Israeli Watchdog Criticizes Government Over Gaza Flotilla Raid
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"Israel’s state comptroller, the government’s watchdog, issued a report on Wednesday harshly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of a commando raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish ship in 2010. The raid, meant to halt a flotilla challenging Israel’s naval blockade of the territory, turned deadly, with severe diplomatic consequences for Israel.
In the report, the state comptroller — Micha Lindenstrauss, a retired judge — concluded that the decision-making process before the raid, under the leadership and responsibility of Mr. Netanyahu, was flawed and had “substantive and significant shortcomings.” Among them, the comptroller wrote, were a lack of orderly preparation, proper coordination or documentation. He also said warnings that the commandos could meet violent resistance on the ship went largely unheeded.
Reports by the state comptroller, who is elected by Parliament, carry more moral weight than practical consequences here, so the findings released Wednesday were not likely to have much effect politically on Mr. Netanyahu, whose governing coalition now commands 94 of the 120 seats in Parliament.
Still, the report may tarnish Mr. Netanyahu’s leadership credentials at a time when Israel insists on keeping open the possibility of a larger military operation, a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. The defense minister, Ehud Barak, was also criticized in the report."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/world/middleeast/israeli-watchdog-criticizes-government-over-gaza-flotilla-raid.html?_r=1
