Turkish Funds Helped Group Test Blockade

After winning a majority of Palestinian parliamentary seats in 2006, Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007, using the position to launch rockets at Israel. Since 2007, Israel and Egypt isolated Gaza with blockades by land and sea. But supporters of Palestinians from around the globe have also worked to test the blockade, collecting donations, including large funds from opponents to Israel based in Turkey, purchasing vessels and attempting to deliver humanitarian aid. The latest clash between pro-Palestinian activists and the Israeli military left nine civilians dead. International condemnation and calls for an investigation put Israel on the defensive; expose internal divisions of some allies; and prompt street protests in Egypt and Turkey, two governments that are Israel's closest friends in the Muslim world. Debate rages around the globe, and opinions vary about the aid flotilla representing a security threat, an irritant or a symbol. – YaleGlobal