On the Israel, Gaza, and the botched raid

What should we make of the Israeli raid of the flotilla that was trying to get to Gaza? The question can not be answered simply.

First of all, the raid itself was, at best, a partial success. Israel can now be certain no weapons are headed to Gaza, but the political cost was heavy, and probably not necessary.

This is not to say the decision to interdict the vessels was a mistake. As both the Associated Press (via KTLA) – long a dupe for Palestinian terrorists – and Seth Freeman (hardly a Likudnik) of the Guardian (UK) note, Israel repeatedly offered to send everything from the ships but weapons into Gaza. All the Israelis asked was the chance to inspect the ships at an Israeli port.

If the people on board the ships were truly interested in helping Gaza, they would have agreed to the offer. Instead, they refused, and forced the Israelis hand.

That said, one can choose to do the right thing and still do it badly, which is exactly what the IDF appears to have done here. Already, two alternative options are hitting the blogosphere: the “shock-and-awe” option (my term), from Noah Pollak, which would have sent the IDF in armed to the teeth and ready to drive the point home at the first sign of trouble, and the disable-the-ship option, presented by retired Israeli general Shlomo Brown (AP/KTLA story). Personally, I’d prefer the latter option (it neutralizes the threat of weapons hitting Gaza and would have allowed the Israelis some time to get their side of the story out).

However, this tactical error is being used by Israel’s opponents to challenge policy issues where Israel is completely in the right. The Isrealis have every right to maintain a blockade on Gaza to end its role as a Hamas missile launchpad. They have every right to defend themselves. They have every right to board or disable a vessel that tries to run a blockade. They have every right to use maximum force when their attempts to board said ship are met with violent resistance, as this was. That Israel should have expected, likely could have avoided, that violent resistance neither absolves nor excuses those who attacked the Israeli soldiers.

There are other factors to remember as well. The mullahcracy of Iran is rushing headlong to becoming a nuclear power. Hezbollah still has its own private army in Lebanon.

Meanwhile – and most importantly – in Palestine and Gaza, Hamas is still Hamas; Fatah is still Fatah; and opposing both of them is very, very dangerous.

Here are the critical points.

Could the Israelis have handled the flotilla incident better? Yes.

Could “handling it better” include allowing the ships to pass unfettered into Gaza? Absolutely not.

As for the larger matter: do the Palestinians deserve their own state? I believe they do.

Are they be better off trapped in a tyrannical state (or, in this case, statelet) than they were under Israeli occupation? Honestly, I don’t think so.

Given the circumstances on the ground, must we wait until Palestine can build a republican form of government before letting a state form? I’m afraid so.

Finally, are the Israelis obligated to let said state form as an unvarnished, irridentist, tyranny? No, they are not.

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