After Mavi Marmara Raid Backfires, Will Libya's Ship Reach Gaza?

By Michele Hong

While Israel admitted to flawed planning during its May raid of a Turkish flotilla today, its leaders were notably unapologetic about the incident, which, while rallying domestic support for the military, has unintentionally caused quite the opposite effect internationally. The report and current Israeli attitude leaves us to wonder if the country will similarly halt the latest attempt to deliver aid to Gaza — a Libyan ship currently en route to the strip.

When Israeli commandos rappelled from helicopters onto the deck of the Mavi Marmara on May 31, a bloody scuffle ensued, causing a whirlwind of media coverage that has brought Israel under international fire. An Israeli military investigation’s classified report on the incident, released today, wrote that intelligence units did not coordinate properly and that the operation’s leaders lacked a back-up plan. Giora Eiland, a retired major general who chaired the panel conducting the report, stated that the mistakes “contributed to the result not being as we would have wished.”

Despite these findings, the bottom line of the report and Eiland’s statement were that the raid, live fire, and the killing of nine Turks on board were both necessary and justified. Force, it concluded, was the only way to prevent the vessel from reaching its destination of the Gaza Strip, which Israel has blockaded for the past three years, because the 65 Turks on board were armed and instructed to fight. The report also lauded the Israeli commandos for their actions, which it described as professional, brave, and resourceful. Nobody was asked to step down.

The report does little to clear up the confusion and speculation surrounding the exact events of six weeks ago — questions such as who fired first remain unanswered. Instead, it serves as the expected response to an international outcry. Moreover, it was markedly released without the apology on which Turkey insists.

The raid and today’s report have roused Israeli patriotism among certain factions, which is perhaps strengthened by international ire. However, it has also drawn our eyes to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, reinforcing Hamas’ position and isolating Israel, which military leaders probably did not anticipate. While the blockade has been discussed in private negotiations and condemned by international NGOs, it has yielded to more recent headlines about West Bank settlements and fights over holy sites.

Over the past six weeks, Israel has faced greater challenges of its blockade policies from the international arena, both vocally and through follow-up efforts to break the siege. The entire incident has been credited by policymakers as the reason behind Israel’s liberalization of the Gaza blockade. Officials have said they will allow more civilian goods, such as foodstuffs, toys, and clothing, to enter the Palestinian territory. In addition, they will add building materials for civilian projects to the list of items permitted in under international supervision.

As evidence of the attention the blockade has received from the raid, there have been several successive attempts to reach Gaza since the raid. In the latest of these, a Libyan aid ship carrying 2,000 tons of food is heading from Crete to Gaza at this moment — a proclaimed humanitarian effort to reach Palestinians there. Set to reach Gaza on Wednesday, the ship is also very clearly producing another test for the blockade. Even if Israel effectively stops the Libyan ship, it is sure to face further humanitarian and political attempts to break the blockade; Iran and Lebanon have also been openly speaking of sending aid ships Gaza’s way.

While we may never know who did fire the first shot on the Mavi Marmara on May 31, questions about the raid fade to the background as its aftermath raises questions about the blockade. Did the flotilla attack cripple or boost Israel’s blockade efforts? Is a more liberal siege feasible? Will the Libyan ship reach Palestine, or is another raid looming?

Flickr photo by IsraelMFA used under a Creative Commons license.