Piracy Riposte

Good comeback from the Israeli UN ambassador regarding Libya's complaint to the Security Council about Israeli "piracy" when a Libyan cargo ship was intercepted by Israeli authorities on its way to Gaza:

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, invited to speak at the council meeting even though her country is not a member, rejected Libya's accusations, especially the piracy contention, and in turn charged Tripoli with provocation.

She said that since Libya does not recognize the state of Israel in light of its treatment of Palestinians, the interception was justified on grounds of national security.

Hard to argue with that! What is of real concern here is that it will be much more difficult for the international community to address the pressing issue of piracy around the Horn of Africa if the definition of "piracy" becomes politicized and loses any meaning.