The Finnish-flagged Swedish aid ship Estelle is looking to near the Gaza Strip in the next few days, capping off a summer-long sail around Europe to raise awareness for the blockade. The ship is loaded with food aid.

 

Which has Israelis typically furious, but none moreso than Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor, who penned a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon claiming the Swedes on board the ship were less moral than Viking raiders and demanding international military intervention to prevent the food from being delivered.

 

This has sparked some criticism, claiming Prosor’s bellicosity is drawing undue influence to the single ship, while Israeli officials say they intend to militarily keep the ship away from the Gaza coast, as they so often have with past ships.

 

But that military action is going to happen under considerably more scrutiny than it normally would have because of both Prosor’s letter and this week’s revelation that the Israeli military has been trying to limit the number of calories of food allowed into the Gaza Strip.