Livni, who testified before an Israeli commission investigating the May 31 raid, claimed that Turkey’s aim was not to extend a helping hand to Gaza, a densely populated Palestinian strip that has been under Israeli blockade for more than three years. “At a specific stage, Turkey acted to exploit a political vacuum with the goal to provoke [Israel] and provide legitimacy to Hamas.
The Turkish issue was not with the entry of goods into Gaza, as this option was offered. Rather, it was a political act contrary to the international consensus,” Livni was quoted as telling the probe commission.
“In the absence of a peace process, with Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians unclear, Turkey was able to fill a political vacuum by engineering provocations,” Livni told the commission, headed by former Supreme Court Judge Jacob Turkel.
During her testimony, Livni also supported the international legitimacy of the Israeli blockade of Gaza and termed the Turkish support for the flotilla as a deliberate act of political provocation. “I requested to come and strengthen the legitimacy of the Israeli action against the flotilla,” she said.
Livni had requested in August to testify before the committee because part of the committee’s goals was to examine the legality of the closure of the Gaza Strip, which was implemented by the previous government, of which she was a member.
Testifying before the six-member panel, Israel’s top general, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, insisted the navy’s killing of nine activists on the ship Mavi Marmara had been unavoidable. He said Israeli commandos fired 308 live bullets aboard the Mavi Marmara to repel passengers who attacked them with lethal weapons including a snatched Uzi machine pistol. Ankara, which wants compensation and an apology from Israel, has dismissed the Turkel panel as lacking sufficient scope.
