Catch-23

In 2005 the State of Israel carried out a large political and military operation called “Disengagement from Gaza”, following which the state formally informed the Supreme Court that it no longer controls Gaza and is not responsible for what is happening there.

When asked why, then, does the State of Israel continue to keep its warships cruising off the coast of Gaza and block the way of anyone trying to get in or out, the state answered that it had imposed a naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. Indeed, there is such a possibility in International Law, to impose a blockade on the shores of another country. But does Israel really consider the shores of Gaza as the shores of another country?

Last Saturday, two boats sailed toward the coast of Gaza, one from Australia and the other from Ireland. At sea, in international waters, they were boarded and taken over by the renowned Naval Commandos of the State of Israel. “This time it passed without violence,” read a brief news story published the next day’s in Israel’s biggest newspaper “Yediot Ahronot”. Which is not entirely accurate. The peace sailors from Australia and Ireland indeed did not resort to any kind of violence. On the other hand, the renowned commandos did use electric shockers  and pointed loaded guns at the heads of the activists. True, on this occasion they did not pull the trigger, and everybody on board survived and got alive into the detention cells.

“You’re charged with violating the law on Entry Into Israel. Sign right here: ‘I admit that I entered Israel illegally’ ” said the Israeli Police interrogators. “Absolutely not,” answered the activists. “We did not want to enter Israel, we had absolutely no intention to do so. We wanted to reach Gaza, and you yourselves stated that Gaza is not Israel. We have entered Israel only because your soldiers took us off a boat in international waters and brought us into Israeli territory by force and against our will”. 

“If you don’t sign a confession that you have entered Israel illegally, we keep you here” concluded the policeman…