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Last update - 10:15 26/08/2008
Israel foiled the Gaza blockade-busting boat 'provocation' - but who gets the credit?
By Amos Harel and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, boats, Gaza Strip 

The arrival of two activists' boats at the Gaza City shore on Saturday went smoothly as far as Israel was concerned. Israel allowed the boats, carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in efforts to break an Israeli-imposed economic blockade, to dock in Gaza to avoid what was described as a "provocation." Now that the provocation was foiled, Israel's political and defense echelons are scrambling to take the credit for the success.

Senior government sources in Jerusalem said that it was the government that decided to allow the boats to dock in Gaza, despite the Israel Defense Forces plan to commandeer them. This decision, the sources said, "took the wind of the activists' sails, who were seeking to create a provocation." They added that the IDF had proposed using force to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza's shore during discussions on the matter last week. According to the sources, IDF officers suggested commandeering the boats at sea and forcing them to dock in Ashdod for inspection, where the activists would have been questioned.

On the other hand, defense sources paint a very different picture. They said that at no point during the discussions was a hostile takeover suggested. They stressed that a "police operation without weapons and without violence" would be utilized if the need arose. They added that it was ultimately decided that no such operation was required. A defense establishment source said that the final decision on how to handle the activist mission was made during a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and it relied on the joint recommendation of Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.
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The defense establishment prepared for the arrival of the boats for weeks in advance. At first, several options aimed at foiling the activists' mission were raised. Among other avenues, diplomatic pressure was unsuccessfully applied on the Greek and Cypriot authorities in efforts to prevent the boats, which left from Cyprus, from setting sail.

Haaretz discovered that the Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the activist group offering to help in transferring the group's humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in exchange for aborting the mission.

When the diplomatic efforts failed, other ideas were raised to prevent the boats from breaking the Gaza siege. IDF sources told Haaretz that throughout the discussions, the military avoided raising aggressive proposals based on the understanding that the activists' mission was merely a publicity stunt and that the boats posed no actual security threat. Intelligence reports suggested that the activists on the boats were in no way affiliated with terrorist activity and that there was no attempt to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.

The decision to allow the boats reach Gaza was kept secret at first, and only on Friday did official spokespersons begin answering questions, saying that Israel will not be dragged into a provocative stunt staged by leftists. On Friday evening, it was officially announced that Israel would not prevent the boats from reaching their destination.

The defense establishment stressed that the fact that these boats were allowed passage did not mean that future attempts to break the blockade would be met with similar lack of resistance.

Related articles:
  • Haniyeh: Arrival of blockade-busting boats spells end of Gaza siege
  • Israel: We let protest boat reach Gaza to stymie bad press
  • Israel not planning to detain activists' boats leaving Gaza
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      1.   This is a no brainer 22:42  |  Chris Linthwaite 25/08/08
      2.   Good decision 22:56  |  Dave Duncan 25/08/08
      3.   Backwards Logic 23:09  |  Lee Kaplan 25/08/08
      4.   Deluded Zionists 23:25  |  Sailor 25/08/08
      5.   CREDIT to ISM the Palestinian front along with "useful idiots" 23:32  |  PETER SM 25/08/08
      6.   `Palestinians` and their nut job supporters 23:38  |  Scharker Yid 25/08/08
      7.   lee kaplan 23:46  |  lola 25/08/08
      8.   Israel`s ego has been winded! 23:46  |  Maureen Ann 25/08/08
      9.   Let`s Be Real! 23:51  |  Daniel Bernfeld 25/08/08
      10.   Naive Thinkers 23:54  |  Francis Levine 25/08/08
      11.   arrivals,yes 00:02  |  bobby 26/08/08
      12.   Nonsense, just bigots hiding behind politics 00:05  |  Yaman Salahi 26/08/08
      13.   The Real Test Will Come 00:08  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/08/08
      14.   Credit for what? Foiled what? 00:09  |  Czarkazem13 26/08/08
      15.   Very disrespectful activists 00:36  |  Betty 26/08/08
      16.   israel had no alternative,what with Tony Blair`s sister on board! 00:39  |  lakshmi 26/08/08
      17.   Are BALLOONS an Humanitarian AID? 00:44  |  Gil 26/08/08
      18.   The Circus Left Town 01:37  |  Ron 26/08/08
      19.   Wacky, but what the heck 01:48  |  Aaron Levitt 26/08/08
      20.   Israel`s propaganda 02:15  |  Marlene N. 26/08/08
      21.   Linthwaite - a no brainer 03:03  |  Free Gilad Shalit 26/08/08
      22.   dancing monkeys 03:04  |  no lie 26/08/08
      23.   This displays an astonishing mindset 03:06  |  Johnboy 26/08/08
      24.   9/11 Happened bcoz the "Lack of Resistance" was Drugged to Drowse 03:07  |  Joseph.E 26/08/08
      25.   Rest easily Marlene 03:07  |  MaryRose 26/08/08
      26.   Marlene`s Folly 03:20  |  Francis Levine 26/08/08
      27.   MARLENE N actually Pal propoganda by a Pal front a.k.a ISM 03:26  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
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      29.   # 10 Marlene N : Kadafi Son Said 03:30  |  Joseph.E 26/08/08
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      31.   Provocation foiled 03:54  |  Jim 26/08/08
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      33.   Don`t make me laugh! 04:16  |  Deborah 26/08/08
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      35.   LAKSHMI.You said it was a "fight"Why do your stories keep changin 04:20  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
      36.   Interesting Twist on the Old Adage 04:37  |  JP 26/08/08
      37.   #7 Gil 04:37  |  Jim 26/08/08
      38.   Of course they are "provacateurs," Marlene! 04:42  |  JP 26/08/08
      39.   #3 Lee Kaplan 04:49  |  Jim 26/08/08
      40.   They are my heros 04:52  |  Realist 26/08/08
      41.   #15 Jim, do you seriously believe 07:08  |  Realist 26/08/08
      42.   On avoiding bright light 10:26  |  Clickfool 26/08/08
      43.   #15 Betty 11:10  |  Boycott 26/08/08
      44.   Jim 37 you are so wrong 11:21  |  ChanahS 26/08/08
      45.   ONLY THE BEGINNING 11:36  |  ravi 26/08/08
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      47.   #23 johnboy FUMES that HIS own "GENIUS" is not RECOGNISED 11:50  |  CK Tan 26/08/08
      48.   Maureen # 8 12:06  |  ChanahS 26/08/08
      49.   Mark of Lewiston 13 12:12  |  ChanahS 26/08/08
      50.   # 8 Maureen Ann - Peace scares the Arab leaders! 12:17  |  Paul Henzen 26/08/08
      51.   #25 Realist 12:47  |  Jim 26/08/08
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      56.   #35 PeterSM. There have been numerous media reports... 13:40  |  Maureen Ann 26/08/08
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      58.   http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5529 14:21  |  a wandering Jew 26/08/08
      59.   LAKSHMI Webster dict."fight"to contend in battle or physical comb 14:49  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
      60.   Margie # 55 15:02  |  Guido 26/08/08
      61.   MAUREEN they sailed straight into Gaza without opposition 15:24  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
      62.   Guido false & out of context quotations butter no parsnips 15:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/08/08
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      64.   59 Peter SM,in case you don`t know,Old English has long since 15:43  |  lakshmi 26/08/08
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