Israel Confidently Defies World, Rejects Independent Probe Calls

Al-Manar TV – 02/06/2010

Israel on Tuesday night rejected international calls to end its naval blockade of Gaza and to launch an “independent” investigation into the Israeli navy commandos killing of at least nine unarmed activists during a raid of the Mavi Marmara passenger ship, which was part of a flotilla that aimed to break the blockade on Gaza.

“It’s important to understand that this [blockade] is essential to protect Israel’s security and its right to defend itself,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told a special meeting of the diplomatic-security cabinet in Jerusalem.

“Gaza is an “Iranian-sponsored terrorist state,” and as such it is vitally important to prevent the entry of weapons there, whether by air, sea and land,” he said.

Netanyahu, who expressed full backing to Israeli forces and their decision to execute the raid and commit the massacre, acknowledged that weapons are already smuggled into Gaza through tunnels, but said there was a vast difference between the scope of that operation and the scale and quantity of weapons that could be brought into Gaza by ship if cargo was allowed to arrive unchecked.

“Opening a naval route to Gaza would be a huge threat to the security of our citizens. That is why we insist on maintaining the blockade and on examining the ships” in spite of the international pressure and criticism against it, he said.

Calls for an immediate investigation into the raid have been issued by the United Nations, the European Union and the United States. Britain, France, Russia and China — four of the five veto-wielding Security Council members — have also urged Israel to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The flotilla was supposed to deliver 10,000 tons of aids, medical supplies, and construction material to the besieged people of Gaza. After searching the ships, Israel found what it termed as “weapons”; they were kitchen knives, tools and wrenches for maintenance, tables and chairs and they were used by the activists to defend themselves from Israeli soldiers shooting at them live rounds from assault rifles in international waters.

US President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he supports an ‘independent’ probe that would examine the events leading to Israel’s Monday raid on the Gaza-bound protest flotilla, Israeli Army Radio reported. Earlier, White House sources hinted that they might demand an international investigation of the affair. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they backed the UN Security Council’s call for an investigation

But Clinton sought to ease the pressure on Washington’s closest ally. She added that the US could support “an Israeli investigation that meets those criteria” and was open to different means of assuring a credible investigation, including international participation. She said that the Obama administration would be discussing these avenues with Israel and other countries in the days ahead.

Israeli public opinion was split over the calls for a probe, according to a poll published on Wednesday in the Maariv daily, which found 46.7 percent in favour, while just over half — or 51.6 percent — thought it unnecessary.

Photo credit – Ma’an Images