July 26th, 2010
A United Nations body is moving ahead with an investigation of the deadly flotilla incident off the coast of the Gaza Strip in late May, despite Israeli opposition.
Israel has rejected a decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the Israeli raid on a Gaza aid flotilla two months ago. Commandos stormed the ships as the vessels tried to run the Israeli blockade. Nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed.
Israel faced world outrage, and the U.N. demanded an international investigation. But Israel refused, on grounds that a U.N. report on the Gaza War last year was biased. The Goldstone Report accused Israel of war crimes and rejected Israeli claims that the army acted in legitimate self-defense after years of Palestinian rocket attacks.
"I definitely suggest that we don't give in on any demands that would demand creating something like a Goldstone II, or anything of the kind, because we already have bitter experience," said Cabinet Minister Yuli Edelstein.
Instead, Israel has launched two of its own inquiries: a closed one by the military, and the other a civilian probe with foreign observers.
