Editorial

The World Must Put an End to Israeli Piracy and Terrorism

On May 30 the Israeli navy hijacked the six-vessel Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters. Israeli commandos boarded the Turkish vessel MV Mavi Marmara, the largest of the ships in the flotilla, killing at least nine activists and wounding over 60. Six activists are reportedly still missing. Activists have reported that the commandos were dropped from helicopters and were shooting people as they landed on deck. Several of the slain were shot in the back of the head. The Israeli forces towed the ships to Israel and imprisoned the approximately 700 activists until they agreed to sign fraudulent statements that they had entered Israel illegally.  A seventh ship, the Rachel Corrie was seized off the coast of Gaza on June 5 and towed to Israel as well.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Israeli actions constitute piracy on the high seas and violate international law, no matter how much Israel and its friends try to claim that Israel was the victim in this case. In particular, the fact that the purpose of the flotilla was to break the Israeli siege of Gaza does nothing to justify this atrocity. The siege of Gaza is, itself, in violation of international law, as is the Israeli occupation of both Gaza and the West Bank. The fact that Israel refuses to recognize or abide by international law because its American patrons shield it does not make its actions any less criminal.

Immediately after the killings, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement that 40 of the peace activists were actually al Qaeda mercenaries who were heavily armed and initiated the violence, while the Israeli commandos, supposedly armed only with paint-ball guns, were forced to defend themselves. This is, of course, what the Israeli Defence Force routinely claims when its soldiers murder unarmed Palestinian civilians, so it comes as no surprise that this should be the first lie to come out of Tel Aviv in the wake of Israel’s terrorist attack on the Freedom Flotilla. However, as the truth has slowly emerged, the Israeli government has been forced to backtrack on its claims. However, defenders of Israel continue to endlessly repeat the lie that one of the relief agencies taking part in the flotilla, the IHH, is connected to al Qaeda, despite the fact that both German and Turkish authorities have investigated that organization and have declared that it has no links to terrorist organizations of any kind.

If the Israeli act of piracy had been carried out by any other state, or by the Palestinians, there is no doubt that NATO warships would be steaming toward the area to punish the perpetrators. In fact, the treaty obligates every member state to come to the aid of another member attacked by a non-member. The Turkish government has demanded NATO action and has declared that any state which refuses to condemn Israel’s actions to be complicit. However, the Americans have so far blocked any involvement of NATO forces and U.S. president Obama has pointedly refused to criticize Israel for the attack, merely “regretting” the violence. Some supporters of Israel have suggested that even that gesture is an insult to Israel and that Israel now has no choice but to launch pre-emptive air strikes against Iran.

Israel apparently believes that it can commit murder anywhere in the world and get a free pass because of the crimes committed against Jews during the Holocaust. However, world public opinion has been rapidly turning against Israel, first because of its brutal and genocidal attacks on Gaza last year and now because of its murderous assault on peace activists on the high seas. It is time for world leaders to stop their complicity in the crimes committed by Israel and demand that Israeli political and military leaders be charged with crimes against humanity.