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THE LONG-AWAITED United Nations report regarding an Israeli raid on a flotilla attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza has concluded that Israel’s naval blockade of the area is legal – but that the IDF used excessive force against activists.
Nine people, all Turkish nationals, were killed in May 2010 when Israeli troops stormed the Mavi Marmara – a vessel leading a flotilla of six ships travelling towards the Gaza Strip.
The incident caused international outcry and brought relations between Turkey and Israel near to breaking point.
The UN’s Palmer Report, released today, has found that Israeli commandos were met with “organised and violent” resistance from a group of passengers when they boarded the vessel, and needed to use force for their own protection. However, the reports also states that the level of force applied was “excessive” and that the loss of life was “unacceptable”.
The report states: “Forensic evidence showing that most of the deceased were shot multiple times, including in the back, or at close range has not been adequately accounted for in the material presented by Israel”.
The subsequent treatment of other passengers by the Israeli military has been labelled abusive.
In a move that will no doubt prove contentious, the report deems Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip not to be in breach of international law. Israel has long maintained that the naval blockade is essential to prevent armaments being delivered to militants operating from the area, however the blockade has been condemned as a form of collective punishment by human rights groups, such as Amnesty International.
The conclusion also goes against previous statements on the issue by the United Nations, which indicated that the blockade was illegal.
Reaction
Both the Turkish and Israeli governments have disagreed with areas of the report.
Turkey has reacted angrily, expelling Israel’s ambassador and senior Israeli diplomats and suspending military agreements.
The country’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had threatened to impose a raft of measures against Israel if it the country failed to provide an apology for the Mavi Marmara deaths and end the blockade, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
The measures include Turkey downgrading diplomatic ties between the two states; putting all military agreements with Israel on hold; no longer recognising the Gaza blockade; and taking the issue to the International Court of Justice.
Davutoğlu says that, if the case goes to the ICJ, Turkey will support all flotilla victims – both Turkish and foreign.
Israel has also raised reservations about some findings contained in the report, particularly the call on Israel to make “an appropriate statement of regret”, and to pay compensation to the families of the dead and to those injured during the raid.
Israel welcomed the statement that the blockade was legal, however, as well as the questions raised concerning the motives of the Turkish-based IHH – one of the chief sponsors of the flotilla. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously claimed that a links existed between the IHH and Islamist groups – an allegation that the IHH has strenuously denied.
The team that complied the report consisted of Sir Geoffrey Palmer (Chair), President Alvaro Uribe (Vice-Chair), Joseph Ciechanover Itzhar, and Süleyman Özdem Sanberk.
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That place in letterkenny is always being closed.. There has to be a limit to how many times a place can be closed and be allowed to open..
Ireland’s hygiene standards are on a different planet to the rest of Europe, let alone the rest of the world. Anyone who has every taken a foreign holiday can verify this.
What about GMO crops, chemicals such as Aspartame in all foods and Fluoride in the water? Why isnt there anything been done about that or even reported on in mainstream Media? The Journal keeping the Government Happy as per usual.
Aoife why lead with the Montessori? Surely the other business’s that serve a wider population would be more news worthy? Especially if they have been in breech before.
@ Gary Brandon, because when the main stream media actually to looks in detail at these stories they realise there’s more fiction than truth in them. Remember these are professional journalist not a collective of cranks and conspiracy theorists…
Your tin foil hat is slipping again Gary.
Hi Cliodhna, I used this in the headline as it is unusual to have a montessori in these lists. We get this information on a monthly basis and this is the first time I’ve seen one as having received an enforcement order. Also, it demonstrates that is not just restaurants and take-aways that can be given enforcement orders, which is useful information for both the public and business owners.
Hope that explains things,
Aoife
@Tom Barry Yeah I do forget that Mainstream Media and what they report is always right. I must believe everything the Media tell me and do as my Government says because they are always right.
When the facts are there and then the Government pay people and doctors to come out against the truth like it has always been you get morons like you who actually then support everything and anything they say. If GMO crops are so safe why do the people who spray them where full protective suits and breathing apparatus? Its not safe to breathe in but it must be safe to ingest and let linger in your system.
And also on the term “Professional Journalist” what makes them so? Just because they write things in mainstream media makes them professional? Its always easier to believe what is in front of you instead of doing proper research yourself I suppose and the Fluoride that is mellowing you out makes you more susceptible to the bull that they feed you everyday so in part I cannot blame you for following the Heard.
You are just proof of exactly what the Governments have been perfecting for years and it seems to have worked well.
Or maybe its because you do not actually want to know the truth about what you actually consume and are just happy to ignore the fact that you are being poisoned everyday. Either way its up to you to do your own research. And if your research consists of FOX News and the likes well then you keep on being a sheep. :)
*herd
@Gary Brandon your little rant speaks volumes; give a man enough rope…
You sound like a broken record Gary
Gary I can’t u understand why aspartame has to be put in children’s dilutes etc isn’t it banned in the US
What does the above comment mean. Please explain.
Its in everything! Bread, Coke, Diet Coke, All brands of Chewing Gum, its not just in “sugarfree” so Cakes, sweet cooking sauces its everywhere!
Was referring to Gary’s comment re aspartame – supposed to say I can’t understand why it’s put into children’s drinks etc when it’s banned in US
@Fiona here is just a small list of what contains Aspartame, but the list is alot longer
http://supersweetblog.wordpress.com/list-of-products-containing-aspartame/
Probably makes it taste better??
@John Billane
Well I’m Glad you like the taste of Cancer
I smoke. I know the taste.
@ Gary – all the diet stuff really isn’t it – are we better off with the full fat stuff?
From Wikipedia:
Cancer
Reviews have found no association between aspartame and cancer. These reviews have looked at numerous carcinogenicity studies in animals, epidemiologic studies in humans, as well as in vitro genotoxicity studies. These studies have found no significant evidence that aspartame causes cancer in animals, damages the genome, or causes cancer in humans at doses currently used.[7][36][39] This position is supported by multiple regulatory agencies like the FDA[53] and EFSA as well as scientific bodies such as the National Cancer Institute.[45]
Concern about possible carcinogenic properties of aspartame was originally raised and popularized in the mainstream media by John Olney in the 1970s and again in 1996 by suggesting that aspartame may be related to brain tumors. Reviews have found that these concerns were flawed, due to reliance on the ecological fallacy[54] and the purported mechanism of causing tumors being unlikely to actually cause cancer. Independent agencies such as the FDA and National Cancer Institute have reanalyzed multiple studies based on these worries and found no association between aspartame and brain cancer.[39]
As discussed in the article on controversies around aspartame, the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences released several studies which claimed that aspartame can increase several malignancies in rodents, concluding that aspartame is a potential carcinogen at normal dietary doses.[7] The EFSA[55] and the FDA[53] discounted the study results and found no reason to revise their previously established acceptable daily intake levels for aspartame.
Aoife
Thanks for explanation. I see your point and I agree with you, I was looking at it from a different angle places I’d avoid when I was out and about. I didn’t mean it to sound as if I didn’t think they should be there in fact they should.
Cliodhna
Hi Cliodhna, no problem at all! Glad it clarified things for you, I appreciate the question.
Thanks a million
Aoife
Thanks Gary for the link. It’s interesting to see which foods it.is in.
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