Earlier today, Israel intercepted ships belonging to an organization protesting Israel's blockade of Gaza. The ships were heading for Gaza from Turkey with relief supplies. When the ships did not stop, Israel's navy boarded the ships, there was fighting, people on the ships were killed and Israeli soldiers were wounded.
For those who immediately condemned the attack, the defining frame is: Israel's blockade of Gaza is unjust and violates international law. It's a continuation of "occupation" in a different form. Any resistance is presumptively justified.
Israel has this blockade, both to put economic pressure on the Hamas regime in Gaza and out of a justified fear of weapons being smuggled into Gaza. So — you can watch this on tape — Israel offered to escort the ships to Ashdod, unload and inspect the cargo, and bring the aid supplies to Gaza under the watch of the people who had come to deliver it. To which the ship's reply was "negative."
The debate, condemnation, and defending that has begun and that will unfold are exactly the same as during the conflict of December 2008 and the subsequent Goldstone Report (and everything else). I'll see like everyone else what the facts of this incident turn out to have been. At this point, I don't see how to fault Israel for making an offer that defends itself and offers to deliver the aid in question.
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