Ayalon slams Lebanese aid flotilla

Deputy FM defends Gaza blockade in 'Wall Street Journal' op-ed.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Danny Ayalon 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post)
Danny Ayalon 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post)
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon criticized the "hypocrisy" of the Lebanese aid flotilla which is planning to sail for Gaza, and defended Israel's continued blockade of the coastal territory in an opinion article published in Thursday's Wall Street Journal.
Ayalon gave an account of the basic human rights that Palestinians living in Lebanon are denied, including owning property, working in various professions and access to a health care system that the rest of the Lebanese people enjoy. He said he found it to be "the height of irony" that a flotilla setting out from Tripoli with the supposed goal of easing Palestinian suffering in Gaza is ignoring the plight of the Palestinians in Lebanon.
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He added that flotillas "have nothing to do with humanitarian concerns and everything to do with delegitimizing Israel."
Ayalon claimed that the situation in Gaza can in no way be considered a humanitarian crisis. As evidence to this claim he cited a new shopping mall, a new Olymipic-sized swimming pool and various five-star hotels and restaurants in the territory.
The deputy foreign minister defended Israel's blockade of Gaza, stating that no items could be allowed to reach the hands of Hamas that could be used to attack Israel.  He added that Israel's policy will be to continue ensuring that all civilian needs within the territory will be met.