[1]Israel is unlikely to heed calls to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip but its bloody seizure of a Turkish aid ship has caused international anger and American dismay that is forcing it to seek conciliatory moves.
Israel’s leaders have been unrepentant. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Europeans of “hyp-ocrisy” over efforts to stop Iranian arms reaching Gaza’s Hamas Islamist rulers. But with even vital ally the United States criticising the harm the blockade is doing to the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, and President Barack Obama calling the killing of nine men, including an American, a tragedy, Mr Netanyahu is seeking points where concessions can soak up some of the pressure.
At the same time, he will not take any steps that weaken Israel in its confrontations with the Palestinians and Iran.
Cooperating with United States demands for some form of international inquiry and agreeing to measures that might ease the embargo for civilians both seem to be areas where Israel may compromise.
George Mitchell, Obama’s West Asia envoy, says Washington is working “aggressively” to ensure supplies for people in Gaza.
While few of Israel’s allies dispute that Hamas poses a threat, most now say that the blockade causes unjustified harm and may have bolstered rather than weakened Hamas.
“Some form of relaxation is a possibility,” a diplomat said. “But for political reasons there may be a delay. The Israeli government doesn’t want to be seen to cave in immediately.”
An Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate on the ship, Mairead McGuire, said activists were determined to press on but would offer no resistance if Israeli forces came aboard.
“We will sit down,” she said in a telephone interview from the ship. “They will probably arrest us ... But there will be no resistance.”
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