Israel Navy probe of Gaza flotilla raid finds 'planning and intel flaws'
Investigation concludes that commando reaction was appropriate as the soldiers did not expect a mass offensive, lacked sufficient intelligence.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Gaza flotilla IDF
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One of the ships of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla that was intercepted by the IDF enters the port of Ashdod. |
| Photo by: Eli Hershkovitz |
The Israel Navy's internal probe into its deadly commando raid of a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip has found serious defects in the planning and intelligence aspects of the operation, Israel Radio reported on Sunday.
The internal Israel Navy probe concluded that the commando unit that embarked on the May 31 raid of the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara was inadequately prepared and lacked sufficient intelligence when approaching the activists.
The probe concluded that due to the fact that a mass offensive against Israel's commando officers was not taken into account, the officers acted accordingly under the circumstances.
"The soldiers wanted to wear their ceremonial uniform, they expected to engage with the passengers in conversation, and that was a defect," a military official told Israel Radio. "In light of the situation that developed they acted accordingly."
The soldiers inquired during the investigation into the reason they lacked intelligence information of the fact that the passengers on board the Turkish-flagged aid ship were preparing an attack.
The investigation concluded that the raid on the ship should have only been conducted after hosing the attackers down with water hoses and smoke grenade.
"Operation Sky Winds 7," the Navy commandos operation to takeover the ship, was carried out according to standard operating procedures established during a 'mock exercise' with more than 50 soldiers.
The navy admitted that they were prepared for "resistance like we encounter in Bil'in, but there wasn't a sense that it would be a walk in the park," an officer said, adding that there was a general consensus of a need for greater mental preparation of the force before the operation's execution as not enough emphasis was placed on preparing for every possible contingency.
'The major defect in the preparations and gathering of intelligence was that we did not know that we would be coping with tens of rioters," the top military commander involved in the attack told Haaretz.
"This was not disorderly conduct that deteriorated," he said, "This was a planned terrorist attack."
Another commander involved in the attack said that "I still awake at three A.M. every morning and ask myself: Damn it, how did we not know more?"
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Israel never attacks countries; they always defend themselves. The suicide activists forced the peaceful IDF to defend themselves. IDF good, the rest of the world bad.
Israel is now ofte using this excuse of intel flaws. Intle always has potential flaws and they must plan for incorrect intel. Israeli intelligence is too arrogant, whatever happened to being prepared for the worst. What would they do if the ships carried missile launchers with WMD and fired them within 20 miles of Israel?
If the Israeli Navy had requested to send a small unarmed partY of 3 or 4 officers under a white flag to board the Mavi Marmara and meet with the Turkish Captain, the outcome may have been completely different. After being piped aboard and escorted to the bridge by the ship's crew, the Israeli Officers would calmly deliver the options available to Captain Mehmut Tuval. Flotilla organizers are given 1 hour to decide to fight or surrender, with all communications remaing open to the world. In the breif time onboard the Israeli Officers were able to ascertain both the mood of the passengers and possibly even defensive preparations (railings cut) they may face. That is just how civilized countries behave, even in time of war. Before the British destroyed the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el kebir in 1940 the terms were delivered in person.
Israel can thumb its nose at the international community throwing out allegations of anti-Semitism, bias, imbalance in criticism,etc. It works. They get their way by playing victim and playing the Holcaust card. They demand to be judged by their own standards. Israeli leaders are Obsessive-neurotic-paranoid with delusions of grandeur
Various Israelis in and out of government and the military are forever fussing over Israels "deterrence" value. There is only one way to maintain and raise deterrence and that is by killing people. If people are not killed, then like minded people are not deterred. Contrarywise,, when Israel has an opportunity to kill its enemies and does not do so, their deterrence value is lowered, encouraging similar efforts on the part of the enemies. This wisdom is engraved in the heart of millions of Israeli Jews. What opportunities does Israel have to raise deterrence? This peace convoy was one for sure. The weekly fence protest is another. Attempts to photograph the IDF in action certainly must be deterred. I concur that Israel has a right to self defense, but only within the limits of the law. There must be a real offense committed, not a fake one. The response should be proportionate and directed at the offender, not the general populace.
Israel lands on a ship in international waters with armed commando's and call's the ships company terrorists for resisting their aggression. Perhaps Israel needs to lose their big brother, the US for a year so(to stop blindly protecting them) to get a real world sense of how to behave.
5. Our attack party was vastly outnumbered, and was attacked by the passengers. We had to shoot in self-defense. 4. We had intelligence of a big fat terrorist on the ship who wouldn't fit into one of the Gaza tunnels from Egypt. He had to be stopped. 3. Turkey didn't learn to behave after the "low chair" incident. We had to teach them a stronger lesson. 2. We wanted Egypt to open the Rafah crossing and take over responsibility for Gaza from us. It worked! 1. We did not expect resistance from the passengers. Under the circumstances, the soldiers acted correctly.
1- How an attacker can pretend to self defense 2- Look at the facts there was No terrorist Nor weapon on the boat. 3- Humiliate your best ally, and punish him for it ? How stupid. 4- That's something new. I do not recall of any Israeli protest against the Egyptians building a wall. 5- That's really stupid to assume. Amazing arrogance. akkakka a 4-
Now that the Israeli investigation results have explained it all and cleared the army from any wrong doing, except for not having enough intelligence, Israel has nothing to hide nor fear, and thus should not appose an International investigation!
in order to create conditions where defending themselves soldiers would harm aid volunteers to create a precedent that would deter others from doing the same thing.This is how things are done here where brutality is considered a deterent to violence and underhanded secret round-about thinking is a norm.Remember the planning meeting the I.d.F, wasn't invited to ?But I have little hope that this talkback will see the light of day since the workers at Haretz see their task as defending the State by rejecting comments such as these.
It is apparent that Israel gathered intelligence from US sources, as was the case with every Israeli failed operation.
Turkish aircraft of Onur Air intercepted by Dutch F-16 fighters
And they went back to their base in Volkel. Must be a new failure of airbus or the pilots fell asleep
Lower a Palestinian commando into a group of activist settlers in a confined space and see what happens. Lower a commando into any G8 protest and see what happens. Predictable.The soldiers are not to blame. The planners are criminally incompetent. I fear for Israel.
the day before his meeting with Barack Hussein Obama so that he could provide proof that Israel is under existential threat. (I believe Netanyahu thought he would find weapons on the ships). Which is the real reason the flotilla were attacked 90 miles from Gaza. Intercepting the flotilla on the day Netanyahu visited the White House was a no brainer, and waiting until after the visit would have meant invading Gaza. The intelligence issue is a smokescreen for the Israeli people, 6 passangers are reported missing, these I would presume are the MOSSAD operatives who were on board and in radio contact to Israeli naval vessels.
Do you really think that it is in Israel's interest to kill those people? think for a moment... look who benefited? The whole world went nuts over this and blamed Israel, so rocket shooting Hamas activists look like peacefull lambs; Israel has no benefit in killing these people, that is the reason why they would not initiate it. So while it is nice and convenient to blame Israelis for being bloodthirsty barbarians, give Israel the credit that it knows that it is not in its interest to kill those people
Your contribution merely continues the theme from the farcical IDF investigation ... lack of intelligence.
It has, for years, killed people with impunity. They seem to no longer believe in the justice system and prefer to eliminate those they suspect of a crime with a few well placed bullets. I doubt they gave much thought to how the world would respond. They just forgot they weren't killing Palestinians this time.
The poor, hard done by terrorist organization welcomes your support.
....that Israeli soldiers coming down on the ship were attacked and beaten like hell BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE later. Never mind discussions of what is legal, etc. Just the fact ......
This defense is a complete failure when it comes to protecting competence and strength of the Israeli army. What they are saying is inadequately preparation, lack of sufficient intelligence, and ill-use of intelligence at hand, are all factors that could exist in a military operation. In addition it is said that the response is level of skill meeting requirements of army. Army and soldiers operating without intelligence to plan, leading to bad plan, operate in the dark and show little knowledge of basic principles of military tactics, unable to master situations and reactions to unknown and known problems arising. Amateurs and proud of it , not exactly supporting theory of deterrence. /facepalm
"Planned terrorist attack against pirates in international waters." It could be really funny joke in comedy estrade.
What is this probe for, who cares about the outcome,except some israeli politicians.
the criminal investigating himself,nothing new in the old circus
The perfect oxymoron! Listening to the arguments one can only be impressed the arrogance and hubris of the propaganda spin created by Isreal. The world sees through it all.
Look at the videos from the ship. They were not doctored by Israel and clearly show nothing more than the Israeli soldiers being beaten by well prepared mobs with weapons. You are nothing but a Jew hater if you say anything less and believe me, the world sees through your liesthrough
Support for Israel in the flotilla clash three weeks ago has come from Germany’s second largest public broadcasting company, Sudwestrundfunk, which headlined its inquiry, ”Questionable Peace Mission.” The investigative report, based on interviews with peace activists on the lower decks of the ship Mavi Mamara, reveals that they did not question or ask about the radical and racist terror activists who organized the voyage and boarded the ship in Turkey. “It was like being at a bazaar for me. There was a buzz of activity.” said peace activist Norman Paech, who assumed the boat was carrying humanitarian aid to Hamas-controlled Gaza, despite Israel’s embargo on sea traffic to the Gaza coast. IDF videos of the cargo unloaded from the Mavi Mamara showed there was no aid at all on the boat. The German TV station, after showing interviews of activists, displayed the farewell party for the IHH terror activists, whose members are seen and heard shouting, “The army of the prophet Mohammed will return… Intifada until victory!” Islamic specialist Michael Kiefer told the television channel, “These are not normal peace activists.” One previously unpublished video clip shows the leader of the “violent and racist” BBP party on board the Mavi Mamara. Mete Curukeu, editor in chief of Sudwestrundfunk, asked German leftist legislator Annette Groth, one of the passengers on the ship, if she bothered checking out who organized the flotilla.After she replied that she was not the address for the question, Curckeu concluded, “By refusing to answer the question, you seem not to have bothered from the outset about who would travel with you”
The world sees the israelis were correct for what they have done .Any country would have killed all of of the terrorists on the boat
The outcome of the findings is not something new. It has always been in their favour and is appalling. It is a mockery to the so called justice that they want to uphold. Israel is losing friends by the day. I feel sorry for them.
Couldn't careless about the flotilla and the people in it, but as a Turk I am very very disappointed with Israel's reaction and smear campaign of Turks and Turkey in the aftermath... I very much doubt that the IDF is incompetent, even less in this case and am pretty sure that the 'faults' will somehow be accredited to low ranks and veer away from the real culprits behind the whole thing... Israel committed suicide, though I have absolutely no idea as to why? Honestly this whole thing is just like a bad sour joke.
The outcome had most probably been less violent had Israel mounted a less provocative daylight police style boarding of the ship near the exclusion zone border. But it seems the PM and FM wanted a spectacular Rambo show and thus cause to call the peace activists "terrorists".
used by the IDF when deciding to attack the turkish flagged vessel Mavi Marmara which was carrying aid to gaza. Whilst it was outside the mandated blockade zone announced by Israel. The fact is this act of piracy where the possessions of the passengers were looted by the Israelis after they violently attacked peaceful protestors shows just how out of control the nuclear armed state of Israel has become.
Commando unit was inadequately prepared, lacked sufficient intelligence, and was ill prepared? If that is the finding, can some one explain to me, how come Commandoes issued a colour pictures and names in English and Hebrew wanted people on the Mavi Marmara? Looks like another hot air from Israel Navy.
Did anyone expect anything different from an Israeli committee? Of course, the committee will not comment on how the belonginings of hundreds of activitsts were stolen by your soldiers.
Look at the footage and tell the truth. Israel did the right thing and fell for a trap
That's well known by now.
Silly how the world sees very well how it all was plannled to harm Israel but nobody says it out loud. Turkey will never become part of the EU.
Just tell me how civilians going to Gaza may harm israel. israel is harming itself by wrong doing.
And nor will Israel! Why would Turkey never become a part of EU? because its people care about people being starved in their own country? your comments do not make sense
The way Israel harms itself is so predictable, one can estimate what type of provocation will result in what sort of harm. Israeli governments don't think anymore, they act on instinct, they act the way they believe their voters want them to act.
guys, what do you expect? a flotilla of people jazzed up ready for confrontation... of course there's going to be problems. thats just common sense.
Israels various "self investigations" are strictly PR events in which Israel tries to justify their own outrageous actions. The world expects this and Israel has never disappointed in this regard.
that is a more serious problem because they will never get out of the hole they are in. They seem intent on continuing to dig
perhaps Lebanon/Syria/Iran could lead the way and show us how to conduct a real solid an international investigation of UNSC resol violation regarding Hezbollah re-arming. Or maybe one or two investigations regarding Turkey killing "120 rebels [...]in air strikes and one incursion into northern Iraq over the past month" (today's NTY). Why is everyone hung up on Israeli investigations and not seem preoccupied by Arab/Muslim crimes? Perhaps Israel would take the world so seriously if it didn't always feel singled out.
Allowing these IHH aggressors on this one ship unless the Turkish Government was complicit in this premeditated attack. Carry on spinning max effect on fools who can not see this was a set up job against the Israeli's. What is outrageous is Europe, USA not calling these attempt at breaking blockade actions foolish, suicidal, counter productive.... not because Israel should be letting in more aid in, but because the PR generated will embolden Islam-fascists bringing the ME to a flashpoint in the name of "peace". Absolutely disgusting.
... could call a bunch of peace activists, armed only with sticks, terrorists for defending themselves from an armed attack by one of the most vicious nuclear armed religious zealots in the world. This is why the U.N. wants an impartial investigation, rather than the usual whitewash by the Israeli terrorists.
a "terrorist" attack? On what, the fish? What civilians were out there being targeted in the middle of the sea? They "wanted" to land in their ceremonial uniforms and "talk", but instead they dropped in from a helicopter, at night. This was the commander's fault, plain and simple. They put their own soldiers in unnecessary danger and now they want to escape accountability. It's time for the commanders to say "Whoops, we're sorry. To both the soldiers who were harmed and the activists who were killed. We should not have engaged in this unnecessary confrontation and should have diverted the ship with less direct force."
they shouldn't have diverted the ship. They should get off Gaza and the West Bank and get back to their own borders.
The people by definition were no terrorists and there was no reason to kill and wound so many.
what do you expect.
what do you expect.
When soldiers land on a boat in international waters in the night, and then resistance to their "visit" is described as a "mass offensive" and an "attack", there is a serious distortion of reality here. Whether this is called excessive self-righteousness or psychotic delusion is secondary.
5 boats were taken over by commando's also at night, and also in international waters, yet no injuries. How do you explain that the passengers of this boat, under the same circumstances, were over taken by panic, mysteriously found hundreds of golf balls, dozens of heavy duty knives etc to attack with? You could blame Israel all you like, argue the legality of the takeover in international waters, accuse israel of being unprepared etc and that would be legitimate. But unless you are very naive, its a serious "distortion of reality" to think the passengers on this sixth boat had the same pacificist intention as the other five boats. As you say "whether this is called excessive self-righteousness or psychotic delusion is secondary. "
Tgyhe ships captain was asked to stop , he refused. he was asked to dock at Ashdod he refused. He was in breach of a military blockade all legal under the law. Boarding party was sent over. There should have been zero resistance to a legitimate boarding partry..zero resistance. Unless of course the ship was not full of peaceniks as were the others who did not resist and were quite polite. No this ship was loaded to teh gunwhales with Turkish ISlamic extremists spoiling for a fight . As evidenced by theior own video showing them days before teh boarding preparing for a fight. They got one, they lost nine dead, with two having been killed by their own brothers.
The blockade by Israel is not legal just because Israel says it is. No guns, no rockets, no explosives, what was the terrorist intent here? This was designed to highlight Israel's blatant aggression and it worked.
that prevents crayons and chocolates from entering the territory? I don't want a military blockage of Israel, I just want the US to stop sending tax money there.
Planned or not, resistance to an army isn't--by any definition except Israel's--a "terrorist attack." At what point were Israeli civilians terrorized? Israeli leaders have so stretched the definition of terrorism that it no long has much meaning in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At what point were Israeli citizens terrorized? I'll answer that question. They were terrorized as soon as the flotilla left for Gaza because they were supplying support for the terrorists of Gaza.
Israel's justifications. Although the flotilla activists were certainly out to make a point and offer what was really only token resistance, at no stage were they a threat to Israel's civillian population or indeed its military. Beyond a collection of iron bars, staves and an assortment of knives identical to the good set of chefs knives I have in my kitchen, Israel has yet to show proof of anything worse being carried on those ships. Against one of the best armed forces in the world it may have been foolhardy, if not insane, to resist an attack on their vessel in international waters, it certainly was not terrorism. This is also why the usual Israeli response of 'anti-semite' & 'self-hating jew' to criticism has also lost meaning. In devalueing these terms Israel has lost the world's understanding when it has to respond to acts of terrorism like the 2 Palestinians who were killed after indescriminately launching rockets from Gaza into southern Israel a day or so after the flotilla was raided.
Token resitance. Stabbing soldiers is not token resistance, it called attemnpted murder. Smakcing people in teh face and head with steel bars and heavy pick axe handles is not token resistance, they tried to kill, They had fire bombs..oh yeah thats only a token firebomb right, the stun grenades tehy used..token as well Tim you have been too long in your UK islnd prison it time to leave your cell and broaden tyou horizons, adn you have succumbed to that Chamberlain disease the brits have today called appeasement
Everywhere in the world where soldiers or civilians are attacked by rogue elements they are refered to as terrorist attacks, except attacks on Israelis! Gaza's leaders are terrorizing Israeli civilians daily and any group illegally trying to aid them is complicit in their terrorism. They were not peaceful aid workers, so stop defending them.
Was it because the Israeli attack on the vessel in IInternational Waters was in itself illegal as it occured outside the israeli proclaimed 20 mile blockade zone?
Was it because the Israeli attack on the vessel in IInternational Waters was in itself illegal as it occured outside the israeli proclaimed 20 mile blockade zone? Afterall attempted murder is the second most serious thing you can be charged with.
There are many countries in which massive protests lead to people picking up sticks and going after the police and they are not called terrorists. Remember hwo the police went to Gaza and they found violent resistance from jewish settlers, they didn't call them terrorists. If a US navy decided to board a ship full of peace activists in international waters and got resistance they wouldnt' call them terrorists.... but wait, when has the US army done that. They have done horrible things, but that, they havent' done. Only Israel does that.
against the activists and which they could see. The IDF were the agressors in international waters, therefore not attempted murder but legitimate self defence. And your selective memory seems to discount the fact it was activists who lost their lives. Shall we call that murder?
Bibi.......out!!!!!
This is the last of a chain of life-costing missteps by an inept government. There was no justification for killing 9 Turkish citizens--NONE! Those who ordered the attack should be brought to justice. There were many other ways to stop the boats without violence.
Funny this is the way that all countries stop boats. What would you do different? Nothing...
Hes doing a great a job. and I would vote for him again myself.
a nuclear armed country wasn't prepared for a few ships ? what are mossad for ?
They knew who was on board and made lists of who's who. Still, the attack, at that time and in that fashion, didn't lack 'intelligence,' they'd been planning for this for quite a while before. They certainly didn't make the same mistake with the Rachel Corrie. Israel investigating itself = pure comedy.