The convoy of six ships from Turkey under the Free Gaza movement bringing 10.000 tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza was raided by Israeli special force soldiers from Sunday to Monday. All of Monday the actions of Israel have been condemned by the international community, including the EU and the United Nations, and several demonstrations around the world in front of Israeli embassies. Because of the humanitarian aid, and because the ships were in international waters when the boarding of Israeli soldiers occurred. And generally calling for an end to the blockade of Gaza, that was put into effect from Hamas took control of the strip in June 2007.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a planned meeting with US President Obama in Washington to haste back to Israel. Obama has been relatively modest in his reaction, awaiting further information to clarify the incident. Netanyahu and Israel do not reject the humanitarian aid efforts. But defend the actions as an act of self-defence, claiming that weapons were aboard the humanitarian ship. And later releasing a video showing attacks by the Free Gaza members on the Israeli soldiers. Mind you, that was after boarding the ship in the first place.
According to The Guardian, Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, described the Israeli raid as 'an act of inhumane state terrorism'. An incident Turkish diplomatic sources regret, referring to the normally friendly ties between Israel and Turkey.
In Denmark, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lene Espersen (C) has been criticised for not participating in a diplomatic meeting with Israeli embassador Arthur Avnon. She called the meeting, probably for general exchange of information purposes, but did not participate herself. Probably wise to participate if Denmark were a direct party in the conflict (like in the case of the so-called Cartoon-crisis four years ago). Most of the participants of the Free Gaza movement aboard the ship come from a long range of countries, in Scandinavia most notably from Sweden. Not Denmark. So the meeting in Denmark was a bit over the top to begin with. Except for general diplomatic exchange reasons.
The convoy participants state that the ships were about 40 sea miles from land, and that Israel has no argument to the contrary. To be in Israeli waters the ship had to be within a 12 sea mile limit outside of the Gaza strip.
A Danish expert explains the ground rules of international law:
'The defining rule is whether it happened in international waters. Intervention against ships sailing under another country's flag is not allowed here. Here the jurisdiction of the flag state applies – the only exception to this rule is in case of piracy, slavery, and probably in the case of terrorism, like in the case of actions against pirats in the Gulf of Aden,' Karsten Buhl, navy commander and jurist at the Centre for Military Studies (CMS) explains.
The action by Israeli forces appears to have been over the top, but obviously further clarification and evidence is needed. Again it strains the friendly ties with close ally USA, just as proximity talks about the Middle East question were on the brink of being initiated. Like a very odd couple in a separation process wondering if there is still hope. But the real paradox doesn't seem to be the positions of Palestine vs. Israel. So much as: does Israel test Obama's position? Like an ultimate love test for couples? Israel probably already knows the answer.
For further information, please see:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/06/01/gaza.raid.resolution/index.html?hpt=T1
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/05/31/gaza.flotilla.aid/index.html?hpt=C1
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10199862.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/01/gaza-flotilla-attack-condemnation-israel
http://www.dr.dk/nettv/update/?video={49061b03-68f5-4a94-ab3f-dd6577972441}
http://www.berlingske.dk/politik/lene-e.-afviser-kritik-af-gaza-moede