Article on Israel-Gaza distorted

Article on Israel-Gaza distorted

I would like to comment on an op-ed article published on June 12 “Israel deserving of criticism” by Michael Ratner. Criticism is usually welcome, since exposing mistakes enables us to avoid them in the future. Criticism, however, has to be based on facts. This article, unfortunately, is based on distortion of the facts. This is already clear from the first sentence “The U.S. has to stop letting Israel get away with murder.” The video and the still pictures from the boarding of the Turkish ship clearly show the Israeli soldiers on the deck being brutally attacked by a mob armed with heavy metal rods, metal chains and commando daggers. The clear choice before them was to die or defend themselves. Mr. Ratner chose to call this act of self defense “murder.”

He goes on to describe the situation in Gaza as an “Israeli imposed blockade.” The Gaza blockade was imposed by Israel and Egypt, since even the Egyptians also feel threatened from the Hammas terrorists who rule Gaza. The blockade is targeted only to prevent war materials from reaching the terrorists’ hands, but all requested humanitarian supplies are reaching Gaza daily from Israel and distributed there by the United Nations.

Actually the rulers of Gaza refused to accept the cargo of the ships since it was inspected by Israel, clearly demonstrating that the only shortage in Gaza is of bombs and not of food.

Mr. Ratner claims that Israel boarded the ships on high seas in defiance of international law. Actually this law allows every country to declare a blockade against its enemy, and allows it to board a ship even in international waters when it has a reasonable suspicion that it carries war materials to enemy ports. An example is President Kennedy’s blockade of Cuba.

Mr. Ratner calls for an end of the blockade of Gaza. Of course, the ayattolahs of Iran , the godfathers of the Hammas, are just waiting for the opportunity to establish an Iranian foothold on the Mediterranean Sea, preferably nuclear. But the facts don’t bother Mr. Ratner. He is too busy distorting them.

A.Z. Rabinowitz, Liberty