Current sectionIsrael NewsHaaretz TodayHaaretz Today The flotilla's significance has never rested on its practical ability to deliver aid. The power lies in the ability to force attention toward Gaza at a moment when governments increasingly seem invested in turning catastrophe into routineShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeNagham Zbeedat08:11 PM • May 19 2026 IDTIsraeli authorities demonstrated this week that when confronted with a pressing national threat, they still know how to function with impressive efficiency.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Haaretz Today NewsletterCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesTrumpIsrael ElectionsIDF-LebanonSan Diego MosqueChannel 14HaQuizHaaretz PodcastSmotrich Threatens to Clear West Bank Village Over ICC Arrest Warrant RequestJewish Groups Denounce Fatal Shooting at U.S. Mosque, Call for Security FundingThey Were Children During the Nakba. This Is What They Remember 78 Years LaterThe People Who Manage to Make Art Without Having a Place to Call HomeTrump Says Iran Wants Deal With U.S., but Threatens 'Another Big Hit'Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHundreds Protest at New York Times HQ Over Column Alleging Abuse by IsraelisICC Prosecutor Seeks Warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Other Israeli OfficialsEverybody Loses in the Cynical Israeli-Palestinian Sexual Violence CompetitionWelcome to the Most Shameful Day in the Jewish CalendarIsraeli Settler Filmed Abusing Palestinian-owned Dog in West BankIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter Attacked