Op-Ed: Hamas Hunger Strike or PR Strike on Israel?

I first heard about the Israeli commando counter charge of the now infamous flotilla while waiting to cross the U.S. border from Canada. As my wife and I listened to unconfirmed reports of casualties, I was reminded of a time while at the same U.S. entry port, I waited on queue along side a Red Crescent ambulance in tow. The West Bank-bound vehicle was being donated by a Muslim group in Quebec, and was subjected to a mandatory inspection as any vehicle would that was crossing into the United States.

One could only pray that the ambulance, an international symbol associated with emergency transport, was or is being used to save lives. Tragically, too many other such vehicles have been used in Gaza and the West Bank to smuggle weapons and human bombs with the intent of taking lives. The Palestinian Red Crescent has therefore become a disreputable organization. It is precisely because of twisted tactics like using ambulances to deliver harm under the cover of urgency that Israel was forced to barricade Gaza in defense of its citizens. It is a direct result of such terror by a dishonorable parallel that earned Israel’s Red Star of David ambulance corps its respected status for rescuing scores of innocents from Islamic terror.

The blockade is unfortunate and has been blamed for a claimed humanitarian crisis, to be sure, but unavoidable if Israel is to defend itself against criminals who give inhumanity its meaning. Therefore, I won’t over-postulate on the legitimacy of the blockade. The rational understand that demanding Israel to open crossings into Gaza is close to asking the U.S. to maintain open borders. They know that asking Israel to end the maritime blockade would be as reasonable as challenging the United States to anchor its Coast Guard. Add to that Greta Berlin, a flotilla organizer’s statement to the AFP that, “This mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies,” and the case is closed. The stated mission according to Berlin? “It’s about breaking Israel’s siege on 1.5 million Palestinians.”

The flotilla was no provocation on international seas, but an attempted infiltration of Israeli waters.

The moment they ignored Israeli communications that they were venturing into an “area of hostilities” with a maritime blockade in effect, the Mavi Marmara became a war ship. Why Israeli forces initially boarded the boats armed with paintball guns as though this was a war game, and not open war, puzzles me. On a YouTube video plain for all to see, Israeli seamen offer the flotilla passage into Ashdod port where their cargo would be inspected under their own supervision. Then, Israel would transfer humanitarian relief through formal land crossings into Gaza. What’s more, Israel would see the would be intruders off on the very boats they sailed in on.

Yet, the flotilla was adamant their destination was Gaza port. Ambulances carrying the acronym of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society once evaded Israeli checkpoints, carrying weapons and deadly payloads. Now, a yacht displaying Turkey’s red flag and white crescent expects to bypass Israeli ships in the Mediterranean. The results were deadly, and the Turkish government accuses Israel of murder. Are we to accuse the Turks of state-backed terror?

It is telling that violence only erupted on the moon star flagged ship, while the other five were boarded with no major incident. It is clear from video footage and common sense what happened and who is at fault, but either way the entire mess could have and should have been avoided. Not only could the flotilla have turned around and avoided the confrontation, they could have come into port under Israeli protection and invitation. Israel would have delivered their goods to Gaza, something Israel has since attempted according to CNN, but Hamas will not allow the shipments in.

Why not allow the supplies that are in alleged dire need in Gaza into the Strip? Could it be a Hamas style hunger strike? Probably not, because Israel delivers humanitarian aid into Gaza every week. Yet, it could be, as Hamas is no stranger to using Gazans as disposable waste in their ploys against Israel. Let’s not forget that we are talking about a regime that fires rockets into Israel from Mosques, civilian occupied apartment complexes, and uses children as human shields.

Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s actions against what he said was not a love boat, but a boat of hatred. “The purpose of the flotilla was to break the naval blockade of Gaza. If the blockade had been broken, this flotilla would have been followed by hundreds of ships. The amount of weapons that can be brought in by boat is far greater than what is brought in through the smuggling tunnels. An endless amount of weaponry can be brought in. It is our right and duty to inspect every ship that tries to reach Gaza, to remove the weapons and let the rest of the cargo enter.”

Israel has set up a naval border of sorts for seafarers. All permissible goods are freely allowed into Gaza once they pass inspection. Declaration and inspection is standard customs practice. It is no different on the U.S.-Canadian border, or at any international crossing for that matter.

Israel is not starving Gaza. In fact Israel gave up Gaza, its sovereign territory, to the Palestinians five years ago. In so doing they expelled their own citizens from their homes in the false belief that the sacrifice was the price of peace. Yet, instead of using the agricultural developments left by Israel to feed their people, Hamas has chosen to turn Gaza into a feeding ground of terrorism.

While Israel is given the part of usual suspect by the international community, Hamas gets away with continuing to starve its people. Depriving them not only of aid, but of the prospects of a hopeful future.