Scott Atran spoke to the Associated Press about the fallout from an Israeli attack on a flotilla of Turkish aid ships headed for the Gaza Strip. The flotilla, also carrying pro-Palestinian activists, ignored warnings that the Gaza shore was under an Israeli blockade and closed to maritime traffic. Though Israel stands behind its decision to uphold the blockade, Atran told the AP that "[t]he attack on a humanitarian mission ... will only further alienate the international community and isolate Israel while granting added legitimacy to Hamas' claim to represent the plight of the Palestinian people."
