American on Gaza Flotilla among the Dead

by Maggie @ Maggie’s Notebook

A Turkish-American man, only 19 years old, climbed aboard the Mavi Marmara and did not walk off alive. The ship was stopped by Israeli IDF to be searched for weapons destined for Gaza. Furkan Dogan was a U.S. citizen and a Turkish-American. He lived in Turkey. Eight other Turks died as the ship’s passengers attacked the Israeli military.

Furkan Dogan

Mr. Dogan was a 19-year-old high school student from the town of Kayseri. He was born in Troy, New York and moved with his family to Turkey when he was 2-years-old.

The blockade of ships going into Gaza has been in place for a number of years. Israel conducts the search, removes weaponry and send the ships on their way. This time, the flotilla knew they would be stopped and searched, and decided to aggressively stop it. Some aboard the ship used metal rods, heavy chains – they threw plates and worse. People on both sides died.

I don’t know this young man’s thinking for being aboard this boat that Turkey wants to spin as “charity.” Turkey admits it was a “test.” I don’t know how Dogan was caught up in the fighting, but there is one thing very clear, every Muslim country in the area, including Turkey, wants to do away with Israel and with Jews. Israel has the right to blockade according to international law. They have to do it. They do not have a choice.