Getting past blame on the Gaza flotilla disaster

It was like a game of chicken, only more deadly.

Hundreds of people on six vessels were determined to embarrass Israel and draw worldwide attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Israeli government was determined to maintain its blockade of Gaza’s shores. After all, if this political protest group were allowed in, what would stop future ships from delivering weapons?

Neither side blinked.

Israeli commandos managed to take over five ships without drama. But on the sixth ship, violence erupted. At least 9 were killed. Seven Israeli soldiers were injured.

In the aftermath, a predictable war is being waged for American public opinion. “Pro-Israel” organizations are linking those on the flotilla with terrorist groups. “Pro-Palestinian” bodies are accusing Israel of committing a “massacre at sea.” Even Sarah Palin weighed in.

Some groups are showing that patience is the better part of valor, and are calling for a thorough investigation before casting blame.

But assigning responsibility cannot be the end of the story. Those of us who really care about Israel, and about Palestinians, need to be looking ahead. “Winning” the blame game won’t help anyone.

Let’s start by recognizing that at the root of this disaster is the effort to restrict the flow of people and goods to Gaza. This effort was initiated by Israel (and supported by the Bush administration and much of the international community) after Hamas’ surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections four years ago.

This policy failed to improve Israeli security. To the contrary, rocket attacks from Gaza at Israel escalated culminating in the 2008-2009 Gaza War. And weapons continue to be smuggled into Gaza through tunnels that run under the border with Egypt.

The policy also failed to weaken Hamas. Because the aid that Israel permits to pass through its crossing points is so limited, nearly all regular goods for Gaza must pass through Hamas-controlled smuggling routes, giving them leverage to consolidate their regime. Today Hamas is even taxing these goods.

The policy has impoverished Gazans, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis. Poverty rates so high that the UN estimates that more than 60% of households are now food insecure. As a result of the blockade, Gaza’s civilians are suffering.

It doesn’t have to be this way. A ban on smuggling weapons into Gaza can be sustained through an international regime without subjecting the entire population to misery, and without Israel adopting policies that are clear strategic liabilities. Such a regime can also include mechanisms to guarantee Israel’s security needs (like crossing points monitored by international forces).

My organization is calling on President Barack Obama to show stronger leadership on this issue. To work with the international community — including Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority — to create a new security regime for Gaza, before more blood in spilled. I hope you will join this call.

Noam Shelef is Director of Strategic Communications for Americans for Peace Now and editor of the Middle East Peace Report.

Read more: gaza, hardship, humanitarian relief, israel, palestinians, politics

freegaza.org vai flickr/creative commons
By Noam Shelef

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Khadijah S.

5:48PM PDT on Aug 6, 2010

we won't solve any of this until we can talk peacefully and allow us all the find the solution that doesn't cost lives!

send a green star

Jack B.

9:47PM PDT on Jul 2, 2010

Wow, Muhammad you are showing yourself as being a rather belligerent little minded individual.

Stephen G.

6:36PM PDT on Jun 16, 2010

So many people get all sympathetic for the "Palestinians" and Hamas. But non-jewish arabs don't have a claim to the land. It was the territory of the Jews. Then the Romans took it by force. Then Arabs took it by force. Then Europeans, ultimately the British took it by force. Then it was peacefully handed off the the natives.

I'm not here saying God gave Israel to the Jews, I don't believe that. But they I don't mind that after all these centuries they have their land back. Their aren't Palestinians. Their are just trouble making Arabs in Isreal . Yet people take their side, and the side of Hamas.

I bet if any of you had a actual encounter with Hamas in Gaza, you'd change your mind real quick if you lived that long. They are murderous brutes and terrorist.

I'm not a conservative or even religious, but these leftist peace-mongers get annoying, especially when they become hypocrites after supporting war-mongering terrorist for idiotic sentimental reasons.

9:24AM PDT on Jun 11, 2010

Muhammed Tahir ""Was 9/11 perpetrated by Muslims as so many people believe? ASK URSELF.....find the truth...""

Your girlfriend Osama ADMITTED it he takes credit for it, tell me mohammed is your girlfirend osama a liar like you are ???

why would muslims admit to doing it, and then you spend so much time and energy with your bullshit conspircacy theories trying to deny it

yes muslims did it and you were celebrating it in the streets of GAZA..........so no matter how hard you try to deny it, we KNOW you muslims did it

9:22AM PDT on Jun 11, 2010

Muhammed wrote ""As a Muslim nothing would give me grater pleasure than wasting israel and killing all the fuckin israelis....esp .....U !""

YES WE know what excites you and we know you are a RACIST FACIST MUSLIM PIG.

would be pretty hard for you to take me, though cause 1) I am not jewish and 2) I AM NOT Isreali either, you are just to dense to know what you are talking to., which makes me laugh at how dense you really are.

Past Member .

6:51AM PDT on Jun 11, 2010

As a Muslim nothing would give me grater pleasure than wasting israel and killing all the fuckin israelis....esp .....U !

6:47AM PDT on Jun 11, 2010

yeah i am evil and one who worships satan aint .

6:43AM PDT on Jun 11, 2010

Was 9/11 perpetrated by Muslims as so many people believe? ASK URSELF.....find the truth...

Paddy O.

6:41AM PDT on Jun 11, 2010

Mohammed coackroach tahir """All i can say Paddy is that as a Muslim Terrorist as you so quote me I would love to use phosphorous and depleted uranium on Israelis so that they get a first hand measure of the pain inflicted by Israelis on Palestine""".............................................Why would you want to use real tank shells, when YOU HAVE CHILDREN you can strap bombs to, you guys get off on MURDERING your own children you cockroach.

And as for """BTW i would have loved it that HITLER HAD done away and exterminated all the Jewish cockroaches that there were..."""..............Yes I know you get a little wet stain on your tiny whities when you think of hitler and wish he had murdered all the jews.......it shows your true character and that you are a RACIST FACIST MUSLIM NAZI...........keep it up, keep saying things like this so the world can see what sort of worm you are

and as for your final comment little cockroach mohammed ""may u burn in hell with thousands of ur comrades who defile prophets and take pleasure in sadism and inflicting pain on humanity....""

HELL is already full up with the likes of you........cockroaches who hang 7 year old boys and strap bombs onto children, it is already full of muslim scumbags like you mohammed who follow evil quran

Bush caught drunk talking to press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtUpnQDe9_U&feature=related

Bush had advance knowledge of 9/11 ,.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlWSv0NZBRw&feature=related

Flight 175 had no windows....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRC4lCQuBmc&feature=related
pentagon was not hit by by boeing 757
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmP2Vy8K0i0&feature=related