The handful of Irish and Malaysian activists on board were just hours away from the Palestinian enclave.
The Israeli Navy asked the 'humanitarian aid boat' to reroute to a place where the cargo can be off loaded and inspected for 'free' overland transport into Gaza and the flotilla refused?
Oh.
No one is dead, so the Israeli Navy didn't make that mistake again. No violence. I see.
Well, now the flotilla is looking more and more like it is trying to assault the sovereignty of Israel. It is known by most media that Israel was delivering the aid from the previous boat regardless of how poorly it was all handled, so there was no reason for the second boat to believe the aid would not get through to Gaza.
...The Israeli navy intercepted another ship carrying a group of pro-Palestinian activists who tried to break the blockade on Gaza. The crew received a radio warning from the Israeli military.
The ship ignored the message and was seized by naval commandos. But this time, no one was hurt.
"We completed compliance boarding on the ship," said army spokeswoman Avital Liebovich. "There was no violence, no resistance whatsoever."... (click title to entry - thank you)
The longer the resistance to the Israeli Security directives the longer it will take to build real diplomatic relations between the Gaza Palestinians and Israel. That seems very obvious, doesn't it?
At issue is the 'control' of violence on BOTH sides of the citizens of Gaza and Israel. I can't imagine that 'secrets' are a good idea, EXCEPT, it prevents media to scrutinize the movement of Israeli forces in securing cooperation. Now, if Israel didn't believe it was that threatened, this would all be mute.
The hijacking of the truth
By Catrina Stewart
9:17 AM Sunday Jun 6, 2010
...From the beginning, it was clear that Israeli forces were concentrating in their largest numbers on the Marmara, a ship carrying some 550 peace activists. The remaining five boats were much smaller and easily commandeered. After the Marmara was subdued, the passengers silenced, and their recording equipment confiscated, Israel disseminated a carefully choreographed account of the events that night that would dominate the airwaves for the first 48 hours....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10650091
IF there was absolutely no reason for the blockade this would be a completely different issue. The problems faced by both Gaza and Israel have a very long history. A very violent history. It would seem to me the less violence and more cooperation received by Israel, by all parties, the sooner there will be less suffering for everyone.
Now, the Flotilla is not a military operation, is it? Or is it? Because if there is real concern for the Palestinians in Gaza I would expect any cooperation by Israel to expedite aid to them would be paramount to the best outcome. So, when the Flotilla refuses help from Israel to move aid into Gaza, after inspections, it brings questionable intentions to the forefront of the reason why they are there in the first place.
I am sure everyone understands that. Except, perhaps, the Palestinian diasphora in Europe.
The issue surrounding all these problems is Israel's right to exist and the last time I heard any Palestinian state they recognized Israel's right to exist, it was probably the Jordanian Queen.
So, while there may be some real questions about 'the quality of life' for the Palestinians in Gaza, there is also reasons for Israel to be alarmed by aggressive Flotillas. It does not justify killed unarmed people on a humantarian mission. Not at all. But, the INSECURITY of Israel in the region is still understandable. Given that, the blockade is understandable, but, it may be unreasonable in enforcing suffering of the people of Gaza. To the extent that suffering exist only increases the reason they will be difficult as well.
It would seem it is in the best interest of Israel to cooperate with any and all humanitarian aid that also allows for Israeli security, simply because it will minimize the suffering of the Palestinian people. When their suffering is diminished and a better quality of life realized for all the Palestinians, the more likely Isreal will have less and less reason to 'fear them.'
