domingo, 13 de junho de 2010

Israel names head of commission for flotilla inquiry


(CNN) -- Retired Israeli judge Jacob Turkel will lead an inquiry into the Israeli raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, in which nine people were killed, Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday.
"The government is going to establish an independent public commission that would be headed by individuals who are totally impartial, who are not connected with the executive branch and an investigation that would reach the highest international standards," an Israeli official told CNN. "The investigation will be impartial, professional, comprehensive and transparent. The hope is that in addition to the Israeli members of the commission there will be international observers who will be renowned by their professional expertise and antiquity".
At his weekly cabinet meeting Sunday, Netanyahu said Israeli policy was not to deny aid from reaching Gaza.
"Before the flotilla set sail for Gaza, we discussed -- in various forums -- the continuation of our policy toward the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said. "The principle guiding our policy is clear -- to prevent the entry of war material from entering Gaza and to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and non-contraband goods into the Gaza Strip".
Tony Blair, special envoy to the Middle East for the Quartet, praised the prime minister's comments. The Quartet is a group of countries and international organizations mediating the Middle East crisis, made up of the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia.