On Saturday night, hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists flew to Israel in an effort to raise awareness for their cause and, without saying so explicitly, caused a newsworthy provocation.
This so-called “flytilla,” a term coined following the infamous flotilla incident on May 31, 2010, which left nine people dead and dozens wounded, came as a result of the alleged ongoing injustice the Jewish state has inflicted on the Palestinian people in the region.
Aside from the media storm that swept across Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, security kept things relatively calm. Several airlines abated the anti-Israel presence by barring entrance to many protesters, probably because the airlines would have had the burden to pay for all return tickets for those not allowed to leave the airport.
Each protester who made it to Tel Aviv received a rather sardonic letter from the Israeli government asking why he or she has singled out the Jewish state, the only democracy in the Middle East.
Israel cited three other regimes that have more worthy bases for condemnation: the savage rule in Syria, the brutal administration in Iran and the hypocritical policies of Hamas.
The letter went on, “but instead you chose to protest against Israel … where women are equal, the press criticizes the government, human rights organizations can operate freely, religious freedom is protected for all and minorities do not live in fear. We therefore suggest that you first solve the real problems of the region, and then come back and share with us your experiences. Have a nice flight.”
People who have particularly strong views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not change their opinions quickly or at all, and definitely not after receiving one rather sarcastically written letter.
But this message wasn’t solely addressed to the flytilla protesters; rather, it was more a public case for Israel’s superiority as a tolerant, peace-seeking government in a region that has no other like it.
Anyone who criticizes Israel of continually murdering people in Gaza has no excuse to ignore Bashar Assad’s military crackdown in Syria, for example, where civilians are being shot in the street daily in their pursuit of basic freedom.
It is unfortunate that people so passionate about something can so easily turn a blind eye to much graver issues, some that even the United Nations has begun to recognize. The “Free Palestine” campaign is, to Israel, worthy of debate, but only after protesters pursue a justifiable course of action.
Israel will always be faced with hypocrites who gather to support one cause while blatantly disregarding a more serious one, but the government’s main concern should be to continue to inform the world of its true tolerance and freedom.