ISRAELI PRIME minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the committee of inquiry being set up by Israel into the naval raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla will “make it clear to the world that Israel is acting legally, responsibly and with complete transparency”.
He said that exposing the facts “will prove that our aim was to conduct a defensive operation according to the highest standards”. Mr Netanyahu spoke ahead of yesterday’s unanimous cabinet vote endorsing the formation of an “independent public committee” chaired by former supreme court judge Yaakov Turkel.
The panel will have, with two other Israeli members, a retired major general and a 93-year-old professor of international law, and two foreign observers without voting rights, former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble and retired Canadian military prosecutor Ken Watkin.
Lord Trimble told The Irish Timesit would be "quite improper" to discuss any details surrounding the inquiry "before one actually engages with the issue. It is essential to approach the matter with an open mind."
Israel faced a wave of international criticism after nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli commandos intercepted the six-boat flotilla in international waters on May 31st. But Israel rejected the call by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon for an international inquiry, and intensive contacts with Washington and European allies preceded the announcement on setting up the Israeli probe.
The panel will be authorised to summon witnesses, including the prime minister, defence minister Ehud Barak and Israel defence forces chief of staff Lieut Gen Gabi Ashkenazi, but it will not be permitted to question commandos who took part in the raid or their officers. The commission is mandated to examine the legality of Israel’s maritime blockade on Gaza, the naval interception and the aims and identity of the organisers and participants of the flotilla. It will not look into the Israeli government’s decision-making ahead of the raid. No time frame was set for the panel’s deliberations and the commission will decide whether the deliberations will be open to the public.
Most Israeli analysts interpreted the decision to set up an inquiry, with the backing of the US and key western states, as a political victory for the prime minister. Ministers expressed the belief the initiative will be enough to thwart another, potentially damaging international investigation, similar to the inquiry headed by retired South African jurist Richard Goldstone into the Gaza war, which accused Israel of war crimes.
Washington welcomed the Israeli decision as “an important step forward”. Turkey, which has threatened to cut off diplomatic relations unless Israel apologises and accepts an international inquiry, criticised the Israeli decision. “We have no trust at all that Israel, a country that has carried out such an attack on a civilian convoy in international waters, will conduct an impartial investigation,” said foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said the format of the Israeli committee “does not correspond” to that proposed by the UN security council.