Keith did it last night. Had on as guest Edward Peck, the deputy director of the terrorism task force in the Reagan administration and passenger on one of the ships of the flotilla. Olbermann was skeptical of Israeli claims. Peck said the Israeli soldiers had boarded his smaller boat (not the Mavi Marmara, where the killings took place) with machine guns at the ready, plus helmets and night gear, though nobody on board had any weapon that he could see. They broke into the cabin where some passengers had retreated to protect the ship. He indicated that the soldiers used more violence than was necessary. Olbermann asked what Peck made of the idea that the IDF acted in self-defense. Peck replied that this was turning language upside down. The protesters were defending their ship; they had done nothing hostile to Israel. It was the IDF soldiers who attacked.
Olbermann: "In America now, it seems there are only two positions. If you support Israel, you have to support everything Israel does. If not, they say you’re against the existence of Israel. What do you think?" Peck replied that this either/or was wrong; some things Israel did were bad for the Palestinians, bad for America, and bad for Israel.
I never saw anything like it before on American TV: an interviewer criticizing Israel, person interviewed also criticizing Israel–both Americans.
