In its latest, catastrophic attempt to enforce the Gaza siege, Israel has demonstrated that in fact, it is under siege - one it has imposed upon itself. Many Israelis are finding it hard to fathom the results of Monday's failed commando raid on the Turkish aid flotilla, which resulted in the deaths of foreign citizens. Those who believe that the blockade of the Gaza Strip must end, and even those who believe the operation was justified, realize that this is the time to reevaluate some of the anachronistic attitudes of those charged with defending the country.
The first attitude is based on the belief that it is possible to carry out a long-term blockade under the political conditions prevailing today internationally. Instead, the effectiveness of the blockade needs to be reexamined after having been in place for three years. Israel's security chiefs surely recognize that the flotillas to the Gaza Strip will not stop; rather, they will only intensify. The political and military leadership that decided to take over the ships behaved in a way befitting a different era. The struggle today takes place on the media battlefield and requires a corresponding solution.
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