By Matt Underwood Spain’s PM says he will send warship to protect Gaza aid flotilla. Well, this is a turn of events nobody saw coming. The idea of a Spanish-Israeli conflict was certainly not on anyone’s radar for 2025. It seems the Spanish government has announced its intention to dispatch a naval vessel, fully equipped, from Cartagena. The stated purpose? To assist the aid flotilla and conduct rescue operations if necessary. The wording is carefully chosen, much like Italy’s statements, to avoid explicitly stating the intention to protect the flotilla, but the implications are pretty clear.
It’s a curious situation to be in, given the historical context. It’s almost humorous, given the historical connotations. They’re just inquiring about the flotilla, you see. A Spanish inquisition, if you will. It’s even possible that it could bring peace to the region, though it seems unlikely. But, a Spanish warship being the missing piece is definitely a bold move.
Now, let’s be honest about the realities on the ground. Israel, a nation that supposedly wields significant military power, can reportedly carry out surgical strikes and put explosives in Hezbollah pagers but struggles to sink a ship just sitting there. It raises questions. Is Israel a force to be reckoned with, or are they perhaps less capable than they appear? Either way, it’s unlikely that Israel is particularly concerned about aid reaching Gaza. What’s concerning is the potential for this to become a dangerous and counterproductive situation.
Here’s why. If the flotilla manages to offload its cargo without incident, it’s a win, but it’s a slim chance. This scenario means Hamas must allocate resources to protect the landing site, which, as history has shown, isn’t always a simple feat. Furthermore, it would require no desperate civilians attempting to get the aid themselves, no gangs associated with Hamas or the resistance trying to seize the aid, and, most importantly, no opportunity for Hamas to create a major incident and pin it on Israel. The far more likely scenario involves either a direct attack from Hamas or, even worse, Hamas using the flotilla as a shield to launch an attack from the docks. Is Spain willing to risk open conflict with Israel over this?
The involvement of nations like Spain, while perhaps well-intentioned, also opens up some tricky international legal and political issues. If Spain’s actions were to escalate, Israel might use the same logic to support independence movements in places like Catalonia or Northern Ireland. Why not send freighters loaded with supplies instead? If a blockade is attempted, Spain’s navy is considerably larger than Israel’s. It is also worth noting that countries are allowed, in war, to impose blockades, however, nobody has to listen.
The hypocrisy here is striking. Europe has been hesitant to take more decisive action in support of Ukraine. Yet, they’re more than willing to risk a war for activists acting illegally. It’s the equivalent of supporting pirates, frankly. One might wonder if the political will is simply driven by a desire to virtue signal for a terrorist organization. And this comes as no surprise.
Perhaps the PM is being driven by an understandable, if misplaced, sense of morality. Spain, you see, is acting as the morality police. The truth is that Spain hasn’t exactly been the strongest ally to democratic causes in recent years. It’s funny how Spain suddenly “finds” a military for a cause far from home, but couldn’t seem to find one when it came to helping Venezuela. It is a wonder, if this whole thing isn’t simply a case of the Spanish government being, as they say, “cool” with chavista ideology.
And what about the flotilla itself? Is this the same flotilla where some of the participants took a pit stop in Ibiza for a little bit of an MDMA session? Spain, and perhaps Italy, are suddenly willing to stand up to a nation they view as unjust. The situation has the potential to escalate.
And how long will Spain continue to involve itself in this situation? It is a very precarious situation. A defensive action would not require warships, and NGOs regularly execute such operations. It’s possible that, in terms of military power, Spain is capable of taking Israel on.