Rejecting the proposed HRC investigation, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said demands for an external inquiry showed a double standard towards the Jewish state.
When American or British troops were accused of killing civilians in Iraq or Afghanistan, he said, it was the US or Britain that carried out the investigation, not an international body.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman suggested attaching international observers to an internal Israeli inquiry.
"We have excellent jurists... one of whom will be willing to take it on himself, and if they want to include an international member of some sort in their committee that's alright too," he told Israel radio.
The US, Israel's most important ally, has already made it clear it will accept an Israeli-led inquiry, the BBC's Andrew North reports from Jerusalem.
"...we now pause to test the soul of the Steppenwolf"
tr0tsky wrote:
You're suggesting that we're angrier at the murders than we would have otherwise been because Israel is a Jewish state?
What fucking planet are you on? Magma's a Jew for fuck's sake.
If any other middle eastern state had done something similar, there would be no post on DSF, no outrage in the media, it'd simply be another story about the hostility in the region. Dozens of people will die violent, horrible, unjustified deaths in the region today alone and nothing will be mentioned by the average 20 something internet savy folks of the world, because it doesn't fit their agenda.
Once again, fucked situation and not saying the standard the world is setting for Israel is improper... a government of their power should be a bit more versed on how to deflate these situations . As someone who has done his military stint and seen my fair chunk of fucked up shit, I wish the world as a whole held the rest of the middle east to the same standards... because the rest of the middle east has human rights violations in fucking spades. When the world as a whole condemns Israel and turns a blind eye to their neighbors doing just as if not more fucked up shit, it sends a mixed message.
If any other middle eastern state had done something similar, there would be no post on DSF, no outrage in the media, it'd simply be another story about the hostility in the region. Dozens of people will die violent, horrible, unjustified deaths in the region today alone and nothing will be mentioned by the average 20 something internet savy folks of the world, because it doesn't fit their agenda.
Once again, fucked situation and not saying the standard the world is setting for Israel is improper... a government of their power should be a bit more versed on how to deflate these situations . As someone who has done his military stint and seen my fair chunk of fucked up shit, I wish the world as a whole held the rest of the middle east to the same standards... because the rest of the middle east has human rights violations in fucking spades. When the world as a whole condemns Israel and turns a blind eye to their neighbors doing just as if not more fucked up shit, it sends a mixed message.
Its because Isreal has been doing this for 60/70 years and the west has just sat by and let it happen.
From a purely intellectual stand point, this whole situation is very interesting. It really seems that Israel itself is internally unstable, and this policy cannot continue.
Decent turnout for the demo today and great to see a great MP on the stand for once - big up Caroline Lucas, the soundsystem-packing Hare Krishnas, the on-top-of-the-bus crew and of course, tr0tsky.
Lovely to see you, you pinko twat.
Meus equus tuo altior est
"Let me eat when I'm hungry, let me drink when I'm dry.
Give me dollars when I'm hard up, religion when I die."
nowaysj wrote:I wholeheartedly believe that Michael Brown's mother and father killed him.
magma wrote:Decent turnout for the demo today and great to see a great MP on the stand for once - big up Caroline Lucas, the soundsystem-packing Hare Krishnas, the on-top-of-the-bus crew and of course, tr0tsky.
Lovely to see you, you pinko twat.
In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians.
Israel inquiry finds Gaza aid flotilla raid 'was legal'
An Israeli inquiry has found the country's navy acted legally in a deadly raid on a flotilla of aid ships trying to reach Gaza last May.
The raid, in which nine Turkish activists were killed, attracted widespread international condemnation.
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the inquiry had neither value, nor credibility.
A separate UN inquiry last year said the navy had shown an "unacceptable level of brutality".
The military operation severely strained relations with Ankara - a long-time ally of Israel's.
The 300-page Turkel Committee report found the actions of the Israeli navy in the raid and Israel's naval blockade of Gaza were both legal under international law.
The panel of inquiry - headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, with five Israeli members and two international observers - was set up in June.
One of the inquiry's members died aged 93 during its hearings, and correspondents say the report will be dismissed by Israel's critics as biased.
The Free Gaza Flotilla, which had more than 600 pro-Palestinian activists on board, was trying to break Israel's blockade of the territory when it was intercepted by Israeli navy commandos on 31 May.
Israel says its commandos used live fire only after being attacked with clubs, knives and guns.
But activists on board the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara say the commandos started shooting as soon as they boarded the vessel.
The Turkel Committee report said Israel's actions had "the regrettable consequences of the loss of human life and physical injuries".
"Nonetheless... the actions taken were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law."
The report did offer some criticism of the planning of the operation, saying "the soldiers were placed in a situation they were not completely prepared for and had not anticipated".
The inquiry heard testimony from high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and army chief General Gabi Ashkenazi, as well as several Israeli-Arab lawmakers who were travelling with the flotilla.
None of the military personnel directly involved in the raid was authorised to provide testimony.
In August, Mr Netanyahu told the inquiry that Israel "acted under international law" when it intercepted the flotilla.
He said the Gaza blockade was legal and that Israeli troops only used force when their lives were in danger.
After its own inquiry, Turkey described the attack - which took place in international waters, about 130km (80 miles) from the Israeli coast - as a violation of international law, "tantamount to banditry and piracy", and described the killings as "state-sponsored terrorism".
Results of Turkish post-mortem examinations have suggested that a total of 30 bullets were found in the bodies of the nine dead activists, including one who had been shot four times in the head.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked for reports from both the Israeli and Turkish inquiries to be submitted as part of a wider UN inquiry to be held later this year.
After criticism from its allies over the flotilla incident, Israel considerably eased its blockade of Gaza - allowing in more food and humanitarian goods.
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade on the coastal territory when the Islamist militant group Hamas seized control of it in 2007.
Israel said it was intended to stop militants in Gaza from obtaining rockets to fire at Israel.
The restrictions were been widely described as collective punishment of the population of Gaza, resulting in a humanitarian crisis.
But in the report released on Sunday, the Turkel Committee said: "The imposition and enforcement of the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip does not constitute 'collective punishment' of the population of the Gaza Strip."
"...we now pause to test the soul of the Steppenwolf"
clifford_- wrote:thats fucking bullshit. theyre basically just getting away with murder.
Yup.
What did you expect? They're in charge of their own investigation. They're not gonna hand themselves in.
I know, what about the UN supervisers though? Or did they never get a look in. Shame how they ALWAYS get away with this shit, if it was anone else they would have been damned in the media. Then again, most of the medias very pro israel, so im not suprised the internet is the only place you hear of any of this.
Follow me on Twitter- @clifford_i
noam wrote:son
let me break this down for ya
mustard = yellow
HP = brown
Ketchup = red
if ya fuck with the program, someone's gona get hurt... feel me
