Richard Falk in the Guardian: "The blockade of Gaza serves no legitimate Israeli function"

Richard Falk, the UN's special Israel-basheur and conspiracy kook, was recently prevented from entering Israel. The Guardian gives him editorial space to prevent his view of what happened, including his denunciation of the Israeli blockade on Gaza. The lack of an actual argument here is breathtaking:

The blockade of Gaza serves no legitimate Israeli function. It is supposedly imposed in retaliation for some Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets that have been fired across the border at the Israeli town of Sderot. The wrongfulness of firing such rockets is unquestionable, yet this in no way justifies indiscriminate Israeli retaliation against the entire civilian population of Gaza.

What is "indiscriminate" about the blockade? All blockades and economic sanctions target a country's collective interests. Generally, such measures serve as a more restrained first step before a conflict escalates to the active military stage, although Hamas has been at the military stage for years. Hamas is not a "non-state actor" anymore; it is the government of Gaza, the "democratically-elected" government of Gaza we are constantly told. Governments are not supposed to get involved in wars that they cannot win and it is generally disastrous for the people they rule if they do, particularly if they expect their ostensive enemy to deliver goods and supplies to them.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad