Turkey lauds UN report on Gaza flotilla
UN Human Rights Council report: Israel flotilla raid broke international law; UN appointed experts say that the military raid on the flotilla was 'brutal and disproportionate'.
By The Associated Press and Haaretz ServiceTurkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu praised Thursday the UN Human Right Council's report on the Gaza flotilla, telling Anatolia news agency that the report was fair, impartial and used strong evidence.
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The Mavi Marmara, aboard which Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla resulted in the deaths of 9 Turkish activists, leaving Haifa on August 5, 2010 |
| Photo by: AP |
The report, compiled by three United Nations appointed human rights experts, said that Israeli forces violated international law when they raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, killing nine activists, earlier this year.
The UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission concluded that Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian territory was unlawful because of the humanitarian crisis there, and described the military raid on the flotilla as brutal and disproportionate.
"We expected the council to release a strong report based on strong evidence, and in this sense the report met our expectations," said Davutoglu. "We hope that Israel will learn to use language of international law and act in line with it."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded late Wednesday by saying the Human Rights Council had a biased, politicized and extremist approach.
Israel has maintained that its soldiers acted in self-defense when they shot and killed eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American aboard the Mavi Marmara on May 31. Israel Defense Forces released footage showing its troops coming under attack as they tried to board the boat.
The Human Rights Council blamed Israel prior to the investigation and it is no surprise that they condemn after, said Andy David, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, referring to the 47-member body's resolution in early June condemning the raid.
Israel refused to cooperate with the panel, preferring instead to work with a separate UN group under New Zealand's former Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe that is also examining the incident but has yet to publish its findings
"Israel is a democratic and law abiding country that carefully observes international law and, when need be, knows how to investigate itself," the Foreign Ministry statement said.
"That is how Israel has always acted, and that is the way in which investigations were conducted following Operation Cast Lead, launched to protect the inhabitants of southern Israel from rockets and terror attacks carried out by Hamas from Gaza," said the statement.
MK Hanin Zuabi (Balad), who was on board the Mavi Marmara, praised the UN Human Rights Council's report and added that "the criminals" who ordered and carried out the raid should be brought to justice.
Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for the Islamic militant group Hamas that controls Gaza, said the report emphasized that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories violates human rights not only against Palestinian people but against innocent people who came to show their sympathy.
"Now it's required to be a mechanism in order to translate this report into action and to bring the occupation commanders to trial for the crimes they committed," Barhoum said.
The Human Rights Council's report was compiled by former U.N. war crimes prosecutor Desmond de Silva, Trinidadian judge Karl T. Hudson-Phillips and Malaysian women's rights advocate Mary Shanthi Dairiam. It is scheduled to be presented to the council on Monday
The Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, was re-established in 2006 by then UN Security General, Kofi Annan, following accusations that its predecessor, the UN Commission on Human Rights, openly and systematically discriminated against Israel.
But the new body has also passed several resolutions condemning Israel over the past few years, especially for its actions in the Palestinian territories, and is often of accused of unfair bias against Israel.
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What else would they have concluded? There is murder, there is crime and there should be justice. Should Turks be sending out assasination teams?
UN Secretary General 'disappointed' by unbalanced focus; Alejandro Wolff: Council has a 'pathological obsession' with Israel." http://www.haaretz.com/news/ban-ki-moon-criticizes-un-human-rights-council-for-singling-israel-out-1.223672
Have no RIGHT to talk about human rights.
as Saudi Arabia when it comes to woman's rights. I'll wait until the official UN report comes out. Also, why are their 18 diff investigations about a international incident that resulted in the death of 9 people, Hundreds more deadly international incidents happen daily without any interest, Why? Sorry I know I'll stop asking reasonable questions! Ok last one, why won't Turkey allow the captain to be questioned?? I'm done
"The Human Rights Council's report was compiled by former U.N. war crimes prosecutor Desmond de Silva, Trinidadian judge Karl T. Hudson-Phillips and Malaysian women's rights advocate Mary Shanthi Dairiam." Let's see how the apologists can attack these three.
Listen to it this time.
Nothing but a political tool party. Even the UN secretary opposed this committee, however the political agenda was too lucrative for it's members. UN rights body? Funny, considering the vast majority of it's members are among the worst violators.
"Israel is a democratic and law abiding country that carefully observes international law ..." the Foreign Ministry statement said. And don't worry: despite the fact the Israelis murdered an American citizen by pumping four bullets into his head from point-blank range, you can bet your bottom dollar the US will denounce the report. (I've always thought it would be a good idea to have a country sponsor a resolution criticizing some Israeli action taken against America, just to see America be the only country to vote against it.)
"brutal and disproportionate" so nothing unusual there then, most things the Israeli armed forces are connected with seem to come under this heading, and when someone points this out the response is usual as well. Take it away Andy David... “the Human Rights Council had a biased, politicized and extremist approach." Of course they had Andy; everyone with any sense at all knows the most moral army navy air force society nation people and settlers are the most moral in the world. Is there nothing the Israeli’s don’t excel at? I'm just curious
Lmao...Israel is most hatted nation in the world keep up the good work....
No nation on earth ignores international law more frequently and flagrantly than Israel. But because they say they do not do this... I guess they expect the rest of the world to get corrective lenses and see the "truth" as they preach it!
It's quite skillful to actually beat yourself with iron bars, stab yourself and fall like a bleeding puree off-deck. These commandos are really something. No wonder the UN calls them "brutal and disproportionate". To do that in front of the very eyes of all those peaceful IHH activists chanting "Allahu Wakbar" is really shocking.
I guess anyone who finds masked/armed people dropping by helicopter on their homes, will grab the nearest pole, stick or chair, and defend themselves. So according to your logic, if these commandos beat themselves, then I guess the activists shot themselves too.
I guess the UN thinks the Israeli youngster thrown off board after being smashed with iron bars in front of the whole world, acted in a "brutal and disproportionate" way. he must have smashed himself skillfully with iron bars. What a shame. Likewise, I guess the UN thinks the other youngster, covered in blood, stabbed (while Reuters erased the knife off the picture) after being lynched by the "peaceful activists" also acted in a "brutal and disproportionate". He must have stabbed and lunched himself very badly.
Call the UN and Islamists enablers on their jew hatred. Stop buying into the false narrative. This is all about JEWS, not land or Israel.
The murdered flotilla passengers were mainly of Kurdish origin. Kurds in Turkey, in average, are a lot less secular-minded than ordinary Turks, and that goes to tell you how much they would support such a counter-flotilla. But you can always try it and see for yourself of course. I don't think the Kurdish response would be anything brutal or disproportionate.
By denying that it made any mistakes Israel is challenging those sitting on the fence to look at all the facts. Nothing will change the minds of committed pro-Israel or Anti-Israel folks, but Israel's stance cost it support among the one group it should be focusing on, people with open minds who base their opinions on facts. Israeli pols should have just said "we reacted poorly, here's some cash, sorry, bye".
The report was written before the probe. What else is new?
If stopping a boat full of terrorists bent on destroying Israel a breach of international law, then Israel is guility as charged. The genocidal IHH - Al qaeda alliance was a danger far too great to be ignored. The pro-hamas Turkish AKP should be the ones on the stand for they sponsored this hate boat filled with knives clubs and crowbars taken from terror wheelchairs for one simple mission; to kill the Jews. The choice is clear; Terror Holocaust vs "International law". we had no choice.
it is quite evident that the ship did not carry any arms for the pals but only supplies, and the ships people were protecting themselves (as israel claims if does), there were no guns, so it's an aid ship only, the holocaust card is no longer valid, i'm sick of it and so are many people.
I understand that you have a very complex domestic politics, but I want to tell you that the Turkish government and Turks taking this incident very seriously, I think this is underestimated by israel.
It is a UN organization and over decades it has taken biased decisions against Israel and many times also against Turkey.
It is a UN organization that has a record for making biased decisions against Israel and also many times against Turkey.
Its ironic how an "unbiased" panel could openly announce a verdict in advance of its hearings. The world needs to wonder why Israel would not participate in these false witch hunts. If Israel did provide any evidence the previously decided result would indeed give the impression that Israel has incriminated itself. Can there truly be any organization on Earth that would conduct itself in an unbiased fashion?? Hamas runs Gaza. Hamas was elected in Gaza. Hamas is a known terrorist organization that is at war with Israel. What country in the world would not take the necessary steps to protect its citizens??
That's a shocker.
State of Israel, now: APOLOGISE!...
We're still waiting for Turkey to apologize. This pathetic attempt by the Islamic block to gain some attention and political gain leaves no one impressed.
NOW!
We knew Israel broke international law long ago...
How many examples are there of no investigation when Palestinian human rights are violated, let alone when they are attacked and injured? This phrase about self-investigation has been proven meaningless.
And is there some other form of law (as Ceasar puts it about Roman laws)?
sorry, but when a member of your group openly occupies another territory and illegally blockades large civilian populations, that isn't unfair. that is what this group is about--human rights. india and israel are the two countries most frequently found to break international law regarding treatment of non-citizens for their actions in kashmir and palestine respectively, and that is entirely "fair".
Israel is not bounded by international laws. Israelis are free to do anything to protect themselves.
why should israelis be the only ones not to abide by laws? if we apply this to all countries do you know what would happen? WWIII, and israel will then be the one that started it.
Even with the US on the UNHRC, the outcome of this inquiry was ordained by Israel's government. It consciously decided that the panel would not hear the Israeli side of events and that no Israeli who participated would be allowed to tell his story. In sports, that is called forfeit.
In any sport worth participating in, as in any justice system deserving of respect or adherence, there is a neutral umpire, referee, or judge that has respect for both sides. That's not true, and has never been true, of the UNHRC -- and US participation in it is not meant to provide a fig leaf for their incompetence, selective condemnation, and shoddy reasoning. If the UN ever wants any credibility on human rights issues, it will have to scrap the UNHRC entity and start all over again, just it did with the Human Rights Commission a few years ago.
Tell you what: Give me a list of people who have publicly and repeatedly vocalized their disdain for you. Let's have them pick some referees and we can play a football match.
..... who will spend all night congratulating each other about how the UN spoke again with authority and impartiality against Israel who, as usually, attacks, disproportionally, anything that moves on land or water towards poor Hamas - the humanists.
get this: "Israel is a democratic and law abiding country that carefully observes international law and, when need be, knows how to investigate itself"!! a record breaker of international law and a law unto itself. and "democratic"?! didn't apartheid south africa regard itself as democratic? wake up, israel, because the world is.