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Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Boat+trip+exercise+Israel+bashing/3294452/story.html
Planned Canadian Boat Trip to Gaza Is Exercise in Israel-Bashing
(Calgary Herald-Canada) Editorial - Charity is supposed to be fuelled by a selfless desire to help others, but it's hard to see any such motivation in the plans advanced by Canadian activists, members of Gaza Freedom March (GFM), to charter a boat and sail to the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, the idea reeks of self-aggrandizement and narcissism, along with the usual helping of contempt for Israel. While Israel has largely lifted the blockade, allowing in most consumer goods, what these activists seek is a self-serving stint in Israeli custody, which amounts to both a badge of honor and a battle scar. As a liberal democracy in the Middle East in a region awash in authoritarian regimes and militant puritanism, Israel has had to fight for its survival right from its inception. Despite being a beneficiary of the very same freedoms Israel is defending, the GFM is anxious to lend its support to the other side in a struggle half a world away. These activists could do with a little less selfishness and a lot more self-reflection.