As I write this the BBC is reporting that up to 19 people have been killed  during the seizure of the Free Gaza Flotilla by the Israeli Navy. It also says that  the “Mavi Marmara”, the flotilla’s flagship,  is still not fully under Israel’s control so  it’s not impossible that there will be further casualties. Some quick points…

1.

Turkey will probably break diplomatic relations with Israel over this. The convoy was supported by the Turkish government, the main charity behind the convoy is Turkish and most of the people on board the “Mavi Marmara” are Turkish. This will culminate the cooling in Israeli-Turkish relations that has been going on since the AK Party came to power in the latter country.

2.

I watched the live feed from the “Mavi Marmara” in the hours leading up to the arrival of the naval commandos. Judging from the pop-eyed rage expressed by some of those aboard towards the yahudiler I am not surprised matters have come to this. Some of the passengers were evidently longing for martyrdom. You can see one of them saying so before she left Istanbul:

Regardless of this, the deaths represent a PR disaster for Israel and it remains to be seen whether it was worth taking the inevitable risks associated with such an operation in order to keep Hamas isolated. And there’s also the question of  what  approach Israel will take to the next convoy, and the one after that.

3.

A number of European politicians were denied permission to board the convoy in Cyprus by that country’s legitimate government. Showing their profound concern for human rights, justice and equality they made their way to the part of the island under Turkish military occupation since 1974 - a zone which has been heavily settled by mainland Turks and from which the Greek population has been ethnically cleansed in its entirety - in order to join the flotilla from there.