You could take the Israeli publication Haaretz at its word regarding Israel and the humanitarian flotilla or you could decide anything Israel does is just fine. I am of the opinion that rank stupidity and over-reaction is the best description of Israel's handling of this matter.
The idea that the government of Turkey would be a part of arms smuggling for terrorists is ludicrous. It also isn't realistic to think Turkey had control of every aspect up until now. The fact that Israel found it necessary to kill 10 or more people to board essentially unarmed ships doesn't speak well to their planning or their mind sets. Over the past couple years what has become rather obvious is that to the Israeli government's mind there are no human beings in Gaza, only terrorists and sub-humans.
There certainly is the matter of Israeli and Egyptian offers to land the cargoes and forward them to Gaza. That would begin to make this a matter of political statement by running a naval blockade. It isn't in any responsible party's interest to have missiles and other nasties landing in Gaza, but it also isn't in such a party's interest to have Gaza strangled. There's the difficulty, talking about any responsible parties. Oh I just bet Hamas would turn away missile shipments and that Israel will let Gaza be anything other than a hell hole as long as Hamas holds sway. Certainly no non-AIPAC would call the US a responsible party.
There actually are people in this country that would establish a theocracy here, despite the evidence from the Middle East.
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The ships were also still well in international waters when they were boarded, and flying under the Turkish. The Turkish government has no choice but to stand up, since the U.S. is so far the only nation that lets Israel attack our vessels without protest.
The larger stupidity is that of the Israeli right wing in doing everything in its power since 1967 to prevent a 2-state solution. The reason this is stupid, and, as much of what the right does, against their own interests, is that the alternatives to a 2-state solution are either dramatic ethnic cleansing, a single state with a multicultural and pluralistic face most Israelis were not appreciate, or the status quo. The problems with the status quo are evident to everyone, except, apparently, a majority of Americans and Israelis who inexplicably support continued colonial expansion in Palestinian territory at the cost of international law, our credibility, and, frankly, our character.
Oh yeah, and what really gets me is when Americans start calling other Americans unpatriotic or unAmerican for showing a lack of proper support for anything Israel decides is in its own national interest. Huh???
Better people than me don't understand...
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