Israeli PM defends flotilla raid
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday laid out Israel's case for a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla before members of an investigation commission.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Reut Hall of the Yitzhak Rabin Guest House to testify before a state-appointed inquiry into the Israeli naval raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, in Jerusalem Aug. 9, 2010. The Turkel committee, an investigation panel into Israeli Navy's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in late May, started its first round of inquiring of Israeli senior officials on Monday. [Ronen Zvulun/Xinhua/POOL] |
"The appearance of Israel's Prime Minister before this committee today is the best evidence of the high standards by which Israel's democracy functions," Netanyahu said shortly after he strode into the brightly lit hall at the Rabin Guest House in Jerusalem.
Taking a seat at a small desk facing the dais to make his opening statement, Netanyahu appeared at ease. He said he was "convinced that at the end of your investigation, it will be clear that the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces conducted themselves in accordance with international law."
The Turkel Committee, a commission of inquiry approved by Israeli cabinet on June 14, was formed to investigate the May 31 commando raid aboard the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which ended in the deaths of nine foreign nationals, and the legality of the continued maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The committee is headed by retired Israeli Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, including other two Israelis and two international observers.
Netanyahu said in the hearing that the May 31 operation and the ongoing naval blockade on the enclave were intended to keep Israel safe against Hamas, which controls the Palestinian Gaza strip at the present.
The Israeli leader said his government's policy towards Hamas and Gaza had four chief elements: "Acting to secure the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, immediately responding to firing on Israel from the Gaza Strip, acting to prevent the entry of weapons and war materiel into Gaza," and "preventing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza," Netayahu said.
Fifteen helicopter-borne Israeli naval commandos slid down ropes on to the deck of the ship of Mavi Marmara in a predawn raid, in an attempt to thwart the six-ship flotilla from breaching Israel's three-year naval blockade on Hamas-run Gaza.
Troops killed nine passengers, and wounded other dozens. Nine soldiers were also wounded in the melee, during which video footage shows the soldier met with stiff opposition from some of those on board and in the event used live fire.
The incident fuelled international outrage and a severe crisis in Turkish-Israeli relations. To dilute the international pressure, Israeli cabinet approved the establishment of the Turkel Committee, in the meanwhile, after an initial refusal, last week agreed to cooperate with a UN investigation of the takeover.
Netanyahu said in the hearing that his office focused on combating the international political and public relations fallout of the plan to take over the six craft.
At several points in his hour-and-a-half testimony, Netanyahu asked to respond during the afternoon closed-door session to questions about operational details of the raid, relations with Egypt over cooperation in its handling, as well as the identity of Israeli officials who contacted Turkish colleagues in an effort to head off the crisis, and other issues.
He acknowledged that Israel had failed at several stages in trying to either thwart or mitigate the diplomatic damage from the raid.
"We tried to prevent the launch of the flotilla at the diplomatic and security levels. We did not succeed. We suggested transferring the goods through the Ashdod and El-Arish ports. We did not succeed. We held continuous contacts with the most senior levels of the Turkish government. We did not succeed," Netanyahu admitted.
Netanyahu said Hamas had been largely successful in convincing the international community that Israel's siege and maritime blockade were at fault for creating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but said that image was wrong.
The premier noted that there was no hunger in Gaza and there was no lack of medicines or other essential items at the present time, adding that Israel has also increased the goods delivering into the Palestinian enclave.
When asked who he placed in charge of the operation during his trip to Washington a few days prior to the raid, the Israeli premier named Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is to provide his testimony on Tuesday. IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi will appear before the committee a day later.
Most of Netanyahu's testimony was made public, with representatives from a host of national and international media organizations present at the modest Jerusalem lodge where the testimonies are being heard.
Local media reported that Netanyahu spent the last few days writing the speech he presented as a prelude to the commission members' questions. The Israeli premier consulted last week with his lawyer and, according to reports, spent recent days conducting simulation games with his personal advisor in preparation for questions he may be required to answer by the commission.
