Will Israel Lift the Gaza Blockade?

While Turkey has been holding funerals for the nine activists killed after the Israeli attack on the flotilla, several countries including Israel’s allies, have been condemning the violence causing the death of the activists. Although the Israeli government and the activists are blaming one another for the violence, another ship has left Ireland, carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The recent attack of the Israeli army on the flotilla in international waters has created major diplomatic challenges for Israel, increasing the political and social pressure for lifting the Gaza blockade. Reacting to this incident, after condemning the violence, the British foreign minister asked for the lifting of the blockade.
The United States, a major ally of Israel, chose a more careful response. Although President Obama called the incident a “tragedy”, the U.S. has been asking for an American investigation and the reduction of pressure over Gaza. Perhaps the economical, political and social ties with Israel and the recent crisis between the Obama administration and Israel over the settlements had a considerable affect on the carefulness of the U.S. response.
As the Irish ship is on its way, many are asking themselves if Israel is capable of handling the increasing international pressure or if it instead will it lift the blockade. After fully supporting Israel’s military reaction to the flotilla, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that he would not allow “Gaza to become Iran’s port”. Although Iran has been a close supporter of Hamas, it was not involved in sending the flotillas. Then why does Netanyahu name Iran in his speech responding to the Israeli confrontation with the activists?
Placing this speech and the U.S. reaction beside one another completes the puzzle. It appears that as the international request for lifting the blockade increases, Israel with the cooperation of the U.S. is building a political fence to justify its further actions. If in the next few weeks there is no diplomatic space for the blockade, Israel might have no options except altering its Gaza policy. Thus to prevent illustrating its loss, Israel can follow the United States' request by decreasing the pressure over Gaza. Using this method, on the one hand Israel does not appear to be a total loser of this series of political incidents. On the other hand, it will follow what its ‘big brother’ requested, symbolizing the U.S. and Israel close brotherhood despite the recent confrontations.
However, as Israel has been holding a unique policy over its security due to its special history and geopolitics, the concerns of a security threat can justify many of its actions. Netanyahu mentioned his concern of an Iranian influence supporting Hamas. This can work as a justification to hold control over Gaza’s borders. The current lobbies might decrease the pressure of the blockade, however Israel is seeking to emphasize the threat to its security by Hamas, supported by the Iranian government, to maintain some sectors of the blockade. Hence it will uphold the control over Gaza rather than losing it all. This will be a security guarantee for Israel and it will keep the dependency of Gaza on the Israeli government.
Once more the threat of Iran is being used/abused to create a chaos justifying one’s actions. Mao Zedong was indeed right when he said: “great chaos will lead to great order”, an order that the creator of chaos desires.