Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered unexpected support to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and others who plan to challenge his country's naval blockade of the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip. Haaretz reports his comments today:
"I call on all human rights activists in the world - go to Tehran, that's where there is a human rights violation," said Netanyahu during his meeting with the Austrian Chancellor, Werner Faymann, in which he discussed Israel's ease of the Gaza blockade and flotillas planning on breaching Israel's Gaza blockade. "Today, after we lifted the civilian blockade of Gaza there is no reason or justification for further flotillas," he said.
So what Netanyahu appears to be conceding is that the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which Israel attacked in international waters, killing 9 passengers and injuring dozens of others on 31 May, was in fact fully justified as long as Israel maintained the blockade which he claims now to have lifted.
But of course Israel has not really lifted the illegal blockade. Netanyahu's comments demonstrate that Israel's main purpose is to relieve international pressure and avoid further embarrassing flotillas challenging it.The reality remains that 1.5 million people in Gaza are locked into what amounts to a giant prison camp for surplus humans of the wrong sort. Israel controls land, sea and aerial access to them. Their crime is simply that they are not Jews, because if they were Jews, Israel -- as a Zionist "Jewish state" -- would welcome them back to the now largely vacant lands in what is now Israel from which they were ethnically cleansed from 1948-1950.
The economy, agriculture and healthcare system in Gaza remain devastated due to the ongoing blockade. Even under the Israeli ruse of "easing" the siege -- which we have yet to see produce any substantive change -- all but a tiny amount of building supplies and all plumbing supplies, fertilizers, cleaning supplies and countless other essential goods and raw materials will still be completely banned by the Israeli occupiers and ethnic cleansers.
If you're in any doubt that Gaza is a maximum security prison for a population eighty percent of whom are refugees and half of whom are children, consider the fact that Israel banned German Development Minister Dirk Niebel from visiting the inmates last week. Even Germany, one of Israel's most complicit and subservient appeasers, was shocked enough to protest. What is Israel trying to hide from the eyes of the world? Israel claims this is all about stopping weapons smuggling. But Israel can never explain what preventing people freely leaving or entering Gaza, for say, medical treatment, study, family reunification, work, or just because it is their human right to enter and leave their country, has to do with weapons smuggling. The siege is by Israel's own admission collective punishment and as long as it continues I agree fully with Netanyahu: flotillas are justified. h/t GBurris