Israel and the Turkish Flotilla

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza, the legitimacy or effectiveness of which is not a subject of this post. Some activists, diplomats and agitators had put together a few ships to break the blockade and take emergency supplies to Gaza. Israel intercepted these ships in international waters (closer to Egypt than Israel) and took possession of these ships, during which between nine and seventeen activists were killed.

The first point has been raised by many. Israel does not have jurisdiction in international waters, invading these ships was an act of piracy; the activists had every right to defend themselves against illegal boarders just as any ship would defend itself against the Somali pirates. Don't want to be treated like a pirate? Don't behave like one.

The second point has been missed by many and worth mentioning. There are repeated references that the Israeli commandos weren't prepared for any resistance, some of them were even armed with paint-ball guns. This gives me pause. The flotilla were seen by Israel as an existential threat, still the propaganda minister of Israel is going on about how the activists consisted of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary guards, they might have been smuggling rockets and missiles which would then be used against Israel. For all these reasons Israel had to intercept these ships. But wait, trying to intercept a lethal ship and the commandos not prepared for any resistance? Armed with paint guns? Where's the disconnect here?

On the other hand if these ships were stopped within Israeli waters none of these arguments would arise. Israel would have had every authority to intercept the ships, and refuse entry to any activist without a valid Israeli visa. Any resistance to Israeli forces would be a crime and hence none of these criticisms would apply. So what happened?

David Igantius (the unofficial spokesman for the CIA at the Washington Post) puts it thus:

The answer is that over many years, Israel has become accustomed to unchallenged freedom of military action in the Middle East. Operating boldly and often far from home, it has attacked and intimidated its adversaries. This confrontational approach worked brilliantly when Israel's foes were backward guerrillas and incompetent Arab armies, but it has been less successful in the era of the Internet and missile proliferation.

Hubris and blatant disregard of any international norm had become a modus operandi of Israel even when it is completely unnecessary as in this case. Israel is slowly "checking out" of whatever is referred to as the "international community". This should be very worrisome to all those who wish Israel well, the ignorance and arrogance of it's leadership make Israel more and more isolated, an isolation that Israel (no matter what the jingoists say) can ill afford.

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