In response to Dr. Shelley Deane’s letter to the Irish Times you published in “The Daily Sun”, it might be helpful to note that Israel remains in a “state of war” with a non state entity, Hamas, which controls and governs Gaza. In fact, other then Egypt and Jordan, Israel has remained in a “state of war” with several other Arab nations for more then 60 years. Hamas’ charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews, and it’s actions in launching 10,000 missiles and mortar shells indiscriminately on Israeli towns and villages only underscores its murderous intent. The question that Dr. Deane evades by quoting a Sarajevo siege survivor is whether Israel’s blockade of Gaza is legal under the San Remo Convention, and if it is, whether those who choose to willingly attempt to breach the blockade are committing or supporting acts of war against the Jewish state. Clearly, condemnations and demands on Israel aside, the accumulating evidence is as follows:

1. An entity with known ties to Islamic terrorist entities, the IHH, helped organize the flotilla with the direct or indirect approval of the Turkish government as a provocation. It’s publicly stated intent of breaking the blockade is, in itself, an act of war. The IHH, the Turkish AKP Party and Hezbollah are offshoots of the Muslim Brotherhood which supports world wide Jihad as well as the destruction of Israel and Jews worldwide and the imposition by force of Sharia law. I suggest Dr. Deane might want to educate herself by reading something about the Muslim Brotherhood.

2. The IHH, again with the direct or indirect approval of the Turkish government, placed armed mercenaries on one of the ships with clear intent to fight the Israeli naval commandos. If pictorial evidence is not sufficient then what is?

3. Israel, unlike Serbian forces in Sarajevo, are not attempting to ethnically cleanse Gaza or murder its citizens. In fact, despite its legal blockade of the Gaza strip, Israel continues to supply numerous food stuffs, medicine, power, water and other essentials to Gaza residents as well as to give advanced medical treatment in Israeli hospitals to more then 80% of the Gaza residents who apply.

4. Israel, by any objective measure, and backed by examples of U.S. and European blockades including those on Cuba and Yugoslavia, neither of which had attacked the United States, was clearly right and within its rights to take action against blockade runners.

Comparing Sarajevo with the Israeli blockade of Gaza is not merely a canard, it is damning fiction and another blood libel against the Jewish state which fits neatly into the left’s current narrative. That view emulates the distorted and hateful attacks of hard core Islamists against Israel and Jews in general.

Dr. Deane’s views are, I’m sure, her own, and not reflective of the Bowdoin community or faculty at large. At least I would hope so considering the skewed point of view she represents.

Martin Gray
Bowdoin 1959