The World Beyond

Israel-Gaza Conflict 2010

Below is an analysis of the recent events from John Thompson, Director of the Mackenzie Institute given in a recent B’nai Brith Canada bulletin.

"Having spent two days examining as much of the evidence as I could, there are two points that deserve to be mentioned. Israel acted well within the confines of international law and maritime practice in enforcing a legitimate blockade of the Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, in halting the flotilla, the Israeli forces involved in the incident began with restraint. International Waters are of no account, if it is clear that the ship is clearly heading towards a blockaded area... the US Navy for instance, has been known to halt and inspect suspected North Korean ships bound for Iran on the high seas on numerous occasions.

Blockades and interdictions are common, and have been so for decades since the Second World War (where unrestricted violence was frequently used). The normal convention is to open communications and demand the ship 'heave to'; if it fails to comply a shot from a large caliber gun or a burst from a machinegun is fired across its bows. If the ship still refuses to comply; this is repeated -- albeit the shot is aimed more carefully and comes closer to the ship. If the ship still refuses to halt, it is warned once more before a shot is fired at its bridge. If it still refuses to heave to, the blockading force has the right to sink it. Once a ship has hove to or slowed down, it may be boarded by personnel from the blockading force.

The Israelis offered another choice to the flotilla (which was refused) and otherwise seems to have behaved with restraint. It is not clear if the ships came to a dead stop or proceeded towards Gaza and a slow pace, but it is abundantly clear they were not sunk!

It is also abundantly clear that the passengers and crews of the boarded ships offered potentially lethal violence -- using "improvised" weapons that had been carefully stowed beforehand. A crate of dishes dropped on someone's head from 6m overhead does not seem as malevolent as shooting them, but a crushed skull is a crushed skull regardless. High pressure hoses and swung chains directed at somebody climbing a rope ladder from a zodiac boat are also potentially lethal.

Canadian and US naval personnel boarding ships (as they regularly do) brandish submachine guns and shotguns; the Israelis came aboard with paintball guns only to be reminded of an unwelcome truth. Metre long metal rods and knives do not seem as lethal as modern assault rifles, but they are in close confines in the dark. This is a calculation that was made ahead of time by many of the so-called peace activists. Many police bulletins remind officers -- often using graphic photographs -- that somebody with a knife within arms reach is equally deadly to a man with a handgun; a man armed with a paintball gun is in very serious danger.

The restraint that the IDF personnel showed on boarding the vessels of the flotilla was directly responsible for the loss of life that ensued when the protestors' pre-planned brawl erupted. Next time, the IDF should behave in a manner more consistent with those used by other navies (including those of Canada) in similar circumstances -- display your firepower and don't hesitate to use it. It saves lives in the long run.

John Thompson, Director of the Mackenzie Institute

John Thompson is a Canadian military and terrorism expert who spent 13 years in the Canadian military. Thompson has been associated with the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and is currently the director of the Mackenzie Institute, a Canadian think tank focusing on terrorism, political extremism and warfare.


Israel-Gaza Conflict 2008

Recently information was circulated through Beth Israel's email bulletin service about a march to support Israel organized by the UIA that took place on January 8th. That elicited a number of responses from community members who are critical of the actions that Israel is taking.

In response to the discussions that have been going on behind the scenes in our community, Beth Israel would like to circulate the following pieces of information:

  • 1) The UIA in Toronto continues to issue bulletins on the situation as they see it. They were the ones that were organizing the march to support Israel held today. You can view their communications on the web at www.magbitcanada.org.il. Mailings were sent out to individuals in the community detailing participation in the event if they wished.
  • 2) A rally is planned outside the Israeli consulate in Toronto for Saturday, Jan 10. This rally is being held to protest the actions that the Israeli government is taking. Jewish and non-Jewish groups are involved. Similarly mailings were sent out to individuals in the community detailing participation in the event if they wished.
  • Please note:

    In no way do the communications distributed re: these rallies reflect the position of Beth Israel synagogue or any particular group of its members. Peterborough’s Jewish community is a very small one, but the breadth of views and opinions on all issues relating to Jewish life, secular and religious, political and apolitical, really does span the spectrum. We believe that we must accommodate this diversity if there is going to be any Jewish community here at all, and we can respectfully agree to disagree on some issues, particularly issues as complex as the ones we are living through currently, while we continue to accept that we need to find some way to stick together and to be Jews together. It’s the only game in town.