Netanyahu Questioned by Flotilla Investigators

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a public inquiry into the deadly, late May raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla that he left the matter in the hands of his defense minister and military leaders.

“We did not delve deeply into the details of the operation, except for the ramifications it may have in the media,” Netanyahu told the Israeli commission in reference to the decision making process prior to the May 31 raid that left nine Turkish activists dead.

The Israeli premier, who agreed to testify before the commission only after its chairman former Israeli supreme court judge Jacob Turkel threatened to quit, was visiting Canada at the time of the raid, which led to a diplomatic disaster for Israel.

“I requested that the minister of defense coordinate it,” he said in response to a direct question about his absence from Judge Turkel. “I wanted there to be one address everyone could turn to.”

In the first day of public inquiries into the affair, Netanyahu appeared for three hours before a civilian panel led by Turkel and including two foreign observers. Speaking from the witness chair in a makeshift courtroom in the dining hall of the Yitzhak Rabin Guest House in Jerusalem, in 90 minutes of public testimony Netanyahu repeated previous defenses of the raid, saying Israeli commandos “defended themselves against real threats to their lives.”

“The State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces conducted themselves in accordance with international law,” he told the commission. “The IDF fighters who boarded the Marmara displayed a rare courage in fulfilling their mission and in defending themselves against a real threat to their lives.  I have full confidence in our soldiers, and the State of Israel is proud of them.”

“The Marmara, to say the least, was not exactly a love boat,” he said, referring to the largest boat of Turkish activists, whom he said came armed with “clubs, metal rods, knives and live weapons… The IHH [Turkish] activists not only did not try to avoid a confrontation, they sought it out.”

Netanyahu spoke extensively about claims that there is a humanitarian crises in Gaza, which he depicted as a “mendacious propaganda campaign that began to undermine international support for our policy to prevent the entry of weapons into Gaza.”

“There is no humanitarian crises in Gaza,” said the Israeli leader, who is understood to have been preparing his testimony with his staff for two days. “Though the territory in question is controlled by a hostile terrorist force that calls for our destruction, Israel did not stop supplying electricity, water or fuel to Gaza, and we enabled the entry of food, medicine and other basic goods.”

“We also continued to accept patients from Gaza in our hospitals in both life-threatening cases or to treat unique medical problems,” he continued. “On average, 1,500 patients and accompanying family members come into Gaza each month. There is nothing that more clearly proves the absurdity of the claim that Israel is acting inhumanely toward Gaza.”

“There may not have been luxuries, this is true, but there was no deprivation of commodities and basic food stuffs,” Netanyahu said in response to retired Canadian Brig.-Gen. Ken Watkin, who asked the only question from the two international observers. “The international community kept repeating that there is a humanitarian crises, as if it was a self evident truth.”

While half of his testimony was made behind closed doors, the Israeli leader billed his public appearance before a committee of inquiry as highly significant.

“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,” he told the commission, whose mandate is to examine the political and military decision making prior to the Israeli raid, as well as its legality. “Israel is a liberal, democratic country governed by the rule of law. We are constantly examining our own actions. There is no country or army which examines itself as thoroughly as Israel and the Israeli Defense Foreces.”

“How many countries would be willing to establish a truly independent commission such as this one?” he asked rhetorically. “How many countries would invite foreign observers to participate in such a commission?  How many Prime Ministers and Presidents would appear before such a commission?”

Quearied if he or other senior Israeli civilian and military leaders had discussed the option of simply allowing the flotilla to enter Gaza, Netanyahu said he would give a more detailed answer in the session held behind closed doors. But he added that he had made extensive personal efforts to avoid the incident.

“My office was in contact with the highest echelons of the Turkish government,” he said. “I personally appealed to a senior official in the Egyptian government on May 27 so that he would intervene with the Turkish government… During a more closed forum, I will explain why our diplomatic efforts did not succeed in stopping the flotilla.”

Netanyahu gave another 90 minutes of closed-door testimony to the panel following the public session.

Judge Turkel was joined by four Israeli colleagues: Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Horev, former Foreign Ministry Director General Reuven Merchav and professors Miguel Deutch and Shabtai Rosenne, 93, who fell asleep at one point during Netanyahu’s opening statement.

The two foreign observers, retired Canadian Brig.-Gen. Ken Watkin and Northern Ireland’s Lord David Trimble, sat at a separate, somewhat lower table.