin with the policy of isolating blockading both politically and economically of course does not sit with what mr katz is saying you cannot possibly think that you could have a viable state in the situation that gaza is in there is a policy of collective punishment and that has been condemned as a violation of international that's why israel is finding itself because it's on the wrong side of international law if israel wants it to legitimize itself and as a member state of the u.n. i sincerely hope that israel does and i would support the process then it has to get on the right side of international law that means lifting this blockade which

is a violation of international law it's a collective punishment and the idea that collective punishment can somehow lead to statehood is an absurdity to cats gentlemen gentlemen we have to be fair here because go ahead you know go ahead because it's two against one here go ahead i want to give you the paratime go ahead. i'm in the middle. but i'll say that. that. that. if you look at the numbers and the fact that the term blockade is just it's not accurate because if we look over the past year and the past half a year at least over ten thousand to fifteen thousand palestinians have been allowed into israel for medical treatment trucks over two hundred crossing to gaza and a daily basis in israel sea blockade has been confirmed degree or firmed it approved by by international organizations by the united nations and by different allies of israel. as it was fairly soon since the security purposes right now a guy here for a guy. i mean you're bringing up a very interesting what are we and i do you is the blockade legal or illegal under

international law let's clear this out go ahead how are you guys really are in chicago trying to please go ahead and personal helping me chicago. i would think that the united nations would have spokespeople he was a jolly go ahead. well if mr katz will allow me the international committee of the red cross last june. they see declared to the siege in the blockade is illegal numerous u.n. and other bodies have declared that it's illegal and of course israeli officials themselves have stated that the pup us as collected collective punishment i can read you bait him quotes from the israeli foreign minister of a dollar lieberman among others saying the puppets for example is to apply political pressure to force palestinians to release the single israeli prisoner of war held in the gaza strip which understandable that as real might want him freed

but it's absolutely illegal under international law to apply collective punishment to a civilian population in order to free prisoners of war but that's what israeli officials themselves explain that they're doing and these are crimes by the way punishable under international law under the sudden fourth geneva conventions so we don't need to even wait for what mr gun is so other u.n. officials have to say have to say we can just listen to israeli officials like avigdor lieberman explaining the punitive and illegal intent of this blockade and as i mentioned and i stress this israeli officials themselves say one thing in english to the international press and another thing in hebrew in english that talking about all the scary things that might be on the ship with holocaust survivor had the epstein and hebrew that briefing the cabinet that we have absolutely no evidence whatsoever of any threat coming from this flotilla so mr

katz says husband may may walk in far right wing suckles in israel but it's it's why. israel is in such a bad bind and times in our. public relations you completely should sex relations you just don't. know yet because i didn't ask you a question years and i asked you a question do you think that even fire israeli said he will be asked if you think the israeli military will tell him i'm sorry gentlemen i must. keep this orderly here if i could ask you if the israeli government doesn't think that this is a threat do you think it will use military force to stop it in the next few days. i think that israel plans to enforce the sea blockade over the gaza strip because if it allows these ships to sail freely into gaza first of all yes there is a chance that they are carrying weapons that they are carrying terrorist we saw that in last year's flotilla there were armed mercenaries aboard the turkish ship

mavi marmara which lynch to try so. holding to allow him to sell really trying to. get as his hands. were to allow these ships to sail into gaza then it would create a precedent that would then allow a ship like victoria which is several months ago tried to sail to gaza with the rain. in the rain you may have brought up an interesting word precedent here and i think that's what everybody is looking at a precedent chris is this what the israelis are most afraid of is that the blockade will be broken and if it's broken broken once in a big p.r. way they'll be no way for it to enforce it in the future. well peter if you want to unpack israeli paranoia and hysteria you should really be speaking to yack of cats mr katz and not to me but certainly i think that what he was talking about about the bind in terms of international p.r.

that israel is in is a very interesting point because on the international stage israel is looking increasingly deal of gypsum eyes and again one can quote lieberman and other israeli officials one doesn't have to make an argument at all here and i think that this blockade and this flotilla that is in response to it i think is a real danger for israel's international reputation and so far israel is really floundering it showed it show no real response that i think convinces the world audience out there that it really is acting in a manner which is legitimate and is the kind of behavior that one expects from a state and i think the fact that the till is in response to an illegal collective punishment considerably weakens on already weakened case all right i am going to give you the last word in the program go ahead in chicago it's where we go from here now ali you didn't say as much as everyone else go ahead. peter i think if we if we ignore him and he is certainly an adult by chris and we look at the fact that ships have been carrying weapons to the gaza strip for only go ahead jump in what

you. state has for us and it was just very good journalism miracle well israel you know israel needs to end its occupation of blockade of the gaza strip it needs to and it needs to end its occupation and colonize ation of settlement in the west bank it needs to end systems and us and us carolyn a sharon to tell us the sentences are always a visit all right gentlemen this is very much what i expected from this. time many thanks so my guess a day in jerusalem and in chicago and thanks to our viewers for watching us here r.t.c. you next time and remember cross talk rules. and.