Antoni Bassas' analysis: 'Behind the Flotilla symbol'
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The Flotilla has confirmed this morning that The Italian Navy has intercepted 19 of the 44 ships that made up the fleet..
Israel has detained 201 people from 37 countries with whom communications have been lost. However, the remaining thirty boats were able to circumvent the blockade and continue advancing toward Gaza.
Because the boarding took place in international waters, has unleashed a wave of diplomatic and street protests of varying intensity, especially among the countries that have detainees, Among them, by the way, Ada Colau.
Israel has said the detainees are safe. Spanish Foreign Minister Albares told the Israeli government: "We are talking about peaceful and supportive Spanish citizens who pose no threat to Israel or anyone else."
Since the episode is still ongoing, anything can still happen.But if it ends as it began, that is, with the interception of the boats and the arrest of the activists, and, above all, if they are quickly expelled from Israel and released, everything will have happened according to the expected pattern: the organization of the Flotilla was more of a symbolic operation than an effective one, and Israel has created a problem with the Flotilla affair. Therefore, the outcome cannot surprise anyone. The members of the Flotilla knew what they were getting into. If Israel has violated all international norms with the destruction of Gaza and the killing of more than 60,000 people, the fact that it has now carried out an arrest in international waters is equally illegal, but it no longer comes from here.
The Parliament has suspended the plenary session scheduled for this morning, among other reasons because a CUP MP, Pilar Castillejo, who was also traveling with the Flotilla and has been arrested.
I said before that the Flotilla was carrying out a symbolic action. Symbolic in what sense? Well, it was intended to open a humanitarian maritime corridor, given that Israel is gradually reducing the humanitarian aid it allows to enter the remaining living in the Strip. The aim, then, was to draw attention to the cruelty with which the Israeli government has treated the population of Gaza, killing as many as it could, whether through bombing or starvation. The Flotilla, beyond any personal agendas its members may have, was a response to the obvious "And nothing happens!" that we've all said so many times. It was expected that it would end with arrests. Now the important thing is that no one gets hurt. All of this will undoubtedly contribute to bringing more people to the demonstration on Saturday at 12 noon in Barcelona, called under the slogan "End the arms trade and relations with Israel."
Good morning.