Israeli Watchdog Criticizes Government Over Gaza Flotilla Raid
Source: NY Times
By ISABEL KERSHNER
Published: June 13, 2012
JERUSALEM — 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.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/world/middleeast/israeli-watchdog-criticizes-government-over-gaza-flotilla-raid.html?_r=1&hp
