Israel created a huge brew-ha-ha on the high seas last week, when Israeli naval troops boarded several Turkish vessels and impounded the ships, cargoes and people aboard them. On one ship, the activists resisted, and a fight broke out, which left nine of the activists dead and many others—activists and Israeli commandoes—hurt.
Israel has kept Gaza under blockade and has promised to maintain the blockade, so long as Hamas clings to power and continues to launch an array of weapons across the border into Israel.
Hamas has bombarded Israeli cities with rocket fire for a long time, and Israel doesn’t want them to be rearmed by Syria and Iran, with even deadlier weapons via the sea.
Israel does have a right to search those ships for weapons, in the same way that the United States imposed a blockade on Cuba to prevent nuclear weapons on Soviet ships from reaching Cuban ports during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The world feigns outrage at the Israeli actions, but casts a blind eye on Hamas bombarding Israeli cities with sophisticated weapons from Iran and other countries. This isn’t right or fair.
The international community has no right to ask Israel to lower its defenses without presenting a viable alternative. It should be that Turkey and other naval powers take over the blockade and stop ships carrying weapons from reaching Gaza. Once they’re inspected and declared weapons-free, they should be able to set sail straight into Gaza.
Or have the cargoes inspected in their home ports before departure, by Israeli and other international inspectors, thereby making a boarding at sea unnecessary. They could sail straight into Gaza without delay.
There is a lot of room for compromise here, as I see it.
I am in agreement that the current system cannot stand, but for crying out loud, the world should offer Israel something in return. I am also of the opinion the a UN peacekeeping force should take up residence in Gaza as well.
Any talk of a UN probe is suspect, given the UN’s reputation for focusing on Israel and ignoring the Hamas actions which started Israeli action to stop whatever Hamas is doing. Nothing’s changed.
