“Peaceniks” to blame

Editorial

How many deaths are you allowed to cause before you can no longer call yourself a peace activist, or a human rights activist? Quite a few, it seems, if this week’s events in the Mediterranean are any indication.

On Monday morning, a flotilla of six ships attempted to illegally bring “humanitarian aid” to the Gaza Strip and were stopped by the Israel Defence Forces. The flotilla was sponsored in part by IHH, a Turkish aid organization with terrorist ties, and a group called Free Gaza Movement.

The previous week, Israel warned the ambassadors of Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden and Ireland – the countries from which the participating ships set sail – that Israel would treat the flotilla as an “absolute provocation.” More than once, Israel invited the ships to dock at Ashdod, unload their cargo and transfer it to Gaza after a security check. Israel explained that it is in a state of armed conflict with the terrorist Gazan government, Hamas, and has the right to prevent the unsupervised transfer of supplies to Gaza, since they could contain weapons. There were multiple warnings that the flotilla would be breaking international law.

The ships themselves were warned again Monday by the Israeli navy that they were “approaching an area of hostilities which is under a naval blockade [by Israel and Egypt].... The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and invites you to enter the Ashdod port. Delivery of supplies in accordance with the authorities’ regulations will be through the formal land crossings and under your observation, after which you can return to your home ports on the vessels on which you have arrived.”

Every warning ignored, Israel intercepted the ships, five peacefully. When IDF soldiers boarded the sixth – with paintball rifles and handguns – the activists attacked them, clubbing the soldiers with metal poles, throwing one soldier overboard and knifing another. Only after an extended struggle were the soldiers given permission to use their handguns to protect their lives.

By the end, at least nine protesters had been killed and others injured, including several soldiers. All of the injured were taken to Israeli hospitals and Israel has said it plans to deliver the supplies to Gaza following security checks.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon noted, “The organizers intent was violent, their method was violent and the results were unfortunately violent. Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome.”

Audrey Bomse of the Free Gaza Movement called claims the passengers planned to provoke the soldiers “absurd.” She told the CBC, “It was clearly an attack – probably a premeditated attack – by Israel upon civilians.”

Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for the Free Gaza Movement, asked, “How could the Israeli military attack civilians like this? Do they think that because they can attack Palestinians indiscriminately they can attack anyone?”

Berlin basically promised more bloodshed when she told media, “Nobody should have been killed. But what’s certain is that we won one of the battles – and we won the diplomatic day,” adding, “We knew what the risk would be and we will continue to run these flotillas.”

Nonetheless, international condemnation continues, mainly ranging from accusing Israel of a massacre to strong condemnation and demands for a full inquiry. Thousands of protesters around the world have held anti-Israel rallies, including in Vancouver. (See this week’s cover story.)

Israel’s only Muslim ally, Turkey, sponsored the ship that was raided – and on which the terrorists were stationed – but is one of the loudest critics, claiming that Israel is guilty of “state terror” by having raided the vessel.

The logic is incomprehensible on so many levels.

No one on those ships was an innocent civilian. All went with full knowledge that there was a blockade. They knew that they would be boarded, and came with bats, pipes, knives and even guns, prepared for a fight. According to reports, on the day before the confrontation, men on board the flotilla were chanting an Islamic battle cry invoking the killing and defeat of Jews in battle.

All of this occurred just when the peace process was inching forward again, a first round of indirect “proximity” talks with the Palestinian Authority having taken place. Just when Israel was allowing into Gaza some items for repairs of Gaza’s housing, water, sanitation, telecom and electricity infrastructure and authorizing some construction projects in conjunction with the PA and the United Nations. Just when Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was out of the country. Coincidences? Now, instead of peace talks, there are calls for a third intifada. “Humanitarian” mission accomplished. And more promised, given the rousing PR success of this one – all for nine lives.

When will such “human rights activists” be brought to justice for making it easier for terrorists to kill? When will such activists be held accountable for the deaths they have caused?

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