Kerre Woodham: High price to pay for helping out

I've been the fill-in for the fill-in this week.

Paul Holmes was filling in for Leighton Smith on ZB last week.

This week, with Leighton still in Florence and Paul swanning off to Fiji, I was the next cab off the rank. Now I know how the Maori Party felt.

And as luck would have it, I get the Israelis storming the "Freedom Flotilla". Talk about tiptoe through the Gaza.

People who rang in were passionate advocates for one side or the other.

The Bible was quoted, amateur historians were out in full force.

My inbox was full to capacity with web references and articles supporting either the Israeli right to exist at any cost or highlighting the desperate plight of the Palestinians.

One caller summed up the botched raid for me, though.

He said the captain of the Mavi Marmara forgot the three Ns when dealing with Israel. They are:

1. Never underestimate the level of force Israel will use when it feels its interests are threatened;

2. Never call Israel's bluff;

3. Never expect Israel to care about its image.

The activists aboard the "Freedom Flotilla" wanted publicity for their mission and by crikey, they got it.

But what a terrible price to pay for that publicity.