New York – After US Rejects To Condemn Israeli Raid, UN Calls For Impartial Probe

    12

    In this image reviewed by the Israeli military, showing the view from aboard an Israeli Naval vessel, as a Zodiac carrying Israeli Navy soldiers approaches a Navy missile ship, while Israeli Navy soldiers intercept several boats headed towards the Gaza Strip, while in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, early Monday May 31, 2010.  Israeli naval commandos on Monday stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 passengers in a dramatic predawn raid that set off worldwide condemnation and a diplomatic crisis.(AP Photo/Uriel Sinai, Pool)New York – The U.N. Security Council called early Tuesday for an “impartial” investigation of Israel’s deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and condemned the “acts” that resulted in the loss of at least nine lives.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    After an emergency meeting and marathon negotiations that lasted nearly 12 hours, the 15 council members finally agreed on a presidential statement. It was weaker than what was initially demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey because of objections by the United States, Israel’s closest ally.

    The Islamic nations had called for condemnation of Monday’s attack by Israeli forces on the flotilla “in the strongest terms” and “an independent international investigation.”

    But the presidential statement that was finally agreed to and read at a formal council meeting instead called for “a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards.” And it only condemned “those acts” that resulted in deaths, without naming Israel.

    The long and difficult negotiations were conducted primarily by the United States with Turkey and Lebanon, which are both non-permanent council members.

    Turkey, which had been a close Muslim ally of Israel, used some of the harshest language against the Jewish state for launching the raid against the flotilla, which included a Turkish ferry on which nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed. Hundreds of activists — many of them Turkish — were taken from the ships to Israel.

    Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose country drafted the initial presidential statement, called the Israeli raid “banditry and piracy” on the high seas and “murder conducted by a state.”

    Palestinian U.N. observer Riyad Mansour called it a “war crime,” and told an open Security Council meeting that “those fleets, one after the other, will be coming until the unethical blockade is put to an end and the suffering stops for our people.”

    Organizers of the six-ship Gaza aid flotilla stopped by the Israelis said they would be sending two more ships to challenge the blockade within the next few days.

    While the Palestinians and Turks insisted that the activists on the ships were delivering aid to impoverished Gazans suffering under a three-year Israeli embargo, Israel’s deputy U.N. ambassador Daniel Carmon said “this flotilla was anything but a humanitarian mission.”

    Some activists have “terrorist history” and its organizers support radical Islamic groups such as Hamas, which controls Gaza and refuses to recognize Israel’s existence, he said.
    In this image reviewed by the Israeli military, showing the view from aboard an Israeli Naval vessel, as a Zodiac carrying Israeli Navy soldiers approaches a Navy missile ship, while Israeli Navy soldiers intercept several boats headed towards the Gaza Strip, while in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, early Monday May 31, 2010.  Israeli naval commandos on Monday stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 passengers in a dramatic predawn raid that set off worldwide condemnation and a diplomatic crisis.(AP Photo/Uriel Sinai, Pool)
    Carmon defended the legality of Israel’s blockade and the boarding of the ships — which refused repeated calls to send their cargo to Gaza through Israel — as “a preventive measure.” He called the results “tragic and unfortunate.”

    After the presidential statement was read, both sides immediately disagreed on how the investigation would be conducted.

    Mexico’s U.N. Ambassador Claude Heller, who took over the council presidency from Lebanon at midnight, said “impartial” meant “independent” and that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has the responsibility to organize the investigation. He also said it was clear the condemnation referred to the “excessive force” by the Israeli military.

    The Palestinians’ Mansour said almost all the members of the Security Council support Heller’s interpretation. He said the Palestinians and Arabs would press the secretary-general to pursue an independent investigation.

    Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said he doubted the potential “objectivity” and independence of such a U.N.-sponsored investigation.

    “Considering the countries that support this option, we have every reason to fear for its independence,” Palmor said Tuesday on French radio France Inter.

    U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said Heller’s interpretation is “not our understanding” of the wording regarding an investigation.
    A protester burnt U.S. and Israeli flags as others looks on during a rally to condemn the Israel's military assault on a convoy of humanitarian aid ships traveling to Gaza, Monday, May 31, 2010 in Karachi, Pakistan. Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel and called for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council as criticism and condemnations arose across Europe and the Arab world Monday over Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)
    “The secretary-general called for a full investigation, and we believe the Israelis are capable of conducting a full investigation,” he said. He added that as far as condemnation the United States did not want to “prejudge any outcomes, or prejudge any conclusions.”

    The presidential statement also “deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries” and requests the immediate release of the ships and civilians being held by Israel. It urges Israel to permit consular access and allow countries to retrieve their dead and wounded immediately.

    The council also urged Israel “to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance from the convoy to its destination” and stressed that the situation in Gaza “is not sustainable.”

    Council members reiterated “their grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and stress the need for sustained and regular flow of goods and people to Gaza as well as unimpeded provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance through Gaza.”

    Mansour said this was “the clearest statement by the Security Council on lifting the siege against the Gaza Strip.”

    While the Palestinians and their supporters would have liked a stronger statement, Mansour praised the entire council, including the U.S., for “acting in a responsible way” and allowing the council to adopt a statement.

    A presidential statement — read by the council president at a formal meeting — must be approved by all 15 members and becomes part of the Security Council’s official record. But it is not as strong as a council resolution which can demand that countries take specific actions, impose sanctions and authorize military operations.

    On the broader Mideast, the statement adopted early Tuesday expressed support for the U.S.-sponsored indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    12 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Mr. President:

    I never would vote for you, but now you’re the US President, and you should have the guts to stand up for morality. Read these lines – the flotilla was not a mission of peace or aid, no matter what the anti-Israel media say. It was a mission to destroy a safety net of the Gaza blockade, and the boats were carrying weapons and terrorists. That has already been documented. You need to spell that out, not hide behind these PC lines that fail to condemn missions of terror. You make me miss Bush more than ever. Your word has the potential to turn around the world condemnation of something that needed to be done. Come on, stand up for morals. Or do you choose otherwise?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Just look how the world is treating us! On every corner of the globe, people with absolutely no connection the the Palestinians, who no nothing of the matter, are coming out to show vehement hatred of israel. Welcome to modern Anti semitism. It is so irrational! How many mistake killings happened in US occupied Iraq and Afganistan? How many Kurds have the Turks killed. But who cares. Israel was trying to stop any ships from entering Gaza to enforce the blockade that is meant to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza. These were not peaceful activists, they were violent murderers. Videos clearly show them running with clubs and knives to attack. The whole point was to draw attention against Israel. The world is licking this up as fast as they can. The UN with it’s typical anti Semitic stance of course yells out. The US is not much better. There was a time when the US would have come out in support. Now with Obama, the best is withheld condemnation. Let all jews band together in achdus and daven that this nightmare will come to an end. Don’t look at America to save us or any other nation. This is a frightening time to be alive. The world sat and watched the holocaust too. Hashem help us.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    The internet is full of responses to this story, one of them is: “where were these nations when north Korea torpedoes a ship into the water” or “where is the condemnation of any Muslim country conducting murder to either its own civilians or to others”.

    Now. Why is there NO ONE in the UN who can stand up and ask them this question.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    If it was the reverse and gazans were in control, jews would all be dead. But there wouldnt be a peep out of Ban Ki Moon and the other anti semites.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    So we have judge goldstone to be in charge of an “impartial” inquiry?

    grandson1
    grandson1
    13 years ago

    Who will chair theCommittee? Will it be that great Richard Goldstone Ys”V? I am amazed that the Un never calls for emergency sessions when vthe Arab animals kill innocent men, women and children. I guess that is because if they would, they would have to be in session constantly.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    This raid on the ships was 100 percent necessary but poorly planned and executed. Until Israel acknowledges some responsibility for the fiasco, there will be non-stop and escalating efforts to vote a resolution of censure that even the U.S. will not veto. What they have done is taken the focus off the real threat to peace in the middle east–Iran’s nuclear program– and have made Israel toe focus of world attention. Ahmandinajad must be benching gohmel (or the equivalent thereof) for again having Israel save him from almost certain condemnation and new sanctions in the UN this week. Instead of debating Iran, they will be debating Israel’s “massacre” of the peace activists.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    There is no such thing as “impartial” when it comes to the UN and Israel.

    truth seeker
    truth seeker
    13 years ago

    How can you tell an impartial lie? The commission has already written it’s falsehoods and accusations now they just have to make it look like an investigation to complete the act.

    Anti-UN
    Anti-UN
    13 years ago

    The UN stands for “Unlimited Nonsense”. They are the most crooked organization in the world. I won’t repeat what was already said in past comments.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    The results of the Impartial investigation is conclusive ; Israel .Guilty .