Mavi Marmara Raid

[JJackson]

Wilf I assume you mean me as everyone else, at least up until I posted, was very much on the Israeli side of the debate.

(even in response to those who wish harm upon my people and that surface only in relationship to this issue)

I am not single issue but while I read much here I post little as it is either military or legal – and outside my experience – or I am in broad agreement and have no point to argue. The exceptions are on Iranian and Israeli policy where this site tends, on average, be a lot closer the US FP position than I am comfortable with and which I view as propaganda and not reality based.
I mean no harm to you or your people, by which I assume you mean Israelis, nor do I see them suffering greatly. I wish the same could be said for the Palestinians who are suffering as a result of Israeli policy, strategy and tactics.
I know you and I are never going to see eye-to-eye on Israel or Iran and have been around the block over these issues many times before. The strange thing is I suspect you see my position as being on the opposite side to yours while I think of myself as occupying the neutral ground between the Arab and Israeli positions and in line with most of the world who are not in either the Zionist (Israel, US, UK etc) or Arab blocks (Iran, Syria, Arab states etc). The first block seem to want, and are achieving by degrees, total control over the land and its resources and the later want to be in that position and a return to pre 1948 Middle East.
On the specifics of this last case I think the legal points are moot in that International law, such as it is, is of use to the powerful in justifying those of their actions they can bend it to fit but is otherwise ignored, unless someone more powerful wishes to apply it. Debating who used excessive force the boarders, or repellers of boarders, on a ship off the Gaza coast seems a bit like focusing on whether the arsonist bought the book of matches or stole it. While 1.5 million people are locked up in Gaza with no employment, or prospect there of, a sub Saharan GDP and no means of escape or prospect of improvement all of which is contrary to UN resolutions and international law – if you believe in such things – the legality of any actions taken to perpetuate this status quo are moot.
The bottom line is that Israelis position is morally indefensible re Gaza, the creeping appropriation of the West Bank, and much else beside, and those countries that are apologists – like mine – should hang their heads in shame.

The report (linked to by Rex in post #13) on AMA compliance nicely illustrates the problems of getting stuff into Gaza, and before Hamas took over.

The Winnie the Pooh quote is great and seems applicable to most FP positions. There may have been some logic to them once upon a time but now they survive on inertia, propaganda and an inability to admit we may have been wrong.