Consequences of Israel's raid on Gaza aid ships

11 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Barrister Harun ur Rashid

THERE is no doubt Israel grossly underestimated the worldwide condemnation to its naval operation against the flotilla of six ships trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel's raid on international waters (117 kilometres from the Israeli coast) has been a clear breach of international law and in an emergency meeting on 31st May the Security Council condemned the raid and called for an impartial inquiry into the tragic incident. The condemnation of Israel's raid is the least Israel sought from international community because seldom the Security Council condemns Israel's action due to difference of opinion of the veto-carrying members of the Council. All this is a PR blow to Israel. Israel's policy of gross violation of human rights has been practised on a daily basis in the occupied Palestinian territories. Much of these activities rarely get mentioned in the world media. These violations of human rights were hardly investigated, and Israel did not pay any price for its blatant disregard of international law. Israel behaves like a "spoilt child" of the international community and the big powers usually issue sanctimonious statements of conventional wisdom, without any sign of concrete serious action against Israel for its systematic and planned transgression toward Palestinians. Many in Palestine and the Arab world have been calling on the world not to apply double standards when it comes to Israel. Yet many governments have found a populist spin to sell to their constituencies to justify the Israeli actions. However, the fall-out from the raid may have multiple consequences and only two of them deserve mentioning below. First, three of the six boats were Turkish. The only boat on which violence took place was Turkish. It may be by attacking a Turkish ship a huge strategic realignment may take place. Turkey is the most important Muslim nation allied to the West. Turkey is a member of NATO, to anchor down the Eastern end of the NATO defense line. Its strategic significance is immense to the US and allies. Since the mid-1990s it has had an intimate military relationship with Israel. The two nations helped each other with hi-tech military equipment and intelligence. Turkey recalled its Ambassador to Israel and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan cut short his visit to Latin America. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan reacted angrily and reportedly said "This irresponsible, heedless, unlawful attitude that defies any human virtue should definitely but definitely be punished". Turkey's growing diplomatic initiatives under the new foreign policy have led Turkey to offer mediation in regional disputes such as between the US and Iran, Iraq and Syria, and Israel and Syria has enhanced its international stature. Turkey maintains a good working relationship with Iran and Syria. Turkey is concerned about Iran's nuclear program, but cannot support US or P5+1 policies that seek to isolate the regime. They believe that this is a tactical mistake and a risk Turkey cannot afford to take. The Turks believe that more diplomacy can lead to a successful outcome. Last month, it, together with Brazil, had a deal with Iran in which Iranian enriched uranium would be swapped with Turkey to resolve Iran's nuclear proliferation issue with the West. The attack damaged Israel's ties with Turkey, one of its most important Muslim partners. Israel has angered Turkey by the raid. Israel's arrogance in the region rests on its military power of sophisticated weapons supplied by the US. Israel is an undeclared nuclear power and if Israel gets unpunished for its unlawful raid on the Turkish ship, Turkey may eventually consider its option of having nuclear weapon and if that occurs, this is a grave new development for the region. Second, the raid has complicated President Obama's efforts to move ahead on peace negotiation between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. While the Obama administration's public response has been restrained, US officials reportedly expressed dismay in private not only over the raid but also over the timing of the crisis, which erupted just as long-delayed US-meditated proximity (indirect) talks between Israelis and Palestinians were getting under way. At a time when the US is increasingly linking its own security in the region to the inability of Israelis and Palestinians to make peace, the raid has put that process of peace in un-chartered waters. If the US wants to move ahead, the US administration needs to handle with Israel the issue of blockade of the Gaza. Although the Obama administration officially supports the Gaza blockade some aides say that President Obama has expressed strong frustration privately with the humanitarian situation of 1.5 million people in Gaza. While declining to condemn the raid, Obama, in an interview with the CNN host Larry King that was broadcast on 3 June, said: "What is important right now is that we break out of the current impasse, use this tragedy as an opportunity so that we figure out how we meet Israel's security concerns but at the same time start opening up opportunity for Palestinians." Former US Ambassador to Israel, Martin S. Indyk reportedly said: "This regrettable incident underscores that the blockade of Gaza is not sustainable… Our responsibility to Israel is to help them find a way out of this situation". Observers suggest that for Obama administration, the top priority is to talk to Israel and other players in the region including Egypt and Jordan as to how to end the blockade of the Gaza to alleviate the acute sufferings of people including women and children in the Gaza strip. Robert Malley, programme director of the International Crisis Group for the Middle East, reportedly said "You can talk all you want about proximity talks, expend as much energy as Obama has, but if you ignore the huge thorn in Gaza, it will come back to bite you." Following a week of unrelenting international condemnation over Israel's raid, Israel reportedly has changed its policy of blockade to Gaza and would allow goods to get through after inspection. Israeli Prime Minister has proposed to Tony Blair, the international envoy of the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers, that an international naval force may inspect goods on ships bound for the Gaza. Palestine was never a land without a people. Israel has been persistently and grossly breaching international law and infringing fundamental human rights with impunity afforded to it through inaction of big powers. The author is former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.