Get PJ Media on your Apple

The Hicks File: Flotilla of Fools

Terrorists and leftists try to run the blockade of Gaza. People die, and Israel — as always — gets blamed. (Click here to watch this edition of the Hicks File on PJTV.)

by
Joe Hicks

Bio

June 4, 2010 - 12:56 pm

This past weekend, a six-ship flotilla left Turkey bound for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. They never made it — they were intercepted by the Israeli military. Details are still being collected, but it looks like at least nine people were killed.

The international uproar was instantaneous. Israel, they said, was again being the bully. According to them, this was just a humanitarian mission to bring aid to the hard-pressed residents of Gaza and those on board the Mavi Marmara were surprised by a brutal, unprovoked attack.

Hold it. Let’s get real!  This is the same old anti-Israel bias coming from European Union leaders who fall all over themselves to show disdain for Israel but never lose an opportunity to show support for their favorite international victims: Palestinians and Muslims.

Within hours, Spain and France concluded that what the Jewish state did was “excessive.”  Spain called the actions “unacceptable” and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he “condemns the disproportionate use of force.” Meanwhile, Great Britain called for Israel to drop its long-standing blockade of Gaza.

After stripping away the anti-Israel rhetoric, here is what’s known about this incident:

There is general agreement that six ships — self-described as a “freedom flotilla” — left Turkey with “supplies” for Gaza.  After this, there’s lots of disagreement.

Turkey, who backed the blockade-busters, says the supplies were benign: largely food, medicines, and clothing. They also say the 600 people on board the ships were unarmed “peacemakers.”

Despite what the Turks say, that’s unlikely. But let’s clear up a thing or two.

First, according to the Oslo Accords, the Israelis have sovereignty over Gaza, and international law allows nations to require suspicious ships to identify themselves before entering their waters. International law also requires that ships of the kind involved in this incident conform — in this case — to Israel’s laws and security needs.

Second, Israel simply can’t allow unknown goods to enter into Gaza, a territory controlled by Hamas. This is after all a terrorist regime that calls for the murder of Jews, the “obliteration” of Israel, and its replacement with an Islamic theocracy.

It’s also important to point out that in the past, Israel has intercepted ships and boats with weapons intended for Hamas.  Prior to building the security wall, Hamas was responsible for 40 percent of all suicide attacks against Israeli citizens, and over 10,000 rockets have been launched by Hamas from Gaza against communities in southern Israel since 2005.

This is a high-stakes game — one that Israel can’t afford to lose.

It is also important to get a clear picture of the organization claiming responsibility for this so-called “freedom flotilla.”

The group that claims it organized the flotilla is the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, better known as IHH. Formed in 1992, its based in Turkey with offices in Gaza and the West Bank.

However, while the IHH may have an innocent-sounding name, it has documented ties to terrorists and was named in federal court documents as playing a role in the Los Angeles millennium bomb plot. Intelligence reports from 1996 also linked this Turkish group to international terrorism. An Israeli intelligence report also linked this group to “radical Islamic networks,” including Hamas, and other global jihad networks.

Steve Emerson, who has appeared on PJTV and is a respected terrorism expert, says that IHH was banned by Israel in 2008 for its affiliation with Hamas and its association with Muslim Brotherhood leader Yousef al-Qaradawi, who issued a fatwa calling for the killing of Americans and Jews.

Little wonder then, that some on board these ships, boarded by Israeli commandos, were in a fighting mood. Despite verbal warnings and attempts to prevent violence, these “humanitarians” reportedly attacked Israeli commandos with clubs, knives, and guns when they boarded the ship  At this point the surprised commandos were forced to respond with lethal force just to protect themselves.

It’s worth pointing out that American leftists have been involved in past attempts to evade Israel’s blockade.  One of America’s most visible lunatic leftists, Cynthia McKinney, was involved in (count ‘em) two “Free Gaza Movement” flotilla attempts in 2008 and again in 2009.  This is the same foolish former congresswoman who used anti-Semitic language in a 2002 election campaign, claimed President Bush had advanced warning of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and attacked a Capital Hill police officer in 2006.

Nonetheless, even some conservatives have argued that maybe the Israeli military attack on the blockade-busters was a mistake that fed into the hands of Israel’s enemies.

Perhaps, but I think Israel is always in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t position.

Despite the fact that Hamas controls Gaza and declares its hatred for Jews and all things Jewish, just during the first three months of this year, Israel allowed the transfer of almost 95,000 tons of supplies into Gaza — supplies which included food, clothes, shoes, milk, and baby food.

Yet they’ve been defined as occupiers and “Nazis” by Muslim activists and organizations of the international hard-left.

Faced with a flotilla organized by a Hamas ally, what do the second-guessers think Israel should have done?  They offer little in the way of realistic alternatives.

The argument is that Israel is guilty of using disproportional force when responding to attacks.  This has been said repeatedly, including during Israel’s last two military responses to terrorists’ attacks: the 2006 war against Hezbollah and Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.

But look, there really is a well-defined effort to destroy Israel.  One threat comes from Iran, where a regime is in place that makes no secret of its intent to wipe Israel off the map.  Then there’s Hamas — the government of record in Gaza and a hateful group of terrorist thugs that’s sent over 10,000 missiles into Israel.

Yet elites at the United Nations and in the capitals of Western Europe think Israel should exercise restraint and — if it must — respond proportionately.  That’s complete and utter BS!

Me? I’ll stand with Israel.

Joe R. Hicks is a political commentator and the vice president of Community Advocates.
Click here to view the 28 legacy comments

Comments are closed.