Netanyahu says military was in charge of Gaza flotilla raid

Appearing before an Israeli commission investigating the deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday appeared to distance himself from responsibility, saying the operation was planned and carried out by Israel’s military.

The prime minister was the first of several top Israeli officials scheduled to testify this week before the commission, formed after worldwide pressure over the deaths of eight Turks and one Turkish American in the raid on May 31. The activists were killed in international waters by Israeli commandos intercepting their ship, the Mavi Marmara, sailing with a humanitarian flotilla to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Wishing to avoid an international investigation like that appointed after Israel’s military assault on Gaza last winter, the government established a public commission with two foreign observers, Northern Ireland’s David Trimble and Canadian retired Brig. Gen. Ken Watkin. Recently, however, and after much deliberation, Israel has also agreed to cooperate with a separate panel set up by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Meanwhile, the Israeli army has completed an internal examination.

Key issues examined by the Israeli commission, headed by retired Justice Jacob Turkel, mainly concern the legality of the naval blockade and the measures Israel took to enforce it on May 31. Israel maintains both were compatible with international law and that its commandos acted in self-defense.

The legal and humanitarian issues are of major international concern as Israel seeks to justify its policies amid deepening international criticism and scrutiny. On matters intended for international ears, Netanyahu’s answers were detailed. But on issues of domestic concern, some of his answers raised more questions.

Netanyahu’s testimony revealed that the Gaza blockade was recommended as a supplementary legal measure by the military advocate general, that the policy was passed under the previous government, and that the army was responsible for enforcement and operational planning.

The prime minister was out of the country when Israeli forces seized the Mavi Marmara, owned by the Turkish charity known as IHH. He had left Defense Minister Ehud Barak in charge of coordinating the response to the aid flotilla, including military tactics and how to deal with government ministers and the media.

“The political level is responsible for policy, the military level for its implementation,” said Netanyahu, setting the stage for coming days when Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi will testify. In alluding to Barak being in charge while he was away, Netanyahu said, “I wanted there to be one address” for this, and that was Barak.

Netanyahu’s statements, taken together, seemed to distance him from personal responsibility. That impression was picked up by politicians and commentators, and later in the day Netanyahu issued a statement saying the responsibility was ultimately his.

Netanyahu defended the naval blockade on Gaza, imposed in January 2009 as a security measure. He denied that it had caused a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. In a lengthy, uninterrupted opening statement, he accused the militant group Hamas of forcefully wresting control of Gaza and turning it into “a huge weapons depot and a base from which to attack Israel.”

The prime minister put a portion of blame for the flotilla clash on Turkey, which until the incident had been Israel’s closest Muslim ally. He described Israel’s weeks-long diplomatic efforts to prevent the flotilla from leaving Istanbul. Netanyahu said Turkey apparently didn’t see a possible incident as “against their interests,” adding that Turkey’s attentions at the time were focused on attempting to resolve Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West.

“Despite our ongoing diplomatic efforts, ultimately the Turkish government did not prevent the Marmara’s attempt to break the naval blockade,” Netanyahu said.

Sobelman is with The Times’ Jerusalem Bureau. Times staff writer Jeffrey Fleishman in Cairo contributed to this report.