&host=www.rt.com&uri=/news/israel-admits-flaws-raid/&via=1.1 4.27.8.141:80 (Footprint 4.8/FPMCP)&ua=CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html))
Israel admits “planning flaws” in aid raid, but no one blamed
Published: 12 July, 2010, 22:57
Edited: 16 July, 2010, 15:34
Israel, Tel Aviv: Retired Israeli general Giora Eiland holds a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on July 12, 2010. (AFP Photo / Jack Guez)
(9.1Mb) embed videoTAGS: Conflict, Military, Middle East
An Israeli military investigation says poor planning and intelligence led to the deadly attack on a Gaza aid flotilla in May.
But the new report puts no blame on the commandos who opened fire, killing nine Turkish activists.
There was a heated debate on RT between Jeff Halper, a co-founder and coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and Ra’anan Gissin, an expert on the Arab-Israeli conflict and former adviser to the Israeli prime minister who defended the country's military for investigating itself.
Discussing the validity of an Israeli military commission investigating its own actions, especially when such serious errors were made, Gissin said that on the contrary, historically this institution has proved itself to be very effective.
“The army always investigates itself and learns from its mistakes and tries to improve it,” he emphasized.
“The commission has pointed out some of the deficiencies in intelligence gathering and intelligence assessment. But I want to say something about this whole affair and I protest the fact that we killed some nine activists,” Gissin added. “This was active self-defense and this is the core issue. The core issue is that we are fighting in a different type of environment, different type of war and in this war we have the right to self-defense.”
“What about the occupation?” Jeff Halper responded. “Gissin talks about self-defense and all that nonsense. The fact is we have a 43-year occupation that the entire world is trying to end. It has nothing whatsoever to do with self-defense!”
And talking about Israel easing the blockade of Gaza, Halper pointed out that Gaza “has gone from a concentration camp to a prison.”
“You have a million people in prison, they can’t get out, they are impoverished, has that improved? No!” he said. “The occupation has to end, the siege has to end. There is no such thing as improving conditions in prison. This is like a prison commission report. The prison guards would like to know – how can we do our jobs better? What the world is saying is – Israel, you shouldn’t have prison guards in Gaza. Gaza should be a free country, like Israel and the other countries of the world. That’s what should be investigated – why is Israel still in Gaza after 43 years?”
Meanwhile, the latest reports suggest that the Libyan aid ship ‘Hope’ could be in Gaza waters by Tuesday evening. Israel says it will not allow the ship to break the blockade.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has urged the defense establishment not to take any kind of action until it is clear that the ship is within the waters of Gaza, in order to prevent a repeat of what happened several weeks ago when an Israeli commando unit stormed a Turkish vessel while it still was in international waters.
12.07.2010, 21:29
4 comments
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It is a foreseen conclusion that Israel would never admit to any guilt on the incident occurring on the Turkish aid ship. Under International law I can cite the following, concerning piracy on the high seas. (1) Any illegal act of violence, detention or any act depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed: (a) on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such a ship or aircraft; (b) against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state. (2) Any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft. (3) Any act of inciting or intentionally facilitating an act described in sub-paragraph (1) or (2) of this Article (this includes warships, government ships or aircraft) A ship/aircraft in international waters and airspace is treated as it were the flag state, what occurs aboard occurs in the flag state. What occurred aboard the Turkish aid ship occurred on Turkish territory, the unlawful deaths of 9 of its citizens, by Israeli Military personnel. Turkey has the right to try in a civil court those responsible also Israel has the same rights, but in this case refuses and also refuses to recognize that they are in the wrong. Turkey can take legal action against Israel in the Court in the Hague to demand satisfaction. They can also take out international arrest warrants for those responsible. As for the continuing blockade of Gaza, it has no real legality even the UN acknowledges this and have demanded its lifting. It would be better for Israel to lift it and allow proper trade and rebuilding to bring Gaza out of its poverty and start proper dialogue with their elected officials, Hamas, and stop procrastinating. Jaw jaw is better than war war.
The questions pertaining to international law have not been answered here just as my original comment concerning international law of the given situation to what has occurred and its ramifications have not been published.