Slow Boat to Gaza

A flotilla of ships, carrying humanitarian relief to Gaza (playground equipment, cancer medicine and milk powder), financed by Turkey, and manned by "a motley collection that included European sympathizers with the Palestinian cause… and Turkish Islamic activists," is boarded by Israeli commandos. Mayhem ensues, and ten "peace activists" are killed by the Israelis. What should we make of this?

It's hard not to think that Israel screwed the pooch. The whole purpose of the flotilla was to provoke a confrontation and the Netanyahu government obliged. They could have let the flotilla dock in Gaza and then examined the cargo as it came ashore. Instead they roped down Commandos from helicopters. The commandos were armed with paint guns. Oh, and they also had real pistols in their belts. The Israelis were not expecting serious resistance, and they clearly didn't want to kill anyone. That humanitarian attitude invited violent resistance. Moral of the story: if you can avoid sending in the commandos, avoid it. If you can't, send them in fully armed with rifles and prepared to lock down the deck.

The Israelis gave the world one more excuse to hate Israel and the Jews. But if that tells you that something is wrong with the government of Israel, and it might, it certainly tells you that something is wrong with the world. The UN/European press conceit is that barbarians ought to be treated like wayward children. They can't help being the way they are, so you have to use kid gloves when dealing with them. If anyone gets hurt, it's your fault and not theirs. The Israelis, being a modern nation, can't help trying to keep to that script. Can you imagine Hamas or Hezbollah soldiers going into action armed with paint guns? Can you imagine Hamas rushing the wounded to the hospital, instead of throwing them off a roof?

The flotilla was not a humanitarian enterprise. It was an anti-Israel enterprise. The people on board were not "peace activists" but anti-Israel activists singing about death to Jews. When they attacked the Israeli commandos with knives and crowbars and the commandos responded by shooting some of them, that is exactly what they had intended. So whose fault is that? The pro-Palestinian activists were not children, they were adults. They knew exactly what they were doing, and they ought to be held responsible for it.

The world's condemnation of Israel plays into the hands of the enemies of peace. It encourages barbarism. Israel's enemies don't want a "two state solution," they want a no Israel solution. Treating them like special children doesn't advance the cause of peace.

Comments

[Michael (Constant Conservative)]

Well put, sir. Well put.

[BillW]

On board the ship were five Germans, including two members of the German parliament ... just what the world needs: Germans allied with terrorist states bent on the destruction of the Jewish state.

Could Obama possibly be any weaker in foreign policy than he has been? Does the Unites States stand for anything with this guy in charge?

[George Mason]

Please consider that this little fleet is a stalking horse for more nefarious purposes. If those involved can force Israel to allow the delivery of teddy bears by embarrassing Israel in front of the world it will open a far more efficient avenue for rearming HAMAS.

[Douglas Wiken]

What does Obama strength or weakness have to do with this issue?

[BillW]

Douglas, if you really don't know what Obama's policy vis a vis Israel, the Palistinians, Iran and the rest of the anti-Israel middle east has to do with this issue then I can't help you.

[KB]

In all fairness to the President, he has been unusually supportive of Israel in this business. This may or may not be merely strategic. I think he is worried about going all Jimmy Carter on us right now. He probably wants to look tough. But taking the right position is taking the right position.