Oh dear
Another rant I'm afraid. But it's not my fault!
Israel has done it again.
With regard to this convoy, according to the BBC:
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".
However, according to the UN Convention On The Law Of The Sea, Part VII, High Seas:
1. Except where acts of interference derive from powers conferred by treaty, a warship which encounters on the high seas a foreign ship, other than a ship entitled to complete immunity in accordance with articles 95 and 96, is not justified in boarding it unless there is reasonable ground for suspecting that:
(a) the ship is engaged in piracy;
(b) the ship is engaged in the slave trade;
(c) the ship is engaged in unauthorized broadcasting and the flag State of the warship has jurisdiction under article 109;
(d) the ship is without nationality; or
(e) though flying a foreign flag or refusing to show its flag, the ship is, in reality, of the same nationality as the warship.
Therefore, the fact that a nation doesn't like what they think the boats stand for, they have NO RIGHT to board a ship. Unfortunately, under this convention, warships are excluded from commited piracy.
Strikes me that if you are boarded in the early hours by a group of (possibly masked) armed men, wouldn't you defend yourself?
However, with the US seemingly incapable of rational thought over Israel, nothing will happen.
And to think that I used to be a very lonely voice on the left of UK politics in defending Israel.
Israel has done it again.
With regard to this convoy, according to the BBC:
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".
However, according to the UN Convention On The Law Of The Sea, Part VII, High Seas:
1. Except where acts of interference derive from powers conferred by treaty, a warship which encounters on the high seas a foreign ship, other than a ship entitled to complete immunity in accordance with articles 95 and 96, is not justified in boarding it unless there is reasonable ground for suspecting that:
(a) the ship is engaged in piracy;
(b) the ship is engaged in the slave trade;
(c) the ship is engaged in unauthorized broadcasting and the flag State of the warship has jurisdiction under article 109;
(d) the ship is without nationality; or
(e) though flying a foreign flag or refusing to show its flag, the ship is, in reality, of the same nationality as the warship.
Therefore, the fact that a nation doesn't like what they think the boats stand for, they have NO RIGHT to board a ship. Unfortunately, under this convention, warships are excluded from commited piracy.
Strikes me that if you are boarded in the early hours by a group of (possibly masked) armed men, wouldn't you defend yourself?
However, with the US seemingly incapable of rational thought over Israel, nothing will happen.
And to think that I used to be a very lonely voice on the left of UK politics in defending Israel.
