Over 63 years, Palestinians have not only had to resist Israel's occupation, but also the propaganda campaign that justifies acts of aggression as the "right of self-defence". Killing non-violent protesters, Palestinian or otherwise, is not self-defence.
That obvious truth is staring Israel in the face. New peaceful demonstrations inspired by the Arab spring, as well as the Palestinian Authority's bid for UN recognition as an independent state, have shown that Israel is far more comfortable dealing with Qassam rocket attacks than it is with intelligent, non-violent resistance.
On Tuesday, Israeli naval commandos seized control of a French ship attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. The 10 activists on board offered no resistance and the ship, the Dignity Al Karama, was escorted to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod.
The four-year blockade of Gaza shows how vulnerable Israel is. Its paranoid - sometimes murderous - efforts to enforce that blockade have been public relations nightmares. The killing of nine activists last year aboard the MV Mavi Marmara, and to a lesser extent the recent flotilla that Greece blocked and the abortive "flytilla", have all demonstrated a deep-seated insecurity. That level of unease shows that even the most hardline Israeli must know that the blockade is immoral.
The recent flotilla and flytilla barely got off the ground. Paradoxically, they are still successes for the pro-Palestinian aid movement. In terms of international opinion, the negative publicity has been a major setback for Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's denunciation of the flotillas as "denying Israel's right to exist" is transparent doublespeak.
This pattern of paranoia was reinforced last week, when the Knesset passed new legislation that bans even verbal approval of a boycott of Israel or its settlements in the West Bank.
"They are making it impossible to organise joint peaceful and non-violent resistance, whether in the form of boycotts or solidarity visits," wrote Jonathan Cook in these pages on Monday. He is right; it shows in fact an act of desperation.
For too long, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority fought the Israelis on the battlefield or in the US Congress - arenas where Israel held the upper hand. It is vital that the Palestinian movement recognise its strength in non-violent protest and the moral argument. Israel's self-defeating actions have shown that this is the best way forward.
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')