Thursday, June 3, 2010

Why can't we take Israel to task when they are acting the bully?


The never-ending conflict between Israel (the West, through osmosis) and the Palestinian territories took yet another ugly turn the other day when Israeli special forces attacked a flotilla filled with aid and aid workers. The Israelis government would have us believe that they had every right to attack the ship, that Gaza is under a naval blockade, therefore any ships sailing in the waters near Gaza are fair game. That and we are to believe that these were not aid workers, but political trouble makers, mostly from Turkey, their goal not humanitarian, but more to set a political trap. If so, it worked.

I will concede that Israel has the right to defend itself. If it felt genuinely threatened by this flotilla, Israel had the right to send weapons inspectors aboard to peacefully search the vessel. The problem, is not the fear, or even the blockade of Gaza (that is a subject for another day), the problem is Israel's gross overreaction. Israel (such is its style) attacked with all that it had. The footage was amazing, it was like watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2010. Special forces dropped from the heavens like swashbuckling ninjas. The folks on the flotilla had no idea what hit them. This is typical of how Israel deals with all its conflicts. It shoots first (with weapons a million times more frightening than its opponent), then asks questions later. Their opponents this time around, were not arms smuggling Hamas agents, they were aid workers (who might have been trying to make a political point), armed with 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid. It was hardly a fair fight.

It is hard here in the West to criticize Israel, you are either labeled an anti-Semite, or you are instantly thought to be soft on terrorism. Hamas, are bad folks, of course, but Israel still must be held accountable for its actions. They are the Superpower in the region, they are the one's with all the best weapons, they are the folks that have Uncle Sam forever in their corner. Israel is the spoiled rich kid who lives in the big house at the end of the street, yet still demands the smallest kid in class give them their lunch money. Why? Simply because they can. I was brought up to believe that the little guy needs to be protected from the bully. Israel is the bully in this case, so even at the risk of being called an anti-Semite or even pro-Hamas, I say shame on you Israel, pick on somebody your own size.

4 comments:

  1. Great post! I always wonder when folks say Israel has a right to defend herself, but so do Palestinians, after all the land was theirs until the Brits gave it to the Jews. To this day, I don't know what gave them that right because they had occupied it by force as well....

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  2. Thank you. I see it as the whole moral authority thing gone mad. Strength is not a predictor of right or wrong. The West, which includes Israel, believes it has the right to defend itself to the maximum, no matter how minuscule the threat.

    Israel is in the wrong here, the world knows it, the problem is that our governments are afraid to take Israel to task. How much longer can Israel be given a free pass? As culture, I agree that the Jews have had a tragic history. But crimes against their culture in the past, should not excuse their own crimes in the present. Wrong is wrong, no matter the flag of the wrong doer.

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  3. site looks great sir...been held captive by real pirates...no joke. i will be back in touch soon...if you have a need or interest.
    your always loyal NAD reporter,
    Matt Byron

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  4. Dude, I was wondering when you were gonna reemerge. I was gonna send out a search party.

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