Fintan Lane is a Pussy, chapter two.

By now all of you know that the Saoirse, the Irish Gaza war-enabler ship, was damaged mysteriously while in port in Turkey.

Immediately blame was cast on Israel - in fairness, it looks likely - but the war enablers wasted little time in calling a protest and - get this - an outside sit-in at the Israeli embassy (in less enlightened times we'd say there was something very "Irish" about an outside sit-in).

The IPSC wasted so little time calling a protest, that they didn't bother providing any evidence at all.

"Full details of the extent of the sabotage, including photos and video of the damage will be made available to the press later today."

What was in fact released were three poorly-angled photographs of what looks (to my untrained eye) as a ding caused by some flat-bladed cutting instrument, and a slight bend in the propeller shaft which, obviously, would do great damage to the boat's propellor in no time.

I'm completely throwing my hands up on this one and not offering any explanations, and being a bit of a fuddy-duddy, am going to wait a bit longer than the IPSC did before coming to their conclusion - in that, I'm actually going to wait for someone who knows what they're talking about to give us some real facts.

Most amusing is the first video here, which shows my favourite war-enabler, Dr.Fintan Lane, whinge about how the damage was actually "life-threatening" (can we assume that Dr.Lane's doctorate is not in maritime engineering?) and the crew "certain" to have "lost lives". He then trots out the old favourite about it having been an attack on a "humanitarian aid" ship, a lie so discredited it's amazing he can keep a straight face. Botox maybe? Watch the clip and you'll see what I mean.

Anyway. He is "outraged" that Israel considered the flotilla a provocation. Really? Where did they get that idea from? Is it because there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and even if there were, the New York Times published this on June 25th :

“Things are better than a year ago,” said Jamal El-Khoudary, chairman of the board of the Islamic University, who has led Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege. “The siege on goods is now 60 to 70 percent over.”

The flotilla's stated ambition is to "break the siege", hardly what you'd call the language of peace. And while Alice Walker dreams about being gunned down by the IDF in the name of peace, Fintan Lane cries about having his life put in danger. By a bent propeller shaft.

What kind of peaceniks are these? Lane describes the alleged Israeli act of sabotage as "terrorism", but has he ever spoken out against Palestinian terrorism? The kind were people actually get blown up, not the kind where boat propellers (allegedly) have chunks knocked out of them.

So, I am not thrilled about the Irish involvement in this, and a lot of Irish people wonder why we Ulster folk don't want to be a part of their country. Well, it for things like this. In Dublin, on the 28th June, was a solidarity march with the people of Palestine. Video here. Angry crowds sing "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free". Free of Jews, that is. Because as everybody knows, the implication of a "free" Palestine "from the river to the sea", is one without a Jewish state called Israel parked on it.

But it gets better. The loons are also protesting - you'll love this - Riverdance. Why? Riverdance is heading to Israel!

"Riverdance: Not in our name! You do not represent us!"

cries Raymond Deane (from 2:20).

Well at least that part is true.