Posted on 06/02/2010 6:26:16 AM PDT by throwback
Monday's botched commando raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla has proven disastrous for Israel. World public opinion has united in condemning the Jewish state and the U.N. Security Council has already demanded an inquiry. Closer to home, the strategic alliance that Israel had painstakingly forged with Turkey is in tatters.
The horrific outcome—so far nine killed and dozens wounded—has caused irreparable damage to Israel's image. Even if the video evidence proves beyond doubt that the activists on board the ships were armed and that they were the first to attack, the battle for public opinion (which, after all, is what the flotilla exercise was really about) was lost the moment the first Israeli soldier set foot on the deck of the Mavi Marmara—the Turkish ferry that served as the flagship.
What makes the flotilla fiasco all the more astounding is that Israel has been preparing for this confrontation for months. It has had time to run various scenarios, and even to review strategies it has previously employed for similar events.
In 1988, 131 members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) who had been deported from the Palestinian Territories following the outbreak of the first intifada intended to set sail to Gaza from Limassol, Cyprus. Their boat, called Al Awda or the Ship of the Return, was accompanied by 200 journalists.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Seems the author thinks the violence could have been avoided, but the Israelis are just tired of handling their enemies with kid gloves. Really, if people want a war, what can you do?
Agreed. Public opinion be damned. Israel can never win in the arena of public opinion; the world is dead set on ganging up on them.
Too bad their enemies don’t read the Bible. We know how this one ends up.
I don't think so. Israel acted in her self-interest and defended herself. What else would the pundits have them do? As to the haters and terrorist defenders, nothing Israel does is right so what difference does it make?
No UDT to blow off the ships’ props?
I don't think so. Israel acted in her self-interest and defended herself. What else would the pundits have them do? As to the haters and terrorist defenders, nothing Israel does is right so what difference does it make?
I know I'm making a leap, but when Obama decides to impose martial law, it will be because of the "unprovoked attack" by "radicals in the Tea Party movement". And the general opinion across the US will be that the conservatives have "lost the public relations battle".
We are all Jews now.
After this fiasco, Israel doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell to get support for a unilateral strike at Iran's nuclear facilities!
I'm surprised the WSJ has such utter junk on its website.
This author has some bad premises.
” What else would the pundits have them do? “
March meekly, and in an orderly manner, to the gas chambers and ovens...
Infuriating! What BS. Even the friggin WSJ globs on to this same crappola meme. There were SIX ships in the 'flotilla'. All were boarded for inspection (that is NOT a so-called "commando raid") as a part of the legitimate Israeli blockade. On only one of the ships, there were fake "humanitarians" who were actually Al Qaeda mercenaries. Watch the video of the Israeli soldiers being beaten
I’m surprised to see this in the Journal..
I am, too. His suggestions seem to be to have blown up the ship in the Turkish port (how would that play with Etdogan?) or else board peacefully (now why didn’t Israel think of that?).
The author seems to have an internationalist state department-type point of view.
Reading between the lines, though, the article does imply that Israelis ate united in opposition to this threat (which he says is not existential, but which is). That is a good thing.
Still, what is the Wall Street Journal doing printing this stuff? Is there any other evidence that they are moving to the dark side where Israel is concerned?
Are, not ate.
next time use a torpedo, that way the world won’t even care...
Right! but after Israel does it, the entire world will heave a sigh of relief while condemning Israel.
vaudine
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