WarSclerotic

TheSpec.com – Opinions – Flotilla aftermath: End knee-jerk criticism.

Jonathan Spyer

The Hamilton Spectator

(Jun 21, 2010)

For me, the loss of life on the Gaza flotilla is tragic. It doesn’t matter that they were clearly Muslim Brotherhood-related Jihadi’s intentionally seeking violent confrontation with Israel.

It doesn’t matter that the Turkish press carried interviews with the families of the dead where they expressed “their joy” for their loved ones who had finally achieved their goal of “martyrdom.” For me, those deaths were tragic and avoidable, even if they sought it.

What does matter to me is the growing divide between the actual strategic situation facing the Middle East, and the perception of the conflict that is manipulated by anti-Israel propagandists for consumption by the West. The latter is testimony to the skilful and fervent activity of extremist ideologues, which at times seem to overwhelm considerable sections of Western public opinion. However, despite their best efforts, a more accurate picture of those events is now emerging.

Since the 2007 Hamas violent takeover of the government in Gaza and its avowed intention to destroy its neighbour, Israel has organized a totally understandable and fully legal blockade to prevent the flow of arms from Iran into Gaza. This blockade has been explicitly supported by Egypt, the largest Arab state, which also shares a border with Gaza. It has been implicitly supported by the Palestinian Authority and other Arab states in the region, all of whom have genuine reasons to fear an Iranian-backed, radical Islamist base within their midst.

The Turkish IHH group (Insani Yardim Vakfi Humanitarian Relief Foundation) sponsored the flotilla. It is connected to the global Muslim Brotherhood. Like all other Muslim Brotherhood allies, IHH is unambiguously opposed to the existence of Israel, and eagerly assists those seeking to destroy it. The present Islamist government in Turkey, for its own geopolitical interests, fully supported this initiative, knowing full well that it would likely end in violence and with a contrived “crisis” with Israel.

Despite the onslaught of media manipulation by extremists, it is now crystal clear that the intentions of this flotilla had nothing to do with humanitarian concerns for the people of Gaza. The organizers of the flotilla have said as much, both before and after the incident.

For example, on May 27, flotilla organizer Greta Berlin stated that: “This is not a humanitarian effort. This is about breaking the Israeli blockade.”

The simple truth of this horror is reflected in the fact that the aid brought by the convoy now sits in trucks at the border. Hamas refuses to allow it into Gaza.

What took place on the decks of the Mavi Marmara was a skirmish in Israel’s defensive war against militant Islam. In much of the West, there is a widespread refusal to engage with or internalize this reality. Instead, media coverage was generated in which Israel’s concerns were seen as utterly inexplicable and the Islamist militants on the ship were depicted as peace-loving humanitarians. George Orwell could not have written this frightening novel of the utter inversion of every truth, moral and ethic as defined in the democratic tradition.

The initial global response to these events reflected a profound disconnect between perception and reality in the region. The establishment of this disconnect is one of the chief strategic achievements of the jihadis. It is critically important that every person who is truly dedicated to peace in the region realize how terribly dangerous this is.

The commission of inquiry launched last week is headed by Israel’s former Supreme Court Justice Yaacov Tirkel. Joining him on the panel will be Hague Prize Laureate in International Law Professor Shabtai Rosen and former president of the Israel Institute of Technology, Major General Amos Horev. International observers include Nobel Peace Prize Laureate William David Trimble from Northern Ireland and Canadian Ken Watkin, former military judge advocate general.

This very distinguished group will be able to shed real light on the sequence of events that led to this violent outburst. The committee will also examine the Turkish position and actions taken by the flotilla’s organizers, especially the Turkish group IHH, as well as the identity of the participants in the flotilla and their intentions.

No doubt, there will soon be other assaults on Israel’s legal and vital interest in preventing more arms from reaching Hamas killers in Gaza. No doubt, the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies will do their best to spin the stories as more examples of “Israeli lawlessness.”

Hopefully, with the lessons learned from this recent event, world leadership, media and public opinion will be a little less “knee-jerk” in their criticisms of Israel and a bit more prepared to seek out the truth before delivering blanket condemnations. After all, it’s not just Israel that is under attack, it’s every country that shares its democratic values.

Dr. Jonathan Spyer is senior fellow, the GLORIA Center, Herzliya, Israel. This article was submitted by the UJA Federation of Hamilton in response to a June 9 Gwynne Dyer column on this page, ‘Gaza Strip blockade must end.’

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