Benjamin Netanyahu’s government sees the world through the prism of force. Only when Israel’s enemies have been crushed will it contemplate talking to them. Power has thus become the enemy rather than an instrument of peace. A rhetorical willingness to negotiate has been emptied of meaning.
This week’s attack on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza fits a familiar pattern. The killing of nine activists by the commandos who boarded the Turkish-flagged lead ship was doubtless unintentional. But the nature of the raid testified to a deep contempt on the part of the Israeli administration for the norms of international behaviour.
Read Full Article »