More support needed

The Jordan Times

Two boats broke the siege on Gaza yesterday and docked in Gaza’s impoverished harbour carrying 200 hearing aids and an awful lot of goodwill. Just as importantly, they put to shame all those governments all over the world who profess to care about the welfare of Palestinians and yet have not done the slightest to aid them.

This was the simplest and hence most effective of actions. Israel has instituted a ban on travel to and from Gaza. Hence, take two boats, fill them with transparently well-motivated people and some humanitarian goods and challenge Israel to make good on its ban.

Israel backed down. It couldn’t do anything else. The poor PR that would have resulted from turning away the boats (or worse) was not worth it for Israel.

Activists on board knew this and calculated on it.

Now, the challenge will be to turn this into a regular lifeline for Gazans and a regular chink in Israel’s chain.

The challenge for those governments around the world who have protested the Israeli siege on Gaza will be to support this mission.

The challenge for the Free Gaza Movement, the group behind the mission, is to always sail close, but never too close, to the wind. Free Gaza has to continue to push Israel, to provoke Israel but not so far that Israel will take the kind of outrageously violent action that it does so well, so often, and gets away with.

Congratulations to the activists on board. They did something absolutely praiseworthy and courageous. They did something, more importantly, that truly serves an important aim: breaking the inhuman and outrageous siege on 1.5 million people.

Now, all those who profess to be outraged at Israel’s policy in Gaza, and especially those people in government and in charge, should stand up and be counted. What these young and old people did on their own account must not end up being a solitary action. It needs support.