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Why the Blockade Makes Sense for Israel
(Christian Science Monitor) David Makovsky - The story of the flotilla crisis begins from the time Israel withdrew from Gaza in August 2005. Israelis were told that if they stopped occupying foreign land, they would be more secure. Between their withdrawal and the Gaza war of December 2008, however, Israeli citizens absorbed thousands of rockets aimed at their homes. Mothers had 45 seconds to hear a siren, gather their kids, and pray they would make it to a shelter. There was never a single UN Security Council session to discuss those attacks. That's why Israel insisted on a naval blockade of Gaza: It was the only way to curb the Palestinian rocket attacks on its people. While much has been made of the fact that Israel does not talk to Hamas (both Jerusalem and Washington deem it a terrorist organization), it is also true that Hamas has no interest in talking to Israel. Hamas does not recognize Israel of any size. The writer directs the project on the Middle East peace process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.