Five years after the Mavi Marmara incident in which Israeli naval commandos clashed with pro-Palestinian activists aboard a Gaza-bound ship, European terrorism in the service of Hamas is planning another flotilla, the Via Maris (Sea Route). Once again, flotilla organizers have been lying about carrying only medical supplies, when in reality they wish, once again, to defeat Israel, either by forcing it to open the coastal enclave prior to the terror ship's arrival, or by creating another major international incident. Israel is facing a complicated dilemma and the Foreign Ministry should be out in front of the effort to convince European governments to stymie the provocation. The Mossad and other units must lie in wait behind the scenes, prepared to covertly operate day or night to stop the flotilla. As part of the effort to gain international support, Israel should show a degree of leniency in negotiating the future of the flotilla. For instance, unlike it the previous case, when Israel demanded to inspect the cargo at Ashdod port and only afterward ship it to Gaza, perhaps it could offer to conduct the inspection at sea, supervised by Egyptian and European representatives. But Israel must prepare itself for a worst-case scenario in which small boats manage to reach the Gaza shore in a blatant effort to instigate a violent confrontation. Joint Arab List MK Basel Ghattas has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will be joining the new Gaza-bound flotilla. Obviously, Ghattas' decision to take part was not made for the sake of concluding the matter peacefully and delivering medical supplies to the Gaza Strip. Ghattas' statement comes as no surprise as he belongs to Balad, the radical faction of the Joint Arab List, of which his fellow MK Hanin Zoabi, who was on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010, is also a member. It is still too early to figure out how to deal with Ghattas, as the criminality of his actions is still legally unclear, especially as we are talking about future acts. Nevertheless, it should be made clear to Ghattas and his ilk that the MK card in his pocket will not serve as legal protection if and when Israel decides to prosecute him. But more importantly, should the matter go to court, the prosecution will act efficiently and Ghattas will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. If, God forbid, the flotilla ends in a confrontation, Ghattas had better not follow in Zoabi's footsteps. Still, Ghattas is just a small cog in a machine of evil. Israel should send a clear message that it will nor permit evil from docking at the shores of Gaza.
