Thoughts on the Floatilla

The flotilla thing is really depressing. I think Israel got dealt a really tough hand by the activists and they didn’t play it as well as they could have. Now they have managed to alienate themselves further and put the US in a tough spot, not to mention spinning up a whole round of anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic sentiment.

On top of that, the response by some folks I’ve read in the Jewish community has been really off. The Federation in DC sent out a note last night that was one-sided and, I think, didn’t appropriately arm us pro-Israel people in Washington (most Jewish members of the administration likely got that email) with a reasoned, thoughtful response to criticism.  Like much of what comes out of the institutional Jewish community these days, it seemed to scream loudly and be a one-sided effort to rally the base.  I think building a consensus and being more nuanced would be more aligned with Jewish values/thinking and probably help us win more friends.  I sent out outgoing Federation president a short, respectful note to that effect.

Here are a few thoughts on changes if I was in charge of the various players:

• Israel: Israel should have boarded the boats with non-lethally armed soldiers (think pepper spray, mace, rubber bullets, etc.), videocameras, and an escape plan. They should have told ever ship (clearly and in public) that they were going to board the ship, take it over, and move it to shore. If any ship raised conflict, they should aim to end that conflict first non-violently and then non-lethally. As a last option, they should exit the ship.  This would make it clear to the international community that the “activists” were more violent than they suggested.  It would have built consensus for Israel, established our moral authority, and would have saved 9 lives.
• American Jewish Community Institutions - Folks like the Federation should give an answer that is more nuanced and that stresses the pro-Israel points (national sovereignty, right to a blockade, right to protect waters, etc.) AND the moral sentiment that we should be seeking to end conflicts peacefully and thoughtfully.  Their responses, at present are one-sided.
• Left-leaning, pro-peace American Jewish Groups (ie. JStreet) - These guys have taken this moment to “press the administration to push for peace.” Like many of their recent efforts, this one seems out of step with the reality of the day (nobody is talking “peace talks” right now, everyone is talking “flotilla”). Also, as usual, they open themselves up to criticism that they’re really just a front for anti-Israel groups by not mentioning the important, real pro-Israel points. And, they are probably best positioned to talk about the rules of warfare and engagement. But, as usual, they’re a muddled mess.  It reminds me of that old William Butler Yeats poem… Sailing to Byzantium. Urgh.
• Anti-Israel folks - Typically, my suggestion for this group is “go away,” but I think they could actually rise to the occasion here. They should be talking about ways to engage and disperse protesters, peacefully. They should be condemning those on a boat who attached Israeli soldiers. And they should be asking for everybody to be given appropriate aid.  Instead, they’re shouting, filling the streets with venom and anti-Semitic rhetoric, and working against their own purpose. Of course, since this whole thing was a political stunt they orchestrated, I don’t expect much more… but, that was a thought on what might happen if they actually wanted to achieve a better life for Palestinians…

The whole thing is rather depressing. I hope President Obama — who, I maintain, is probably the most rational character of the bunch — will recognize three things -

1. The incident is substantially similar to those faced by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and when you put 18 year olds with guns, no matter how well trained, into tough situations, sometimes things get very ugly,
2. Israel has a right to defend its boarders and a big element of that is restricting the flow of weapons to the occupied territories, and
3. This is one more sign that there is urgency for everyone involved in getting to a sustainable, workable, mutually beneficial peace.

All really depressing… maybe I’ll start a blog.