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PURE GOLD: Flotilla

by Ed Gold

A nightmare comes true.  Israel’s extreme right-wing government, completely self-centered, was almost certainly bound to shoot itself in the foot diplomatically, and its actions against the so-called humanitarian flotilla offering relief for Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinians made the terrible dream come true.

Several earlier miscalculations by the beleaguered Jewish state, which had survived three clear attempts to end their existence, resulted in failure to   adjust to a difficult environment, which required compromise and diplomacy.

First, there was the massive invasion of a Hamas-controlled Gaza resulting in a report that blamed Israel for using too much military force to discourage Hamas from lobbing missiles into southern Israel.
               
Then we had the Israeli announcement that 1400 units for Israeli housing   had been authorized for Eastern Jerusalem, riling the Palestinian Authority as well as Obama just as the U.S. was working to start Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at a two-state solution.
               
After that, we had the Dubai incident. Israel, not concerned about the consequences carried out a revenge killing which included the use of phony passports linking citizens in Britain, France and Australia, among other friendly nations, to the intelligence-sponsored killing.
               
Now we have the flotilla stupidity, a provocative political act that produced results only the terrorist Hamas and other Israel haters could celebrate.  As the Times noted, the flotilla clearly had motives above and beyond   helping the benighted Gaza population.
               
There is worldwide sympathy for Gazans, even for the ruling Hamas government there, with an estimated 40 percent unemployment and 70 percent of the population living below the poverty line.
               
A Turkish organization was one of the flotilla’s sponsors and the Turks said they had examined the cargo of food, medicines and construction material and had found no weaponry. But the Israelis insisted they had to personally check the cargo before letting it into Gaza, also arguing that the Gaza’s didn't need additional aid.
               
Then the major blunder.  At 4 a.m. Israel lowered 20 commandos onto the lead Turkish ship. All hell broke loose. Israel insists pro-Hamas activists attacked its soldiers with metal clubs, chairs and knives, while the activists insisted the Israelis opened fire first. There will never be agreement on the facts but the early evidence is that nine activists were killed and seven soldiers suffered wounds.
               
What is clear is that Israel has now alienated its one Muslim friend, Turkey, whose government now compares the flotilla incident to 9/11 and demands an apology and appropriate compensation.
               
An Israeli Labor Party member (Labor is currently part of the government coalition) notes that the Israeli action "had nothing to do with security. Armaments were not coming for Hamas from this flotilla." 
 
The UN has jumped in with a resolution condemning the action on the ship but not making a direct attack on Israel, leaving the Turks unsatisfied.
               
Tom Friedman of the Times has it right saying, "There is no question this flotilla was a setup Israel’s intelligence failed to fully appreciate...”
             
The Israelis haven’t only lost a friend in Turkey but have seriously hindered their long-term security, and further weakened their important relationship with the U.S. They have put Obama on the spot. The President must find a way to placate Turkey without weakening ties with Israel. He faces an angry Turkey, which demands he take a firm stand on the horrible incident.
               
If the Israelis can now show some wisdom, they will find a way to apologize for the flotilla violence. Israel and Turkey had been planning some joint military exercises.  Also, Turkey had worked behind the scenes in trying to get Syria involved in peace talks with Israel.
                       
Obama wants the negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Authority to resume. He also must now worry about pressing Russia and China to support sanctions against Iran. In the states, the President is unlikely to get much backing for an independent position on the flotilla calamity.  Sen. Joe Lieberman is already insisting that Israel was acting in self-defense and that Obama should support that position.
               
It is true that the U.S. will always defend Israel’s right to maintain its security? We know the Israelis fought three wars (in 1948, 1967 and 1973) to preserve their existence as an independent state. Because the military might has been so important in its victories, the Israelis have difficulty in adjusting to a new reality— the need for nuance, flexibility, compromise and a willingness to adapt to new political circumstances in the Middle East as well as in the rest of the world.

 

 
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