The Nation’s Jeremy Scahill appears on MSNBC to debate former New York Mayor Ed Koch about the legality of the Israeli assault on the Gaza aid flotilla and Benjamin’s Netanyahu’s recent statements calling those on the flotilla terrorists.

Koch considers the events a “setup” which Turkey helped finance through a charitable group with “ties to terrorism." When Koch says, “no country will allow an area on its borders to engage in war and not expect to have retaliation,” Scahill reminds him that Israel has banned non-violent items such as sage, cardamom, ginger and toys.

“The fact is that only Israel in the world can act this way, can board a ship and kill civilians, including shooting an American citizen four times in the head, Mayor Koch, and [then] not have the US come out and strongly condemn it…They have violated 66 minimum UN resolutions—Israel has—and they can do it because they are backed by the US.” 

—Clarissa León