Israel says it will pull out of an inquiry into its interception of a Turkish flotilla headed for Gaza after the U.N. chief said there is no agreement to keep Israeli soldiers from testifying.
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Aug. 9 said, “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.”
Earlier, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was asked at a news conference about whether he had agreed to exempt Israeli soldiers from questioning before the panel. “No, there was no such agreement behind the scenes,” Ban replied.
Meanwhile, in front of an internal, five-member commission Aug. 9, Netanyahu defended Israel’s interception of the flotilla, suggesting that Turkey had sought the violent confrontation on the high seas. He told the commission, headed by a retired Israeli Supreme Court justice and joined by two foreign observers, that Ankara had rejected Israel’s prior appeals to halt the flotilla and refused to intervene despite the prospect of violence.
“As we got closer to the date it became clear our diplomatic efforts would not stop it,” Netanyahu said. “Apparently the government of Turkey did not see potential friction between Turkish activists and Israel as something that goes against its interests.”
Israel has released video footage showing the commandos being pummeled with wooden planks and metal rods as they landed on the ship.
The United Nations inquiry is a separate investigation of the incident. — ap