Medea Benjamin: By Torpedoing the Gaza Flottilla, Israel Sunk its Own Ship!

Instead of high-fiving each other for their success in thwarting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Israel should throw the propaganda hacks who catapulted the flotilla into headline news for weeks and left Israel smelling like rotten fish. Last year, when the Israeli military killed nine aboard the Turkish ship, the incident made waves around the world, but in previous years, the same international coalition had sent boats to Gaza five times, successfully reaching their destination with a symbolic shipment of humanitarian aid. No blood, no military interception, no story! That's why the advice of many of Israel's best buddies, including the lobby group AIPAC just ignored the flotilla. But now the idiotic Israeli government decided to announce with bravado that it was prepared to stop the flotilla with lethal force, including snipers and attack dogs. Smelling blood, the media frenzy began: Even before leaving home, passengers were besieged with press calls asking why they were willing to risk their lives for the plight of the people of Gaza. Worse yet, mainstream media began bombarding the passengers with requests to come along for the ride! With space for only ten media on their boat, they ended up with a complete media circus: CNN, CBS, Al Jazeera, AP, and "The Nation and Democracy Now." Other boats also began to scramble to accommodate "MORE PRESS"! Thanks to Israel, we were guaranteed that no matter what happened, THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD BE WATCHING!! The Israeli's next blunder was even more idiotic: It sent a letter to foreign journalists warning them that if they participated in the flotilla, they would be denied entry into Israel for ten years, and their equipment would be impounded! Israel's Foreign Press Association said: The Threat sends a chilling message to the international media and raises serious questions about Israel's commitment to FREEDOM OF THE PRESS!!