News from Israel as Anniversary Nears

It has been all but a year, hasn't it, since the Mavi Marmara, since "humanitarian" sea vessels sailed the waters to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. The Gaza Flotilla set out as humanitarian sea vessels bringing relief supplies to the Gaza Strip, but the idea was to provoke Israel to attack.


Israel boarded the Mavi Marmara, the passengers resisted, and nine were killed. The outrage against Israel has long since passed, but at the time, it was an embarrassment the likes of which Israel has seldom seen. Killing passengers of a humanitarian ship? Not good, said many around the world.

At the time, the outrage was such that more ships were expected to sail the seas, expected to attempt to break the blockade, expected to imitate and bring yet more outrage.

But, Israel eased the blockade, and no more ships came . . . until Monday, when a Malaysian sea vessel bearing a Moldovan flag reached the waters nearing Gaza, only to be turned back by Israel's navy.

And, in other news out of Israel, the Knesset is considering recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the timing being interesting since it is coming up on the one-year anniversary of the Mavi Marmara ordeal.

The Mavi Marmara was a low point in Israel-Turkey relations. And this move would not please Turkey. Turkey is what remains of the Ottoman Empire, which committed the genocide. Between 1 and 1.5 million died in the Armenian Genocide.

Also, Lebanese and Syrian protesters tried to come into Israel. That made news.

Then, there is the story I lost and didn't read well enough when I did see it to remember now how it went. Something about someone -- perhaps it was Palestinian Authority President Abbas -- calling for a popular uprising against Israel. I didn't study the news item enough to know, but that would be ala all the uprisings in Africa and the Middle East, with one major difference. The uprisings have been against the Arab dictatorships, Israel's foes. This would be against Israel, foe of those the uprisings have been against.

And, the biggest news. This you know, as it is a lead story. President Obama's called for a return to occupation lines existing before the Six-day War of 1967, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responding with outrage, saying those lines are not defensible. Palistinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the P.A. leadership into an emergency session to discuss Obama's speech, but may have been pleased by it. The Hamas were not, though, as they reacted by indicating Obama is siding with Israel.