Wait a minute... that's not what the mainstream media has been saying. Well, you need to get your facts straight. Do your homework. Get the REAL story!
A fleet of ships left Turkey under the pretense of sending humanitarian aid to the people living in the impoverished Gaza Strip, but with the expressed purpose of breaching a blockade that Israel set up to protect its own country. The boats reached the blockade, and the Israelis inspected the vessels one by one, as they have many times in the past. Everything went peacefully until they came to the sixth boat. As they boarded the sixth vessel members of the Turkish crew attacked them with sticks and pipes, knives and bats. Unable to subdue the brutal assault with paintball guns and tear gas, the Israelis opened fire, killing nine.
That's one side of the story. The other side states that the Israelis were the first to fire, unprovoked, from both air and sea, before they even boarded the ships.
Who, if anyone, should we believe? Stories abound about the Turkish flotilla being full of "peace activists." What is a "peace activist?" If you play any part in a mission to bring weapons to people, are you innocent? If you knowingly board a ship that intends to breach the security of another nation, are you innocent? If a person knowingly and willingly puts himself in danger, does he or she not assume all responsibility for whatever happens?
The truth is, I have not heard or seen anything yet that proves the Israelis were in the wrong for doing what they did. And I have read both sides of the story. Even if they came up at dawn and conducted a surprise attack, even if it was in international waters, can they be blamed? With all the statements that had been coming from those who organized and operated the flotilla, could Israel be confident that the safety of its citizens would not be jeopardized if this flotilla arrived in Gaza un-inspected? Since the flotilla was being sent specifically to violate the blockade, was Israel not justified? Since the ship did not respond to repeated requests to stop and undergo routine inspection, was Israel not justified?
Yes, the people of Gaza are impoverished. It is not Israel's fault. The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the Gaza government. If they would settle down and get a life, and try to live and let live, their people could prosper. If they resolve to co-exist with Israel and show it with their actions, Israel would not need a blockade to inspect everything that comes into the country.
If your fellow citizens were in danger of their lives, would you not support a blockade, including the use of force if anyone tried to slip through without inspection? How about a convoy trying to enter your city, which was known to be associated with terrorists? Would you not want them to be searched? Why, we are by law even privileged to keep within a reasonable limit what goes on in our neighbor's yard! No, compared with the way Hamas has been treating Israel, I don't see that Israel did anything out of line.
"Shalom" to all.
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