Israel began the blockade of Gaza in 2007 – along with Egypt – to prevent Hamas from receiving deadly arms from Iran and other enemies who are determined to destroy the state of Israel. There have been nine flotillas to date, carrying hundreds of tons of war materials destined for Hamas and Hezbollah. Each ship heading to Gaza has complied with Israel’s requests for inspections for weapons. Only the Turkish vessel, Mavi Marmara, refused repeated requests to halt.

Most of the world has been focused on the Israeli commando raid on the Mavi Marmara, the deaths of nine Islamist activists on board and the plight of the inhabitants of Gaza. Angry denunciations flowed from the Turkish prime minister and protestors marched in the streets of Istanbul. Official Israeli and Turkish relations, which had been positive, are on hold. On June 10, President Obama urged the Israeli government to loosen its blockade of Gaza when he met at the White House with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. He also promised a new $400 million aid package for the West Bank and Gaza, money to be spent on housing, schools, health and infrastructure projects. Since Abbas has no authority over Hamas in Gaza, it is not clear how these funds will be administered there.

President Obama said, “We, and I think President Abbas agrees with this, recognize that Israel should not have missiles flying out of Gaza into its territories. And so there should be a means by which we are able to stop the flow of arms that could endanger Israel’s security.” He continued, “At the same time, we’re doing so in a way that allows the people in Gaza to live out their aspirations and their dreams, both for themselves and their children. And that’s something we’re going to spend a lot of time focusing on, and we’ve already begun some hardheaded discussions with the Israelis in achieving that.”

The thrust of his message was similar to his landmark speech in Cairo when he called on Hamas and the Arab nations in broad terms to recognize Israel’s right to exist, but gave a specific charge to Israel to stop building illegal settlements. Hamas, and the rest of the world who listened to what Obama said, understood that he would be putting pressure on the Israelis to loosen the blockade.

Of the many United States political observers and columnists, Charles Krauthammer wrote the most incisive analysis of Israel, its enemies and the blockade. His column ran in The Washington Post, “World now would strip Israel of its last defense – blockade.” He drew on Leslie Gelb, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who argued that the blockade is rational and legal, since Hamas has declared its aim to destroy Israel and has fired more than 10,000 rockets into Israeli civilian populations. Krauthammer writes that during World War II, the United States with international legality, blockaded Germany and Japan. In the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962, the U.S. blockaded Cuba to prevent a hostile government from acquiring deadly weapons. During the Israeli blockade, Israel has twice intercepted ships from Iran with weapons for Hezbollah and Hamas. The danger is real! On the other side of the ledger, every week Israel sends 10,000 tons of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies to Gaza.

Krauthammer describes three stages of Israel’s defense against hostile Arab states since l948: Forward Defense, Active Defense and Passive Defense. “Israel, had, for its first half century, adopted forward defense – fighting wars on enemy territory (such as the Sinai and Golan Heights) rather than its own. Where possible (Sinai for example), Israel has traded land for peace. During the past decade, Israel gave the land – evacuating South Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005. What did it get? An intensification of the enemy side, multiple kidnappings, cross-border attacks and, from Gaza, years of unrelenting rocket attacks.” Next, Krauthammer moves to Active Defense, “Israel then had to switch to active defense – military action to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the newly armed terrorist mini-states established in southern Lebanon and Gaza after Israel withdrew. The result? The Lebanon war of 2006 and Gaza operation of 2008-2009. They were met with yet another avalanche of opprobrium and calumny that had demanded the land-for-peace Israeli withdrawals in the first place.” Finally, Krauthammer writes about Passive Defense, “Without forward or active defense, Israel is left with but the most passive and benign of all defenses - a blockade to simply prevent enemy rearmament. Yet, as we speak, this too is headed for international de-legitimation.”

In 2007, after winning parliamentary elections the previous year, Hamas in a fourday civil war took complete control of Gaza, relegating the Palestinian Authority to the West Bank. After Israel and Egypt, which dislikes Hamas for its Islamist ideology and Iranian backing, set up their blockades, Hamas built an extensive tunnel system to smuggle in contraband from Egypt. Hamas controls the economy, security, education and justice system in Gaza.

Tony Blair, who serves as the international community’s liaison to Gaza, said in an interview, “We have to build a legitimate private sector in Gaza as strong counterweight to extremism. To end up with a Gaza that is dependent on tunnels and foreign aid is not a good idea.” Major General Eitan Dangot, the Israeli Defense Minister official in charge of Palestinian civilian issues, has a sober view of Gaza, “Hamas is strong. It controls Gaza, and it doesn’t look like that is going to be changed in the coming months or maybe years. But we must protect our security while helping interests in Gaza that are not under Hamas control.” One wonders which “interests” are not under Hamas control. Meanwhile, Israel’s blockade will prevent ships such as the Mavi Marmara from bringing weapons into Gaza aimed at their destruction. Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States makes the case: “Every sovereign nation has the right – and obligation – to defend its citizens from attack.”

Joyce S. Anderson is the author of “Courage in High Heels,” “Flaw in the Tapestry,” “If Winter Comes” and “The Mermaids Singing.” She can be reached at JSAWrite@aol.com.