I'm not really one for protests, I get easily distracted and end up at pubs when I've got on marches.
However over the last few years I've grown increasingly concerned by what appears to be Israel's arrogance in dealing with other nations. The current issue, involving Israeli special forces taking out aid ships destined for Gaza and the subsequent Israeli PR campaign sickens me.
I've tried to read around this, but the things that have struck me are:
* the stupidity of Israel effectively buggering the only muslim country who supported them (Turkey), although the relationship has been going downhill thanks to other Israeli actions.
* the action took place, allegedly, in international waters. It's been awhile since I read about international law, but that seems crucial. the whole point of international water is that all nations have the right to do whatever they want (within reason). And if that includes transporting aid, they shouldn't be stopped.
* the blockade into Gaza itself is a monumental failure. After the Israeli attack on Gaza where they bombed the crap out of it, they prevented building materials entering Gaza. However there are enough smuggling tunnels to get weapons, some food etc in.
* from the various reports I have seen, Gaza is not a great place to live. The ambiance and internal decorating show a marked 'rough trade' look, which is fine for a Zoolander show, but probably not to live in. So what is the blockade achieving? Well again, very little other than starving the inhabitants, and since they all know who is enforcing the blockade, it will be creating massive anti-Israeli feeling.
* International condemnation of the attacks has been interesting, even Ban Ki-Moon came out against it using the principle of international waters. Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General, had called earlier for a “full investigation” and urged Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza, blaming it for the violence on board a Turkish-flagged cruise ship, the Mavi Marmara, when Israeli special forces boarded her from helicopters. “Had the Israeli Government heeded international calls and my own strong and urgent and persistent call to lift the blockade of Gaza, this would not have happened,” he said.Link here.
* William Hague was also strongly against the move, and now Tony Blair, the middle east envoy has come out against the blockade. Yes ok the envoy link is only there cos I love the song.
* the excessive force used by the Israeli's, even the Israeli PR machine admits there were no guns by the aid ships. Sure some of the vids released show the commandos being attacked by sticks (described by Jon Stewart as Israeli pinnata's). But then again, how would you respond to people dropping out of helicopters at night dressed as commandos? Me? I'd be smacking the crap out of them too.
* the PR has been fucking ridiculous. Total blackout of the aid people after their arrest and an onslaught of Israeli PR explaining how their commandos were being attacked, and responded with force after being attacked (see point above). Then cutting to a bunch of Israeli's cheering their lot saying they were doing a great job. the PM and other high ranking officials have made the usual comments about security etc., although there were hints they thought the response was over the top. Which is interesting, although they haven't gone so far as to say full independent inquiry.
* the US, as expected, refused to back UN suggestions of condemnation and phrased it as regrettable (sorry can't find a link).
Now before you all think I'm about to claim that Israel shouldn't exist etc etc., I agree that they do have legitimate concerns over Hamas, who are not the most relaxed easy-going chaps. But surely a complete blockade isn't the way to deal with that?
Israel doesn't seem to be able to deal with the world in a very civilised manner tho', the recent screw-up by Mossad where UK passports were stolen, copied, and used them in an operation to kill a Hamas leader is a prime example.
I don't pretend to have a solution, but the extremist position that Israel holds concerning the blockade seems difficult to sustain, particularly after the current episode. By acting as incompetently as they did they've managed to draw international condemnation - kinda the opposite of engaging international support really. It does seem that many actions by Israeli stem from a bunker attitude, a 'us and them' attitude, where us = israel and the US, and 'them' is everyone else. This isn't the most productive attitude, but from historical reasons I guess it's understandable.
The press response has been almost universal in its condemnation, even the right-wing papers have been against it. Their sole defence has been that the aid ships had large knives that attacked the commandos. Not too convincing when you've got gunships sitting above you. I've been searching the Times etc for editorials condemning the gaza aid ships, and can't find any. Lots of comments concerning Israeli has a right to defend itself and we support their action from readers, but not a lot from the journalists and editors. I did find this on the Times tho'.
So to drag this back to my first question, what do I do? Do I protest? do I boycott Israeli goods (as Iain Banks has done)? The problem is I don't have many goods that originate in Israel, a couple of CDs that were recorded there, but not much else. Protests? Possibly, but how?
Grumble. Anyone got any suggestions for books to read about this? Suggestions on what I should do? I'm guessing most of the readers here are center-left ....
4 June 2010
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3 comments:
Centre left? You and I shall have words, sir.
I agree with you. I'm not happy about this situation either, and my current (and currently only!) solution hasn't worked in the past - actually getting people from both sides of the situation to talk to each other.
Somehow Palestine and Israel will need to learn to co-exist - at the moment, each seems to want to own the whole state, with the other completely gone - and that won't and can't happen.
I guess it's also bit of a vignette of where occupation/colonisation can go wrong, given that the Palestinians were there when the Zionists decided to return - but then, it was also their ancestral land. In fact, and this is the interesting bit, it may be ancestral land for both of them. I seem to remember that a lot of Palestinians claim descent from Lot, Abraham's nephew, who claimed "the green valley" when Abraham got the valley of the Jordan that later became Israel.
Either way, Israel has really screwed up this time and I'm not sure how they can fix the diplomatic disaster....
Good post, sir, pretty much where I am with my thinking too.
One interesting theory I've heard about why Israel cocked this most recent situation up so badly was along the lines of "WMDs in Iraq."
I.e., Israel, so captured by it's paranoid groupthink about Hamas and anything to do with Hamas managed to convince themselves that there were guns on those ships bound for Gaza, just like the US convinced themselves that Iraq had WMDs despite all the evidence.
And, like the US, when it turned out the other side was in fact telling the truth it was too late, and the disaster had already occured and the world's condemnation was raining down upon them.
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