What is Israel trying to do?
The Israeli assault on the civilian aid flotilla shocked every wise person in the world. We once again saw that the Israeli armed forces are run rather like a gang. There is no room for Israel in the international political arena to defend this action. There is nothing to say about this insane attack on a ship that was solely being used for peaceful purposes. There are people from all religions and several political viewpoints participating in the aid convoy. We shouldn’t forget that in addition to Muslims there are Christians and Jews as well. Whether it is political or humanitarian the aim of a civilian convoy is never the cause for an assault by armed forces.
The facts
An unarmed civilian ship that clearly had no weapons and clearly stated that it is carrying relief for people suffering in Gaza is stopped in international waters. Israeli commandos landed on this ship, killed at least nine people, captured the rest and seized the ships.
The Turkish state has already expressed the following view: “This regrettable act, carried out in international waters in serious violation of international law, may cause damage to our relations that will be impossible to repair.”
I share the views of the Turkish Foreign Ministry in saying the Jewish state had committed “a serious crime, in total disregard of all the values that we have vowed to uphold since the establishment of the United Nations system.”
What is Israel trying to do?
It would be insane to think that Israel did this without any long-term planning. But what is the plan? What is this move designed for? Triggering Armageddon? Showing the world that Israel is untouchable?
What does the law say?
The Convention on the Law of the Sea provides that a coastal state may consider intervention with a ship only if certain conditions are present — conditions such as the ship being engaged in arms or drug smuggling or slavery or in terrorist activities.
Tell me which of these conditions were present in this case? I tell you, the whole world knows that the ships were only carrying relief. The aid boats set sail in accordance with the Customs Act and other international regulations. They are widely known to be carrying humanitarian aid and no weapons.
The Israeli operation is a clear breach of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is now an international criminal matter, and I hereby invite Turkish prosecutors to prosecute this matter. This is a crime against Turkish citizens, and there is certainly a sanction for this under Turkish law wherever the crime is committed. The maximum intervention allowed to Israel under international law was for Israel to seize control of the aid ships temporarily and suspend their passage towards its waters. Israel is not even entitled to arrest these people in international waters. Instead of sending the activists back to their countries, Israel killed several of them and arrested the rest, several of whom are wounded either physically or psychologically.
Israel’s action is definitely a grave breach of international law. It is terrorism conducted by a state. It is banditry and piracy, it is cold-blooded murder conducted by a state. This is a crime. This is also a crime against humanity. All Israeli state officials should now be reported to the relevant authorities and should be brought before justice. No one is allowed to stop a civilian ship and kill people. (They would never dare stop a naval ship, of course.)
I hold the belief that the law is there for people to obey. For those who do not, the only law is that “force is with the powerful and the powerful is able.” This is what Israel does.
Berk Cektir reported for Todays Zaman
