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Lieberman objection hampered Israeli apology twice in past
The report was published on Friday by the Israeli daily Haaretz, which also said senior Israeli ministers are to decide whether to accept a reconciliation deal that would also include an apology to Turkey next week.
There are reports that the Israeli government is divided over the issue, with Foreign Minister Lieberman vehemently opposing an apology. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is reportedly considering the apology to restore once-solid relations with Turkey. Lieberman reportedly criticized Netanyahu during a discussion of ministers from Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party over an earlier report that Netanyahu had received legal advice from the attorney general that apologizing could forestall Turkish bids to prosecute, in international courts, the soldiers who took part in the 2010 raid.
Eight Turks and one Turkish-American were killed in the attack. Turkey, which has had secret talks with Israel to discuss normalization of relations, says an apology is essential for reconciliation.
A UN panel investigating the deadly interception of the flotilla that was trying to breach the Israeli blockade of Gaza is expected to release its findings on July 27. Netanyahu must determine whether to offer an apology by then since the release of the UN report without an agreement between Turkey and Israel is expected to lead to a further deterioration in relations.
Secret talks between Turkey and Israel produced a draft agreement stipulating that Israel would apologize to Turkey for operational errors in exercising force during the interception of the Mavi Marmara ship in the aid flotilla, where the activists were killed, Haaretz reported. Turkey, on its part, would recognize Israel's right to self-defense, return its ambassador to Tel Aviv and announce the resumption of diplomatic relations with Israel.
Netanyahu supported the draft in December 2010, but Lieberman objected, saying apologizing to Turkey would be “surrendering to terror.” A senior diplomatic source told Haaretz that Netanyahu pulled out of the agreement at the last moment, due to Lieberman's vociferous objection and the fear of a coalition crisis.
In March 2010 another round of talks with Turkey led to a similar draft. Netanyahu raised the issue for debate and again put the decision off due to Lieberman's objections.
Netanyahu is considering offering an apology in return for a Turkish promise to prevent lawsuits against Israeli soldiers that participated in the raid. “It's a choice between apologizing to Turkey in exchange for understandings that would prevent suits against [Israel Defense Force] IDF soldiers, and the risk of exacerbating the crisis and a Turkish legal campaign against anyone who took part in the operation,” an Israeli source was quoted as saying.
The forthcoming UN report is expected to support the Israeli view of the blockade of Gaza, but criticize the Israelis for excessive use of force on the Mavi Marmara.
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