Whodunnit? Turkey Claims Israel Asked UN to Postpone Palmer Report
According to Tukish daily al Hurriyet (although the report originated with, who else?, AFP), Turkish officials claim that the latest daily by the UN in issuing the Palmer Report concerning Israel’s enforcement of its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip occurred at Israel’s request. Israeli officials denied the claim and assert that Turkey’s government asked for the delay.
Let’s play Whodunnit and see if we can figure out who is telling the truth.
Exhibit No. 1: The United Nations, which would find a way to blame Israel if it had killed Osama bin Laden on September 12, 2001, delays issuing a report concerning a controversial incident involving Israel. Based on the UN’s recent history, is this likely to be because the report (a) is critical of Israel and declares its actions to be illegal; or (b) supports Israel’s position that its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, from which nearly 150 missiles were fired at Israeli civilian targets, is lawful under international law?
Exhibit No. 2: Israel’s Prime Minister recently announced unequivocally that Israel would not apologize for its act of self-defense and its soldiers’ use of force to defend themselves when they were set upon by armed thugs aboard the Mavi Marmara. In light of his recent statement, is the Israeli Prime Minister (a) concerned that the Palmer Report will conclude that Israel acted unlawfully, or (b) certain that even the UN agreed with the legality of the blockade.
Exhibit No. 3: The news article itself. Pay particularly close attention to the highlighted paragraphs near the end of the article:
The UN report on Mavi Marmara is delayed again due to a request from Israel, says Turkey’s Foreign Ministry denying media reports which say the opposite
A U.N. report due out Tuesday investigating Israel’s deadly 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla has been delayed again, upon Israel’s request, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Monday, denying Israeli media’s contrary claims, Agence France-Presse reported Monday.
‘The request to postpone [the announcement] came from Israel, like the previous requests,’ Selçuk Ünal, the spokesperson of the ministry told the Anatolia news agency.
However, Israeli news portal Ynet reported Sunday that request for postponement came from Turkey, quoting anonymous sources in Jerusalem.
Diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey have been in a crisis since May last year when Israeli commandos staged a deadly raid on an international aid flotilla, including the Mavi Marmara, that was trying to reach Gaza in defiance of Israel’s naval blockade on the Palestinian territory. Nine Turkish activists, including a dual citizen of the United States, were killed in the raid.
The release of the report has been postponed at least twice this year to allow time for the two sides to reconcile their differences. The inquiry panel, headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer, was due to release its report Tuesday. Turkey says relations between the two can only be restored if Israel apologizes for the raid, compensates the families of those killed and injured, and lifts its blockade on the Gaza Strip. Israel, however, insists on not apologizing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday kept up Israel’s refusal to apologize to Turkey over his country’s raid on the Mavi Marmara, Agence France-Presse reported.
‘The prime minister has not changed his stance on Israel not apologizing,’ Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu warned on Saturday that relations with Israel will further deteriorate without an apology from Israel over its commando raid. According to Turkish diplomats, Ankara could further downgrade its representation in Tel Aviv. It maintained a charge d’affaires in Tel Aviv after recalling its ambassador following the raid.
No delay in the release of a United Nations report on last year’s Mavi Marmara raid can hide the reality of what transpired, Turkish European Union Minister Egemen Bağış said Monday, according to Anatolia news agency.
Bağış said no country had the right to kill the citizens of another country in international waters.
‘This can only be the work of pirates. They can postpone the report as much as they want, but the truth cannot be hidden,’ he said. The minister also said Turkey’s stance on the matter was clear, listing the country’s conditions as receiving an official apology from Israel, compensation for the relatives of the victims of the attack and the ending of the embargo against Gaza
Do the comments attributed to Turkey’s EU Minister suggest that (a) Israel wants the Palmer Report postponed because the report finds the blockade and, therefore, enforcement of the blockade to be illegal; or (b) that Turkey, adamant in its insistence on maintaining a belligerent rhetoric on the subject, wants to avoid having the UN declare the blockade to be legal?
OK, folks, you have your evidence. Whoddunit?