Israeli inquiry justifies attack on aid ship despite contradictions

Guest Commentary
By Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

Last week, the Israeli military presented the findings of its inquiry on its deadly raid against a humanitarian flotilla en route to Gaza last May.
The report states that the use of “live fire” that caused the deaths of nine activists was “justified.” This conclusion contradicts eyewitness and ballistic evidence that many of the dead and wounded were shot from helicopters even before the commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara.
According to autopsy reports conducted in Turkey, 31 bullets were removed from the bodies of the nine victims, five of which have been hit in the head with at least one at close range. The majority of shots were fired from the top down.
Yet the Israeli army report praised the various steps in evacuating the wounded, including those of the Mavi Marmara, but makes no mention of those who died during the attack.
The Israeli inquiry did not solicit the testimony of any of the activists from the flotilla, nor did the inquiry have access to the actual commandos who led the assault. Nevertheless, reserve General Giora Eiland, head of the investigation, asserted in his presentation: “The team determined that the Navy Commando soldiers operated properly, with professionalism, bravery and resourcefulness.”
The inquiry reveals, however, that errors were committed in both the intelligence gathering and the decision-making process, “at quite a senior level.” It does not recommend, however, punitive actions against officers involved in the May 31 raid.
The report merely denounces faulty planning of the raid and poor assessment of its impact.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is disappointed by the findings of the report and regrets that it may be used to justify violations committed by the Israeli government and its military apparatus.
“It is important that the international community conduct its own investigation of the attack, as the Israeli investigation is highly inadequate.  Nine civilians were killed, and dozens more wounded in an operation which should have been conducted without any casualties,” says the president of CJPME, Thomas Woodley.
“Experience has shown that it is difficult to give any credibility to an investigation conducted by the Israeli army into an incident involving its own forces. How is it possible to conduct a credible investigation without questioning the victims, or the individual aggressors?”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated on Monday that Turkey had no intention of letting Israel get away with its attack that led to civilian deaths.
He said he also intended to follow developments closely at the UN for the creation of an international inquiry into the attack.
Meanwhile, copies of the Israeli inquiry do not seem to be available to the public.