Ship of fools

All hail the government of Greece for single-handedly mothballing the flotilla that was setting sail to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.

The Greeks have gotten loads of bad press lately, what with riots in the streets and a debt crisis that threatens to take down Europe and, perhaps, more far-flung lands. But now they deserve the world's thanks for preventing a seagoing provocation.

Some 500 activists on nine boats, including an American ship of fools, planned to sail into the embargo, supposedly to dramatize their nutso conviction that Israel is squashing Palestinians in Gaza. Their ships were to embark from Greece.

Athens forbade ships to leave its ports to sail to the seas off Gaza "for their safety." It further offered to deliver any humanitarian supplies the provocateurs might have to Gaza via the legal routes that have always been available.

And it matched words with actions by arresting the captain of an American boat called the Audacity of Hope, which left port bound for Gaza. Capt. John Klusmire, whose vessel was intercepted at sea by the Greek Coast Guard and returned to port, was released yesterday pending trial.

Laughably, many of the would-be blockade runners pouted that they have been oppressed, repressed and suppressed. They should be happy that Greece spared them from being used as pawns - and placed in harm's way - by Hamas, the terrorist gang that has its thumb on Gaza.

- The Daily News, New York