Tuesday 6 September 2011

As Turkey Freezes Israel Ties, Critics Decry “Whitewashed” U.N. Report on Gaza Flotilla, Blockade – video



Related: The Mavi Marmara Massacre

Democracy Now | Sept 2, 2011
Turkey has downgraded diplomatic ties with Israel and frozen military cooperation ahead of a long-awaited United Nations report on Israel’s deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid ship in 2010. The report accuses Israel of “excessive and unreasonable” force in its attack—which killed nine people—on the Mavi Marmara ship, and says Israel should issue a statement of regret and compensate the families of the dead as well as wounded passengers.

But it also chides passengers aboard the Marmara and the other flotilla ships for what it calls a “reckless” attempt to breach Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. In a major development with broader implications, the U.N. report concludes that the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip is legal under international law.

We speak with Norman Finkelstein, author of several books on the Israel-Palestine conflict, including “‘This Time We Went Too Far’: Truth & Consequences of the Gaza Invasion.” We are also joined by Huwaida Arraf, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement. Both Arraf and Finkelstein blast the U.N. report, calling it a “whitewash” and “morally debased.” [includes rush transcript]
Source
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

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