Noam Chomsky: The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla

[marmar]

from In These Times:



The Real Threat Aboard the Freedom Flotilla
By Noam Chomsky


Israel’s violent attack on the Freedom Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza shocked the world.

Hijacking boats in international waters and killing passengers is, of course, a serious crime.

But the crime is nothing new. For decades, Israel has been hijacking boats between Cyprus and Lebanon and killing or kidnapping passengers, sometimes holding them hostage in Israeli prisons.

Israel assumes that it can commit such crimes with impunity because the United States tolerates them and Europe generally follows the U.S.’s lead.

As the editors of The Guardian rightly observed on June 1, “If an armed group of Somali pirates had yesterday boarded six vessels on the high seas, killing at least 10 passengers and injuring many more, a NATO task force would today be heading for the Somali coast.” In this case, the NATO treaty obligates its members to come to the aid of a fellow NATO country—Turkey—attacked on the high seas.

Israel’s pretext for the attack was that the Freedom Flotilla was bringing materials that Hamas could use for bunkers to fire rockets into Israel.

The pretext isn’t credible. Israel can easily end the threat of rockets by peaceful means. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/6064/the_real_threat_aboard_the_freedom_flotilla/

[G_j]

1. K&R

[malaise]

2. 100% correct

Thanks Noam

[tekisui]

3. knr! Good article.

[xchrom]

4. recommend