Letter

In response to Israel intercepts Gaza Sumud Flotilla vessels: What we know so far

Western application of law of the sea

The UN convention on the law of the sea (which is international law), in force since 1994, has been entered into by 170 state parties and covers such matters as freedom of navigation.

Under Article 19 of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, a warship can sail within the 12 nautical-mile territorial sea of another nation’s coastline “so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State".

The US has refused to sign on to the convention but uses it constantly against China, which has signed on to it, when sailing their warships along China’s coast and in surrounding international waters.

Yet it suspends any consideration of that law when the country breaching it is Israel, particularly in relation to the acts of piracy being committed by Israel against the Freedom Flotilla heading for Gaza in international waters. Now there is a surprise!

So much for the “rules-based international order” they constantly rabbit on about!

— Les Macdonald from Balmain NSW 2041