If you live long enough . . .

The United Nations is vacuously anti-Israel.

What a surprise —  a shock, actually — to learn of the UN report on the flotilla.

Turkey, in 2010, let loose a number of boats to boost Hamas in Gaza. Israel intercepted the boats. One of the “unarmed” ships was heavily armed. Israeli soldiers defended themselves. Nine Turks died.

Turkey was outraged.

The UN investigated.

If you live long enough, you’ll see everything. Well, now we see the UN exonerating Israel, in principle.

“Israel faces a real threat to its security from militant groups in Gaza,” the UN report read. “The naval blockade [by Israel] was imposed as a legitimate security measure in order to prevent weapons from entering Gaza by sea and its implementation complied with the requirements of international law.”

And that Israeli attack on the flotilla?

The UN report read:

Israeli commandos faced “organized and violent resistance from a group of passengers.”

Summing up, the UN report essentially agreed with the Israeli narration of events. There weren’t “two narratives.” There was truth (the Israeli “narrative”), and there was falsehood (the flotilla’s “narrative”).

As JTA drily observed, the UN finding that Israel’s blockade is in accord with international law is “sure to infuriate the Turkish government.”

Remember, the anger of Turkey toward Israel did not begin with the flotilla in May, 2010. It began six months earlier when Turkey called Israel’s attack on Gaza illegitimate.

That attack, “Operation Cast Lead,” took out the thousands of rocket launchers — physical and human — that had bombarded cities and civilians in southern Israel.

Self-defense — at least, self-defense for Israel — was not in Turkey’s vocabulary. That’s why Turkey let loose the flotilla.

And the UN says: Flotilla? Illegitimate. Blockade of Gaza? Legitimate.

To be sure, the UN did criticize Israel for “unreasonable” response to the armed flotilla. We are still waiting for a definition — from anybody — of the way to counter armed thugs softly, proportionately.

Naturally, the UN would not call Hamas “terrorist,” only “militant.” Still, the UN, like Israel and the US, says Hamas is legally blockaded by Israel. This news is dramatic, unexpected and welcome.

Copyright © 2011 by the Intermountain Jewish News