As is obvious from my output here, I don't do "breaking" stories, but some I like to get to while they're still roiling. The IDF and the blockade runners fiasco which is playing out presently is still not 100% settled (what ever is?) but what we know could be used to write a manual on how to play the lefty media for sympathy.
First the legality of stopping and boarding vessels in international waters: this is the official Israeli position, but I have no doubt that what they are saying about the legality of their action is correct. You can either accept or flout the laws of any jurisdiction, but you defy them at your risk anywhere in the world. Israel is well-known to enforce its laws and borders, and to proceed as if you expect anything else is either malice or insanity. I like this for insanity:
INSANITY, med. jur. A continued impetuosity of thought, which, for the time being, totally unfits a man for judging and acting in relation to the matter in question, with the composure requisite for the maintenance of the social relations of life.
As there were too many people on those boats for them all to be insane, malice (or more charitably, "calculation") it is. Contrary to its reputation, Israel doesn't empty a magazine into every protest situation they run into, and they have a LOT of experience with this sort of thing, at least on land. The change of venue put them off their game, but it looks like they tried the non-lethal playbook first. The video that shows all of these "protesters" bleeding also shows them violently attacking the IDF commandos who boarded the ships. YouTube cuts both ways, but Israel can't win the PR battle with the truth no matter if it exonerates them; with Obama throwing the one true democracy in the Middle East to the encircling wolves, Israel doesn't have a lot of friends left.
Info ops, formerly known as propaganda, is all about making yourself look good at the other guy's expense. This was masterful in that regard, but it doesn't take much to make the IDF look bad to the sorts who make all the noise. The persistent use of the word "humanitarian" is a big feature, as is the word "protesters" There were some of those on board to be sure, the professional useful idiots from the West who tag onto repressive Islamic causes, but there were at least as many provocateurs.
The Israelis were certainly ambushed and attacked when they boarded; that fact is non-negotiable. People will argue provocation, piracy, whatever they want, but the bulk of international maritime and naval conventions are in line with the escalation the IDF took. Again regardless of the restraint the troops displayed (yes, I said restraint, and I meant it!) this is now in the international news cycle and a black eye for Israel is the least harmful likely outcome.
It will be interesting to watch what the Arab countries do now. Not what they say, what they actually do. Saudi money drives a lot of what goes on, and Iran's runs most of the rest. Saudi would much rather keep Israel around as a bulwark against Iran, so they never push the Israelis too far. Egypt has had enough of fighting the IDF, and in any event doesn't want to try to digest the Palestinians. Iran is allied with Syria however, and they may smell an opportunity.
So, a repeat of Hezbollah-Israel this summer? If that happens I will go on record here (on my anonymous blog, yeah, I know) as saying that Israel will put the hurt on Syria too for sure, and Iran if they can manage it. Assad knows this, so he'll make a lot of noise, but not likely heat things up. Hezbollah knows that another war is not in their interest until the Israelis are about to be pushed into the sea, but Iran might think the time is now.
Israel is cornered, and I can't come up with a worse group to corner than a nuclear-armed people with a 5000-year old history of being slaughtered every time they weren't stronger or at least more agile than their neighbours. You can bet that whoever pushes them to the wall will be short a few cities before it's all over. There are c.7.5M people in Israel, and (for you Old Testament scholars) that's a LOT of eyes.
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