The confrontation between Israel and the activists attempting to bring supplies to Gaza is, at least, a complex mix of international diplomacy, national security and public relations. It certainly isn't a black and white, simplistic issue, in spite of the sign-carrying protesters that have sprung up almost everywhere.
I'm not against activists gathering with marches and signs. It works well to stop pesticide spraying near the local school, getting your local polluted stream cleaned up, getting the state to provide funds for education or fire protection and even, although much less effective, to protest a nine-year-long war, where the decision makers are thousands of miles away.
People who are passionate about the Israel/Palestine issue, people who probably have never been there nor personally know anyone living in those areas, and yet turn out for every protest march, are a different group, and I have to reconsider their motivations.
One idea I've come up with, and it may only be one of several factors, is that everyone has a need to find meaning in his or her life. Some find it in religion, their careers or their families. I suspect that some people, lacking other sources of meaning, find it by becoming passionate protesters, whether their moral and ethical high has much to do with the realities of the situation or not.
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