Israel's Instant Replay Don't Lie

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright June 5, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

              Captured video footage, whether taken by “foreign press” or “peace activists” on the Mavi Mamara in the early morning of June 1, shows an angry mob with clubs, knives, crowbars, broken bottles and guns ready to attack Israeli commandos before boarding the boat.  Israel refused to cooperate with a U.N. investigation, viewed as biased toward Palestinians. Most press reports, inside and outside the U.S., fail to mention that both Egypt and Israel maintained an embargo against Gaza since June 14, 2007, when Hamas seized power from Ramallah-based Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority.  Egypt clamped down on Gaza’s elaborate tunnel system, where Hamas typically run arms into the 1.5 million-resident seaside nation.  Once a part of Egypt before President Gamal Abdel Nasser joined Jordan, Syria and six other Arab nations in the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel controlled the Gaza Strip until Sept. 12, 2005.

            Several pro-Palestinian charities sponsored the Turkish-based six-ship flotilla designed to break the Egyptian and Israeli embargo.  Israel and Egypt agreed upon the embargo because of the Hamas’ government’s unabashed gunrunning into Gaza and support of armed conflict against the Jewish State.   While Hamas won legitimate parliamentary elections Jan. 27, 2006, former U.S. President George W. Bush and his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice branded Hamas a terrorist group and refused to recognize their electoral victory.  When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also refused to cede power, Gaza’s Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh led a violent coup June 14, 2007.  Since then, both Israel and Egypt, with full U.S. support, embargoed Gaza to force Haniyeh to the bargaining table.  So far, Haniyeh has refused to reconcile with the Palestinian Authority.

            U.S. plans to broker a comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestinians hinges on unifying the Palestinian population, currently split between Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and Gaza-based Hamas.  Haniyeh’s insistence on armed conflict with Israel, periodically sending suicide bombers and firing rockets at the Jewish State, has prompted Israel's conservative government of Benjamin Netanyahu to act defensively, especially preventing arms to cross into Gaza by land or sea.  Turkish-sponsored charities knew that Israeli’s navy was under strict orders to enforce the embargo against Hamas.  They knew their ships would be subject to inspections.  When Israeli commandos boarded the flotilla June 1, they expected cooperation, not a violent attack.  When Israeli troops encountered resistance, a melee broke out, resulting in the deaths of 10 Turkish or Palestinians civilians.

            Recent video footage shows Israeli commandos being attacked by either “peace activists” or Mavi Marmara crewmembers.  Pro-Palestinian and Turkish journalists object to Israel using captured Turkish press videotape.  “The Foreign Press Assn. strongly condemns the use of photos and video material shot by foreign journalists, no be put out by the [military] spokesman’s office as ‘captured material.’”  Whether or not the video was shot by foreign press, crewmembers or “peace activists,” it embarrasses pro-Palestinian groups insisting Israelis attacked first. Questions still remain why Israeli commandos used so much deadly force to cause 10 civilian deaths.  Whoever sponsored, organized and launched the relief operation from Cypress, they knew they’d be subjected to Israeli inspections because of the current blockade.  Humanitarian groups made a political statement. 

            Instead of bashing Israel, the foreign press would be better served by telling a more complete story.  Both Israel and Egypt blockaded Gaza precisely because the radical Hamas regime refuses to play ball with anyone, including the Palestinian Authority.  If they showed any inkling of joining the peace process or toning down the belligerent rhetoric toward Israel, Hamas would be welcomed back to the table.  Despite winning parliamentary elections in ‘06, Hamas has shown no interest to reconcile and compromise with Egypt or Palestinian Authority.  Turkish-backed pro-Palestinians peace activists do Gaza and the peace process a disservice by only blaming Israel.  Turkey knew about Israel and Egypt’s three-year-old joint blockade to keep arms out of Gaza.  Sailing into a war zone endangered the crew and “peace activists,” hell-bent on making a political statement

            Today’s world press focuses too much on a botched inspection and too little on the real reasons behind Israel and Egypt’s blockade on Gaza.  U.N. officials should find a way to get through to Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas officials to finally negotiate and end to the current border hostilities.  As long as Hamas remains committed to destroying Israel, the Netanyahu government has every right to prevent, by land, sea or air, Hamas from stockpiling weapons in Gaza.  Reconciling political issues and joining forces with Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority would be the fastest way to end the current blockade.  U.S. plans to build a lasting peace in Gaza and the West Bank are contingent on uniting Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.  More belligerent talk and threats against  Israel only prolongs the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.  Resolving the current rift between Gaza and the West Bank is the first step.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.