IDF went in in darkness and surprised the ships by boarding outside Israeli territorial waters. They went for all film and video crews but a Turkish crew evaded them and sent out the footage
The PR ripple would have been much lower the way you say to do it. But perhaps Israel wanted this to be public and in your face. Right now the US is really backstabbing Israel by trying to force them into a UN nuclear inspection regime. Where the UN gets to proclaim that since Israel won’t open up for inspection then Iran is perfectly justified in seeking nuclear weapons. Not that Israel has ever admitted having nukes nor has it ever joined the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty which Iran has joined.
Israel just might be getting ready to do anything and welcome anything.
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India, Israel and Pakistan
Three states—India, Israel, and Pakistan—have declined to sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation treaty. India and Pakistan are confirmed nuclear powers, and Israel has a long-standing policy of deliberate ambiguity (see List of countries with nuclear weapons). These countries argue that the NPT creates a club of “nuclear haves” and a larger group of “nuclear have-nots” by restricting the legal possession of nuclear weapons to those states that tested them before 1967, but the treaty never explains on what ethical grounds such a distinction is valid.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the IDF and Cabinet operational meetings now.
I’m sure there was a faction that had pushed for covert technical means, who are now yelling “We told you so!” at the “go commando” faction.
“These countries argue that the NPT creates a club of “nuclear haves” and a larger group of “nuclear have-nots” by restricting the legal possession of nuclear weapons to those states that tested them before 1967, but the treaty never explains on what ethical grounds such a distinction is valid.”
The ethical grounds of survival of the world from whacko’s who might acquire nukes. The best ethical grounds there are, to increase the possibilities of staying alive.