UN Mavi Marmara Report

IN June last year Israel forces attacked the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara which was part of an unarmed flotilla intending to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Nine passengers on the ship were killed and several wounded; the ship was impounded and taken to an Israeli port. The UN Security Council asked for a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation” A 105-page report is due to be released in New York today but the copy leaked to the New York Times yesterday suggests that it will hardly meet any of the criteria required by the Security Council.

The two main issues in front of the inquiry were: whether Israel was justified in attacking the Mavi Marmara in international waters and why nine civilians were killed. On the first point the report supports Israel, arguing that it was entitled to establish a blockade to prevent arms from reaching Gaza by sea. Turkey disagrees with that conclusion and says it oversteps the mandate given to the inquiry by the UN Secretary General. On the second point the report says that the Israeli attack was “excessive and unreasonable”, the loss of life unacceptable and the treatment of passengers abusive. Israel says that everything done was honourable and appropriate. The two sides could not be farther apart and, if anything, the report will exacerbate relations between Israel and Turkey.