Israeli Probe on Flotilla Raid: Soldiers Acted “Properly”

21/01/2011 Israeli occupation soldiers acted “properly” by killing nine unarmed Turks. Their crime was that they headed to Gaza Strip, along with other international activists, to help its people and condemn the Israeli siege

The Turkel Commission investigating the events surrounding the Gaza flotilla of May 2010 is expected to determine that the actions of the commando unit that took control of the ships did not contravene international law, and that the Israeli soldiers on the Mavi Marmara acted in “self-defense” when they killed nine Turkish citizens.

The Israeli commission will submit the first part of its findings to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday, after which they will be made public on Sunday afternoon.

Professor Yossi Shain, an international relations expert at Georgetown University and the head of Tel Aviv University's diplomacy program, said that any professional observer would view the Turkel Committee as a serious, distinguished team.

"Almost naturally, committees established by Israel draw a suspicious attitude in the world," he said. "There will always be a perception whereby Israeli committees take Israel's side."

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