With another aid ship currently steaming towards Gaza, the Post reported this morning that the White House is privately pressuring Israel to avoid a repeat of the raid that left nine civilians dead and provoked an international outcry that has profoundly complicated ongoing diplomatic efforts.Umm, aren't we way past "asking" Israel to not do this again? This seems like a recipe for utter disaster. Israel's word not to do this again isn't exactly ironclad. Granted, it's not like America is a any paragon of virtue here considering what we're doing in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. But there's no way Israel isn't going to intercept any and every ship bound for Gaza at this point.
At today's press gaggle with reporters, White House spokesman Bill Burton confirmed the White House's private entreaties to Israel, and seemed to suggest that Israel has all but committed to avoiding a repeat performance:
BURTON: It's important to the President and to our country that we don't see the same kind of events unfold like they did the last time. So we are talking to our partners and are hopeful that we won't see a repeat.QUESTION: Does he feel confident then that they're on the same page, that there's a shared sentiment that something like this shouldn't happen again?BURTON: He feels confident that we're having productive conversations with them.
In other words, the odds of this disaster happening again within the next 72 hours is distressingly high if not bordering on absolute.
But you aren't looking into the real issue
ReplyDeleteWHY?
Why are they sending another ship when alternative means have been provided?
1. Go through Egypt or
2. Ship the supplies through Israel.
They want to further provoke Israel and quite frankly I hope Israel comes more prepared this time and still boards the ship and searches it.