An otherwise calm weekend erupted today with the attack of Israeli commandos on a flotilla of aid activists bound for Gaza. Dramatic footage here. Israeli version of events here, a foreboding sign from Turkey here, and an unconfirmed report of a blinded American here. Gideon Levy compared the incident to the 2008 assault on Gaza, Goldblog responded with angst, and Andrew posed a counterfactual. Readers reacted here. Before the incident, a reader reflected on how Israel responds to its enemies and Time told us what really happened during that supposedly contentious meeting between Barack and Bibi.
In other news, the Guardian reported on the resurgence of the far right in Britain, Joel Wing worried about Iraqi refugees, and Graeme Wood investigated the widespread use of witch trials in Africa. Joe McGinniss broke his silence to Weigel, TNC tackled Lanny Davis, and Andrew criticized George Will's reasoning over Obama and the spill. He also examined the latest victim of the closet.
In spiritual coverage, John P. Meier explained the Jewishness of Jesus, a Protestant reader discussed death and faith, another reader enriched the debate over Christ's divinity, another delved into the deeper meanings of Frost, an Orthodox Christian tried to apply original sin to bonobo apes, and atheist David Sloan Wilson went after Dawkins. Olivia Judson looked at man-made DNA, Bailey defended man-made organisms, and Ryan Sager summed up some studies on happiness.
In assorted coverage, Nick Carr kept up his crusade to save our attention spans, a reader countered, Mike Konczal critiqued online education, and Kottke came up with a great use for the iPad. Swimming pigs made it into an MHB and a few readers provided parting words for Ralph. Cool ad here, cool map here, and a heartbreaking map here. Lots of amazing images of animals here. And the Dishness was strong with this reader.
-- C.B.
(A young woman lays down on the grave of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Noah Pier on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery May 31, 2010 in Arlington, Virginia. Pier was killed February 12, 2010 in Marja, Afghanistan. This is the 142nd Memorial Day observance at the cemetery. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.)