RSS Feed MenuWhat differentiates the Marmara incident from prior Israeli “PR disasters” such as the two Qana bombings, the so-called Jenin massacre or the al-Dura affair? At first sight, not much. Politicians in Europe have already fallen in line with the anti-Israel stance just as quickly as they did when each of the listed incidents occurred. Today’s question time in the French National Assembly contained what amounted to a 20 minute verbal lynching on Israel by both political parties and echoed by Prime Minister François Fillon. Not even deputy foreign minister Pierre Lellouche, who is supposed to be a great friend of Israel, had the courage to defend Israel in public today.
While there were some minor demonstrations, the French public does not seem particularly enthusiastic about trashing Israel or taking either side in this conflict.
But one difference between the Marmara story and previous similar incidents may be that this one has been better staged. Hamas and its friends have managed to get some victims (though no Europeans among them, apparently). Luckily for them, however, no Israeli soldier was slaughtered in front of cameras.
And questions still remain about the Israeli operation. Why did the IDF commanders under-equip their men when they knew that the IHH, the NGO that organized the operation, is a pretty radical movement?
On the other hand, anticipating the level of violence in that kind of situation is extremely difficult. French troops in African countries are trained to use or take off some pieces of equipment like helmets and body armor according to the situation. Such flexibility can help convey the right message to the population or defuse otherwise tense situations. But that takes decades of post-colonial experience in the region. It seems the IDF simply got it wrong this time, which has to happen sometimes.
But what is important to understand is that the operation was not intended to make Israel look worse before the world than it does now (Elvis Costello is probably not changing his mind now). Rather, the strategic goal of the convoy was the opening of a permanent supply line to and from Gaza with the goal of turning the strip into a second South Lebanon.
Up until now, Israel has succeeded in keeping the threats from the Gaza strip at a reasonably low level, in large part because the embargo limited the threat from local terrorists. If Gaza can be supplied, South Lebanon will have a serious competitor. How that could be seen as a good turn of events by European politicians is a mystery.
So what will happen next? First, much depends on what the U.S. decides to ask Israel to do. But as far as Europeans are concerned, they tend to misjudge Israel’s interests and motivations by removing any strategic thinking from their calculus. Israel has a lot of reasons to resist demands for the lifting of the blockade. Europeans may think that the whole Muslim world is on board with it, but that is dubious. The Palestinian Authority obviously has no interest in Hamas growing stronger in any way.
As for Israel, it is unlikely that the Israeli government will accept putting its population in greater danger. More importantly, they know that lifting the embargo will only increase the pressure for further concessions.
This may seem obvious, but the disturbing aspect of French and European official reactions to the Marmara incident is that no European politician seems able to make a strategic judgment. They all rallied around a few buzz words: “lifting the embargo”, “commission of inquiry”, “humanitarian corridor” – which do not make much sense. What is a “humanitarian corridor” supposed to accomplish when Israel is already letting goods inside the Gaza strip? What is the point of “demanding” a commission of inquiry when all they have to do is set one up themselves? What a fully supplied Iranian proxy would mean for Europe is not even considered.
Finally, one question remains difficult to answer: why do European politicians fall in line with the anti-Israel brigade so quickly? It seems that each one of them is afraid to be the last to condemn Israel, and at least in France, it is far from obvious that they have much to gain electorally by doing so. Even though it seems a bit short, cowardice looks like the only possible explanation, but in any event, the reaction of Europe’s political class shows that Hamas and the flotilla organizers seem to have a good understanding of the continent’s politicians.
ottovbvs // Jun 1, 2010 at 5:38 pm
…….another load of nonsense of the Israel apology brigade…….the difference between US and European politicians is that they are not in thrall to Israel because of domestic politics……you know that Granville…..I know that…….the whole world knows it…….so why you keep peddling these ridiculous stories is a mystery because they convince no one other than the alreadly convinced.
TerryF98 // Jun 1, 2010 at 6:12 pm
The Frum Forum Bag Lady comes to the party with another load of total Bullshit to add to the pile already on display here.
Just when will Linnane chip in with a detailed breakdown of how paintball guns are the very best weapon to use in this situation!
You people must think we are simple minded Republicans who swallow any old garbage. Think again.
ottovbvs // Jun 1, 2010 at 6:47 pm
…….I see the Israeli govt have just announced they are going to release all the people they are holding unconditionally………as George Packer points out in a masterly analysis on his blog “Israel took the bait”…….this is a disaster for Israel at both the pr and diplomatic level and all Granville and the other apologists are doing is reinforcing failure……a sure recipe for military disaster
right_on // Jun 1, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Israel should be condemned loudly and with vigour. If this blockade is really about stopping arms, then why are items such as ginger, instant coffee, and A4 paper on the list of banned items?
Viraldoc23 // Jun 1, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Why do people make excuses for israel??…I just dont get it…Innocent people are innocent people…it should not be excused….Israel can nuke the entire population of Gaza and david frum and his forum would have some excuse for it…
Viraldoc23 // Jun 1, 2010 at 8:40 pm
How come when we get attacked we respond but we also build schools, build communities, make the innocent civilians try to like us, we do business with them, we train our soldiers to hold restraint against them, thousands of volunteers risk their lives to make the lives of iraqis or afghans just a little better…and how come Israel with our same capability, with our same “values” can go and bomb gaza or the west bank and then just leave it to destruction. Where are the schools??Where is the humanity?? Where is billions spent to make life for palestinians better (like the billions we spend to try and make iraqis or afghans). It’s like they hate the palestinian PEOPLE not the palestinian terrorists. We hate the terrorists not the muslims. We help the innocent muslims and kill terrorists…Israel just groups the innocent and terrorist all as one.
Slide // Jun 1, 2010 at 8:48 pm
One wonders if Grandville would ever find reason to condemn Israel.
sinz54 // Jun 1, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Granville: why do European politicians fall in line with the anti-Israel brigade so quickly?
1. Oil.
2. In the 1990s (back when Clinton was President), the European Union became the prison bitch of the Muslims when it made the disastrous decision to ally itself with Islamist regimes as a counterweight to what Jacques Chirac referred to as “the American hyperpower.”
jreb // Jun 1, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Viraldoc23 // Jun 1, 2010 at 8:40 pm asks
“…and how come Israel with our same capability, with our same “values” can go and bomb gaza or the west bank and then just leave it to destruction.”
From an 2005 article in the UK Guardian “American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for $14 million last month and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash.” “Palestinian police stood by helplessly Tuesday as looters carted off materials from greenhouses in several settlements, and commanders complained they did not have enough manpower to protect the prized assets. In some instances, there was no security and in others, police even joined the looters, witnesses said.” “The Palestinian militant has an instinctive compulsion to destroy anything that has two or more pieces of wood, brick, or other structural elements nailed or mortared together, as shown by its treatment of abandoned synagogues in Gaza.”
From an 2005 article in the Hindustan Times, “Thousands of celebrating Palestinians thronged through Neve Dekalim on early Monday just after Israeli soldiers withdrew, setting fire to a building that just last month served as a rabbinical college for Jewish settlers.” “There were similar scenes throughout Gaza as Palestinians headed straight for empty synagogues Israel had decided to leave intact. The fires caused little structural damage in the fortress-like concrete and stone structures, but Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the buildings would be destroyed.”
New York Daily News, Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 “ A week after they descended like locusts on the greenhouses that Jewish settlers nurtured in Gaza, looters continue to pillage what
should be a prize asset for a fledgling Palestinian state.”
“…When a Daily News correspondent visited abandoned Jewish settlements in Gaza, he found brazen vandals dismantling farms that once produced some of the world’s finest tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. The now-gutted greenhouses were gifts to the Palestinian people from U.S. philanthropists, who raised $14 million to buy them from departing settlers.”
ottovbvs // Jun 1, 2010 at 9:59 pm
jreb // Jun 1, 2010 at 9:17 pm
……..somehow I don’t think your tomatoes bs is going to fly
Viraldoc23 // Jun 2, 2010 at 12:33 am
“From an 2005 article in the UK Guardian “American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for $14 million last month and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash.” “Palestinian police stood by helplessly Tuesday as looters carted off materials from greenhouses in several settlements, and commanders complained they did not have enough manpower to protect the prized assets. In some instances, there was no security and in others, police even joined the looters, witnesses said.” “The Palestinian militant has an instinctive compulsion to destroy anything that has two or more pieces of wood, brick, or other structural elements nailed or mortared together, as shown by its treatment of abandoned synagogues in Gaza.”
My point exactly…it was AMERICANS who actually tried to do something. You know what happens in iraq or afghanistan when we try to build something and looters or terrorists try to destroy it??…we freaking put soldiers right there to prevent it from happening. If Israel really cared about innocent palestinians they have more than enough resources to help them. But of course they dont.
pre-Reaganite // Jun 2, 2010 at 3:46 am
So, by implication, the Europeans real motivation is anti-semitic because they refuse to “see” the strategic logic behind Israel’s actions. This had got to be a joke.
I am a conservative and a long supporter of Israel. I accept its right to exist. However, I find its militaristic actions increasingly unacceptable – it is acting like an empire entirely dependent on military superiority to impose its will on others.
The ships bound for Gaza were not carrying arms (we know this due to inspections by Turk and the lack of Israeli claims of finding them), but supplies and provisions for humanitarian purposes. There was no legitimate argument whatsoever for Israeli security, unless to keep the population in Gaza cowed. The raid was merely a brutal action taken against protestors who disagreed with Israeli policies.
Sure, there was political theatre, and Israel walked right into the trap. That makes Netanyahu a fool. Israel is rapidly losing its legitimacy in the eyes of the world. It is a fact, this was just one more nail in the coffin that Israel is building for itself. I feel a mixture of outrage and deep regret.
We all know the argument that Israel is surrounded by hostile forces, etc. But actions like this demonstrate that Israel plays a role in creating them.
With the lack of support from younger American Jews, we can only hope that the debate will move from accusations of anti-semitism regarding anyone who questions Israel’s actions to one of whether or not it makes strategic sense for America to continue support Israel with little regard to Palestinian concerns.
Smarg // Jun 2, 2010 at 7:28 am
Perhaps genocide of the Palestinians is the only cure for Israel. Since the mainstream media is against them anyway, they have nothing to lose.
ottovbvs // Jun 2, 2010 at 7:32 am
Smarg // Jun 2, 2010 at 7:28 am
“Perhaps genocide of the Palestinians is the only cure for Israel. ”
……..How about genocide of Smarg?
Smarg // Jun 2, 2010 at 8:08 am
otto, you funny. Don’t you have a gay parade to participate in?
ottovbvs // Jun 2, 2010 at 8:16 am
Smarg // Jun 2, 2010 at 8:08 am
“otto, you funny. Don’t you have a gay parade to participate in?”
………..no they’ve banned them in our town, along with KKK parades so you’d be out of luck
Smarg // Jun 2, 2010 at 12:29 pm
ottovbvs // Jun 2, 2010 at 8:16 am
“………..no they’ve banned them in our town, along with KKK parades so you’d be out of luck”
lemme guess….otto you must be a federal employee ‘working’ on your computer all day. LOL!
ShalomG // Jun 2, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Interestingly, Otto, Israel allows gay pride parades. I wonder how such a parade would be greeted in either Gaza or the Palestinian Authority. (Not)
ottovbvs // Jun 2, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Smarg // Jun 2, 2010 at 12:29 pm
“lemme guess….otto you must be a federal employee ‘working’ on your computer all day.”
…….sorry…… out on the sound all day sailing
Smarg // Jun 3, 2010 at 7:36 am
…….sorry…… out on the sound all day sailing
_______________________________
Maybe you should find some sharks and go swimming with them.
Guy DeWhitney's Heretics Crusade // Jun 3, 2010 at 7:14 pm
al-Jazeera Flotilla Footage Found! Latma’s BEST Ever!…
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