Of Blockades and Blockheads
June 15, 2010 | Allon Lee
Why are supposed human rights activists so quick to attack Israel but never make a squeak against the anti-peace Hamas regime that persecutes women, Christians and homosexuals? Why does the Gaza flotilla bloodshed automatically cancel out the moral and legal imperative of maintaining Israel and Egypt’s blockade of the Hamas-ruled Strip? These are the two questions that must be answered by those seeking to rollback the internationally sanctioned blockade of the Gaza Strip of materiel that can be used for military purposes. Fuel, medicines, gas, electricity and food have never stopped flowing into Gaza.
Blockade will end when Hamas wants peace
June 8, 2010 | Bren Carlill
If Israel is forced to lift the blockade, the unintended result will be the death of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. If Hamas “beats” Israel and successfully arms like Hezbollah, ordinary Palestinians will believe violence (the Hamas path) is better than negotiations (the Fatah path). Fatah will either collapse or return to wholesale violence, putting peace efforts back 30 years.
Israeli videocams show the naked truth of what happened
June 7, 2010 | Daniel Meyerowitz-Katz
There are lessons to learn from the flotilla incident beyond the geopolitical fallout and legality of blockades. This incident vividly demonstrates the next step in 21st century warfare.
Violent stunts prolong Gaza’s suffering
June 4, 2010 | Colin Rubenstein
A blockade [of Gaza] to prevent the re-arming of an enemy is an absolutely legitimate and recognized method of armed conflict – and Israel has provided all the required notifications to comply with international law.
Flotilla sailed for confrontation, not for aid
June 2, 2010 | Bren Carlill
Israel told flotilla organisers the aid could be transferred across the Gaza-Israel land border. (It still will be.) The flotilla could also have co-operated with Egypt or the UN in order to help Palestinians, but refused to do so. Helping Palestinians wasn’t its goal, confronting Israel was.
Tales of violence on the high seas lack context
June 2, 2010 | Lauren Jones
That five of the six boats were taken peaceably indicates that Israel never intended to harm any civilians. Israel was wise enough to film the incident, thereby providing irrefutable evidence that its soldiers were attacked first, and acted in self defence. Fortunately, the violence was confined to one boat and the aid on board the flotilla will reach Gaza in one piece.
Palestinians architects of their own misery
May 14, 2010 | Bren Carlill
If the Palestinians are ever going to have a successful state, it will only come after they stop focusing on what they think other people have done to them, and start focusing on what they can do for themselves.
Seeking renewed Israeli-Palestinian talks
May 5, 2010 | Colin Rubenstein
Israel cannot rely on statehood in itself to satisfy Palestinian aspirations, and so must have both security guarantees and a Palestinian leadership able to credibly enforce them. That last condition does not exist today.
No state of their own due to the state of mind they are in
March 19, 2010 | Colin Rubenstein
As flawed as Hari’s piece is, in reflecting the strident view that Palestinians are simply blameless victims, it does serve one useful purpose – it helps explain ongoing Palestinian intransigence.
White paper should tackle terrorist television
March 9, 2010 | Bren Carlill
Concern about domestic radicalisation and home-grown terrorism is a big part of the government’s white paper on counter-terrorism released last week. So why haven’t successive governments banned Hezbollah’s television station, al-Manar, from screening in Australia? After all, al-Manar is all about radicalising its viewers.
The legacy of a true friend
January 10, 2010 | Colin Rubenstein
Almost uniquely among Muslim leaders and the heads of Muslim states, Wahid was not reticent about his friendship for Israel and his close ties and desire for even closer ones with the Jewish people.
Time’s Up for Iran Sanctions
December 22, 2009 | Colin Rubenstein
If anyone still had any doubts about Iran’s nuclear intentions, these should have been dispelled by last week’s revelations in The Times of documents showing Iran experimented with neutron trigger technology. Such technology can only be used in nuclear weaponry.
