1 mar 2011
'Israel leading human rights abusers'
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says the Israeli regime is at the very top of the list when it comes to human rights violations.
In case a list was made for countries with most violations of human rights, Israel would be on top of that list, Anatolia news agency quoted Davutoglu as saying on Monday at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport prior to a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Davutoglu also described the attack launched by Israeli forces on a Turkish aid ship bound for the besieged Gaza Strip as an attack on a civilian convoy that violated all human rights and principles.
He also pointed out that he would submit a report about the raid on March 21, when the UN Human Rights Council convenes for the next meeting.
The Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged MV Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other people that were part of a group of relief workers and activists on the six-ship convoy.
Israel also arrested and later released nearly 700 activists from 42 countries that were on board the ships of the Freedom Flotilla, which was attempting to break the siege of Gaza to deliver 10,000 tons of humanitarian relief aid to the long-suffering people of the territory.
Meanwhile, the Turkish minister rapped the United States for its recent veto of a UN resolution that called for a cessation of Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
You can't expect Israel to take the necessary steps for peace at the negotiation table if other countries refuse to criticize it, Davutoglu said.
The remarks come as the Israeli regime has been persistently proceeding with the construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).
The United Nation has repeatedly condemned Tel Aviv for defying international calls to halt its settlement construction activities.
Palestinians view Israel's unrelenting settlement construction activities as a major hurdle in efforts to establish an independent state on the territories Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says the Israeli regime is at the very top of the list when it comes to human rights violations.
In case a list was made for countries with most violations of human rights, Israel would be on top of that list, Anatolia news agency quoted Davutoglu as saying on Monday at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport prior to a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Davutoglu also described the attack launched by Israeli forces on a Turkish aid ship bound for the besieged Gaza Strip as an attack on a civilian convoy that violated all human rights and principles.
He also pointed out that he would submit a report about the raid on March 21, when the UN Human Rights Council convenes for the next meeting.
The Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged MV Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other people that were part of a group of relief workers and activists on the six-ship convoy.
Israel also arrested and later released nearly 700 activists from 42 countries that were on board the ships of the Freedom Flotilla, which was attempting to break the siege of Gaza to deliver 10,000 tons of humanitarian relief aid to the long-suffering people of the territory.
Meanwhile, the Turkish minister rapped the United States for its recent veto of a UN resolution that called for a cessation of Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
You can't expect Israel to take the necessary steps for peace at the negotiation table if other countries refuse to criticize it, Davutoglu said.
The remarks come as the Israeli regime has been persistently proceeding with the construction of settlements in the occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).
The United Nation has repeatedly condemned Tel Aviv for defying international calls to halt its settlement construction activities.
Palestinians view Israel's unrelenting settlement construction activities as a major hurdle in efforts to establish an independent state on the territories Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.
21 feb 2011
Turkish flotilla victims father to seek legal remedy in US
Araturk said lawyers and Dogan will hold senior-level meetings in US.
Ahmet Dogan, father of 19-yeard old Furkan Dogan, who was killed in a lethal Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, which was carrying humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza on May 31 of last year, is headed to the US to launch an investigation into his sons killing.
Ahmet Dogan went to Chicago with two lawyers, Ramazan Artürk and Ugur Sevgili, on Friday to seek legal action in the US for his son's death during the Israeli raid, which also killed eight Turkish nationals, Cihan news agency reported.
Turkish autopsy reports of 19-year-old Dogan, a US citizen, revealed he was shot five times -- at close range on the right side of his nose, in the back of the head, in the back and twice in the left leg.
Turkish officials repeatedly called on the US to take the issue seriously, but the US said Israel was "best positioned to start the probe into the raid."
Dogan will also be awarded the annual American Muslim Foundation (AMP) Jerusalem Award for 2011.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport, Aratürk said lawyers and Dogan will hold senior-level meetings at the State Department and Justice Department.
Aratürk said they will also visit the family of Rachel Corrie, an American college student killed when she was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip during a peaceful protest in 2003.
Dogan told reporters that they will also have a chance to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and said they will launch every kind of probe to investigate the death of Dogan. "If there is a law, humanity, we believe we will get results," Dogan said.
Aratürk said there is an ongoing investigation in the US and that they will also inquire as to its current status.
Aratürk also said the report they have prepared on the Mavi Marmara incident, which is similar to the report Turkey prepared earlier for the UN, will be delivered to the UN Secretariat.
Ahmet Dogan, father of 19-yeard old Furkan Dogan, who was killed in a lethal Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, which was carrying humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza on May 31 of last year, is headed to the US to launch an investigation into his sons killing.
Ahmet Dogan went to Chicago with two lawyers, Ramazan Artürk and Ugur Sevgili, on Friday to seek legal action in the US for his son's death during the Israeli raid, which also killed eight Turkish nationals, Cihan news agency reported.
Turkish autopsy reports of 19-year-old Dogan, a US citizen, revealed he was shot five times -- at close range on the right side of his nose, in the back of the head, in the back and twice in the left leg.
Turkish officials repeatedly called on the US to take the issue seriously, but the US said Israel was "best positioned to start the probe into the raid."
Dogan will also be awarded the annual American Muslim Foundation (AMP) Jerusalem Award for 2011.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport, Aratürk said lawyers and Dogan will hold senior-level meetings at the State Department and Justice Department.
Aratürk said they will also visit the family of Rachel Corrie, an American college student killed when she was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip during a peaceful protest in 2003.
Dogan told reporters that they will also have a chance to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and said they will launch every kind of probe to investigate the death of Dogan. "If there is a law, humanity, we believe we will get results," Dogan said.
Aratürk said there is an ongoing investigation in the US and that they will also inquire as to its current status.
Aratürk also said the report they have prepared on the Mavi Marmara incident, which is similar to the report Turkey prepared earlier for the UN, will be delivered to the UN Secretariat.
12 feb 2011
Israel used excessive force on Flotilla
Turkey says it has unveiled its final inquiry report on the Israeli deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid convey last year, which proves Israel used excessive force and trampled international law.
The Israeli commandos attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, and injuring about 50 other people who were part of the team on the six-ship convoy.
The Turkish National Commission of Inquiry said in its final report to United Nations released Friday that Israel used excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate force against the unarmed civilians on board the aid convoy, TurkishPress.com reported.
The report has been submitted to the Panel of Inquiry set up by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in August 2010, it said.
The case is now a litmus test for the international community in upholding the rule of law, it added.
It also argued that "since Israels naval blockade on the Gaza Strip is unlawful, any act it performs as a function of this blockade is unlawful par excellence."
The report said that the Israeli raid was a "full-fledged and well-planned attack" on the international aid flotilla.
"Israel must acknowledge its responsibility and accordingly convey a public apology to the Republic of Turkey and provide compensation for all the damage and losses resulting from its unlawful attack," according to the report.
"The attack took place 72 nautical miles from the nearest coast, and 64 nautical miles from the zone declared unlawfully, as will be seen, blockaded by Israel. As a result of the attack, eight Turkish citizens and one US citizen of Turkish descent were killed. Over 70 passengers from a host of nationalities were wounded. One of these remains in a coma to this day," the finding revealed.
"The case is a critical litmus test for the international community in upholding the rule of law ... Impunity must give way to accountability," the report said.
The Turkish report challenged an Israeli inquiry that cleared its military and government of any wrongdoing. The Israeli finding sparked Turkish protests.
Ankara said it was appalled and dismayed at the Israeli panels findings, which had called both the assault and Tel Avivs siege of the Gaza Strip legal.
Much of the international community is united in expressing outrage over the incident and a United Nations inquiry found -- by complete contrast -- that the forces had shown an unacceptable level of brutality.
Israel has so far rejected to either apologize for the incident or pay any compensation -- two measures it has been obliged by Turkey to take to make amends.
The Israeli commandos attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, and injuring about 50 other people who were part of the team on the six-ship convoy.
The Turkish National Commission of Inquiry said in its final report to United Nations released Friday that Israel used excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate force against the unarmed civilians on board the aid convoy, TurkishPress.com reported.
The report has been submitted to the Panel of Inquiry set up by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in August 2010, it said.
The case is now a litmus test for the international community in upholding the rule of law, it added.
It also argued that "since Israels naval blockade on the Gaza Strip is unlawful, any act it performs as a function of this blockade is unlawful par excellence."
The report said that the Israeli raid was a "full-fledged and well-planned attack" on the international aid flotilla.
"Israel must acknowledge its responsibility and accordingly convey a public apology to the Republic of Turkey and provide compensation for all the damage and losses resulting from its unlawful attack," according to the report.
"The attack took place 72 nautical miles from the nearest coast, and 64 nautical miles from the zone declared unlawfully, as will be seen, blockaded by Israel. As a result of the attack, eight Turkish citizens and one US citizen of Turkish descent were killed. Over 70 passengers from a host of nationalities were wounded. One of these remains in a coma to this day," the finding revealed.
"The case is a critical litmus test for the international community in upholding the rule of law ... Impunity must give way to accountability," the report said.
The Turkish report challenged an Israeli inquiry that cleared its military and government of any wrongdoing. The Israeli finding sparked Turkish protests.
Ankara said it was appalled and dismayed at the Israeli panels findings, which had called both the assault and Tel Avivs siege of the Gaza Strip legal.
Much of the international community is united in expressing outrage over the incident and a United Nations inquiry found -- by complete contrast -- that the forces had shown an unacceptable level of brutality.
Israel has so far rejected to either apologize for the incident or pay any compensation -- two measures it has been obliged by Turkey to take to make amends.
11 feb 2011
Turkey bashes Israel in deadly ship raid report
Israel used "excessive" force and breached international law in a raid on Gaza-bound aid ships last year that killed nine Turks, a Turkish inquiry commission said in a final report released on Friday.
Israeli soldiers mounted a "full-fledged and well-planned attack" on the international aid flotilla on May 31, using "excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate force" against the civilians on board, said the report, which Turkey handed over to a United Nations inquiry panel earlier Friday.
It argued that "since Israels naval blockade on the Gaza Strip is unlawful, any act it perform as a function of this blockade is unlawful par excellence."
Ankara now expects the UN panel to "produce an assessment that would not hurt the conscience of the international community... [and] reflect the truth... and that afterwards Israel would acknowledge the facts," Mithat Rende, a senior Turkish diplomat, told reporters.
"The case is a critical litmus test for the international community in upholding the rule of law... Impunity must give way to accountability," the report said.
"Israel must... convey a public apology to Turkey and provide compensation for all damages and losses," it said, echoing Ankaras conditions for mending fences with its one-time ally.
In its own report last month, Israels commission concluded that both the raid and the blockade of Gaza complied with international law, while acknowledging "regrettable consequences."
It said Israeli troops "encountered extreme violence" when they boarded the Mavi Marmara ferry, where all deaths occurred, and that activists from the Turkish Islamist IHH charity used firearms against the soldiers, repeating an allegation denied by the activists.
Rende also dismissed the claim Friday, saying that "the passengers in no way used any firearms against the Israeli forces."
He said passengers had seized three weapons from Israeli soldiers in the melee on board, but threw them into the sea.
The Turkish report said Israeli forces fired from a helicopter, killing two activists before any soldier landed on board, terrorizing the passengers.
The activists "only exercised a lawful right of self-defense, without any firearms," it said.
Israeli soldiers mounted a "full-fledged and well-planned attack" on the international aid flotilla on May 31, using "excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate force" against the civilians on board, said the report, which Turkey handed over to a United Nations inquiry panel earlier Friday.
It argued that "since Israels naval blockade on the Gaza Strip is unlawful, any act it perform as a function of this blockade is unlawful par excellence."
Ankara now expects the UN panel to "produce an assessment that would not hurt the conscience of the international community... [and] reflect the truth... and that afterwards Israel would acknowledge the facts," Mithat Rende, a senior Turkish diplomat, told reporters.
"The case is a critical litmus test for the international community in upholding the rule of law... Impunity must give way to accountability," the report said.
"Israel must... convey a public apology to Turkey and provide compensation for all damages and losses," it said, echoing Ankaras conditions for mending fences with its one-time ally.
In its own report last month, Israels commission concluded that both the raid and the blockade of Gaza complied with international law, while acknowledging "regrettable consequences."
It said Israeli troops "encountered extreme violence" when they boarded the Mavi Marmara ferry, where all deaths occurred, and that activists from the Turkish Islamist IHH charity used firearms against the soldiers, repeating an allegation denied by the activists.
Rende also dismissed the claim Friday, saying that "the passengers in no way used any firearms against the Israeli forces."
He said passengers had seized three weapons from Israeli soldiers in the melee on board, but threw them into the sea.
The Turkish report said Israeli forces fired from a helicopter, killing two activists before any soldier landed on board, terrorizing the passengers.
The activists "only exercised a lawful right of self-defense, without any firearms," it said.
29 jan 2011
Amnesty: Israel's flotilla probe a 'whitewash'
London-based rights group Amnesty International condemned on Friday the findings of an Israeli inquiry into last year's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla as a whitewash, saying the Israeli investigating panel failed to account for the deaths of nine Turkish nationals at the hands of Israeli commando forces.
The findings of the inquiry, known as the Tirkel Commission, were released on Sunday, and said that Israel's military acted lawfully when they captured the Mavi Mamara on 31 May 2010, killing nine activists on board, and intercepted five other ships.
Named after leading investigator, former Israeli justice Yaakov Tirkel, the investigation was the second launched by Israel into the events on the flotilla. A military probe found issues with the intelligence gathering process used ahead of the attack, but said soldiers acted bravely and within the military's code when they shot and killed the passengers.
"Despite being nearly 300 pages long, the [Tirkel] report crucially fails to explain how the activists died and what conclusions the Commission reached regarding the IDF's specific actions in each case," said a statement from AI.
"The Commission's failure to account for the deaths reinforces the view that the Israeli authorities are unwilling or incapable of delivering accountability for abuses of international law committed by Israeli forces," the organization accused, saying the inadequate findings of the commission, "highlights the need for follow-up to ensure that the sharply contrasting conclusions of the International Fact-Finding Mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, which were issued on 22 September 2010, but not even mentioned by the Commission, are addressed and that the rights of victims to an effective remedy are upheld."
Amnesty also criticized the legal framework used by the report, which was overseen by two international observers appointed by Israel, a former Canadian brigadier general and an Irish Nobel peace laureate. http://bit.ly/feWFnP
Humanitarian law used to govern situations of armed conflict, AI said in its statement, "allows much greater latitude for the use of lethal force," and said it "categorically rejects the application of this legal framework to the events concerned."
Of the 133 incidents of force used by the military which were identified by the commission, it found 127 were in conformity with international law, while it had insufficient information to make a determination on the other six, three of which involved the use of live fire.
"The Commission does not indicate which of the incidents of force resulted in deaths or even if it has this information," AI reviewers said, adding that information containing a detailed analysis of each incident, as well as the Israeli soldiers written testimonies on which the analysis was based, "are contained in an unpublished annex to the report."
The findings of the inquiry, known as the Tirkel Commission, were released on Sunday, and said that Israel's military acted lawfully when they captured the Mavi Mamara on 31 May 2010, killing nine activists on board, and intercepted five other ships.
Named after leading investigator, former Israeli justice Yaakov Tirkel, the investigation was the second launched by Israel into the events on the flotilla. A military probe found issues with the intelligence gathering process used ahead of the attack, but said soldiers acted bravely and within the military's code when they shot and killed the passengers.
"Despite being nearly 300 pages long, the [Tirkel] report crucially fails to explain how the activists died and what conclusions the Commission reached regarding the IDF's specific actions in each case," said a statement from AI.
"The Commission's failure to account for the deaths reinforces the view that the Israeli authorities are unwilling or incapable of delivering accountability for abuses of international law committed by Israeli forces," the organization accused, saying the inadequate findings of the commission, "highlights the need for follow-up to ensure that the sharply contrasting conclusions of the International Fact-Finding Mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, which were issued on 22 September 2010, but not even mentioned by the Commission, are addressed and that the rights of victims to an effective remedy are upheld."
Amnesty also criticized the legal framework used by the report, which was overseen by two international observers appointed by Israel, a former Canadian brigadier general and an Irish Nobel peace laureate. http://bit.ly/feWFnP
Humanitarian law used to govern situations of armed conflict, AI said in its statement, "allows much greater latitude for the use of lethal force," and said it "categorically rejects the application of this legal framework to the events concerned."
Of the 133 incidents of force used by the military which were identified by the commission, it found 127 were in conformity with international law, while it had insufficient information to make a determination on the other six, three of which involved the use of live fire.
"The Commission does not indicate which of the incidents of force resulted in deaths or even if it has this information," AI reviewers said, adding that information containing a detailed analysis of each incident, as well as the Israeli soldiers written testimonies on which the analysis was based, "are contained in an unpublished annex to the report."
28 feb 2011
Turkish flotilla revenge film misses out on Holocaust day release in Germany
Film about adventures of James Bond-like agent in Israel was reportedly submitted for review too late for screening yesterday.
Producers of a Turkish action film depicting a vengeful raid on Israeli commandos involved in last year's fatal flotilla attack wanted the film to open in Germany on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
But due to time constraint issues at the German film board, it appears the controversial movie, titled The Valley of the Wolves: Palestine, did not screen in the country yesterday. It was reportedly shown at a number of cinemas in Austria.
The film ratings agency, Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft, told the Wall Street Journal the movie had been submitted too late to complete a review in time for a Thursday opening. Pana Film, the Istanbul-based production company that made the movie, described the move as a violation of "law, democracy and freedom of thought". A separate report indicates the film was later passed by the board for screening in Germany.
The Valley of the Wolves: Palestine is the latest spinoff from a TV series centred on a James Bond-like figure named Polat Alemdar, played by Necati Şaşmaz, which has a cult following in Turkey and among Turkish expats abroad. The series has been sharply criticised inside and outside its native country for nurturing nationalism, racial hatred and violence, but makers Pana Film are unbowed. "Our guilt lies in standing beside innocent people, and not being supporters of Zionist-fascist policies," a spokesman said on Tuesday.
In a trailer for the film, Alemdar is asked what he is doing in Israel. He replies that he is in fact in Palestine. Later, an Israeli threatens him by saying: "You know you won't make it out of our promised land." Alemdar responds: "I don't know what part of these lands were promised to you, but I promise you six feet under."
Producers of a Turkish action film depicting a vengeful raid on Israeli commandos involved in last year's fatal flotilla attack wanted the film to open in Germany on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
But due to time constraint issues at the German film board, it appears the controversial movie, titled The Valley of the Wolves: Palestine, did not screen in the country yesterday. It was reportedly shown at a number of cinemas in Austria.
The film ratings agency, Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft, told the Wall Street Journal the movie had been submitted too late to complete a review in time for a Thursday opening. Pana Film, the Istanbul-based production company that made the movie, described the move as a violation of "law, democracy and freedom of thought". A separate report indicates the film was later passed by the board for screening in Germany.
The Valley of the Wolves: Palestine is the latest spinoff from a TV series centred on a James Bond-like figure named Polat Alemdar, played by Necati Şaşmaz, which has a cult following in Turkey and among Turkish expats abroad. The series has been sharply criticised inside and outside its native country for nurturing nationalism, racial hatred and violence, but makers Pana Film are unbowed. "Our guilt lies in standing beside innocent people, and not being supporters of Zionist-fascist policies," a spokesman said on Tuesday.
In a trailer for the film, Alemdar is asked what he is doing in Israel. He replies that he is in fact in Palestine. Later, an Israeli threatens him by saying: "You know you won't make it out of our promised land." Alemdar responds: "I don't know what part of these lands were promised to you, but I promise you six feet under."
26 feb 2011
Hamas denounces results of Turkel probe
Hamas strongly denounced the results of the Turkel probe into the lethal attack by Israeli troops on the Freedom Flotilla during an attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The board released a report Sunday concluding that the attack did not contravene with international laws.
Hamas said the report reveals the panel's political role in legitimizing Israeli aggression and that facts were distorted.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said "It is an attempt to display [Israel's] image as civilized and democratic and save the occupation government from its predicament stemming from its involvement in terrorist acts.
The investigation concluded Israel's siege on Gaza and attack on the Freedom Flotilla were done in accordance with the law and did not constitute any violation of international law.
According to Yakoub Turkel, chairing the probe, Israel has fulfilled the obligation of supplying the strip's medical needs throughout the siege and did not deliberately starve the population there.
The board released a report Sunday concluding that the attack did not contravene with international laws.
Hamas said the report reveals the panel's political role in legitimizing Israeli aggression and that facts were distorted.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said "It is an attempt to display [Israel's] image as civilized and democratic and save the occupation government from its predicament stemming from its involvement in terrorist acts.
The investigation concluded Israel's siege on Gaza and attack on the Freedom Flotilla were done in accordance with the law and did not constitute any violation of international law.
According to Yakoub Turkel, chairing the probe, Israel has fulfilled the obligation of supplying the strip's medical needs throughout the siege and did not deliberately starve the population there.
25 jan 2011
Turkish Freedom Flotilla probe releases report condemning Israel
Turkey revealed Monday a report condemning Israel for its lethal attack last May on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla dubbed Freedom.
Israel released its own report on Sunday justifying the army's conduct during the attack that left nine Turks dead.
According to the Turkish investigation, no arms were found on the aid convoy during inspections. The Israelis claimed fears that the blockade-busting ship could have been carrying weapons on board.
Troops used laser-guided automatic guns, helicopter, frigates, submarines and rubber boats during the full-fledged attack, the report says. They killed two civilians before boarding the Mavi Marmara ship.
The investigation board told Al-Jazeera it would submit the report to the UN to pass its decision.
The panel's chairman said he expected a "more balanced and rational" report from Israel.
The Israeli probe said the Turkish aid fund IHH was to blame for the attack, claiming it had links to terrorism. It said sunday that the ship's seizure was legal because the convoy was trying to break the Gaza siege.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel's report "worthless".
"Can an internal report prepared by Israel have any worth?" he asked.
Yildirim condemns Terkel report, announces new fleet to Gaza
Bulent Yildirim, the head of the Turkish relief organization IHH, condemned the Israeli Terkel committee findings on the Israeli navy attack on the Freedom Flotilla last year.
Yildirim told a press conference in Istanbul on Monday that Israel provided protection for its soldiers through such report.
Israel punished its soldiers who stole money from the passengers aboard that fleet but acquitted soldiers who killed nine Turkish activists, he charged.
The Terkel report is full of lies "we do not trust Israel and no body trust it", he said, adding that the report is thus of no value.
The IHH head affirmed that there were no weapons aboard the Mavi Marmara vessel, the largest in the Flotilla, adding that the sea convoy's goal was solely humanitarian mainly to carry aid to the besieged people in Gaza.
Yildirim announced in conclusion that another fleet would sail for Gaza on 31st May 2011 on the first anniversary of the Israeli attack on the first flotilla. He expected 50 ships to join the new fleet.
Israel released its own report on Sunday justifying the army's conduct during the attack that left nine Turks dead.
According to the Turkish investigation, no arms were found on the aid convoy during inspections. The Israelis claimed fears that the blockade-busting ship could have been carrying weapons on board.
Troops used laser-guided automatic guns, helicopter, frigates, submarines and rubber boats during the full-fledged attack, the report says. They killed two civilians before boarding the Mavi Marmara ship.
The investigation board told Al-Jazeera it would submit the report to the UN to pass its decision.
The panel's chairman said he expected a "more balanced and rational" report from Israel.
The Israeli probe said the Turkish aid fund IHH was to blame for the attack, claiming it had links to terrorism. It said sunday that the ship's seizure was legal because the convoy was trying to break the Gaza siege.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel's report "worthless".
"Can an internal report prepared by Israel have any worth?" he asked.
Yildirim condemns Terkel report, announces new fleet to Gaza
Bulent Yildirim, the head of the Turkish relief organization IHH, condemned the Israeli Terkel committee findings on the Israeli navy attack on the Freedom Flotilla last year.
Yildirim told a press conference in Istanbul on Monday that Israel provided protection for its soldiers through such report.
Israel punished its soldiers who stole money from the passengers aboard that fleet but acquitted soldiers who killed nine Turkish activists, he charged.
The Terkel report is full of lies "we do not trust Israel and no body trust it", he said, adding that the report is thus of no value.
The IHH head affirmed that there were no weapons aboard the Mavi Marmara vessel, the largest in the Flotilla, adding that the sea convoy's goal was solely humanitarian mainly to carry aid to the besieged people in Gaza.
Yildirim announced in conclusion that another fleet would sail for Gaza on 31st May 2011 on the first anniversary of the Israeli attack on the first flotilla. He expected 50 ships to join the new fleet.
Navy doctor: We saved flotilla rioters' lives
For first time, commandos discuss takeover of Turkish ship. Medical officer: We made every effort to care for and save lives of injured rioters, and when I say every effort I mean it'.
Following the publication of the Turkel Committee report into the events surrounding the Turkish flotilla to Gaza, senior officers from the Israeli navy addressed the committee's findings and the events aboard the Mavi Marmara ship. They told the navy's official website that each and every thing the commandoes did was necessary.
"The Marmara incident was heroic," Lieutenant Colonel D. a veteran operations officer in the elite commando unit stated. "I am proud to be associated with an operation like this, in which people operated with true heroism. Our mission was to tie up six ships and bring them into harbor - and all six ships were in the Ashdod harbor by morning."
In a conversation with Ynet, military sources expressed their satisfaction with the committee's findings. They determined that had the commandos not operated as they did the final results would have been more severe. "From my examinations, no commando unit the world would have been able to take over a ship with 700 people on board, some of whom were terrorists," said the navy's international policy officer, who was responsible for the diplomatic aspects of the operation.
"The IHH, which was the chief organizer of the Turkish flotilla, is an extremist organization and its people were very organized and went on board with an unambiguous goal to kill IDF soldiers, there is no other explanation. We didn't surprise them, we announced that we were coming on deck, they knew everything, there was no secretive aspect, and we arrived on helicopters.
"We thought there would be a reasonable amount of resistance, which is why the commandos were armed with crowd dispersal equipment and with a firearms for emergencies. When they got on the ship, the passengers came at them with knives, axes, clubs and daggers, so there was no doubt about what they had in mind. Not to injure but to kill. They came to kill. There is no other way to interpret axes and knives," said the officer.
The corps' medical officer and the officer in charge of the commandos' doctors, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. A discussed the operation: "In the operation's medical plan, just as in any medical plan, we raised the risk factors by a few levels, which is why I can't remember a navy operation that involved so many senior doctors and the amount of medical equipment there was never a question of whether to care for the rioters or not," said Dr. A.
"The commandos made every effort to care for and save the lives of the injured rioters, and when I say every effort I mean it."
The medical team estimates that "the lives of seven rioters were saved and medical complications were avoided in the cases of 12 rioters. In total, 55 wounded passengers received different levels of medical care."
During the takeover the commandos passed through the ship's sections and discovered more wounded people, which created a new problem. "In addition to the fact that some of the rioters refused to cooperate with the commando forces, they were literally hiding the wounded and we needed to actively search the ship for more wounded," revealed Dr. A.
"There was one case where a soldier told them 'listen, there are wounded people here. I want to save their lives, let me save their lives,'" the IDF doctor recalled.
Following the publication of the Turkel Committee report into the events surrounding the Turkish flotilla to Gaza, senior officers from the Israeli navy addressed the committee's findings and the events aboard the Mavi Marmara ship. They told the navy's official website that each and every thing the commandoes did was necessary.
"The Marmara incident was heroic," Lieutenant Colonel D. a veteran operations officer in the elite commando unit stated. "I am proud to be associated with an operation like this, in which people operated with true heroism. Our mission was to tie up six ships and bring them into harbor - and all six ships were in the Ashdod harbor by morning."
In a conversation with Ynet, military sources expressed their satisfaction with the committee's findings. They determined that had the commandos not operated as they did the final results would have been more severe. "From my examinations, no commando unit the world would have been able to take over a ship with 700 people on board, some of whom were terrorists," said the navy's international policy officer, who was responsible for the diplomatic aspects of the operation.
"The IHH, which was the chief organizer of the Turkish flotilla, is an extremist organization and its people were very organized and went on board with an unambiguous goal to kill IDF soldiers, there is no other explanation. We didn't surprise them, we announced that we were coming on deck, they knew everything, there was no secretive aspect, and we arrived on helicopters.
"We thought there would be a reasonable amount of resistance, which is why the commandos were armed with crowd dispersal equipment and with a firearms for emergencies. When they got on the ship, the passengers came at them with knives, axes, clubs and daggers, so there was no doubt about what they had in mind. Not to injure but to kill. They came to kill. There is no other way to interpret axes and knives," said the officer.
The corps' medical officer and the officer in charge of the commandos' doctors, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. A discussed the operation: "In the operation's medical plan, just as in any medical plan, we raised the risk factors by a few levels, which is why I can't remember a navy operation that involved so many senior doctors and the amount of medical equipment there was never a question of whether to care for the rioters or not," said Dr. A.
"The commandos made every effort to care for and save the lives of the injured rioters, and when I say every effort I mean it."
The medical team estimates that "the lives of seven rioters were saved and medical complications were avoided in the cases of 12 rioters. In total, 55 wounded passengers received different levels of medical care."
During the takeover the commandos passed through the ship's sections and discovered more wounded people, which created a new problem. "In addition to the fact that some of the rioters refused to cooperate with the commando forces, they were literally hiding the wounded and we needed to actively search the ship for more wounded," revealed Dr. A.
"There was one case where a soldier told them 'listen, there are wounded people here. I want to save their lives, let me save their lives,'" the IDF doctor recalled.
US defends Israeli flotilla attack
The US has described an Israeli probe into a raid on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid convoy that killed nine Turkish activists as a "credible and impartial" effort.
The praise came after an Israeli investigation panel declared Tel Aviv's military attack on the Freedom Flotilla as "legal" under international law, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported.
The panel also claimed that the Israeli soldiers who took part in the killing of the nine activists acted in self-defense.
The activists aboard the aid convoy, which was attacked in international waters, were unarmed and only planned to deliver aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
"We think that this is an independent report, credible and impartial and transparent investigation that has been undertaken by Israel," US State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said on Monday.
This is while an independent Turkish committee investigating the incident concluded on Sunday that "the Israeli Army used excessive force against the Mavi Marmara [the lead ship of the six-vessel fleet].
Israeli commandos attacked the convoy in international waters on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish activists and injuring about 50 others.
The Israeli assault on the aid convoy provoked an international outcry, prompting Knesset members to set up a commission to investigate the legality of the raid as well as Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Responding to the Israeli report, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the report had "no value or credibility," with the Turkish Foreign Ministry issuing a statement saying it was "appalled and dismayed" at the Israeli investigative committee's finding.
The praise came after an Israeli investigation panel declared Tel Aviv's military attack on the Freedom Flotilla as "legal" under international law, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported.
The panel also claimed that the Israeli soldiers who took part in the killing of the nine activists acted in self-defense.
The activists aboard the aid convoy, which was attacked in international waters, were unarmed and only planned to deliver aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
"We think that this is an independent report, credible and impartial and transparent investigation that has been undertaken by Israel," US State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said on Monday.
This is while an independent Turkish committee investigating the incident concluded on Sunday that "the Israeli Army used excessive force against the Mavi Marmara [the lead ship of the six-vessel fleet].
Israeli commandos attacked the convoy in international waters on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish activists and injuring about 50 others.
The Israeli assault on the aid convoy provoked an international outcry, prompting Knesset members to set up a commission to investigate the legality of the raid as well as Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Responding to the Israeli report, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the report had "no value or credibility," with the Turkish Foreign Ministry issuing a statement saying it was "appalled and dismayed" at the Israeli investigative committee's finding.
24 jan 2011
Israel Human Rights Group Disputes Turkel Commission Findings
Human rights activist Ken O'Keefe was onboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla attacked by Israeli forces in the international waters in May.
Tel Aviv PNN - The Israeli human rights group Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement published a press release on Sunday disputing the interim conclusions of the Turkel Commission, the Israeli legal body assigned the task of investigating the May 31 Gaza flotilla attack.
After the commission, chaired by retired judge Jacob Turkel, concluded that both the blockade and the raid which killed nine Turkish aid activists were legal under international law, Gisha released a statement to the press concluding the opposite:
No commission of inquiry can authorize the collective punishment of a civilian population by restricting its movement and access, as Israel did in its closure of Gaza, of which the maritime closure was an integral part.
Gisha cites a list of international law violations committed by Israel in connection to the Gaza blockade, including the prevention of passage of civilian goods such as spices, raw materials and consumer items, even limiting the food purchasing power of each Gaza resident.
So long as Israel controls central elements of life in Gaza, concluded the Gisha report, including movement via the crossings, it must take responsibility for the effects of its control on the 1.5 million human beings living in the Gaza Strip.
The Turkel Commission found that in 133 cases of force used against passengers on the Mavi Marmara ship, on which nine were killed including one American dual citizen, 127 were justified. The other six lacked sufficient data. The use of naval commandoes, according to the Commission, was legal as a means of enforcing the blockade.
Turkish authorities slammed the Turkel findings, saying they were "appalled and dismayed" about the findings, which they claimed had "no value or credibility." Israeli Arab MK Hanan Zoabi, who joined the flotilla, said the findings "cannot erase Israel's reputation as a country that repeatedly breaks international law."
'World lets Israel get away with crimes'
A Human Rights activist says Israel will continue its crimes against humanity since the international community allows the Israeli regime to get away with its bloody murders.
In an interview with Press TV, rights activist Ken O'Keefe, who was on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla attacked by Israeli forces in May, denounced the international community for allowing Israel to get away with murder over and over again without any kind of punishment.
I have scorned the world such as the United Nations, the European Union and the United States because we have allowed Israel to get away with bloody murder for decades now, O'Keefe noted.
It would of course make sense to the Israelis that anything they do is perfectly legal, O'Keefe went on to say.
The rights activist pointed out that he was on board the Mavi Marmara when Israeli commandos' raided the ship and "executed people in cold blood."
The Israeli forces killed nine activists, mostly Turks, and injured about 50 others.
Israel has recently released a report of an inquiry by an Israeli investigation committee, defending a naval assault on the Gaza Strip and the decision to prevent the flotilla from reaching the besieged territory, saying the attack was "legal."
They didn't just murder people, they executed people in cold blood including Furkan Dogan, who they continually call in the liberal Western media a Turkish citizen, but he happens to be a Turkish American citizen, O'Keefe added.
Obama and the Western governments continue to pretend as if one of their citizens were not executed, the rights activist concluded.
Tel Aviv PNN - The Israeli human rights group Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement published a press release on Sunday disputing the interim conclusions of the Turkel Commission, the Israeli legal body assigned the task of investigating the May 31 Gaza flotilla attack.
After the commission, chaired by retired judge Jacob Turkel, concluded that both the blockade and the raid which killed nine Turkish aid activists were legal under international law, Gisha released a statement to the press concluding the opposite:
No commission of inquiry can authorize the collective punishment of a civilian population by restricting its movement and access, as Israel did in its closure of Gaza, of which the maritime closure was an integral part.
Gisha cites a list of international law violations committed by Israel in connection to the Gaza blockade, including the prevention of passage of civilian goods such as spices, raw materials and consumer items, even limiting the food purchasing power of each Gaza resident.
So long as Israel controls central elements of life in Gaza, concluded the Gisha report, including movement via the crossings, it must take responsibility for the effects of its control on the 1.5 million human beings living in the Gaza Strip.
The Turkel Commission found that in 133 cases of force used against passengers on the Mavi Marmara ship, on which nine were killed including one American dual citizen, 127 were justified. The other six lacked sufficient data. The use of naval commandoes, according to the Commission, was legal as a means of enforcing the blockade.
Turkish authorities slammed the Turkel findings, saying they were "appalled and dismayed" about the findings, which they claimed had "no value or credibility." Israeli Arab MK Hanan Zoabi, who joined the flotilla, said the findings "cannot erase Israel's reputation as a country that repeatedly breaks international law."
'World lets Israel get away with crimes'
A Human Rights activist says Israel will continue its crimes against humanity since the international community allows the Israeli regime to get away with its bloody murders.
In an interview with Press TV, rights activist Ken O'Keefe, who was on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla attacked by Israeli forces in May, denounced the international community for allowing Israel to get away with murder over and over again without any kind of punishment.
I have scorned the world such as the United Nations, the European Union and the United States because we have allowed Israel to get away with bloody murder for decades now, O'Keefe noted.
It would of course make sense to the Israelis that anything they do is perfectly legal, O'Keefe went on to say.
The rights activist pointed out that he was on board the Mavi Marmara when Israeli commandos' raided the ship and "executed people in cold blood."
The Israeli forces killed nine activists, mostly Turks, and injured about 50 others.
Israel has recently released a report of an inquiry by an Israeli investigation committee, defending a naval assault on the Gaza Strip and the decision to prevent the flotilla from reaching the besieged territory, saying the attack was "legal."
They didn't just murder people, they executed people in cold blood including Furkan Dogan, who they continually call in the liberal Western media a Turkish citizen, but he happens to be a Turkish American citizen, O'Keefe added.
Obama and the Western governments continue to pretend as if one of their citizens were not executed, the rights activist concluded.
23 jan 2011
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Turkel Commission Report Released The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the release today of the 300-page report by the Turkel Commission, Part 1 of The Public Commission to Examine the Maritime Incident of 31 May 2010.
The incident is more commonly known in the media as the flotila raid, where Israeli military forces intercepted six ships attempting to break the blockade on the Gaza strip. This report addresses Article 4 of the 14.6.10 Cabinet decision: 4. The Commission will submit its conclusions on the question of whether the actions set out in paragraph 1 and their objectives, as well as additional matters involved therein, were in conformity with the rules of international law. For this purpose, the Commission will address the following issues: a) Examination of the security circumstances surrounding the imposition of the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip and the conformity of the naval blockade with the rules of international law. b) The conformity of the actions taken by Israel to enforce the naval blockade in the incident of 31 May 2010 with the rules of international law. |
c) Examination of the actions taken by the organizers of the flotilla and its participants, as well as their identity.
A second report will address in the future Article 5 of the same Cabinet decision:
5. In addition, the Commission will examine the question of whether the mechanism for examining and investigating complaints and claims raised in relation to violations of the laws of armed conflict, as conducted in Israel generally, and as implemented with regard to the present incident, conform with the obligations of the State of Israel under the rules of international law.
Today's report concludes that the military's actions were justified under international law, which starkly contrasts the findings of the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 27, 2010, which stated,
263. Israel seeks to justify the blockade on security grounds. The State of Israel is entitled to peace and security like any other. The firing of rockets and other munitions of war into Israeli territory from Gaza constitutes serious violations of international law and of international humanitarian law. But any action in response which constitutes collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza is not lawful in
any circumstances.
264. The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence. It betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality. Such conduct cannot be justified or condoned on security or any other grounds. It constituted a grave violation of human rights law and international
humanitarian law.
Israel's response the the U.N. inquiry was that it was biased, which is the same charge leveled against the Turkel Commission by other parties and some international observers.
The Turkel Report did present some criticisms towards military officers for their planning and preparation of the operation,
246. …In the present case, the risk was underappreciated and the limitations in the ROE with respect to the use of less-lethal weapons (range, areas of the body to be targeted, etc), while put in place to limit injury to civilians, proved very restrictive considering the situation faced by the soldiers that fast-roped to the Mavi Marmara. In this respect, the planning process has to account for possibilities that seem less likely, and include those scenarios in the preparation of the soldiers before the operation. While commanders rightly should be able to rely on the known capabilities of personnel under their command, it is evident that the soldiers were placed in a situation they were not completely prepared for and had not anticipated. The anticipation of and planning for “worst case” scenarios could have better prepared the soldiers for the situation to which they were exposed. In preparing exclusively for less violent scenarios, the danger from a legal perspective is that the soldiers might overreact when confronted with such unanticipated threats. However, and this should be emphasized, looking at the operation as a whole, that appears not to have happened, as the soldiers acted continually to distinguish the types of threat posed in different situations, and they even switched back and forth between lethal and less-lethal weapons to address those threats. This occurred also after it had become clear that the IHH activists were using firearms.
However, the interpretation of these comments are strongly qualified in the same report,
248. While the Commission has commented on the planning and organization of the mission, this critique should not be interpreted to mean that the actual plan as developed by the Israeli military or the organization of the mission led to a systemic misapplication of force by the soldiers involved or a breach of international law.
Israel's compliance with international law on naval blockades, discussed from page 61 on, relies heavily on:
51. …In particular a blockade is illegal if:
(a) it has the sole purpose of starving the civilian population or denying it other objects essential for its survival; or
(b) the damage to the civilian population is, or may be expected to be, excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the blockade.
56. Thus, if there is no lawful blockade, the only lawful basis for intercepting the vessel would be a reasonable suspicion that it:
• was making an effective contribution to the opposing forces’ war effort, such as by carrying weaponry or was otherwise closely integrated into the enemy war effort (belligerent right of capture); or
• posed an imminent and overwhelming threat to Israel and there was no alternative but to use force to prevent it (self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter).
In view of the information available, the Mission is satisfied that the interception of the flotilla and related preparatory planning by Israel was not purely motivated by concerns as to the vessels’ contribution to the war effort. Evidence attributed to the Chief of General Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, who testified that he did not believe that the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), one of the coalition members organizing the flotilla, was a “terrorist organization”. The evidence of Prime Minister Netanyahu to the Turkel Committee indicates that the decision to stop the flotilla was not taken because the vessels in themselves posed any immediate security threat. In any event, no such right of belligerent interdiction or wider claim of self-defence against the Flotilla has been asserted by Israel.
Such disparate conclusions from two legal entities examining the same incident raises more questions than it does answers. Specifically, there appears to be a need to resolve the analytic framework used to apply international law, especially as it relates to the principles of necessity and proportionality.
Without this type of resolution on principles of international law similar incidents will likely continue to be a flash-point between nations and a source of misunderstanding, leading to broader conflicts. The purpose of international law is supposed to provide viable diplomatic alternatives to armed conflict, and not the basis for starting wars.
A second report will address in the future Article 5 of the same Cabinet decision:
5. In addition, the Commission will examine the question of whether the mechanism for examining and investigating complaints and claims raised in relation to violations of the laws of armed conflict, as conducted in Israel generally, and as implemented with regard to the present incident, conform with the obligations of the State of Israel under the rules of international law.
Today's report concludes that the military's actions were justified under international law, which starkly contrasts the findings of the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 27, 2010, which stated,
263. Israel seeks to justify the blockade on security grounds. The State of Israel is entitled to peace and security like any other. The firing of rockets and other munitions of war into Israeli territory from Gaza constitutes serious violations of international law and of international humanitarian law. But any action in response which constitutes collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza is not lawful in
any circumstances.
264. The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence. It betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality. Such conduct cannot be justified or condoned on security or any other grounds. It constituted a grave violation of human rights law and international
humanitarian law.
Israel's response the the U.N. inquiry was that it was biased, which is the same charge leveled against the Turkel Commission by other parties and some international observers.
The Turkel Report did present some criticisms towards military officers for their planning and preparation of the operation,
246. …In the present case, the risk was underappreciated and the limitations in the ROE with respect to the use of less-lethal weapons (range, areas of the body to be targeted, etc), while put in place to limit injury to civilians, proved very restrictive considering the situation faced by the soldiers that fast-roped to the Mavi Marmara. In this respect, the planning process has to account for possibilities that seem less likely, and include those scenarios in the preparation of the soldiers before the operation. While commanders rightly should be able to rely on the known capabilities of personnel under their command, it is evident that the soldiers were placed in a situation they were not completely prepared for and had not anticipated. The anticipation of and planning for “worst case” scenarios could have better prepared the soldiers for the situation to which they were exposed. In preparing exclusively for less violent scenarios, the danger from a legal perspective is that the soldiers might overreact when confronted with such unanticipated threats. However, and this should be emphasized, looking at the operation as a whole, that appears not to have happened, as the soldiers acted continually to distinguish the types of threat posed in different situations, and they even switched back and forth between lethal and less-lethal weapons to address those threats. This occurred also after it had become clear that the IHH activists were using firearms.
However, the interpretation of these comments are strongly qualified in the same report,
248. While the Commission has commented on the planning and organization of the mission, this critique should not be interpreted to mean that the actual plan as developed by the Israeli military or the organization of the mission led to a systemic misapplication of force by the soldiers involved or a breach of international law.
Israel's compliance with international law on naval blockades, discussed from page 61 on, relies heavily on:
- San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, 12 June 1994 (the "San Remo manual")
- Declaration concerning the Laws of Naval War, 208 Consol. T.S. 338 (1909) ("the London Declaration"), and
- customary international law
51. …In particular a blockade is illegal if:
(a) it has the sole purpose of starving the civilian population or denying it other objects essential for its survival; or
(b) the damage to the civilian population is, or may be expected to be, excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the blockade.
56. Thus, if there is no lawful blockade, the only lawful basis for intercepting the vessel would be a reasonable suspicion that it:
• was making an effective contribution to the opposing forces’ war effort, such as by carrying weaponry or was otherwise closely integrated into the enemy war effort (belligerent right of capture); or
• posed an imminent and overwhelming threat to Israel and there was no alternative but to use force to prevent it (self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter).
In view of the information available, the Mission is satisfied that the interception of the flotilla and related preparatory planning by Israel was not purely motivated by concerns as to the vessels’ contribution to the war effort. Evidence attributed to the Chief of General Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, who testified that he did not believe that the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), one of the coalition members organizing the flotilla, was a “terrorist organization”. The evidence of Prime Minister Netanyahu to the Turkel Committee indicates that the decision to stop the flotilla was not taken because the vessels in themselves posed any immediate security threat. In any event, no such right of belligerent interdiction or wider claim of self-defence against the Flotilla has been asserted by Israel.
Such disparate conclusions from two legal entities examining the same incident raises more questions than it does answers. Specifically, there appears to be a need to resolve the analytic framework used to apply international law, especially as it relates to the principles of necessity and proportionality.
Without this type of resolution on principles of international law similar incidents will likely continue to be a flash-point between nations and a source of misunderstanding, leading to broader conflicts. The purpose of international law is supposed to provide viable diplomatic alternatives to armed conflict, and not the basis for starting wars.
Israel probe: Gaza flotilla raid was 'legal'
By Sara Hussein
An Israeli probe ruled on Sunday that a May 2010 raid on Gaza-bound aid ships that killed nine Turks was in keeping with international law, a finding which "stunned and dismayed" Ankara.
In its preliminary findings released the same day, a Turkish investigation said Israeli troops had used "disproportionate" force in boarding the flotilla of ships to prevent them from reaching Israeli-blockaded Gaza.
The assault earned Israel international censure, prompting Israeli MPs to appoint a commission headed by former judge Yaakov Tirkel to examine both the military operation's legality and Israel's blockade.
In its report, Israel's six-member Tirkel commission concluded that both the raid and the blockade of the impoverished Palestinian territory complied with international law.
"The naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip ... was legal pursuant to the rules of international law," the panel said.
"The actions carried out by Israel on May 31, 2010 to enforce the naval blockade had the regrettable consequences of the loss of human life and physical injuries," the report said.
"Nonetheless ... the actions taken were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law."
The commission said Israeli troops "encountered extreme violence" when they boarded the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, a ferry carrying around 600 people that led the six-ship flotilla.
A group of activists from the Turkish Islamist IHH organization on board the ship "used firearms against the [Israeli] soldiers during the hostilities," the report said.
But Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Israeli report had "no credibility," quoted by Turkey's Anatolia news agency.
"How can a report ordered and prepared in the same country have any value?" Turkey's Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan as telling journalists in Ankara. "This report has no credibility."
And a separate probe by Turkish investigators concluded that Israeli troops had used excessive force.
"The force used to intercept the Mavi Marmara exceeded the limits of what was appropriate and necessary," said Turkey's commission, which interviewed Turkish and foreign activists on the flotilla.
The commission's preliminary report criticized the "disproportionate nature of the attack" and called on Israel to pay compensation to families of the victims.
The Turkish commission, in a separate statement, said it was "stunned and dismayed" by the conclusions of the Israeli report, Anatolia reported.
"The attack carried out by Israel was a violation of rights, in times of peace or of war, and was also against all international principles, rules and norms," the commission said.
But Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, welcomed the Israeli report.
"In stark contrast to the rush to judgment from certain quarters eight months ago, the findings of the special public commission are clear: Israel acted in justifiable self defense," he said.
Israeli rights groups, however, reacted with dismay. Israel's Physicians for Human Rights accused the commission of "moral and legal blindness."
The Mavi Marmara was the biggest of the vessels that in the group attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, which was imposed in June 2006 after Gaza militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier.
The Israeli commission heard testimony from high-ranking Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and army chief General Gabi Ashkenazi.
None of the soldiers who actually participated in the raid were authorized to testify.
Giving evidence in Jerusalem last year, Barak called the flotilla a "planned provocation" and said top officials had suspected its organizers were "preparing for an armed conflict to embarrass Israel."
"We regret any loss of life," he told the Tirkel commission. "But we would have lost more lives if we had behaved differently."
Two other panels are examining the incident.
The United Nations Human Rights Council quickly formed its own inquiry panel, with which Israel refused to cooperate, deeming the council hopelessly biased against Israel.
In August 2010, UN chief Ban Ki-moon named his own panel to investigate, chaired by New Zealand former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, and with representatives from both Israel and Turkey.
An Israeli probe ruled on Sunday that a May 2010 raid on Gaza-bound aid ships that killed nine Turks was in keeping with international law, a finding which "stunned and dismayed" Ankara.
In its preliminary findings released the same day, a Turkish investigation said Israeli troops had used "disproportionate" force in boarding the flotilla of ships to prevent them from reaching Israeli-blockaded Gaza.
The assault earned Israel international censure, prompting Israeli MPs to appoint a commission headed by former judge Yaakov Tirkel to examine both the military operation's legality and Israel's blockade.
In its report, Israel's six-member Tirkel commission concluded that both the raid and the blockade of the impoverished Palestinian territory complied with international law.
"The naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip ... was legal pursuant to the rules of international law," the panel said.
"The actions carried out by Israel on May 31, 2010 to enforce the naval blockade had the regrettable consequences of the loss of human life and physical injuries," the report said.
"Nonetheless ... the actions taken were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law."
The commission said Israeli troops "encountered extreme violence" when they boarded the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, a ferry carrying around 600 people that led the six-ship flotilla.
A group of activists from the Turkish Islamist IHH organization on board the ship "used firearms against the [Israeli] soldiers during the hostilities," the report said.
But Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Israeli report had "no credibility," quoted by Turkey's Anatolia news agency.
"How can a report ordered and prepared in the same country have any value?" Turkey's Anatolia news agency quoted Erdogan as telling journalists in Ankara. "This report has no credibility."
And a separate probe by Turkish investigators concluded that Israeli troops had used excessive force.
"The force used to intercept the Mavi Marmara exceeded the limits of what was appropriate and necessary," said Turkey's commission, which interviewed Turkish and foreign activists on the flotilla.
The commission's preliminary report criticized the "disproportionate nature of the attack" and called on Israel to pay compensation to families of the victims.
The Turkish commission, in a separate statement, said it was "stunned and dismayed" by the conclusions of the Israeli report, Anatolia reported.
"The attack carried out by Israel was a violation of rights, in times of peace or of war, and was also against all international principles, rules and norms," the commission said.
But Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, welcomed the Israeli report.
"In stark contrast to the rush to judgment from certain quarters eight months ago, the findings of the special public commission are clear: Israel acted in justifiable self defense," he said.
Israeli rights groups, however, reacted with dismay. Israel's Physicians for Human Rights accused the commission of "moral and legal blindness."
The Mavi Marmara was the biggest of the vessels that in the group attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, which was imposed in June 2006 after Gaza militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier.
The Israeli commission heard testimony from high-ranking Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and army chief General Gabi Ashkenazi.
None of the soldiers who actually participated in the raid were authorized to testify.
Giving evidence in Jerusalem last year, Barak called the flotilla a "planned provocation" and said top officials had suspected its organizers were "preparing for an armed conflict to embarrass Israel."
"We regret any loss of life," he told the Tirkel commission. "But we would have lost more lives if we had behaved differently."
Two other panels are examining the incident.
The United Nations Human Rights Council quickly formed its own inquiry panel, with which Israel refused to cooperate, deeming the council hopelessly biased against Israel.
In August 2010, UN chief Ban Ki-moon named his own panel to investigate, chaired by New Zealand former prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, and with representatives from both Israel and Turkey.
Israeli soldiers fired at Gaza aid flotilla in self-defence, says inquiry
A member of the Turkel commission (left) hands a report into the raid on a Gaza aid flotilla to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Raid on Gaza-bound ships in which nine activists was killed was legal, government-appointed Turkel commission concludes.
Israeli soldiers opened fire in self-defence during a raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla of aid ships in which nine activists were killed, an Israeli inquiry concluded today.
The assault last May - which triggered a worldwide furore - did not violate international law, the 300-page report from the government-appointed commission of inquiry found.
The commission, headed by retired supreme court judge Yaakov Turkel, was announced last June, almost a month after the deadly interception of the flotilla, which was carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Its conclusions were endorsed by two international observers, who were appointed to the commission following claims that an internal Israeli investigation into the raid would not be objective.
Israel intercepted the flotilla in international waters, claiming the boats could be carrying arms or materials that could be used by militants. A battle between naval commandoes and mainly Turkish activists on the lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, ended with the death of nine people including one who sustained four bullet wounds to the head.
The report, delivered to the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said the Israeli military "were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law".
The report said that Israel's blockade of Gaza was legal under international law, but recommended that the government examine ways to "focus its sanctions on Hamas", referring to the Islamist organisation that runs the territory, rather than on the civilian population as a whole.
The raid on the Mavi Marmara caused a wave of global protest. Relations between Israel and its close ally Turkey came close to breaking point. The Mavi Marmara had sailed from Turkey and all those killed were Turkish citizens.
Israel rebuffed calls for an international investigation after the botched assault. However it faced criticism over its choice of commissioners, with critics saying the outcome of the inquiry would be a whitewash.
The two international observers former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble and Brigadier-General Ken Watkin of Canada were intended to counter such criticism.
The Turkel commission will continue to investigate the political decision making process in the runup to the raid. It is expected to report later this year.
Among those giving evidence to the commission were Netanyahu, the defence minister, Ehud Barak, and army chief Gabi Ashkenazi.
Israeli panel reports on Gaza flotilla assault (1st Lead)
Jerusalem - Eight months after Israeli commandos killed nine pro-Palestinian activists on board a Gaza-bound Turkish ship, Israel's political and military leadership were bracing themselves Sunday for the findings of an Israeli probe into the incident.
The public commission of inquiry headed by retired Israeli supreme court judge Jacob Turkel submitted its findings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early afternoon.
It was expected to make its conclusions an hour later, with Turkel reading the report to journalists.
But according to leaks in the Israeli press, the report is expected to largely exonerate the conduct of the Israeli military. If that happens, Turkey and other members of the international community are likely to quickly dismiss the findings as a white-wash.
Netanyahu appointed the commission, which includes two foreign observers - Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble and Canadian former judge advocate general Kenneth W. Watkin - two weeks after the Israel Navy overpowered the Turkish Mavi Marmara in international waters off the coast of Gaza on May 31.
The Israeli naval commandos shot dead eight Turks and an American of Turkish descent.
The activists accused the Israelis of indiscriminately opening fire with no justified reason as soon as they repelled onto the ship from helicopters.
Israel accused a group of several dozen 'extremist' activists among the hundreds on board of having used sticks and knives against the soldiers, who felt their lives were in danger and acted in self- defence as they were being 'lynched.'
The activists had declared they planned to breach Israel's stringent blockade of Gaza, imposed in 2006 in response to rocket and mortar fire from the coastal enclave at southern Israeli towns and villages, and further tightened in 2007 after the radical Islamist Hamas movement seized sole control of the strip.
The Turkel commission Sunday is publishing the first part of its report, which is to answer the question whether the Israel Navy violated international law.
It also examines whether the naval blockade of Gaza is legal, and the identity and conduct of the activists on board the flotilla.
Following international condemnation in the wake of the flotilla take-over, Israel greatly eased restrictions on the import of goods into Gaza, but exports and the movement of people remain highly restricted.
A United Nations Human Rights Council fact-finding mission ruled in September that Israel used 'totally unnecessary violence' and an 'unacceptable level of brutality' during its interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla. The soldiers' conduct toward the passengers on board was 'disproportionate and excessive,' it said.
Israel has refused to cooperate with the mission appointed by the Human Rights Council, which it accuses of a strong bias against it.
Turkey has said the findings of the Israeli commission would be 'irrelevant' to it. Relations between the former allies have hit rock bottom since the deadly take-over.
Ankara has demanded an apology and compensation for the victims by Israel, which has refused any acceptance of blame, with its outspoken and controversial foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, calling the demand a 'chutzpa' (audacity).
Ties have recovered to a limited degree after Turkey sent two planes to help fight Israel's worst-ever forest fire on the northern Carmel hill late last year.
One member of the eight-member panel, the renowned Israeli jurist Shabtai Rosenne, died in September at the age of 92.
Raid on Gaza-bound ships in which nine activists was killed was legal, government-appointed Turkel commission concludes.
Israeli soldiers opened fire in self-defence during a raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla of aid ships in which nine activists were killed, an Israeli inquiry concluded today.
The assault last May - which triggered a worldwide furore - did not violate international law, the 300-page report from the government-appointed commission of inquiry found.
The commission, headed by retired supreme court judge Yaakov Turkel, was announced last June, almost a month after the deadly interception of the flotilla, which was carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Its conclusions were endorsed by two international observers, who were appointed to the commission following claims that an internal Israeli investigation into the raid would not be objective.
Israel intercepted the flotilla in international waters, claiming the boats could be carrying arms or materials that could be used by militants. A battle between naval commandoes and mainly Turkish activists on the lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, ended with the death of nine people including one who sustained four bullet wounds to the head.
The report, delivered to the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said the Israeli military "were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law".
The report said that Israel's blockade of Gaza was legal under international law, but recommended that the government examine ways to "focus its sanctions on Hamas", referring to the Islamist organisation that runs the territory, rather than on the civilian population as a whole.
The raid on the Mavi Marmara caused a wave of global protest. Relations between Israel and its close ally Turkey came close to breaking point. The Mavi Marmara had sailed from Turkey and all those killed were Turkish citizens.
Israel rebuffed calls for an international investigation after the botched assault. However it faced criticism over its choice of commissioners, with critics saying the outcome of the inquiry would be a whitewash.
The two international observers former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble and Brigadier-General Ken Watkin of Canada were intended to counter such criticism.
The Turkel commission will continue to investigate the political decision making process in the runup to the raid. It is expected to report later this year.
Among those giving evidence to the commission were Netanyahu, the defence minister, Ehud Barak, and army chief Gabi Ashkenazi.
Israeli panel reports on Gaza flotilla assault (1st Lead)
Jerusalem - Eight months after Israeli commandos killed nine pro-Palestinian activists on board a Gaza-bound Turkish ship, Israel's political and military leadership were bracing themselves Sunday for the findings of an Israeli probe into the incident.
The public commission of inquiry headed by retired Israeli supreme court judge Jacob Turkel submitted its findings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early afternoon.
It was expected to make its conclusions an hour later, with Turkel reading the report to journalists.
But according to leaks in the Israeli press, the report is expected to largely exonerate the conduct of the Israeli military. If that happens, Turkey and other members of the international community are likely to quickly dismiss the findings as a white-wash.
Netanyahu appointed the commission, which includes two foreign observers - Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble and Canadian former judge advocate general Kenneth W. Watkin - two weeks after the Israel Navy overpowered the Turkish Mavi Marmara in international waters off the coast of Gaza on May 31.
The Israeli naval commandos shot dead eight Turks and an American of Turkish descent.
The activists accused the Israelis of indiscriminately opening fire with no justified reason as soon as they repelled onto the ship from helicopters.
Israel accused a group of several dozen 'extremist' activists among the hundreds on board of having used sticks and knives against the soldiers, who felt their lives were in danger and acted in self- defence as they were being 'lynched.'
The activists had declared they planned to breach Israel's stringent blockade of Gaza, imposed in 2006 in response to rocket and mortar fire from the coastal enclave at southern Israeli towns and villages, and further tightened in 2007 after the radical Islamist Hamas movement seized sole control of the strip.
The Turkel commission Sunday is publishing the first part of its report, which is to answer the question whether the Israel Navy violated international law.
It also examines whether the naval blockade of Gaza is legal, and the identity and conduct of the activists on board the flotilla.
Following international condemnation in the wake of the flotilla take-over, Israel greatly eased restrictions on the import of goods into Gaza, but exports and the movement of people remain highly restricted.
A United Nations Human Rights Council fact-finding mission ruled in September that Israel used 'totally unnecessary violence' and an 'unacceptable level of brutality' during its interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla. The soldiers' conduct toward the passengers on board was 'disproportionate and excessive,' it said.
Israel has refused to cooperate with the mission appointed by the Human Rights Council, which it accuses of a strong bias against it.
Turkey has said the findings of the Israeli commission would be 'irrelevant' to it. Relations between the former allies have hit rock bottom since the deadly take-over.
Ankara has demanded an apology and compensation for the victims by Israel, which has refused any acceptance of blame, with its outspoken and controversial foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, calling the demand a 'chutzpa' (audacity).
Ties have recovered to a limited degree after Turkey sent two planes to help fight Israel's worst-ever forest fire on the northern Carmel hill late last year.
One member of the eight-member panel, the renowned Israeli jurist Shabtai Rosenne, died in September at the age of 92.