Kim Dong-hyun (left) and Kim Ah-hyun, involved in the 'Gaza aid flotilla interception incident'. [Social Media]

American political columnist Gene Cummings has pointed out that "Lee Jae-myung is barking up the wrong tree again and escalating diplomatic conflicts."

On the 20th, Gene Cummings commented on Facebook, "Lee Jae-myung is showing a double standard, excessively angry at Israel while remaining silent towards Iran."

He divided the recent diplomatic incident into two layers.

First, regarding the 'Wooden Boat Incident in Hormuz,' he defined it as an incident that directly impacted national security and interests, where a Korean vessel was directly attacked externally.

Second, he mentioned the 'Gaza aid flotilla interception incident' as an event where civilian activists, who voluntarily entered a dangerous area, were intercepted for violating the blockade.

In essence, the Wooden Boat Incident rightfully warrants protest, while the aid flotilla incident rightfully requires acknowledging the violation of our side's laws. However, "Lee Jae-myung is showing a double standard, excessively angry at Israel while remaining silent towards Iran."

The Korean activists intercepted by the Israeli military this time are Kim Ah-hyun (stage name 'Haecho', 27 years old) and Kim Dong-hyun (34 years old). Kim Ah-hyun (Haecho) is well-known for her anti-Navy base activism in Gangjeong Village, Jeju, and Kim Dong-hyun is a pro-Palestinian activist attempting to reach Gaza for the second time.

The flotilla they were on had its departure port, vessel names, participant numbers (400-500 people from 40-50 countries), and even real-time location publicized on social media and in the press for months. The Israeli government clearly stated, "Change course and return immediately. If you violate the maritime blockade, you will be intercepted." Israel was already sending trucks of food and medicine daily through land routes.

Despite this, they deliberately ignored the blockade and the permitted land routes, attempting to enter via international waters. Why? Gene Cummings diagnosed, "Because their 'attempt to break the blockade' is a political performance to resist the blockade, not a humanitarian mission."

The problem is that "Lee Jae-myung is completely twisting the frame of this situation." Lee Jae-myung is distorting an incident where "Koreans violated the law and were caught trying to break the blockade" as if Israel had illegally kidnapped third-country civilians.

Gene Cummings pointed out, "A leader of a sovereign nation, while making diplomatic efforts to protect their citizens, must clearly address the fact that they violated international law themselves."

Stop barking up the wrong tree! [Graphic=Hahnmi Ilbo]

The following is the full text of Gene Cummings' Facebook post.

Lee Jae-myung is barking up the wrong tree again and escalating diplomatic conflicts.

The Wooden Boat Incident, where the ship was attacked by Iran in Hormuz, was an incident where a Korean vessel was directly attacked externally, causing damage and directly impacting national security and interests. However, the Gaza aid flotilla interception incident involved civilian activists who voluntarily entered a dangerous area and were intercepted for violating the blockade.

Yet, Lee Jae-myung is showing a double standard, excessively angry at Israel while remaining silent towards Iran.

Who are the intercepted Koreans?

The Korean activists intercepted by the Israeli military this time are Kim Ah-hyun (stage name 'Haecho', 27 years old) and Kim Dong-hyun (34 years old). Kim Ah-hyun (Haecho) is well-known for her anti-Navy base activism in Gangjeong Village, Jeju. She first visited Gangjeong in elementary school (around 2012) while attending an alternative school and has participated in anti-Navy base protests there every vacation since then.

She continued her peace and human rights activities after entering the Department of Sculpture at Korea National University of Arts and even participated in a 107-day unpowered peace voyage connecting Jeju, Okinawa, and Taiwan in 2022. Last October, she was intercepted by the Israeli military once before while on board a Gaza aid flotilla.

Kim Dong-hyun is also a pro-Palestinian activist and this is his second attempt to reach Gaza.

Why and How Were They Caught?

They participated in an international aid flotilla called 'Global Sumud Flotilla'.

Kim Dong-hyun was on board the 'Kyriakos X' which set sail on May 8th and was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters (high seas) west of Cyprus at 5:28 PM on May 18th.

Kim Ah-hyun (Haecho) and Korean-American Seung Jun were on board the 'Lina Al-Nabulsi' and were further intercepted in the same waters at 2:50 AM on May 20th.

Important Fact

This flotilla was a civil disobedience movement that had been widely publicized worldwide for months. Its departure port, vessel names, participant numbers (400-500 people from 40-50 countries), and real-time location were all promoted on social media and in the press. The Israeli government had repeatedly issued clear official warnings in advance, stating, "Change course and return immediately. If you violate the maritime blockade, you will be intercepted."

Why Were They Inevitably Arrested?

Israel has been legally blockading the waters of Gaza since Hamas took power in 2007. Aid supplies must pass through the land routes permitted by Israel (Kerem Shalom, Erez checkpoints) and be inspected. Israel has made it clear that all goods entering Gaza must be "inspected before entry."

However, they deliberately ignored the blockade and the permitted land routes, attempting to enter via international waters. Why?

If they genuinely intended to deliver aid, why didn't they use the official channels permitted by Israel? If they had nothing to hide, why take a different, secretive route?

From Israel's perspective, interception, search, and arrest are natural responses. They have no way of knowing if the incoming goods are genuine humanitarian supplies or weapons and explosives.

The act of a civilian vessel attempting to break a blockade in international waters is a clear violation of international law. According to the most authoritative commentary on the law of naval armed conflict, the 'San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea' (1994), the following provisions clearly apply in situations where a blockade has been legally declared.

§146(f): Neutral merchant ships (civilian vessels) are subject to capture if they are "breaching or attempting to breach a blockade" outside neutral waters.

§98: "Merchant ships reasonably suspected of breaching a blockade may be captured, and if they resist even after prior warning, they may be attacked."

§67(a): Attack is permissible if a merchant ship intentionally fails to stop after prior warning or refuses to be visited, searched, or captured.

Israel had repeatedly issued official warnings to the Global Sumud Flotilla for months, stating, "You will be intercepted if you violate the blockade." Nevertheless, the activists deliberately attempted to break the blockade in international waters, thus providing legitimate grounds for interception, search, and arrest under international law.

Even if the anti-Israel side asks, "Is Israel's attack on Gaza legal?" this is a completely separate issue. The flotilla incident concerns the law regarding the specific act of 'enforcing a blockade,' and the legality of the overall war must be judged under Article 51 of the UN Charter (self-defense), so the issues should not be conflated.

Israel is already sending trucks of food and medicine through land routes daily. Attempting to "break the blockade" by sea is not aid but merely a political performance to resist the blockade.

However, Lee Jae-myung is completely twisting the frame of this situation.

On the 20th, he angrily stated at a cabinet meeting, "It's not even Yeongdo... it's too inhumane and excessive, excessively excessive," and "They are violating even the minimum international norms." He then went as far as to bring up the arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu by the ICC.

He said, "Is there not an arrest warrant issued by the ICC for war crimes?" "Most European countries have announced they would arrest him if he entered their countries," and "Let's make a judgment too."

He even stated, "Like the Holocaust incident last time, criticizing Israel now and talking about Netanyahu's arrest is factually very wrong and is an act of barking up the wrong tree and creating another diplomatic dispute."

"The ICC arrest warrant is only for war crimes against Netanyahu personally; it does not make the blockade itself illegal."

"The blockade is a defensive measure recognized by international law (San Remo Manual) in situations of armed conflict."

For the president of a country allied with the United States, like South Korea, to instruct a review of the execution of Netanyahu's arrest warrant by mentioning the ICC warrant is diplomatic irresponsibility in itself.

"ICC warrants lack compulsory enforcement power and are already subject to extensive debate about political weaponization. The current situation in Gaza is Israel's self-defense following Hamas's October 7th attack. Such comparisons are emotional incitement and distort the truth."

"If South Korea were engaged in a war due to provocations from a terrorist group that massacred its citizens, and were blockading their strongholds, and people from a third country, instead of using the official land routes permitted by South Korea, attempted to infiltrate by breaking the blockade, arresting them would not be 'excessive' as Lee Jae-myung claims, but a legitimate and natural measure under international law."

"Hamas is a terrorist group that massacred over 1200 civilians and kidnapped over 250 people on October 7, 2023. In proportion to South Korea's population, this would be equivalent to a massacre of about 6,500 people."

"Responding to a country engaged in a war with an armed terrorist group that massacred its citizens by recklessly demanding the arrest of its leader is a grave mistake."

"Would Israel be intimidated and release the detained Koreans by responding in that manner? This is a matter that should be resolved through diplomatic negotiations, and invoking arrest while criticizing the Israeli leadership only further complicates the situation for the detained Koreans."

"Since it seems unlikely that the detained Koreans will be easily released due to their illegal actions, are they being treated as a discarded card, and is this issue being used to incite and exploit domestic politics?"

"Lee Jae-myung is distorting an incident where 'Koreans violated the law and were caught trying to break the blockade' as if Israel had illegally kidnapped third-country civilians."

"In such a situation, a responsible national leader, while making diplomatic efforts to protect citizens, must clearly address the fact that they violated international law themselves."

"If such actions of distorting reality with emotional and ideological frames and attempting to exploit it politically on sensitive issues continue, it will only ruin South Korea's diplomacy."

◆ Gene Cummings

Political columnist in the United States. He worked at Baltimore's Channel 13, served as editor-in-chief of 'The Sunday Times' (1994-1996) and business director of 'The Korean Weekly' (1996-2000), and later founded 'Asia Post'. He currently works as a backend analyst in political, diplomatic, and security affairs for a private company performing government contracts.