Israel’s Gaza Flotilla Commission Threatened by Dissension

The Israeli commission appointed under intense international pressure to investigate the Gaza flotilla affair has already been racked by dissension resulting in at least a two-week delay before the taking of evidence begins. The commission’s chairman, former jurist Jacob Turkel, has demanded a broader mandate under a threat to quit. In addition, a petition has been filed in the High Court of Justice by the left-wing Peace Now organization asking that the commission be disbanded because it’s “not serious.” The government’s attorney responded to the petition by saying Prime Minister Netanyahu is considering several options for increasing the commission’s powers and needs two weeks in which to complete his deliberations. The appointment of the commission is in itself a concession to world opinion and the inclusion of two foreign observers is a further capitulation by Netanyahu. Turkel is demanding that the commission’s legal status be upgraded and additional experts added.