P F Tinmore
Diamond Member
- Dec 6, 2009
- 83,192
- 4,677
- 1,815
Currently eight ships (now nine) from several nations including Turkey are doing just that. These ships, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, have as their goal to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel has said that it will not allow this current flotilla to reach Gaza, and it will use military means if necessary to stop the ships.
Two key points are: 1) the Turkish ship will be flying the Turkish flag; and 2) Turkey is a member of NATO. What might happen if Israel were to attack a Turkish flagged vessel carrying humanitarian aid in international waters? The precedent has been established that an attack on one NATO member state will be viewed as an attack on NATO. How would NATO respond to an Israeli attack on a Turkish flagged vessel? Even if the Turkish ship were not flying its flag, how would the world respond to an attack on unarmed vessels carrying humanitarian aid in international waters?
Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Not Just another Middle East Crisis
Israel has said that it will not allow this current flotilla to reach Gaza, and it will use military means if necessary to stop the ships.
Two key points are: 1) the Turkish ship will be flying the Turkish flag; and 2) Turkey is a member of NATO. What might happen if Israel were to attack a Turkish flagged vessel carrying humanitarian aid in international waters? The precedent has been established that an attack on one NATO member state will be viewed as an attack on NATO. How would NATO respond to an Israeli attack on a Turkish flagged vessel? Even if the Turkish ship were not flying its flag, how would the world respond to an attack on unarmed vessels carrying humanitarian aid in international waters?
Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Not Just another Middle East Crisis
Last edited: