Wednesday 2 June 2010

Raid on Freedom Flotilla. Was it a considered provocation?


Yesterday the Ministry of foreign affairs of Uzbekistan published a statement condemning the raid of Israeli army on the Freedom Flotilla.

As the official document states “Uzbekistan considers it necessary to prevent the growth of tension and escalation of violence, which may have the unpredictable consequences”.

It is one of the cases when I totally agree with Uzbek government.

However some of my friends say, it was a big provocation from Turkey and Israeli government gave to the Navy a legitimate order. People on the ships knew that they had no right to go through the official naval blockade, because the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, 12 June 1994, states that “Merchant vessels believed on reasonable grounds to be breaching a blockade may be captured. Merchant vessels which, after prior warning, clearly resist capture may be attacked (paragraph 98)”. So from the legal point of view the Israeli government was right.

But we all remember how both world wars started – with the silly provocative actions. So, do we really need now to look for a guilty and aggrieved side? Or it is finally the right time to START THINKING and to make a compromise?

4 comments:

  1. The blockade itself is illegal, many times said by the UN, therefore, the invasion of the ship was also illegal, like many (all) acts of Israel.

    It was pure piracy.

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  2. well, unfortunately Israel is allowed to do many things, which would be never tolerated from any other state.

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  3. Start thinking... no easy task at all for some people, right?

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  4. Exactly. Especially for those who belives they are always right...

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