The Israeli assault on the Gaza aid flotilla immediately brought to mind Talleyrand's famous observation: It was worse than a crime; it was a mistake. Now the only way that Israel can move forward from this latest and tragic mistake is to understand its root causes.
The strategic rationale that made a naval commando assault on a civilian vessel seem legitimate is the same strategic rationale at the root of all of Israel's current difficulties: a narrowly defined perception of the country's security as the end goal, with a strong deterrence posture that,
in the words of David Grossman, depends on the "default . . . use of massive and exaggerated force" as its preferred means. ...