Friday, July 01, 2011
Sen. Mark Kirk
If Senator Mark Kirk has his way, American commandos will be ordered to stop a multi-national aid flotilla scheduled to sail for Gaza this week. Israel has vowed to intercept the ships before they reach shore.
The Republican lawmaker who captured President Obama’s Illinois Senate seat in a 2010 special election is a staunch supporter of Israeli President Benyamin Netanyahu. Israel has a hostile relationship with those living in the Hamas-controlled strip of land it borders along the Mediterranean coast.
Kirk issued a special report in which he urged that “all necessary special operations and naval support” be made available to the Israeli Navy “to effectively disable flotilla vessels before they can pose a threat to Israeli coastal security or put Israeli lives at risk.”
In May 2010, nine members of a similar naval venture, including one American, were killed by Israeli soldiers after the flotilla was intercepted before reaching the Port of Gaza.
The collection of vessels from Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece and other countries includes the U.S.-flagged ship “The Audacity of Hope,” named after Obama’s 2006 book. More than 30 Americans plan to board the American vessel, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker (The Color Purple).
While Kirk has advocated a military response regarding the flotilla, half a dozen Democratic congressmen have called upon Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to work with Israel to ensure that anyone aboard The Audacity of Hope is not harmed.
–Noel Brinkerhoff, Ken Broder
Senator Wants US-Israeli Op Against Flotilla (by Bryant Jordan, Military.com)
Passengers on The Audacity of Hope (USTOGAZA)
Kirk Report: The Future of Israel’s Security and the U.S.-Israel Relationship (Senator Mark Kirk) (pdf)
Gaza Strip (New York Times)
Israeli Advocacy Group Helps Delay Departure of Gaza-Bound Flotilla (by Scott Sayare, New York Times)
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