Monday, May 31, 2010

Israel defending the indefensible


By Marwan Bishara
Al-Jazeera

"....Security or arrogance?

The Israeli attack on and takeover of the solidarity flotilla - when Israel had been informed that the Turkish authorities had checked the ships in their ports - appears to be based less on security concerns than on a calculated effort to deter others from attempting more of the same.

A cold cost and benefit analysis of the Israeli operation shows no particular benefit - security or otherwise - but potential major losses.

Among other possible diplomatic fallouts, Turkish-Israeli relations - which have been deteriorating over the past couple of years - have been severely damaged by this attack and it is unclear now how Israel will be able to regain its strategic relationship with Turkey after killing Turkish civilians.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, has already accused Israel of "knowing how to kill". Turkey will now also be aware that Israel is capable of taking matters into its own hands, regardless of what anybody says.

Unlike most of the Arab states, Turkey is not under one man rule. Rather, Erdogan answers to a party and to vibrant public opinion that seems ever more irritated by Turkish-Israeli relations.

Israel's motto has long been: 'Israel does whatever it must, and the world (Goyim) can say all they want.'"

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