(WashingtonPost).In a sign that some Dems in Congress may rally behind Israel in the face of international condemnation of the attack on the aid flotilla, Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York strongly defended Israel's move in an interview, blaming the bloodshed on Turkey and the activists for instigating the conflict.
"This was about instigating an altercation and they succeeded," Weiner, one of Israel's leading allies in Congress, told me. He insisted that the activists piloting the flotilla were offered other alternatives by Israel, such as docking the ship and transporting the supplies to Gaza by land.
"If you want to instigate a conflict with the Israeli navy it isn't hard to do," Weiner continued. "They were offered alternatives. Instead they chose to sail into the teeth of an internationally recognized blockade."
Pushed on whether the Israeli response, which killed at least nine, was disproportionate, Weiner wouldn't acknowledge it. "It's always easy to criticize the response to a hostile act, but for a week at least the Israelis were trying to prevent this altercation," Weiner said, adding that the Israelis had been "set upon."
"It's very easy now to say they should have come in using water cannons and harsh language," Weiner said.
"If they were truly interested in providing aid, there were ways," Weiner said. "This was about instigating an altercation and they succeeded."
Pressed on whether it was defensible for Israel to authorize the boarding of the flotilla, given that such a move was certain to provoke an international outcry, Weiner again turned the blame back on Turkey and the activists.
"Anything that israel does would create an international outcry," Weiner said. "This entire effort was intended to create an international outrcry."