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Israel has shown in the last couple years that it is beyond a doubt a democracy. Benjamin Netenyahu was elected on a “screw Palestinians” platform, and he has delivered. It seems logical then, that he group of people with the power to end the violence and conflict is the Israeli people. Nobody else. The Palestinians are victims. Victims by definition have no power. The international community? It acts as a medium between the two groups. The Israeli government? It is answerable to its constituents. The solution to this mess exists, the only reason it has not been acted upon is the fear and paranoia of the Israeli public.

When activists decide to run a (legal) Israeli blockade, what is the message? Who is the message catered to?

What does this kind of action lead to? International condemnation, loud cries for the end of the blockade, a great deal of bad PR for Israel and a whole lot of protests. In short, it makes Israel look bad. There were not worldwide protests when Israel decided to build more settlements, and yet those are the single greatest hindrance to peace.

Let’s think for a second about the Israeli population. What is the message they get out of all of this? Why does it matter?

So, what message do Israeli people get from the so called peace activists running the blockade?

They see a PR stunt designed to make Israel look bad. A direct communication with the world that bypasses them, marginalizes them in a public sphere that already refuses to consider their point of view (American public discourse notwithstanding, it has its own set of rules that are even more ridiculous). It is designed to make Israel look illegitimate. How does delegitimizing Israel help the peace process? If your peace process involves giving the land back to the Palestinians, fine, but that is not going to happen. Would a massive war be considered a peace process? Delegitimizing might help the Palestinians bargaining position, only they don’t really have one, it sucks but they are a victim. Does a someone being mugged have a bargaining position?

There is a powerful narrative in Israel that says that there is a vast conspiracy around the world against Israel. At times like this that conspiracy is reinforced because it seems true. It is hard to believe that all the academics and intellectuals who are part of the movement against Israel are not aware of this narrative. And yet they continue to reinforce it. This narrative leads Israelis to believe that their very survival is at stake. Not “the peace process” or “stability” but the survival of Israel as a state.

And so they must ask themselves ask yourself, what was the activists goal in running the blockade?  The Israeli population is ignored for worldwide theatrics. And so instead of feeling like they are part of a process of making peace with their wronged neighbours, they feel like they are a nation under threat that must defend its existence, international law be damned (incidentally the UN report on the Gaza invasion said both sides committed war crimes, there is no right and wrong side, only those who want peace and those who seem to care only about protesting). Also, just for the angriest of you to consider, they don’t hold war crimes tribunals during wars. Only when peace has been established.

The Israeli population must be targeted for communication. Theatricality for the benefit of bored westerners and angry arabs only propagates the conflict cycle. Perhaps reaching out to the Israeli people, showing them that they must make peace because it is right and because the Palestinian people do not deserve all this pain, is a better course that reinforcing the paranoia of the Israeli public sphere through publicity stunts and angry protests. But do you want peace?