[By Chaskel Bennett]

In the continuing battle for Israel’s survival, facts and reality don’t seem to matter. As far the truth is concerned, the UN, the EU, and much of the rest of the world apparently couldn’t care less. Quite telling was the immediacy of the nearly universal condemnation of Israel last Monday, in real time and well before the facts could be examined.
 
President Obama and the United States are commended for not bowing to international pressure, for waiting for the facts to come to light before making any judgments. But make no mistake: the Obama Administration’s glaring foreign policy shift shares some culpability for Turkey’s brazen provocation of Israel.
 
It is truly regrettable because the lives lost and injuries incurred were avoidable. The loss of any life is tragic, even the life of an enemy. If only Israel’s enemies would adopt a modicum of Israel’s restraint and respect for human life in their approach to dealing with Israel, such tragedies could be avoided.

For many years, the pro-Palestinian community and their European enablers have fought Israel for the hearts and sympathies of the world audience. It is a battle they are clearly winning.
 
The world ignores the fact that Arab blood is spilled every day by Islamic extremists in the streets and markets of Islamabad, Baghdad and Kabul; that mosques and other houses of worship across the Middle East are regularly targeted by Muslims, who assert religion as a moral mandate to commit murder. Arab lives lost at the hands of the Israeli army are
not even a tiny percentage of Arab lives lost in internal Arab infighting.
 
All too often, public perception matters more than facts. In the court of public opinion, Israel is always guilty until proven innocent. Some of the world’s worst human rights offenders — including South Africa, Indonesia, Egypt, Bosnia, Nicaragua and Qatar — sit in judgment of Israel on the so-called UNHuman Rights Council. There is no doubt that Judge Richard Goldstone worsened the environment created by the UN, an environment in which Israel defending itself is reflexively accused of war crimes. Blindly following the biased lead of the UN, the world tries, condemns, and convicts the Jewish state.
 
With this as a backdrop, Jews across the globe started the day with a sick feeling last Monday as events and headlines once again pointed an accusing finger at the Jewish state. While Sunni and Shiite, Hamas and Fatah, Serbs and Croatians, Tutsi and Hutu, North Korea and South Korea decimate one another with nary a slap on the wrist fromthe UN, Israel continues to suffer in the diplomatic arena, outnumbered, outgunned, and despised in the face of a Moslem bloc 57 countries strong.
 
 
As for the nearly successful defensive action that went horribly wrong, the condemnations came fast and furious from all corners of the globe. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Israel and demanded a “full investigation.” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, state sponsor of the IHH flotilla, had the temerity to label Israel’s measures “inhumane state terrorism.” Spain, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, decried the“unacceptable” and “completely out of proportion” attack, and renewed European calls for an end to the Gaza blockade.
 
Of course, no mention was made of the weeks of public warnings issued by Israeli Defense Forces that the flotilla not challenge the naval blockade of Gaza — a blockade Israel established in accordance with international law governing parties in a state of armed conflict, and an embargo Egypt just lifted under pressure from Arab states. No mention was made of the fact that Turkey effectively bankrolled the illegal activity by a terrorist-affiliated entity known as IHH. No mention was made of the repeated offers by Israel to transport all humanitarian aid to Gaza if the flotilla would dock in Ashdod for inspection to ensure that no weapons were being transported. No mention was made of the fact — corroborated by video — that the flotilla’s passengers’ aggressiveness, violence and attempts at “martyrdom” were premeditated.
 
Let one country stand up and claim that it would not have forcibly stopped a ship that ignored repeated direct orders to halt and attempted to illegally enter their country’s territorial waters. For the world to stand up and shout “murder” against Israel in the face of overwhelming provocation from “peace activists” is dishonest and scandalous. Condoning illegal activity by the flotilla is wrong. Condoning the adamant refusal of the flotilla to submit to an inspection, which under the circumstances was eminently reasonable and is an accepted international practice, is wrong. And for Turkey to lead the accusers, after organizing and encouraging the flotilla, is the height of duplicity.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was precisely on the mark when he forcefully stated that “Israel is facing an attack of international hypocrisy.” Israel must confront this impossible predicament head on or risk further demonization and isolation.
 
Severe and damaging consequences potentially face Israel at the hands of the United Nations. Another one-sided and biased Goldstone-esqe report on the flotilla operation would be disastrous, and the possibility is being fought by Israel at the highest diplomatic levels. Even the United States, historically a staunch Israeli ally, has recently faltered in its support of Israel. Israel can no longer be guaranteed of White House support of a veto in the Lebanon-led UN Security Council. Israel’s supporters in the U.S. must demand more in the form of diplomatic protection from President Obama and from Congress.
 
A line was crossed following the most recent vote of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that exclusively targeted Israel. This U.S.-supported vote, which came despite pleas against it from Israel, broke with long-standing American foreign policy and left Israel isolated, so alone that Turkey and its collaborators had no fear that their role in organizing and supporting an illegal flotilla might be taken as an affront by Israel’s historic ally, the United States. Israel is more isolated than it has been in decades. Immediate intervention from its supporters around the world is a critical necessity.

Hard as it is to believe, the world continues its vociferous condemnations against Israel; barely a word is uttered questioning the actions of the provocateurs. As defenders and advocates of the Jewish people’s right to live without fear, Diaspora Jewry and Israel’s supporters in Congress have never played a more crucial role in its defense. While Israel has a national obligation to act in a way that brings honor as well as safety to its citizens, the law-abiding world community has an ethical mandate to see through the hateful propaganda and distorted lies of enemies of peace, and to support Israel’s legitimate and sovereign right to defend itself. Israel’s supporters, including all supporters of democracy, have a moral obligation to stand up and be counted, to be ambassadors for the Jewish nation and activists for genuine peace.

This Op-ED appears in The Hamodia.
 
Chaskel Bennett is a writer, activist and Member of the Board of Trustees of Agudath Israel of America.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.