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Indian Express
Israel has threatened to pull out of a UN inquiry into a deadly raid on a Turkish flotilla heading for Gaza, after the UN chief said there is no agreement that the panel would refrain from calling Israeli soldiers to testify.
Last week Israel agreed to participate in the UN probe into the May 31 raid, when nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed after Israeli naval commandos boarded a Turkish vessel aiming to break Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza.
The surprise development late yesterday came just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified before his country’s own inquiry into the raid. He charged that Turkey had an interest in the violent confrontation, refusing to exert its influence to stop the flotilla. A Turkish official rejected that as “ridiculous.”
Israeli officials said the agreement to take part in the UN probe was conditional on the panel relying on reports from Israel’s own military inquiry, not testimony from soldiers.
But at a news conference yesterday at UN headquarters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was asked whether he had agreed not to summon Israeli soldiers before the panel.
“No, there was no such agreement behind the scenes,” Ban said, adding that the panel is supposed to work with the Israeli and Turkish inquiries. “And whatever is needed beyond that, they will have to discuss among themselves, in close coordination with the national government authorities, that they can take their own future steps,” he said.
In response, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office issued a harsh statement. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes it absolutely clear that Israel will not cooperate with and will not take part in any panel that seeks to interrogate Israeli soldiers,” it said.
Why are you running away BIBI ?
By: Naim Naqvi |
10-Aug-2010 Reply | Forward Faced with world outrage over its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound activist flotilla, Israel is playing every trick in the book to save face. Israel had claimed soon after the flotilla fiasco that one of the activists stabbed a Israeli soldier; petrol bombs were hurled at the troops and they were sprayed with tear gas. Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli propaganda, were attacked with iron bars, knives and sticks. There were reports of gunfire directed at the Israeli troops and they jumping into the sea to escape attack. It was put up as an assault on peaceful and almost unarmed Israelis who had boarded the Aid Flotilla with all gentle intentions. Soldiers were fighting for their lives, said the IDF spokesman, Avi Benayahu (in Hebrew). It was a lynch. It was an ambush. Blood shed at boarding drama was enacted with heinous intentions and world knows it. All solid backing of West can’t change the truth. BIBI has to hide his soldiers to stave off his indictment from Enquiry Commission .
Israel-the mightiestBy: Joice | 10-Aug-2010 Reply | Forward Israel Prime Minister’s statements seems to show his determination and dedication to the home land.Israel is determined to guard against those terrorists who injects disarray and eventually to fizzle out the nations integrity and sovereignty.It is to be knocked aside at any cost and that is what Israel has been practicing.
