Amid all the hysteria (brilliantly deconstructed here by Melanie Phillips today) over the Gaza flotilla incident this week, a new and dangerous development has just occurred. According to Reuters, Iran is considering offering armed escorts from its navy to any ships trying to break the blockade:

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards naval forces are fully prepared to escort the peace and freedom convoys to Gaza with all their powers and capabilities,” Ali Shirazi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s representative inside the Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying.

And, he went on:

“If the Supreme Leader issues an order for this then the Revolutionary Guard naval forces will do their best to secure the ships,” Shirazi said. “It is Iran’s duty to defend the innocent people of Gaza.”

This should (but won’t) be a sobering reminder of the extreme dangers inherent in western governments, foreign ministries, politicians and media outlets stoking the fires of anti-Israeli bigotry.

For it is exactly the kind of irrational hysteria in the West over last week’s events that incites the likes of the Iranian despotism to believe that it can get away with whatever it wants to.

In all probability, this particular threat is nothing more than rhetorical — a frothing at the mouth designed to please the domestic crowd. But given that Iran is the sponsor of both Hezbollah and Hamas and could move them into action at any time, it gives an indication of how close we always are to armed confrontation in the Middle East.

Anti-Israeli bigotry is not merely shameful and disgusting, therefore, it is downright irresponsible. The latest assault on Israel has now turned into a feeding frenzy for every Islamist bigot on the planet. It is not yet clear where (if anywhere) this might now lead. But we will know who to blame if matters ultimately spiral out of control.

Tags: Israel