Flotilla? Convoy?
In the firestorm surrounding the recent clash between Israel and the six ships carrying materials to the Gaza strip there has been one constant that I find somewhat surprising: calling the ships an “aid flotilla”.
Now, to be fair, the ships did indeed carry a great deal of aid. There was medicine, cement, food, etc, and reportedly no weapons to be found (other than clubs and knives, of course). Definitely no rockets, though. Judging by merely the contents of the ships, it very reasonable to call the group an “aid flotilla” or “aid convoy”.
That said, we generally name things for their intended purpose. Read any article about the events and you’ll get quotes from those involved with the aid organization that their primary mission was to break the blockade. That’s why they were not willing to drop the materials at a port and have it transferred by land to Gaza. In that case, why are we not referring to the group as “blockade runners”?
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