Humanitarian aid or political agenda?

This was undeniably, unequivocally and inexorably a political ploy and by no means a humanitarian mission to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza. This was a political ploy with the purpose of provoking Israel into unwarranted aggression, provoking international outcry, further isolating the country, breaking the siege and causing Israel unparalleled humiliation.

Indeed, the purpose of this mission could have not have been more successful in achieving its objectives. It has led to unmitigated international condemnation from the EU to NATO and for unilateral calls for an end to the siege on Gaza. It has destroyed Israel's bilateral relations with Turkey, an important partner in bridging the schism between Israel and the rest of the Middle East.

It is remarkable how one-sided the criticism is and how it fails to highlight the context behind Israel's response. Firstly, Israel repeatedly offered to deliver the aid through Ashdod, using normal search procedures. The activists rejected the offer. Appeals to Turkey went unheeded and that country let the flotilla sail and gave its assistance. Israel also asked the peace militants to transmit a letter to captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, who has been in Hamas custody for almost four years. This was a mission with the clear intention to delegitimize the State of Israel by drawing it in to a bloody confrontation. Stopping the flotilla was Israel's right under international law. 

Israel, a nation state, its priority being the protection of its citizens had to stop the flotilla since no one knew who the people on the ships were and what exactly they carried. Had the ships been allowed to go through, others would have followed, perhaps bringing weapons (and who knows, maybe terrorists) to Hamas, a terrorist organization which has made its intent to destroy the Jewish state clear.

These activists carefully planned their ambush. After having said repeatedly that they would only pose passive resistance, they attacked the soldiers who boarded the ship with guns, iron bars and knives and led to the dire results they were looking for.

Yet the rapid response of the international community to condemn Israel's actions has many shortcomings. It fails to contextualize why a siege is in place and stops short of any condemnation of Hamas. Since Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 it has received nothing short of over 8,000 rockets fired indiscriminately at its citizens. This clearly left Israel with no choice other than to block the strip in order to halt rocket attacks against its citizens. There has also been a chronic lack of criticism against Hamas's violation of the UN Geneva Conventions following the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit who has been in captivity for nearly four years. Again there was little international condemnation of Hamas's brutal and barbaric suppression of its rival Fatah in the strip in 2006.

Instead of drawing attention to the real problem, namely Hamas, the international community through its calls for Israel to end its siege is further entrenching this repugnant regime, encouraging its terrorism and bringing misery to the people of Gaza and Israel. Indeed, Hamas spurred on by international sympathy and loathing of Israel launched fresh attacks by firing rockets into southern Israel. The most effective way in which the international community and peace activists could help the people of Gaza is to condemn Hamas terrorism unequivocally. This would discourage its terrorist activities not only against Israel but its own population which it has brutally repressed and condemned.