TURKEL COMMITTEE CLEARS ISRAEL IN FLOTILLA CASE

The Turkel committee, set up to investigate how Israel dealt with the Turkish flotilla fiends, has concluded that the IDF acted properly:

The four Israeli members and two international observers who composed the Turkel Commission to investigate the flotilla incident on May 31 unanimously agreed that Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and its overland import restrictions, as well as its military actions in capturing the Mavi Marmara were in accordance with international law.

According to the concluding remarks of the committee members and international observers, "The naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip – in view of the security circumstances and Israel's efforts to comply with its humanitarian obligations – was legal pursuant to the rules of international law. The actions carried out by Israel on May 31, 2010, to enforce the naval blockade had the regrettable consequences of the loss of human life and physical injuries. Nonetheless, and despite the limited number of uses of force for which we could not reach a conclusion, the actions taken were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law."

Here's also a witness account by a soldier who was attacked, and a video report here.

If there's anyone who's not impressed with the findings, it's none other than Turkish premier Tayyip Erdogan:

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed the Turkel Committee's findings defending the actions of IDF troops in the interception of a Turkish-led protest flotilla to Gaza last year.

Erdogan told reporters in Ankara that the report had "no value or credibility."

Well gee, he's already brought his anti-Israel standings to the fore. This shouldn't surprise anyone.

Update: more on the case at the Turkel site (via IsraeliGirl).