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Al-Jazeera TV aired a report from the Ship to Gaza flotilla before the confrontation. The activists chanted a well-known Islamic battle cry invoking the killing of Jews.

At gatherings and rallies of extremists, this chant is often heard. See video clip: Ship to Gaza song: Kill the Jews! One veiled woman activist declared that one of her goals was martyrdom.

The Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV chose to glorify flotilla participants who shouted the Islamic battle cry.

Are these humanitarian activists trying to help Palestinians in Gaza? Doesn't seem like it.

It seems to be a media stunt paired with the killing of Jews and martyrdom for Allah. This is more Jihad than a peace initiative!

One of the organizations behind the Ship to Gaza initiative is a Turkish group (Insani Yardim Vakfi, IHH) suspected of links with Al Qaida. Click here and here for further information.

“As for the IHH, however, it is closely connected with Hamas and has long history of advocating armed struggle, including terrorism, towards Israel. Furthermore, the organization has close ties with other militant Islamic organizations including al-Qaida.

The current President of IHH, Bulent Yildrim was already in the 1990's involved in recruiting members and sending them to war-zones such as Bosnia, to gain combat experience. It also has a history of fighting the Turkish government and several of its leaders and activist members have been arrested for illegal arms-procurement and bomb-making material purchased from Turkish terror-groups.”

By Dr. Magnus Norell -Senior Analyst (Dr), at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Stockholm, Kista Sweden. From November 1, 2009, leave of absence from FOI. -Adjunct Scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Washington DC, USA -Associate Director of Studies in Terrorism, Organized Crime and Middle East Politics @ Infosphere AB