Ban and A Unique Opportunity, Can He Use It?

Following the increasing international pressure due to the Israeli forces clash with the activist on the Turkish flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, Israel announced last Thursday that it will ease the land blockade on Gaza. Although it has not yet specified the list of the banned items, the Israeli government promised that it will allow the humanitarian aid, food and the building supplies to enter the territory. The Israeli blockade is aiming to pressure Hamas, the Islamist movement governing Gaza and to increase the Israeli national security by preventing the rockets fired from the territory. However, the Israeli government has been criticized for increasingly pressuring the civilians in Gaza by banning items such as children’s toys, chocolate and coriander.
The Israeli clashes with the flotillas lead to the death of nine of the activists causing the condemnations of many nations and UN Security Council requesting an investigation on the event. Meanwhile a Lebanese ship containing humanitarian aid is preparing to leave for Gaza, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, held a meeting with Ban Ki Moon in New York, attempting to persuade him on holding the International investigation requested by the Security Council on the recent clashes. Talking after his meeting, Mr. Barak expressed his concern on the news of the Lebanese flotilla’s preparation and argued that “as long as new flotillas are in preparation, it is probably better to leave it [the investigation] on the shelf for a certain time and we are moving ahead with our independent investigation.” Previously many officials, including the Turkish ones, have expressed their distrust in the biased of the Israeli investigation.
It appears that a combination of different events is creating a unique opportunity for Ban Ki Moon to request a better deal for the upcoming banned list by Israel. As the list has not been publically announced yet, Ban can hold the UN international investigation instead of a more humanitarian blockade on Gaza. This can socially reduce the pressure over the Gaza civilians and politically give Israel what he requested. Perhaps, if the list is publically announced sooner rather than later, using backchannel negotiations the UN might be able to stop the Lebanese flotilla. The Israeli officials have expressed their serious concerns on the connection between this flotilla and Hezbollah. These concerns and the recent clashes with the Turkish flotilla illustrate the potential of another major crisis. This can not only be socially devastating, but also it can disrupt the recent negotiations between Israel and Fatah, the Palestinian political party ruling the West Bank. Although this all depends on the details of the new banned list and whether Israel is willing to negotiate upon altering any elements of it.