STL Holocaust Survivor and Activist Works to Break the Gaza Blockade

Hedy Epstein, a survivor of the Holocaust who has been a long-standing member of the St. Louis peace community, was scheduled to be on the flotilla that was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. She has been on similar boat convoys in the past, but this time was not allowed on the ship. Several local television stations reported on Hedy's involvement in the work to end the blockade:



 

Some good national analysis of the events;
Bradley Burston in Haaretz.
Juan Cole
Glenn Greenwald.
MJ Rosenberg.
Chris Bowers.

In my opinion, the only way someone could support Israel's actions here is if they believe that all of the Middle East's problems will be solved purely through violence and military power, and have given up hope of any sort of diplomacy. This action empowered extremists. It empowered the Iranian regime. It put a major wrench in any serious attempts at negotiation. Of course, this matters little to folks like the St. Louis tea party who think that the best resolution is simply to nuke Iran and bomb anyone else who looks at us the wrong way. But the rest of us should be seriously concerned.