Some Ideas On Stopping The Flotillas

In the old world, in the old times, if such an incident were to take place, wars would follow," Gul said in an interview with The Associated Press from New York. "But in our world today, it is international law that has to be taken into consideration."
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, on the Mavi Marmara incident

But we live not in the old world but in the 21st century--and thanks to Emanuel A. Winston,
Middle East Analyst & Commentator, we have another way of dealing with future flotillas:

1. Israel should formally declare such flotillas as an act of declared war.

2. Israel takes the right to defend herself by crippling such ships on the high seas or in their ports of embarkation.

3. Incoming ships, having been warned away and refused to turn back would have their propellers damaged and forced to stop, awaiting a tow. (Numerous methods can be implemented to disable a ship without sinking it.)

4. All ships so disabled will be towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod for unloading and military inspection for outlawed military weapons. Such ships shall be considered the property of Israel for re-sale or simply be dismantled for scrap. None will be returned. Large ships could be scuttled to make a beneficial false reef for fish.

5. All passengers would be considered hostile and be interned awaiting trial. Conditions of incarceration would be equal to whatever conditions have been imposed in Turkey or in Gaza by Hamas.

6. Should any ships of these flotillas fire upon Israeli ships, they would receive return fire or be saturated with vomit gas (non-toxic but extremely offensive when inhaled.)

While this won't help with the Viva Palestina 5 land convoy, that left on September 18th, it may be handy in dealing with the perpetually impending Lebanese flotilla.

Based on a post by J. E. Dyer, convoys themselves are facing all kinds of problems: there seems to a slowly growing reluctance among some countries to get involved in what is for the most part just a publicity stunt.

In one case, even just collecting money for Gaza met with opposition:

The New Zealand-based organization Kia Ora Gaza, while fundraising at a university in Hamilton last week, was startled to encounter push-back against its vituperative anti-Israel appeal (“one non-Jewish student … described [it] as ‘hate-preaching’”). Kia Ora Gaza activists were reportedly “told by Iraqi and Iranian students that they ‘were playing straight into Hamas’s hands.’” After an hour of being challenged by attendees, the Kia Ora Gaza group cut its event short and left, having taken in very few donations (one attendee counted a total of three).

Now if Winston could come up with some ideas on how to stop a flying flotilla.

Technorati Tag: Gaza Flotilla.