BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a US request that Israel apologise to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident to Gaza a year ago. As reported in Yedioth Ahronoth, The Israeli prime minister received a phone call from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who applied pressure on Israel to apologise to Turkey for the crisis. According to the report, she explained to Netanyahu that it is important that US relations with Turkey be restored to their previous state, so Turkey could play an intermediary role in the crises in Syria as unrest continues. 

Along with the US demand, there was pressure on Netanyahu to apologise from Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Deputy Prime Minister and Intelligence Affairs Minister Dan Meridor and National Security Adviser Maj.
Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror. Netanyahu, however, opted to adopt the position of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon not to apologise.

A UN report into the incident, which was being held back in order to give Israel and Turkey time to mend relations, will now be published next Tuesday. The report is expected to uphold the legality of the Israeli blockade of Gaza but will accuse Israel of using disproportionate force in the raid.

According to a report in Haaretz, as a result of Israel’s refusal to issue an apology, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has indicated that Turkey will now implement a “plan B” that will include anti-Israel rhetoric at the UN and International Court of Justice. The Haaretz report also says Turkey will encourage the families of the victims of the attack to file suits against Israeli leaders in European Courts and will look to reduce ties with Israel by not reinstating an ambassador or a deputy ambassador to Israel.