Maan News Agency, June 5, 2010
Update of earlier story
The Israeli army came under intense public scrutiny Saturday after releasing a new, heavily edited version of a video it had previously released Monday.
Bloggers picked up on discrepancies between the two. Maan also investigated, placing a phone call to the army late Saturday afternoon, and confirming with Huwaida Arraf, Palestinian activist and chair of the Free Gaza Movement, that her voice was included in the recording.
Saturday’s version supposedly came from the Mavi Marmara. Arraf was a passenger on another one of the flotilla’s ships, the Challenger 1.
Late Saturday afternoon, the Israeli army released yet another version of the recording, bringing to three the total number of different takes.
On the Israel Defense Spokesperson website, the army issued what it called a “clarification/correction.”
“There have been questions regarding the authenticity of the recording as well as its attribution to a communication with the Mavi Marmara,” the statement said.
“So to clarify: the audio was edited down to cut out periods of silence over the radio as well as incomprehensible comments so as to make it easier for people to listen to the exchange. We have now uploaded the entire segment of 5 minutes and 58 seconds in which the exchange took place and the comments were made.
“This transmission had originally cited the Mavi Marmara ship as being the source of these remarks, however, due to an open channel, the specific ship or ships in the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ responding to the Israeli Navy could not be identified.”
But discrepancies in the Israeli army’s story remain.
Like the second version, the latest video includes three responses. The responses, previously attributed to the Mavi Marmara, are now attributed to the flotilla. The first response comes from a man with an odd, indistinct accent. He says, “Shut up. Go back to Auschwitz.”
Then Arraf follows. In the new version, she says, “Israeli navy, this is the Freedom Flotilla. We are comprised of six motor vessels, carrying only passengers and humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip. We do not carry anything that constitutes a threat to your armed forces. Therefore you are not justified in using any force against us. The blockade of Gaza is illegal under international law. We have permission from the Gaza Port Authority to enter. We repeat we do not constitute any threat to your armed forces. You are not [break in transmission– male, English speaker says “Navy is the best”] against unarmed civilians. Over.”
The third response, which seems entirely disconnected from the events, comes from a man with a heavy Southern accent. “We’re helping Arabs go against the US. Don’t forget 9/11 guys.”
Speaking to Ma’an early Saturday afternoon, Arraf remarked, “I was by the radio the whole time there was any communication. Mine was the only boat in which I answered and not the captain and they all answered in a very professional manner.”
Arraf told Ma’an that while she might have spoken of having permission from the Gaza Port Authority on a previous attempt to break the blockade, she is certain that she did not say it on Monday morning.
“When they radioed us, we were still 100 miles away,” she said.
The Israeli army seized all recording devices from all activists and journalists on the flotilla.
Image: Maan News Agency