[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — I feel it is my moral and ethical duty to set the record straight since Israel is receiving unwarranted condemnation around the world this morning.

Israel is far from perfect, but why is it the only nation in the world prevented from defending itself?

It had a tough decision to make — arouse adverse world public opinion by preventing arms such as rockets, missiles, weapon, and military materials from being smuggled to Hamas via boats entering the blockaded waters off Gaza or allow them in and thereby endanger the lives of all Israeli civilians. It chose the lesser of two evils. It was a no-win situation.

How many of you are aware that under international law and the Oslo Accords, Israel has a legitimate right to maintain sovereignty over the waters off the coast of Gaza and Israel? There is a recognized legitimate naval blockade in effect whereby civilian and military ships can be diverted to Israeli ports and searched for arms. Procedure is that these ships identify themselves, and Israel notifies them that they are to turn back or be diverted to Israeli ports where these boats would be unloaded and searched for weapons.

Israel has not prevented the Palestinians from receiving legitimate humanitarian aid. It just transfers the aid from the boats over land to the Palestinians. In fact, in the last 1 1/2 years, over one million tons of humanitarian aid has been transferred to Gaza via this procedure after the smuggled weapons on these boats were confiscated!

Unfortunately for the Palestinian civilians in Gaza, Hamas has not distributed these million tons to the people, but has confiscated much of the aid for their black market activities.

It is likely you will not hear on your news reports that the flotilla of “peaceful civilians” entering the blockaded waters off Gaza to bring alleged “humanitarian aid” to the Palestinians attacked Israelis first. More than likely you will not see the types of weapons confiscated from those boats. The so-called innocent flotilla “peaceful” passengers included many known terrorists and militants who were armed with metal pipes, iron bars, knives, mallets, hammers, pick axes, slingshots, rocks, smoke bombs, metal rods, improvised sharp metal objects, sticks and clubs, 5KG hammers, firebombs, Molotov cocktails and various guns and other weapons. For those of you non-believers, there is actual film footage to back me up.

These “innocent” passengers of the flotilla yelled Islamic battle cries and called for “intifada” and the killing of Jews. The day before, a woman passenger was interviewed on an Arab news station and confirmed the fact that the purpose of the flotilla was to reach Gaza or be martyrs. A flotilla spokesperson indicated that “this mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it's about breaking Israel's siege.”

This week's flotilla was an orchestrated event to provoke Israel. This was not a situation of a few boats, as in the past, but several ships with a total of over 600 people intent on breaking through the blockade at any cost. They were prepared for violence, and they instigated it. After having been given instructions in English and Arabic to identify themselves and to head for the Israeli port of Ashdod, the ships of the flotilla refused. Israeli soldiers had no choice but to attempt to board them. This is just like the methods used by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard to protect the United States.

It was only after two Israeli soldiers were shot and other Israelis were stabbed and struck with metal bars and mallets that the Israelis took defensive action with teargas and weapons. There is plenty of film footage to support me.

How many of you are aware that Israeli civilians have been the victims of Hamas rocket fire into Israeli cities, even after the “cease fire” of last year? As a result, Israel had announced a blockade of the waters off Gaza. It is a legitimate blockade under international law and recognized as such. This was to prevent rocketss, missile, bomb materials, weapons and military aid from being smuggled to the Palestinians via the boats purporting to deliver humanitarian aid.

I would bet most of you have not heard on your news stations that since the end of Operation Cast Lead last year, rockets still are being shot into Israeli cities and towns by Palestinians.

The Goal: Dismantle Israel

But those of us in living in Israel hear of them almost on a daily basis.

The only difference during this so-called cease fire is that the rockets no longer come by the thousands.

Unfortunately, we also are aware of the Palestinian mines and bombs planted on Israeli soil along the Israel-Gaza border by the Palestinians who dig under fences in order to kill Israeli soldiers patrolling Israel's border. It is a sheer miracle there have been so few casualties. I can only thank Hashem (G-d) for watching over us.

Before you condemn Israel, remember that the Palestinians are not interested in a state of their own. They are only interested in the destruction of Israel and the death of Israeli citizens.

This is evidenced by their actions and their words, not in English, but in Arabic to their people.

Their maps show all of Israel as Palestine, not just Gaza, the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem.

They teach their children to kill Jews. People speak of Palestinian refugees, but what about the Jewish refugees forced to flee for their lives from Arab controlled countries, and the Jewish refugees who lived continuously for 3,000 years in Jerusalem who were attacked and killed and forced to leave their homes?

Why is there a double standard?

Israelis want to live in peace. Arabs who did not flee when Israel became a state enjoy all the rights of Israeli citizens, including voting and holding political office. They live peacefully with Israelis.

L'hitraot. Shachar

Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel almost three years ago.