Palestinian President: Israeli Flotilla Probe No Good

Published November 17, 2014

PARIS -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected on Monday Israel's planned investigation into the deadly flotilla raid even though it is to include two international observers.

Abbas said the plan, approved hours earlier by Israel's Cabinet, falls short of U.N. Security Council demands.

The Palestinian leader spoke after a lunch meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The two discussed the question but the French presidential palace made no comment.

Israeli naval commandos clashed May 31 with activists on board a Turkish ship headed to Gaza. Nine Turkish activists were killed, and dozens of people, including seven soldiers, were wounded.

Abbas stressed that "Israel must lift the blockade (of Gaza) ... That is our principal and permanent demand."

Asked about Israel's plan to hold its own investigation on the flotilla raid but adding two respected foreign observers, Abbas said this formula was inadequate. David Trimble, a Nobel peace laureate from Northern Ireland, and Canada's former chief military prosecutor, retired Brig. Gen. Ken Watkin, where added to lend credibility to the probe.

"The proposal made today for an investigating committee, in its current form, does not correspond to the demand by the Security Council," Abbass said. He noted that the Palestinians were "completely in agreement" with the U.N. Security Council demand which on June 1 asked for an "impartial" investigation into the Israeli flotilla assault.

On the same day, Sarkozy affirmed in a statement that this fall France and the United States would take "initiatives" so that the Middle East peace process "moves into an active phase."

"Things must absolutely happen between now and fall," Abbas said. "There must be developments in negotiations, or else we will have to take a pause to see where we're at."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak canceled a Monday visit to the French capital due to the situation in his country. He had been expected to visit the Eurosatory defense fair on its opening day.

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