Wake Up Israel! Theatrics Do Count

This Gaza flotilla brought it all home. Once again, Israel does it all right. But, once again, Israel gets dumped on. When will Israel learn to play the game.

The story line from the U.S. news cable shows seems to be as follows:
1. By its behavior, Israel has offended its closest Muslem ally.
2. Israel's behavior in commandeering the flotilla in international waters was illegal.
3. Even if this flotilla didn't get through, something must be done to help the suffering Gazans get food and medicine.

And, this we get from shows not outwardly hostile to Israel.

There is no need for me to answer the above points. But what I do want to do is show that there was no need to ever have been confronted with them in the first place. Allow me to illustrate.

The relationship with Turkey, while not necessarily the most important item above, is the one I'll take up first. Note the following:

Turkey did not just suddenly turn away from Israel. The process began some time ago when Turkey decided it would not participate in military exercises with its fellow NATO countries if Israel were included in the exercises. Indeed, this was but one of a great many signals showing clearly that the Turkish PM and his party had made a decisive turn towards Iran and away from the West.

This turnabout by Turkey must have been abundently clear to Israel. And, so, when Turkey allowed the Gaza flotilla to set sail on its mission to Gaza from a Turkish port, it was a clear and blatant act of hostility and aggression. (Every country decides who uses its ports. Other countries would never have allowed this flotilla to use their ports.) And, so, when the flotilla left Turkey, Israel should have immediately recalled its ambassador from Turkey. It should have done so openly and with considerable fanfare. Instead, it left it to Turkey to diplomatically disrespect Israel.

The take-over in international waters: This is a legal issue, one on which Israel stands on solid ground. No need for me to comment.

Regarding getting aid and supplies to the Gazans: Israel does this on a regular basis. But, this is not something that seems known or appreciated in the West. What Israel should have been doing right along and what they should do now is as follows: They should paint simple, but very large labels, on the trucks that are being sent into Gaza on a regular basis. The labels should describe the contents e.g. food and/or medicine or whatever. It should send photos of these trucks entering Gaza and distribute them to western publications.

But, the plan needs a Part 2, because the pictures just described will no doubt be found wanting of news value by much of the media. Part 2 would have Israel getting Israeli demonstrators screaming at the trucks and carrying signs opposing the transfer of these goods into Gaza. But, of course, Israel, with the help of the IDF would make sure that the goods did, in fact, get into Gaza.

(The demonstrators could be citizens of Sderot demonstrating against shipments going into Gaza while Gazans persist in shooting their rockets into Israel, with Sderot being a prime target. They could carry placards with the names and pictures of those who had been killed or maimed by Gazan rockets.)

Israel should also do a better job of showing photos of fancy restaurants in Gaza. They should show fancy cars being driven by the wealthy in Gaza. These would be cars that were disassembled in the Sinai, carried through the tunnels, as parts, from Egypt into Gaza and then reassembled in Gaza. You could also show a rocket that made the same trip from Egypt.

The point I'm trying to make is that Israel has got to show, and not merely tell.

If I can think up the above ways of trying to do some PR for Israel, surely Israel, with all its brain power, can do far better.