* The following article was co-written with Andrea Bartoli and set to be published in the next issue of Unrest Magazine.
This month a new flotilla is scheduled to set sail to Gaza. As will be recalled, in May 2010 a violent confrontation at sea between Israeli naval forces and pro-Palestinian activists led to the death of nine people and many more injured; before a Turkish vessel aiming at breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza was escorted to a port. As a consequence, relations between Israel and Turkey dramatically soured and Israel's standing in the international community further eroded. Judging by the rhetoric of the parties involved today another collision seems imminent, with more flotillas forthcoming in the future.
As scholars of conflict resolution, we believe that such situations call for constructive adaptation on the part of those involved. To that end we propose the IDF take initiative and create the first ever Conflict Resolution Commando unit.
Imagine back in 2010 if instead of masked men with guns, trained for intense warfare at sea, boarding a ship in the dead of night, the IDF had dispatched an elite unit of conflict resolution specialists. Could the tragedy at sea been averted? Could it be that new tools must be designed to maximize the possibility of non-destructive outcome to occur? Could it be that a fundamental reframing to many situations could be offered by people willing to die for a cause but not willing to kill for it?
The fundamental idea is that military units are more and more specialized. Comprised of highly skilled individuals trained in conflict resolution, effective communication, negotiation, dialogue, participatory processes, the Conflict Resolution Commandos (CRC) will be part of the military structure. While completely integrated into the military force the members of the CRC refrain from killing or harming anyone. They are willing -- as any other military person -- to die for a cause greater than themselves and they are ready to serve within the established set of power, meaning and relationships. Their rank, command and control, pay and so on would be comparable with those of the other military units. CRC would be deployed before military action is taken as a way to expand the notion of 'last resort'.
Before the 2010 flotilla disaster the Israeli government (through its navy) had in fact tried to persuade the Free Gaza activists to dock their ship inside Israel, allow Israel to inspect the aid destined for Gaza, and provided that no undesirable material were found, transfer the aid by land (under the observation of the activists) through Israel into Gaza. The activist rejected this offer -- probably due to the fact that their goal was not only to bring aid to Gaza but also to raise awareness and break-through a blockade they consider illegal and immoral. The important point, however, is that the government (with the aid of the IDF) was open to exploring the conflict resolution channel. Perhaps if they approached the negotiation with more creativity and CR expertise, the results would have been different.
Besides the obvious benefit of resolving conflict non-violently, we believe that the CRC could appeal to Israelis for a number of additional reasons. For example, Israel's image around the world (with the exception of the US) is that of a pugnacious trigger-happy bully. By putting together a CRC unit, Israel could improve her image by appearing to the world as a country that leaves no stone unturned before opting to use violent as a means of coercion. For a country that is as concerned with making its case to the world as Israel, a CRC unit would surely be seen as a boon.
Another reason for CRC's appeal is the potential for social integration and equality that it allows. A unit like the CRC should be open to both Jews and Arabs (men and women). Regarding the latter, since serving in the IDF is (still) the ticket of admission into the upper echelons of Israeli society, greater Arab participation would go a long way in integrating Arab-Israelis into the larger society. Being a military unit dedicated to non-violence, Arab-Israelis may feel less compunction joining. Arab participation in any unit in the IDF is of course not an un-problematic proposal, but it would serve Israel's interest to encourage greater civic participation from its marginalized populations.
Israel spends around 7% of its GDP on military expenditures (sixth highest in the world). Out of the roughly $3 billion the US provides Israel annually, majority goes into military aid. If just a small percentage of that money went into training an elite unit of non-violent CRC, then Israel could develop the first ever non-violent commando unit in state military history. Doing so may prove to be a great long-term investment: potentially reducing the cost of military expenditure all together.
What are the risks? Deploying unarmed IDF personnel in a hostile zone is of course dangerous. Many of Israel's enemies have no compunction in harming unarmed Israelis (all the more if they are IDF!). One can easily imagine a terrible scenario where a group like Hamas kidnaps the CRC and forces Israelis to make giant concessions in return for her soldiers (as is currently the case with Gilad Schalit). One way around this, besides being judicious in the deployment of CRC troops, is if unit members sign a waiver stating the government of Israel will not be responsible for his or her welfare (as journalist sometimes do). However, it needs to be kept in mind that when it comes to IDF soldiers, Israel takes pride in the length it will go to protect and save its own - signing such documents will qualitatively differentiate CRC from the rest of the IDF.
From a conflict resolution perspective there is also the issue of impartiality and neutrality. These two terms are understood to mean that practitioners are not biased towards a particular outcome or party. While it seems that the CR field is moving away from the idea of an unbiased practitioner, not all "moving away" are equal. CR commandos, if they are part of the IDF, will clearly be serving the interest of their country (subject to the commands of their superiors) and as a result will be viewed with great suspicion.
Finally, we must be cognizant of the high risk of being manipulated by the Israeli government. As stated above, CRC would be used to show the world that the IDF does in fact live up to its self-described identity as the most moral army in the world. This would not be a problem were it not for the very real possibility that Israel could use the CRC to justify excessive use of force. The last thing a CRC unit needs to become is a token tool facilitating the very destructive actions it seeks to mitigate.
These objections and criticism must be treated seriously and will most likely raise further questions that will need to be properly addressed. There is no doubt that in a society conditioned by incessant war, the idea of a CRC unit will be a hard sell. But if the tragic events at sea have taught us anything, it's that for Israel to overcome its most pressing problems vis-à-vis the Palestinians, it will need more imagination and less muscles. Conflict resolution commandos may not be a bad place to start.
Robert K. Lifton: Zionism at Risk
Sami Rasouli and Luke Wilcox: A Christian Embeds with Muslim Peacemakers in Iraq
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4089709,00.html
If two million Jews were under siege anywhere in the world under any conditions, I doubt that anybody would be suggesting this kind of complicated solution. In a humanitarian crisis such as Gaza (facts and numbers speak for themselves), the clear and simple solution is to be given unobstructed access to help the people in their hour of need.
The problem here is that Israel insists on defining its interests and sovereignty in ways that override the basic humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza (not to mention the Palestinian people as a whole). I value any efforts to avoid bloody clashes between Israeli forces and the activists heading for Gaza; but confrontation at sea need not happen in the first place. All that the Israel has to do is (as some Israeli activists and journalists have suggested) to let the ships pass freely.
Obviously, YOU have no idea as to what you are talking about by making such out-of touch and fallacious statements. In fact while SIX MILLION Jews were being herded into concentration camps, gassed and thrown into ovens, the entire International Community did absolutely nothing to attempt to save these human beings from a horrific death even though they were aware of these mass killings!
Via Dolorosa writes "In a humanitarian crisis such as Gaza (facts and numbers speak for themselves), the clear and simple solution is to be given unobstructed access to help the people in their hour of need."
Once again, Via Dolorosa spews disinformation propaganda because there is absolutely NO humanitarian crisis in the Gaza except in via Dolorosa's revision of the reality.
Such posts are instructive in that it reveals the lack of credibility and validity of many of the posts emanating from the so-called supporters of the Palestinian cause who by distorting the facts reveal how impossible it is for the Israelis to have any meaningful dialogue with the so-called Palestinian leadership who also cannot separate honesty and integrity from their revisionist fictions!
When 6 million Jews were being gased and killed, the rest of the world was in the middle of a World War. Most countries didn't know about the the extent of the atrocities as they were carried out secretly. And when became apparent, they turned Germany into an inferno. What else do you want? The archive footage shows the utter shock and horror in the faces of the allied soldiers when they arrived at the camps.
Our sympathies with the victims of Holocaust is ongoing but Israeli government is doing the same thing to the PA's in various manners to gain their objective and the world is not going to sit by and watch it happen once again and excuse it away in the name of victimhood. It just doesn't work anymore.
If you see yourself as a victim surely you must see the point of view of another victim. Where is the empathy?
And "NO humanitarian crisis....."??????!!!! That is where you lose your credibility.
The Gaza Flotillas are not the underlying causes, they are merely a symptom of how the world is getting ever more united in showing solidarity with the people of Gaza, who, as Israeli Officials put it with some mild sadism in their tone "have been put on a diet" since 2006.
The ships that Israel so generously offers to check are off course also delayed for months, even if just to make sure that goods meant for consumption will at least have very thoroughly rotted by the time Israel has finished "checking" on them.
In the past, Israel has also taxed aid (by means of port and storage fees up to 2 mio. $) meant for the Palestinians it refuses to provide peace and security to, as they are supposed to do under the 4th Geneva Conventions.
In that regard, the "conflict resolution" would only have as a result, that the blockade of Gaza can go on for an indefinite period of time, perpetually if you want.
Which is exactly the same strategy Israel has been conducting in regards with the so called "Peace Process": stretch things to endless amounts of time and meanwhile speed up the ethnic cleansing of the Occupied Territories.
Israel won the battle because only their side of the story was published; all other evidence was destroyed.
Except for this slight leak : http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/g.php?g=55&p=1#gallerytop
Anyone with critical thinking skills can see how these photos contradict the IDF conceit that the activists aimed to kill. They clearly could have; in one of the photos a commando is surrounded and prostrate on the floor. In another, another activist is tending to the wounds of an injured commando.
How did the IDF reciprocate this last minute mercy? By murdering 9 activists at point blank range.
The soldiers did NOT injure themselves, or fell of the second deck because they were clumsy.... Please you are insulting their dignity, and do not take us as fools not able to see thru your silly propaganda.
I repeat: Why did the IDF rappel their commandos into the middle of angry mob? Incompetence is an ulterior excuse; this was an elite commando force who had an agenda.
By the way, three months ago Israel intercepted a ship carrying arms to the Hamas. Israel notified all the involved countries, asked to board the ship, asked the captain to sail to Ashdod and inspected the ship. guess what they found? Iranian weapons.
The involved "civilized countries", according to HP, were the following: "The Victoria is German-owned, operated by a French shipping company and was sailing under a Liberian flag, the Israeli military said. German, French and Liberian authorities were notified of the seizure."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/15/israel-ship-seized-weapons-gaza-strip_n_836029.html
It seems that "civilized" ships behave as they should when they realize they are being used by terrorists.
When I did imagine it I saw CRC commandos being held as hostages by the flotilla in order to blackmail the IDF into allowing unexamined entry into Gaza.
The world doesn't care about how the IDF tries to avoid civilian casualties (as it ignores the cynical use of Palestinians as human shields/propaganda sources and the intentional targeting of civilians by Palestinian terrorists. The narrative will never change no matter how many well-intentioned people are sacrificed on the altar of "world opinion".
Then Hamas will have another faux atrocity to propagandize.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10735342
Instead, nonlethal means of riot control principles should have been used during the initial encounter with the Flotilla to bring recalcitrant and violent participants under control with such means as ultra-sound blasting devices, high pressure water from hoses and guns shooting bean bags. If these failed and the so-called activists continued to manifest danger to the IDF or actively engaged in physical assaultive behavior, the IDF always had the option of resorting to more lethal force IF absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, the initial intervention against the Flotilla was not well thought out or planned resulting in the subsequent disaster that occurred. However, regardless of whether Israel uses lethal or nonlethal means of containing potentially dangerous behavior of their adversaries, they will always be perceived as engaging in an exaggerated response, a standard that no other country in the International Community is held to.
Nope. They are seen as a pugnacious bully force right here in US as well. Their core belief and M.O. is of an aggressor force and ideology not a self-defense unit. There lies the problem.
By the way, Commando and Peaceful Conflict Resolution simply don't go in the same sentence. You may want to consider that for your next article.
BTW, if Israel is perceived in such horrendous terms how do you think Iran, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are perceived for murdering, torturing and imprisoning hundreds of thousands of their own people, demonstrating gross intolerance and discrimination towards religions other than Islam and towards women! As benevolent, kind, caring, empathic, loving, tolerant and forgiving countries? What a joke.
Jews don't need to cower, they should be proud. The floaties are not coming out of concern for the Palestinians. If they were so concerned they'd be also looking at Jordan who unashamedly starves and oppresses the Palestinians. They'd be gnawing Egypt a new ‘rear end cavity’ for teasing the Palestinia¬ns, by opening Rafah for a week and promptly shutting it down.
Make no mistake about it, the floaties are driven by pure detestation for Israel. They are floating toward Gaza to incite Israel into a response. And no matter what that reaction is going to be, peaceful or not , there will be stories, edited pictures, edited videos claiming that the IDF maltreated, harmed, killed these "peaceful" floaties.
As for the comments about Israel being an Apartheid state. All citizens can vote (Arabs and Jews, even women). Come on are you kidding me? What rights do Palestinian have in Jordan? Israel is not perfect, no country is. But there are checks and balances. Why don't you think about how much freedom the people of Gaza have under the leadership of Hammas.
But I also think it is worth a try. Such a team could approach the boats first, ask permission to board the flotilla boat, and if granted: to try and get results. If failed, or if not being granted permission, that the navy can go ahead and do what it has to do in order to continue and protect Israel and enforce the blockade.
It is worth trying.
An even simpler suggestion would be to inspect the ship and then let it carry on. Protecting Israel from crayons and breakfast cereals (both on the not allowed list previously) doesnt seem to me a reasonable use of the Israeli navys time
That's what they tried to do last time, but were met with violence. Perhaps you should send your suggestions to the IHH.
If I am wrong, then the units in charge of freeing hostages will do what they know to do best.