Inquiry Concludes Israel Had the Right to Stop the Gaza Convoy

This ship made headlines in May 2010. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.


Joel Kontinen

In May 2010 Israeli commandoes intercepted a Turkish convoy bound for Gaza. The ”peace activists” on board the Mavi Marmara attacked the soldiers with metal tubes and other weapons.

Ten of the soldiers were wounded in the clash. The Israelis had to resort to firearms to calm the all-but-peaceful activists, nine of whom died and several were wounded.

For the most part, the popular media promptly condemned the Israeli raid.

Israel set up a commission to investigate the matter. In addition to Israeli experts, it also included two well-known international observers. Lord David Trimble was awarded the 1998 Nobel peace prize for his efforts to bring an end to the fighting in Northern Ireland. Ken Watkin, a retired Canadian brigadier-general, investigated the Rwanda genocide.

The inquiry concluded that international law gave Israel the right to intercept a convoy that was a potential security risk.

Reporting on the decision, BBC for instance did not even mention the names of the international observers.


Sources:

Israel inquiry finds Gaza aid flotilla raid 'was legal' BBC News. 23 January 2011.

Flotilla Report: BBC Plumbs the Depths. Honest Reporting. 24 January 2011.