BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s forum of senior ministers will meet next week to decide whether to accept a reconciliation agreement with Turkey. Part of the reconciliation will include an apology from Israel for the Mavi Marmara flotilla raid last year. Channel 2 News reported that Netanyahu was considering a limited apology in exchange for Turkish recognition of the legality of the maritime blockade of Gaza and the halting of any legal action against IDF commandos involved in the raid. In addition, Turkey would reinstate its ambassador to Israel and announce the resumption of full diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The fence-mending talks between Israel and Turkey began soon after the flotilla and gained momentum in December, following Turkey’s assistance in putting out the Carmel fire. The talks yielded a draft agreement that, according to Haaretz, Netanyahu supported but eventually rejected due to strong opposition from Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who said that an apology to Turkey would be “surrendering to terror.”

Netanyahu plans to make a final decision by Wednesday, just before the United Nations releases the Palmer commission’s reports on the flotilla incident last year. The report is widely reported to uphold the legality of Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, but criticises the IDF for excessive force.