Reactions to the Gaza flotilla raid
Encyclopedia
Reactions to the Gaza flotilla raid on 31 May 2010 ranged from fierce condemnation to strong support for Israel
.
Israel expressed regret over loss of life in the Gaza flotilla raid
, yet stated that the operation was a "clear case of self defense." The incident also drew attention to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, which was condemned. Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
called for a full investigation and urged Israel to provide a full explanation. Many countries called for an international investigation and civilian protests erupted around the world.
Four countries downgraded their diplomatic relations with Israel and/or withdrew ambassadors: Ecuador
, Nicaragua
, South Africa, and Turkey. Twelve Latin American countries condemned Israeli actions: Argentina
, Bolivia
, Brazil
, Chile
, Cuba
, Ecuador
, Mexico
, Nicaragua
, Paraguay
, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Israel had developed significant bilateral relationships with seven of them. Twenty-one European countries condemned or protested Israeli actions: Albania
, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, Bulgaria, Croatia
, the Czech Republic
, Estonia, Finland
, France
, Greece, Iceland
, Ireland
, Italy
, Luxembourg
, Norway, Portugal
, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden
and the United Kingdom. Israel was widely condemned in the Arab world
. Twelve non-Arab Asian countries condemned Israeli actions: China, India, Indonesia
, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives
, North Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
, Turkey
and Uzbekistan
. Israel was also condemned by: Australia, Kenya
, New Zealand and South Africa. Eighteen countries expressed regret over the loss of life: Israel
, Argentina
, Azerbaijan
, Bangladesh
, Canada
, Czech Republic
, Croatia
, Egypt
, Estonia
, Greece
, Holy See, India
, Ireland
, Japan
, Sri Lanka
, the United Kingdom
, the United States
and Uruguay
.
The Turkish government and the İHH were also criticized. Several journalists accused Turkey of aligning itself with Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah, and expressed concern over the contribution of Erdoğan and his government to fueling public rage. Pro-Israeli rallies took place in Los Angeles, Miami, Vienna, Great Britain, Brussels and Israel.
(See below).
Arab League (See below).
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
condemned the Israeli attack, called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza, expressed solidarity with Turkey, and urged the UN to conduct an investigation.
European Union (See below).
NATO held an emergency meeting on 1 June 2010 in response to the attack. Turkey is a NATO signatory, and Article 5 of the NATO charter states that armed attacks against one or more NATO members in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against all of them, and each will take action (including the possibility of armed force) "to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area." Article 6 explicitly mentions the Mediterranean Sea as a location for where attacks will trigger responses. The result of the meeting was that the NATO Secretary General issued a statement expressing "deep regret" over the loss of lives and "As a matter of urgency, [he] also request[ed] the immediate release of the detained civilians and ships held by Israel.".
Organization of American States (See below).
' Secretary General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu
condemned Israel for the attack on the people on the ship.
The Southeast European Cooperation Process
, at a meeting of the 13 member countries in June 2010, condemned Israel's raid and demanded an impartial, independent and internationally credible investigation.
International Committee of the Red Cross
said that Israel's blockade violated the Geneva Conventions
and stated that it constituted a collective punishment imposed in clear violation of Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
, who was in Canada
during the incident, expressed regret for the loss of life, and said that the event represents a clear case of self-defense of the IDF soldiers, he expressed his "full backing" for the military raid and cancelled a scheduled trip to the United States to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama
. A spokesman for the Prime Minister was quoted as saying that Netanyahu, "feels he has to be home to deal with this." he told a press conference that had Israel not stopped the flotilla from breaking the blockade and entering the Gaza Strip illegally, hundreds of more flotillas would arrive carrying weapons. He stood his ground defending the raid and said Israel will never apologize for the incident. In an address to the country, on 2 June he said "Israel faces hypocrisy and a biased rush to judgment." He further noted that in five of the six vessels in the flotilla, the boarding procedure ended without casualties. "The only difference was with one ship, where extremist Islamic activists, supporters of terrorism, waited for our troops on the deck with axes and knives."
After the boarding took place, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that the flotilla of ships "was an armada of hate and violence." He added that the flotilla attempt to reach Gaza was "a premeditated and outrageous provocation" and claimed that its organizers had ties not only to Hamas
, but also to global Jihad, and al Qaida.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the international community "two faced" and said Israel was being condemned for its military acts of defense. Lieberman was said to have been "reminding" the UN Secretary General that in the past month alone over 500 people were killed in various incidents in Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and India
, which had allegedly been "ignored" while Israel was being condemned for its "unmistakably defensive actions." Israel later rescinded its criticism of India.
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni
said that the coalition and the opposition are united in support of the defense forces, and that she is ready to assist the government in the political and explanatory aspects of the flotilla incident. She, however, disagreed with what she considered Netanyahu's lack of policy: "The world is certainly hypocritical, but that doesn't absolve us from forming a policy. This is more than an isolated incident. Anything that happened when Israel had a different standing in world opinion would have had a different result. Now, any isolated incident becomes a global drama, and it's becoming worse. We are reaching the stage when Israel's ability to defend itself will no longer exist." She said the lack of policy in the aftermath of the incident would jeopardize Israel's legitimacy and backing from the international community, which she says for years had insisted on not recognizing Hamas until it recognizes Israel and accepts past agreements, and had accepted the closure of Gaza while "it was clear that Israel wanted an agreement with pragmatic forces, with the legitimate Palestinian government." She also said that IDF soldiers acted appropriately, and supports setting up an internal investigation committee with the United States.
Ambassador to the UK, Ron Prosor
, said "It’s obvious — and I won’t beat around the bush on this — that this wasn’t successful and I think it clearly took up an issue that should have been solved differently." [However, the] other side [behaved] appallingly. [Israel was in a] war situation with terrorists.The loss of life was tragic and I’m not just saying that. When you look at the footage ... it’s obvious that the reaction is self—defence to try and save your life."
The Israeli high court rejected a petition seeking to overrule Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein
's decision to halt the police investigation into the attack. On June 3rd, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the soldiers responded in self-defense, and that the Gaza blockade and the raid of the ships were legal.
Minister of Strategic Affairs
Moshe Ya'alon
, a former IDF chief of staff, announced that the operation was a failure and instead of distributing citations Israel was busy trying to understand why basic operating protocol was not implemented.
Turkish
Deputy Prime Minister, Bülent Arınç
said "“In the name of the Turkish people and of our government, we strongly condemn these attacks” and he announced that Turkey canceled an U-19 football game against Israel. He added that no one should think that Turkey would declare war on Israel.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
said that the raid was "state terror" and decided to return from a state visit to Chile. Erdoğan spoke to the AK Party
Group at the Turkish Parliament
, he said "Turkey's friendship is as strong as its animosity". He also strongly rebuked Israel's action saying even pirates had a code of conduct. Erdoğan upped the ante, in a speech to legislators saying Israel should be "punished" for its "bloody massacre" amid a warning that no one should test Turkey's patience. He said "It is no longer possible to cover up or ignore Israel's lawlessness. The international community must from now on say 'enough is enough'. Dry statements of condemnation are not enough ... There should be results." He said the Israeli action was an attack "on international law, [and] the conscience of humanity and world peace." He even said that Israel acts as it does because it has powerful friends. He called for Israel to lift the "inhuman siege" of the Gaza Strip, which he referred to as an "open-air prison", and announced that he was considering sending the Turkish Navy
to escort any future flotillas or to visit Gaza himself, in order to break the blockade. He also urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel.
President Abdullah Gül
said that "From now on, Turkish-Israeli ties will never be the same. This incident has left an irreperable and deep scar". He also claimed that "Turkey will never forgive this attack". Gül compared Israel's actions to those of al-Qaeda
, and demanded that Israel apologize and pay compensation, and also urged Israel to thoroughly investigate the incident and lift the blockade of Gaza.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement condemned Israel, and the foreign ministry was reported to have summoned the Israeli ambassador to lodge a protest. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel. Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu
told the UN Security Council that Israel has "lost all legitimacy" as a result of the raid. He called those who died "martyrs." He said that "It is no longer possible to cover up or ignore Israel's lawlessness. It is time for the international community to say 'enough is enough'." He also said that Turkey was ready to normalise ties if the blockade on Gaza was lifted because "it was time calm replaces anger." That, in turn, was accompanied with statement saying the injured would stay in Tel Aviv hospital under the care of a Turkish doctor, "We will not leave them (the wounded) to the mercy of anyone." The Parliament of Turkey unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the United Nations Security Council
to impose sanctions on Israel, and called the attack a "blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law".
İlker Başbuğ
, Chief of the Turkish Armed Forces held a phone conversation with Gabi Ashkenazi
, the Israeli Chief of Staff and called the raid unacceptable and indicated such actions could hold very serious consequences.
Leaders of opposition parties in Turkey also condemned the raid on Turkish ships. The leader of MHP
, Devlet Bahçeli
, said the attack was an aggression which should be never accepted by the Turkish nation.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
, chairman of main opposition party, The Republican People’s Party
(CHP), supported Turkish government's efforts for a UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israeli government and he said "We said we have given our support to the prime minister, as he said the attacks would not be left without a response. We said the CHP would support solutions which are concordant with our national interests". However, he also criticized the Turkish government and told Turkish television, “The European Union and the United States consider Hamas a terror organization. We must be careful.” He demanded that the government release communications with Israel prior to the incident, suggesting it allowed the flotilla to proceed despite knowing that violence was likely.
Arab League called an emergency meeting on 1 June to discuss what it called Israel's "terrorist act" against the flotilla. Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa
, stated that "we condemn this crime, taken against a humanitarian mission and people. They were trying to help people. They were not on a military mission. Everyone should condemn this." Palestinian Authority president, and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) since 11 November 2004, Mahmoud Abbas
said that "Israel has committed a massacre", and declared a three-day state of mourning. Palestinian government official Mustafa Barghouti
stated that Israel's actions would lead to the international boycott
growing in strength. Salam Fayad said "Israel went beyond all that could be expected. / This [attack] is a transgression against all international covenants and norms and it must be confronted by all international forums."
In a joint-statement, Syrian President Bashar al—Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri "condemn[ed] the heinous crime committed by Israel through the brutal attacks on unarmed civilians on board the Freedom Flotilla." While warning that Israel’s "violations of basic humanitarian norms and international laws threatens to plunge the Middle East into a war which will not only affect the region." After reconfirming bonds with Turkey and harshly criticizing the Israeli siege, al-Assad joint Ergodan in proposing a new initiative aimed at having the blockade on Gaza lifted "once and for all." His plan involved "a number of political ideas for regional and international activity aimed at lifting the siege." Qatar
is slated to take part in the initiative's implementation. At the conference, Erdogan urged Arab nations to unite and step-up efforts to end Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip. He said "Are we going to remain silent over the murder of nine people? We can't
turn a blind eye to this banditry in international waters. This can't continue as it is. Peace and stability will not come to the region as long as the blockade of Gaza persists. Painful experience has made it clear that no [regional] country will fully achieve prosperity and security as long as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains unresolved."
condemned Israel for the killings. The representative of Gabon
at the UN Security Council expressed his shock at the events. He further called upon Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza, and called all parties to refrain from violence. The Kenya
n government issued a statement condemning the killing of nine activists as "grossly callous and a brazen violation of international law." The government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
condemned "in the strongest terms the abject and shameful attack of the Israeli army against the Flotilla of Freedom". "By carrying out the bombing of a fleet carrying humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, deprived of everything including medication, Israel commits an unforgivable act contrary to international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the protection of citizens around the world", the statement added. South Africa
Foreign Ministry issued a statement "strongly condemning all military aggression by Israel against innocent civilians, including those in the occupied West Bank and Gaza." On June 3, South Africa recalled its ambassador from Israel, and the Israeli ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for a reprimand.
Organization of American States
The Secretary General
of the Organization of American States
said "Nothing can justify excessive use of military force to attack, with serious loss of human lives, to a disarmed civil convoy". Also he warned of a violence increase risk in the Middle East, Mr. José Miguel Insulza
asked "to avoid actions which can means to increase the situation that, once again, threatens seriously the peace process in the Middle East". Argentina
's Foreign Affairs Ministry
(Cancillería) issued a statement condemning the attack by Israeli forces, called for a full investigation and deeply regretted the loss of human lives. It also asked for an immediate stop to acts of violence in the area, and the lifting of the blockade. Bolivia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
issued a statement calling the attack "atrocious," adding that the actions were a flagrant violation of international law and called for an investigation. Brazil
's Ministry of External Relations
issued a statement strongly condemning the Israeli action, calling for an independent investigation and the end of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Brazil also expressed deep concern over the well-being of one of its citizens, Iara Lee
, that was on board the flotilla. They further said that they had instructed the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations to fully support an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Israeli military action, and that the Ambassador of Israel in Brasília had been summoned to explain the events. The Canadian
prime minister's office
released a statement saying it "deeply regrets" the loss of life in the Israeli raid on an aid flotilla sailing to the blockaded Gaza Strip and that they "... are currently looking for more information in order to shed light on what exactly happened". The Edmonton Journal
asserted its view that Canada's "cautious" approach was the right one as "tragedies involving loss of life in the Middle East invariably provoke reflexive responses from opposing camps." This was despite the arrest of Canadian Kevin Neish. The Chile
an Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "Chile condemns the use of the forces in any form." Chile
an Senator
Alejandro Navarro, who was scheduled to be aboard the Gaza aid convoy, denounced the attack as "cowardly and disproportionate against unarmed civilians." He further stated that Chile "condemns Israel and this event will have multilateral consequences because it set a serious precedent." Ecuador
President Rafael Correa
said he recalled his ambassador to Israel for consultations after which the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry said the ambassador would leave Tel Aviv immediately "as an act of protest against the attack which left civilians killed and injured." Mexico
Secretariat of Foreign Affairs
issued a statement "strongly condemning the Israeli attack on civilian vessels in international waters carrying humanitarian aid." It called for a full investigation. The Nicaragua
n government
called the Israeli actions "a clear violation of humanitarian and international law," and suspended diplomatic ties with Israel in protest of the raid. Paraguay
Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement "condemning" and "strongly rejecting" the Israeli attack on the convoy and supported the United Nations' call for a full investigation. Peru
vian Foreign Affairs Ministry
issued a statement condemning Israeli violent attack on the human assistance convoy. Peru disapproves the use of military force based on international rights principles and calls for a full investigation. Peruvian government exhorts to restore dialogue and negotiation in order to reach permanent peace agreements and made an urgent call to the Government of Israel to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza Strip The United States
Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
said that "United States supports the United Nations Security Council's condemnation of the acts leading to this tragedy, and we urge Israel to permit full consular access to the individuals involved, and to allow the countries concerned to retrieve their deceased and wounded immediately. We support in the strongest terms the Security Council's call for a prompt, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation." A White House
spokesman cautiously said that the United States "deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained, and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy." President Barack Obama told his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that he deeply regretted the loss of life in the Israeli raid urged him to quickly get to the bottom of the incident. The White House summarized the President's conversation saying "The president expressed deep regret at the loss of life in today's incident, and concern for the wounded." In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid
and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
co-authored a letter signed by 85 other senators arguing for the legality of the blockade and the raid and calling on the President to support Israel. Rep. Anthony Weiner of the U.S. congress criticized the flotilla, saying that it had was supported “by some of the worst enemies of peace in that region, and some of the worst enemies, quite literally, not only of Israel, but of the United States as well. And I mean Turkey, Iran, Hamas. These are not entities that were looking for some peaceful resolution here,”. “The complicity of Turkey in launching a flotilla to challenge the blockade in Gaza, the ensuing violence that occurred, the grievous loss of life is deeply troubling to those of us who have supported the U.S.-Turkish alliance in the past,” Rep. Mike Pence said on the House floor. “Turkey needs to decide whether its present course is in its long-term interests, but America will stand with Israel.” In an interview with Charlie Rose
, Vice President Joe Biden
defended Israel's decision to intercept the pro-Palestinian flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to the coastal territory, but did not defend the Israel Navy raid itself. He stated that "you can argue whether Israel should have dropped people onto that ship or not[, but Israel] has a right to know whether or not arms are being smuggled in." Mike Hammer, a spokesperson for the National Security Council
, said: "The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed." The city of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors was considering a non-binding resolution introduced John Avalos and Sophie Maxwell calling for "condemning the Israel Defense Forces' military attack on the Freedom Flotilla", while also calling on the US Congress and Obama to continue working to bring peace and security to the Gaza region. Uruguay
's Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the Israeli navy's action, expressed sorrow for the loss of life and demanded a "quick independent investigation and called on the Israeli government for full cooperation." The ministry has also expressed its solidarity with the families of the victims and is asking for the siege on Gaza to end. Venezuela
n President Hugo Chavez
condemned Israel's "attack on peace activists". He called the attack "an act of war undertaken by the Israeli army against defenseless civilians" who were trying to break through Israel's "criminal blockade." At a rally, Chavez described Israel as "cursed terrorist and murderous state" and further alleged that “Israel is financing the Venezuelan opposition. There are even groups of Israeli terrorists, of the Mossad, who are after me trying to kill me.”
Non-OAS members The Cuba
n Ministry of Foreign Affairs
condemned the Israeli action, calling it a "criminal attack" and expressed its "most energetic condemnation." Cuba calls for the lifting of the Gaza blockade and reaffirms its solidarity with the Palestinian people. Former Cuban President Fidel Castro
has condemned Israel's attack on the Freedom Flotilla as "Nazi fascist fury." Adding that the Israeli commandos who boarded the ships fired "frenetically" at the aid workers. he then asked "Is it possible [for Obama to be re-elected] without the Pentagon of...Israel...use nuclear weapons against Iran?"
's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that "Bangladesh is shocked and saddened at the unwarranted attack on unarmed civilians on board the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010, and the resultant loss of lives." The Ministry also said that Bangladesh expresses its profound condolences and sincerest sympathy to the bereaved families, and joins in prayer for the eternal peace of the departed souls. Bangladesh also called for collective international action to end the siege immediately and to allow the people of Palestine to return to normal life. China
Foreign Ministry
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu
condemned Israel's raid on the international convoy and urged Israel to seriously implement UN Security Council resolutions and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. India
's Ministry of External Affairs released a statement strongly condemning the attack by Israeli forces. "India deplores the tragic loss of life and the reports of killings and injuries to people on the boats carrying supplies for Gaza. There can be no justification for such indiscriminate use of force, which we condemn. We extend our sympathies to the families of the dead and wounded. It is our firm conviction that lasting peace and security in the region can be achieved only through peaceful dialogue and not through use of force." Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
condemned Israeli action. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
also condemned the action and said that the Israeli blockade in Gaza is a violation of international law. Iran
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei
condemned Israeli actions, and said is Israel is more brutal than Fascists. Iran president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said that the incident was an "inhuman action of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people" and that it would bring the regime "closer than ever to its end." The Iranian government has called for a boycott of Israel. Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili
underlined the necessity for coordination among regional and Islamic states to confront the Zionist regime of Israel effectively. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the raid, saying "the incident once again revealed the criminal and war-mongering nature of the Zionist regime." Iran also called on the UN Security Council and the OIC to take swift punitive action against Israel. At an Asian security summit in Istanbul, Turkey on June 8, 2010, Ahmadinejad stated that the raid "showed violence and hatred and war-mongering attitudes. The devilish sound of the uncultured Zionists was coming out from their deceit. ... They were holding up the flag of the devil itself." He also claimed that the raid would accelerate the end of Israel, stating that "[The raid] has actually rung the final countdown for its existence. It shows that it has no room in the region and no one is ready to live alongside it. Actually, no country in the world recognizes it, and you know that the Zionist regime is the backbone of the dictatorial world order." Japan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
issued a statement stating that it is "shocked at the report that people aboard boats carrying supplies to the Gaza Strip were victimized as a result of confrontation with Israel Defense Forces. We deeply deplore the casualties and the injuries of many people. Japan condemns the violent acts which caused this tragic incident." It also expressed deep condolences for the affected families and urged a full investigation into the matter. Malaysia Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stated that "in the name of the Malaysian government and the people strongly condemn this inhumane, brutal aggression by the Israeli regime on the flotilla which is bringing humanitarian aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza." He added that ""the whole world should condemn the action of this cruel regime" and "hoped the incident will result in a censure on Israel." Malaysia's government also urged Israel not to take any action that could harm people aboard the Malaysian-funded MV Rachel Corrie which would carry its citizens. Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman
said Israeli authorities should ensure a safe passage for the vessel to deliver its humanitarian cargo. The Maldives
Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing its great sadness at the incident and extending condolences to those affected. It condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the attack on civilians. The Maldives joint calls for an international enquiry and for those responsible to be held accountable. It also urged an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza. North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned Israel for having "mercilessly killed or wounded dozens of civilians aboard the boats." It went on to call the attack a "crime against humanity perpetrated at the U.S. connivance and under its patronage and a blatant challenge to the Arabs including Palestinians and the Mideast peace process." The statement also "expresses full support and solidarity with the cause of the Palestinians and other Arab people[s]." Pakistan
strongly condemned the Israeli action, calling it a cruel act and an open violation of international laws and ethics. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that "Pakistan strongly condemns this incident. Our point of view was that there was no moral or legal reason for this attack". The Pakistani government also expressed deep concern over the well-being of Pakistanis and journalists on board and Pakistani missions are in touch with Arab countries of the region to get information about the status of the Pakistani nationals in the flotilla. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari
and Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the Israeli actions. They further said that the Government of Pakistan
is exerting all its efforts to find out what had happened to the Pakistanis aboard the flotilla. The Government of South Korea
downgraded Israeli President Shimon Peres' visit to 'working' status. The Government of Sri Lanka
condemned the attacks saying it deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from this operation and condemned the indiscriminate use of force to prevent the carriage of supplies for people under occupation, and reiterates its conviction that sustainable peace and security in the region is achievable only through peaceful dialogue. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan
condemned the Israeli attack on humanitarian aid convoy in international waters and called for international investigation of the incident. The foreign minister of Uzbekistan
condemned the Israeli attack, and called on Israel to lift the blockage of Gaza. Vietnam cancelled scheduled visit of Israeli President Shimon Peres after the flotilla incident.
A summit at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia a statement agreed to by 21 of the 22 participants at the conference (Israel being the 22nd) read "All member states, except one, expressed their grave concern and condemnation for the actions undertaken by the Israeli Defence Forces." In response Turkish President Abdullah Gul
said the near-unanimous condemnation showed Israel was isolated and that it "will suffer the consequences for its mistake against Turkey."
European Union
The President
of the European Parliament
, Jerzy Buzek
called it "an unjustified attack" and "a clear and unacceptable breach of international law, especially the fourth Geneva Convention". Other members of the European Parliament described Israel's actions using words such as "terrorism," "kidnapping," "revulsion," and even "obscene". EU foreign affairs chief
Catherine Ashton demanded Israeli authorities mount a "full inquiry" into the deaths on the flotilla. She also appealed for the opening of the border so humanitarian aid can get through. The ambassadors of the 27 EU members said "The EU condemns the use of violence that has produced a high number of victims among the members of the flotilla and demands an immediate, full and impartial inquiry into the events and the circumstances surrounding it. EU does not accept the continued policy of closure, it is unacceptable and politically counterproductive, we need to urgently achieve a durable solution to the situation in Gaza." Belgium
's foreign minister, Steven Vanackere
, called the use of Israeli force "disproportionate" and "invited the Israeli ambassador to explain how the events unfolded." The Bulgaria
n Foreign Ministry demanded the immediate release of two Bulgarian journalists travelling in the convoy. In addition, Bulgaria "slammed" the attack, saying "nothing can justify the violence that resulted in the killing of over 10 people on board one of the ships." It called for an investigation. In Cyprus
, Israel's ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain the operation. Cyprus stated its belief that NGOs must be allowed to do their work freely and lawfully. Further, it called for the lifting of the blockade of Gaza. Czech
foreign ministry spokesman Philip Kanda said Prague
is not planning to issue separate statements to the event because it agrees with the observations of the EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton. Denmark
's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lene Espersen
, described the confrontation as strongly worrying and has summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain the incident. Estonia
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Urmas Paet
, condemned the incident and expressed their condolences to the loved ones of the casualties, and wished for a quick recovery for all the injured in the incident. Estonia also called for a thorough investigation of the incident, and expressed concern over the situation. Finland
Foreign Minister, Alexander Stubb
, expressed "shock" at the Israeli commando raid and called for an explanation of the incident and on the circumstances surrounding it. The Israeli Ambassador to Finland was called to the Foreign Ministry over the incident. He demanded Israel immediately re-open Gaza border crossings. He stated that "All violence directed at civilians must be condemned."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy
condemned "the disproportionate use of force" against the flotilla. French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
Bernard Kouchner
was "profoundly shocked" by the incident and demanded an inquiry. Kouchner stated, "Nothing can justify the use of violence such as this, which we condemn." German
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
voiced "deep concern" at reports of deaths, and called for a "full and transparent investigation". German Chancellor Angela Merkel
's office said Israel's response to the ships was disproportionate, and reaffirmed the German government's demand for lifting the blockade of the Gaza strip. Greek
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Droutsas summoned Ali Yahia, the Israeli Ambassador in Greece to inquire about the incident and convey the annoyance of the Greek government; he stressed that "nothing could justify the use of such violence." After the meeting he announced the discontinuation of the joint Greek-Israeli military exercise "Minoas 2010" as well as the postponement of the scheduled visit of the Israeli Air Force commander to Athens. In a press release issued later in the day the Foreign Ministry described the operation as "incomprehensible" and "utterly alarming" and the resulting loss of life as something that "cannot be justified by any claim whatsoever." The ministry's Crisis Handling Unit was activated to handle the ongoing situation. Irish
Taoiseach
Brian Cowen
condemned the attacks, describing them as "very serious" and stated that he feels the blockade action was a violation of international law. He also stated that people are allowed to receive humanitarian assistance and that there should be an international investigation into the matter, describing the Israeli action as "disproportionate". Two members of Dáil Éireann
(the lower house of the Irish parliament
), Chris Andrews
and Aengus Ó Snodaigh
were refused access to the flotilla by the Cypriot authorities and had to abandon plans to travel with aid workers. On 1 June, Cowen told Dáil Éireann
that there would be "serious consequences" if Irish citizens had come to any harm at the hands of Israel. Minister for Foreign Affairs
Micheál Martin
said he was "gravely concerned" about the reports of at least ten people being killed. No Irish citizens were harmed in the attack. The Israeli ambassador to Ireland, Zion Evrony, was summoned to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
, after appearing on the radio programme Today with Pat Kenny
where he explained "This is what soldiers do," and said it was "a sad result" that "a few [activists] were killed." Martin sent his condolences to the Turkish government on the loss of their citizens and to Turkish families who were affected by the tragedy. Martin was reported to be "furious" that Israel had kidnapped Irish citizens in international waters and brought them to Israel where they would then be deported. He said "They were essentially kidnapped from international waters, taken into Israel. And now they are being asked to sign a document almost confirming that they entered illegally. And we think that is unacceptable. I have said this to the Ambassador - it makes no sense. These people should be released unconditionally." Sinn Féin
's Martin McGuinness
(also the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
) said "The Rachel Corrie contains only humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. It is being crewed by Human Rights activists. The Israeli government know this to be the case. They know the Rachel Corrie and her cargo presents no threat to Israel. The human rights activists onboard the boat had made it clear they had no issue with UN officials checking the cargo before they proceeded to Gaza. The Rachel Corrie should have been allowed to proceed to Gaza without Israeli aggression. The decision of the Israeli government to board the Rachel Corrie and divert her away from Gaza is a completely unjustified and unacceptable use of force. This is an attack on an Irish flagged vessel and it demands a strong response by the Irish government. Sinn Féin have already made clear that part of this response must be the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador from Ireland." The party's Spokesperson for International Affairs Aengus Ó Snodaigh
and Gerry Adams
also called for the expulsion of the ambassador. This was after Snodaigh expressed disappointment at not being allowed to go with the flotilla by Cypriot authorities. The Irish activist Shane Dillon was sent back to Ireland, though six other Irish activists - including Dr Fintan Lane and Fiachra O Luain - were detained in the Beersheba detention camp. Italy condemned the Israeli military operation, and supported the UN Security Council resolution calling for an investigation and the release of detainees. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini condemned the killing of civilians, saying "I deplore in the strongest terms the killing of civilians. This is certainly a grave act". Italy also called for an EU investigation. Earlier Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Alfredo Mantica
had called the international flotilla to the Gaza Strip a "provocation". However, he had not justified the Israeli course of action. "The manner of the response is debatable, but to think that it would all pass without Israeli action is naiveté on the part of the organizers. I believe someone wanted to see how harsh Israel's response would be," he had said. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing "deep concern" over the Israeli action, offfered condolences to the families of the victims and called for an investigation. Luxembourg
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean Asselborn
, "strongly condemned those responsible for the attack on the flotilla" and demanded an international investigation to ascertain responsibilities. Dutch
foreign minister Maxime Verhagen
has stated that "Israel had, based on military law at sea, the authority to inspect the cargo of the convoy carrying aid supplies for Gaza". In reaction to questions by members of the Dutch Parliament, he wrote: "The risk of breaking a blockade lies with those who do so, provided that the blockade was declared properly". He also stated that "investigation, in the first place by Israel itself, must answer what exactly happened." Poland
’s Foreign Minister, Radek Sikorski said "The whole world calls for a clarification. The next step will depend on how well, and convincingly, the Israeli authorities explain what happened." He, however, did not say whether Poland would summon the Israeli ambassador to provide explanations.
Portugal
Foreign Ministry
issued a statement expressing "deep concern" over the incident, condemned the "excessive use of force against civilian targets" and called for an "impartial" investigation. The President of Romania
Traian Băsescu
told the departing Israeli government Oren David that Romania was concerned about the raid on the flotilla that might result in negative consequences for the Middle East Peace Process. On June 23, 2010 at a summit of Balkan countries in Istanbul Romania was one of the countries that strongly condemned Israel's attack on the aid flotilla as well as the loss of life. Spain
condemned the attack, has summoned the Israeli ambassador for questioning. The Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos
, decried the excessive use of force against an humanitarian convoy, and recalled that the European Union had already requested an end to the blockade. Sweden
summoned the Israeli ambassador, Benny Dagan, to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
. The Foreign Affairs Secretary Frank Belfrage and the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Carl Bildt
called the Israeli raid "completely unacceptable". On June 2, it was reported that as a reaction to Israels raid on the flotilla, the Swedish Football Association
would attempt to call off an upcoming qualifying game
in Israel for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
. On June 5 it was reported that a one week ban of Israeli goods would be launched by the Swedish Port Workers Union. United Kingdom
's Prime Minister David Cameron
has condemned the Israeli attack, called it "completely unacceptable", and told Israel to "respond constructively" to "legitimate international criticism". Foreign Secretary William Hague
said he "deplored" the loss of life and called on Israel to open border crossings for aid access. Scotland
'sDeputy First Minister
Nicola Sturgeon
said Israel's actions had been "rightly condemned around the world". She called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza, and expressed her "deep sadness" at the loss of life on the flotilla. In Belfast, protests were held in front of the City Hall to condemn Israel's actions and to call for an end to the siege of Gaza.
Non-EU members
The Albania
n Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the violence, considering it "unjustifiable" and calling on the "Israeli authorities to investigate immediately (sic) this incident, which has tensioned (sic) the regional and global stability." The Azerbaijani
president, Ilham Aliyev
condemned the attack: "We condemn Israel’s deadly attack on the Turkish ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip and express our support for Turkey." He also offered his condolences to the Turkish government and citizens on behalf of the Azerbaijani people. The Azerbaijani
Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack. He noted that created situation caused anxiety in Azerbaijan: "Azerbaijani side considers that the conclusion of humanitarian action with human losses is a fact giving rise to anxiety. This incident must be investigated accurately in a short time and the offenders must be punished." Belarus
' Press Secretary Andrei Savinykh condemned the Israeli attack, stating that Belarus
is "very concerned" by the situation, "deplores" the use of force and considers Israel's actions to be "a gross violation of international law." He stressed the need for a full investigation into what happened and for all interested countries to calm tensions so that comprehensive peace talks could begin.
Bosnian representative at the UN Security Council, Ivan Barbalić
, condemned the Israeli attack "in the strongest possible terms." He called for an investigation and for Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza.
Croatia
n President Ivo Josipović
, expressing deep regret over the loss of lives and injuries, gave condolences to the families of the deceased, and strongly condemned the use of violence. Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
expressed regret over the loss of lives and gave condolences to the families of the deceased. It additionally underscored the need for refraining from escalation of the conflict, calling for an investigation which will meet international standards, and expressed hope that this incident will not hamper the recently re-started Middle East peace process. Furthermore, it emphasized the need for humanitarian aid access to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. As a member of NATO, Croatia activated an emergency decision-making mechanism. The Foreign Minister of Iceland, Össur Skarphéðinsson
, condemned the attack saying that "Gaza is in fact a giant prison where international law is violated. This must stop," and "We support the demands that have been made, e.g. by the EU, that this matter be thoroughly investigated. It is intolerable that Israel repeatedly exerts force in this way." Norway
's Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg
, said "a military attack against civilian activists is totally unacceptable." Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre
, has called for a meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Norway. Protests also spontaneously erupted in a number of cities throughout Norway. A group of 12 Norwegian Members of Parliament wore Palestinian scarves to a session of the Norwegian Parliament as a "show of solidarity with the Palestinian people." On 4 June, the Norwegian military
canceled a seminar that included a speech by an Israeli soldier. It was reported immediately after the raid that 43 percent of Norwegians either would like to boycott Israeli products, or were already doing so. Russia
's President Dmitry Medvedev
called for a thorough investigation of the incident and said that, in any case, the deaths of people are irreversible. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
condemned the assault and expressed concern that it was conducted in international waters. On June 8, Putin condemned the acts and said it has to be investigated specially, especially since it was on international waters. The Foreign Ministries of Russia and the EU adopted a joint statement concerning the flotilla attack, which correlates with the UN Security Council activity in the situation. Russia
's Foreign Ministry expressed "condemnation and profound concern" over the incident and called for a full investigation. It also called the use of "use of arms against civilians and the detention of the vessels on the high seas without any legal grounds constitute a gross violation of generally accepted international legal norms." The head of the Russia
n State Duma
Foreign Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, called for an "urgent meeting" of the Middle East Quartet to discuss the incident. Switzerland
called for an international inquiry and summoned the Israeli ambassador. The Holy See
expressed "great concern and pain" about the incident.
and MPs condemned the Israeli raid. Rudd stated "The Australian government condemns any use of violence under the sorts of circumstances that we have seen." Australia
's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was "deeply saddened by loss of life following the incident." Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
, speaking during a media conference, said the Government was "deeply concerned" by the turn of events and called for "a full investigation" and for the results to be brought before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). New Zealand
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
condemned the Israeli attack, and urged restraint from all parties. "Representatives from our Mission in New York [are] attending the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council
and we will continue to follow their deliberations carefully." Israel's ambassador to New Zealand Shemi Tzur was later summoned to a meeting with McCully who stated that: "I left him in no doubt about the seriousness of the Government's concerns in relation to the incident off Gaza".
questioned Israel's claims that the Gaza aid convoy was not a project for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. B'Tselem
called for an independent investigation conducted by non-military officials. Jews for Justice for Palestinians
condemned the raid German Jewish group Jewish Voices for a Just Peace decided to send a boat with school supplies and humanitarian aid to break the Gaza blockade.
to Hrant Dink
.
Soli Özel, an instructor of international relations at Bilgi University, a columnist for Habertürk newspaper and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post's "Post Global" in Istanbul said:
Cüneyt Ülsever, a commentator in the daily Hürriyet
, has criticized the İHH
, saying that “People will understand very soon that the İHH is harming Turkey, and warned that the effect of the crisis would be to persuade the West that Turkey is aligning itself with the likes of Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah.
reported that American lawmakers in both parties expressed support for Israel in the wake of growing international condemnation following the raid. New York
Democratic Party
Representative Anthony Weiner said "This was about instigating an altercation and they succeeded."
Another New York Representative, Gary Ackerman
, told the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs he "strongly support[s] Israel’s right to defend itself, and the right of Israel’s naval commandos, who were executing a legal mission, to defend themselves by using force when they were brutally attacked." Politico
reports. According to Fox News United States Senator John McCain
said pro-Palestinian activists "wanted to provoke an international crisis...and they obviously succeeded," while he also questioned President Obama's commitment to Israeli security in the wake of the current crisis.
The Los Angeles Times asked several questions regarding the responsibility for the clash, while saying there was still much to be learned about the incident. While saying "As is so often the case with events involving Israelis and Palestinians, the competing narratives allow supporters of almost any position to hear what they want to hear." The editorial made its own affirmation that "This much, however, seems undeniable: Israel has done itself serious damage. [This was because] the decision to deploy armed troops to obstruct what was apparently a nonviolent mission and then, even if you accept Israel's version of events, to allow them to be drawn into a battle that left so many civilians dead, will serve as a further blow to the ailing peace process and as more fodder for those who argue that Israel's 'disproportionate' use of force is evidence of a cavalier attitude toward human life." While admitting the raid would not focus new attention on attention on the blockade itself, the editorial also concluded in saying that "This page supports Israel's right to self-defense. We support reasonable measures to stop cross-border shelling and to keep weapons from illegally entering Gaza by land or sea. We oppose the Hamas government's consistent call for the destruction of Israel. But we also want to see an end to the blockade, which amounts to collective punishment of about 1.5 million Palestinians."
The New York Times
quoted a statement allegedly from the flotilla organizers saying "A violent response from Israel will breathe new life into the Palestine solidarity movement, drawing attention to the blockade." They then said "There can be no excuse for the way that Israel completely mishandled the incident." And that the raid turned out to be "a grievous, self-inflicted wound. It has damaged Israel’s ties with Turkey, once its closest ally in the Muslim world; given the Hamas-led government in Gaza a huge propaganda boost; and complicated peace talks with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank." It also asks "Why did Israel, which has blocked some ships but allowed others to pass, decide to take a stand now? Did it make a real effort to find a compromise with Turkey, which sanctioned the flotilla? [While] Israel has a right to stop weapons from going into Gaza, but there has been no suggestion that the ships were carrying a large cache." The Times concludes that "needs to state clearly that the Israeli attack was unacceptable and back an impartial international investigation. The United States should also join the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, France, Russia and China — in urging Israel to permanently lift the blockade." Another editorial said "Turkey is understandably furious" but "Turkish officials have let their anger and rhetoric go way too far... Israel deserves to be criticized for the flotilla disaster. But gratuitously stoking anti-Israeli sentiment is irresponsible and dangerous."
The San Francisco Chronicle called the said a "disaster on every level." It also contended that Israel's "enemies could not have scripted a more bungled operation:...setting off recriminations, policy breaches and deepening isolation for Israel...
The peace process, already in the cryogenic stage, is at full stop...The episode reruns old stories. Palestinian sympathizers wanted a confrontation over Israel's blockade of Hamas-run Gaza...and ignored offers to dock in Israeli ports and ship the aid by land. ... Another horrifying Mideast moment will live on to paralyze progress in the future...
The purpose was clearly to call attention to the blockade, viewed as essential by Israel to cap terrorism, and regarded as harsh and unsuccessful by critics." It concluded that "There is no other course than to admit a serious mistake. Without one, the region is condemned to a future without change or hope."
In an op-ed
piece the Wall Street Journal said "Israel's actions in boarding the flotilla of ships bound for the Gaza Strip were entirely justified and perhaps even unavoidable." Although, they add the caveat that "Unfortunately they turned into a tactical and strategic fiasco that does further damage to the Jewish State's tattered international reputation." A separate Wall Street Journal article emphasized Israel's need to keep advanced weaponry from getting to Hamas: "Those who denounce Israel today ought to at least propose how they mean to keep arms from going to Hamas—or else consider the role their denunciations will play in encouraging another war." Another article stated "the more facts that come to light about the flotilla, its passengers and their sponsors, the more it seems clear that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergodan's government, far more so than Israel's, must be held to account for Monday's violent episode." After describing the links between the Islamic charity that organized the flotilla and terrorist groups, the Journal states "No wonder that Israel was not prepared to let this flotilla break its blockade of Gaza. ... Israel is entirely within its rights to prevent Hamas from linking with groups suspected of supplying arms and money to terrorists. Israel had also gone out of its way to give Turkey fair warning..." The Journal goes on to note that Turkish foreign policy under Erdogan has become progressively radical and out of line with the U.S.
The Washington Post
said the raid was a "diplomatic debacle for the government of Binyamin Netanyahu." And that "Though the investigations to come will find many to blame, it's already clear that Israel's response to the pro-Palestinian flotilla was both misguided and badly executed." The editorial also said that "We have no sympathy for the motives of the participants in the flotilla... What's plain is that the group's nominal purpose, delivering 'humanitarian' supplies to Gaza, was secondary to the aim of provoking a confrontation." While saying "Yet the threat to Israel was political rather than military. So far there's been no indication the boats carried missiles or other arms for Hamas." It continued "Mr. Netanyahu's aim should have been to prevent the militants (sic
) from creating the incident they were hoping for. Allowing the boats to dock in Gaza, as Israel had done before, would have been better than sending military commandos to intercept them. The fact that the soldiers who roped down from helicopters to the lead Turkish ferry were unprepared to subdue its passengers without using lethal force only compounded the error." It concluded that "The prime minister (Netanyahu) is in a deepening hole; his only way out is to move to the center." Another editorial stated that while "Western governments have been right to be concerned about Israel's poor judgment...[they] ought to be at least as worried about the Turkish government...which...has shown a sympathy toward Islamic militants and a penchant for grotesque demagoguery toward Israel that ought to be unacceptable for a member of NATO." In reference to Turkey's statement that "Israel had no just cause to clash with 'European lawmakers, journalists, business leaders, and a Holocaust survivor,' the article noted that "there was no fighting with those people, or with five of the six boats in the fleet. All of the violence occurred aboard the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara, and all of those who were killed were members or volunteers for the Islamic 'charity' that owned the ship." The editorial claimed that the İHH "is a member of the 'Union of Good,' a coalition that was formed to provide material support to Hamas and that was named as a terrorist entity by the United States in 2008." It then said that "The relationship between Mr. Erdogan's government and the İHH ought to be one focus of any international investigation into the incident." The article claims that "In the days since an incident that the İHH admits it provoked [Erdogan] has done his best to compete with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah
in attacking the Jewish state [and calling] Israel's actions 'state terrorism.' [and Israel] merciless, rootless state." The editorial labeles Davutoglu's comparison saying "this attack is like 9/11 for Turkey" as an "obscene comparison." The article attacked Erdogan in saying his "attempt to exploit the incident comes only a couple of weeks after he joined Brazil's president in linking arms with Mr. Ahmadinejad, whom he is assisting in an effort to block new UN sanctions." The article mentions that Turkey's moves came despite the Obama administration overtures. "What's remarkable about his turn toward extremism is that it comes after more than a year of assiduous courting by the Obama administration, which, among other things, has overlooked his antidemocratic behavior at home, helped him combat the Kurdish PKK and catered to Turkish sensitivities about the Armenian genocide. Israel is suffering the consequences of its misjudgments and disregard of U.S. interests. Will Mr. Erdogan's behavior be without cost?"
USA Today
said "In practical terms, the argument hardly matters. By opting for an assault on the six-ship convoy trying to break a 3-year-old blockade of Gaza, Israel handed its opponents a victory they could not have achieved by other means and simultaneously left itself, the United States and the struggling Mideast peace process with a huge problem....Israel, however, remained adamant, implausibly casting the flotilla organizers as a mortal threat." They drew parallels saying "The pity is that the Israelis so lacked the same prescience, remarkable in light of their own history. No event was more important to the formation of Israel than the confrontation 63 years ago between the ship Exodus..." They believed that as a "smart solution to the current impasse...Israel should allow humanitarian aid into Gaza on the condition that cargo first be inspected for weapons. Palestinians should accept that restriction. The United States and United Nations should try to ensure its enforcement."
said the attack damaged Israel's reputation and suggested it "might have wanted to rethink the orders that led to Monday's fatal clash." It reasoned that this, along with the Dubai assassination
of a Hamas leader, "left a trail of evidence a mile wide, to put a dent in the reputation of the country’s legendary intelligence and security operations. " Adding that "For the peace process, this story feels relevant in ways that may not be obvious right away, as though something has shifted. It’s not as simple as Israel stumbling into a PR disaster or lost international support, as some would like to make it." However, it also said that "For the Palestinians, it underscored the division between blockaded, Hamas-run Gaza and the West Bank, which has fared better in so many ways for not being Hamas-run Gaza."
published an article by José Maria Aznar
, former prime minister of Spain, saying the world must support Israel because "if it goes down, we all go down". He said that "In an ideal world, the assault by Israeli commandos on the 'Mavi Marmara' would not have ended up with nine dead and a score wounded. In an ideal world, the soldiers would have been peacefully welcomed on to the ship." In the article Aznar criticizes Turkey, for placing Israel "in an impossible situation" in which it would have to either give up its security or face world condemnation. Aznar concluded that Israel is the West's first line of defense, and must be protected.
The Financial Times
called the attack a "brazen act of piracy," that dealt a blow to the legitimacy of Israel's struggle. The paper continued that "Israel claims the activists had links with extremist groups and that some attacked Israeli soldiers with knives and sticks (and in some accounts the odd light firearm). Even if true, this would not justify the illegal capture of civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid in international waters, let alone the use of deadly force."
Günther Nonnenmacher of the editorial board of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
wrote that Israel seems to have lost all sense of proportion and would not pay attention to public opinion. The raid on the convoy would constitute a new level of escalation.
The Croatian daily Jutarnji List
said Croatia was in an unenviable position because "On the one hand, the country feels responsibility towards Israel and its politics have always reflected that responsibility. On the other hand, Turkey is an important ally in the region with its influence on the reform processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as a growing trading partner for Croatia."
on June 2 showed 94.8 percent agreeing that it was necessary to stop the boats, with 62.7 percent saying it should have been handled in a different manner. Only 8.1 percent thought Netanyahu should resign. The newspaper didn’t say how many people were surveyed or give a margin of error.
Criticism within Israel on the flotilla operation has focused largely on the execution of the raid and not the blockade. The
Israeli media, which had initially supported the IDF action and corroborated the IDF account of the incident, later criticized the operation as having been badly handled. Haaretz said that the Israeli army had fallen into a trap set by the flotilla organizers. While Israeli soldiers were supported, the government was chastised for putting Israel in a compromising situation.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz
had a headline initially reading "Botched raid on Free Gaza Flotilla," the online headline was later changed to "Israel fears diplomatic backlash in wake of Gaza flotilla deaths", while Maariv went with "Flotilla Fiasco."
Israeli journalist Gideon Levy
remarked in an opinion article, "Again Israel will pay a heavy diplomatic price, once which had not been considered ahead of time. Again, the Israeli propaganda machine has managed to convince only brainwashed Israelis, and once more no one asked the question: What was it for? Why were our soldiers thrown into this trap of pipes and ball bearings? What did we get out of it?"
, and Klaxons
were among the bands scheduled to play Tat el Aviv's Pic.Nic festival. According to festival organizers, all three groups cancelled their plans in relation to the naval raid. In addition Gil Scott-Heron
cancelled an appearance.
The Brazilian film maker Iara Lee
wrote about her experience on the ship in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle in which she said "Israel's powerful navy could have easily approached our boat and boarded it in broad daylight or pursued nonviolent options for disabling our vessel. Instead, the Israeli military launched a nighttime assault with heavily armed commandos...I feared for the lives of my fellow passengers as I heard shots being fired on deck, and I later saw the bodies of several people killed being carried inside...When it was over, the Israeli soldiers commandeered our ships, illegally kidnapped us from international waters, towed us to the port of Ashdod, and arrested all of us on board." Concluding that "
What happened to our flotilla is happening to the people of Gaza on a daily basis. It will not stop until international law is applied to all countries, Israel included."
Meg Ryan
and Dustin Hoffman
canceled their appearances in 2010's Jerusalem Film Festival
in the events of flotilla raid. According to associate director of the festival, Yigal Molad Hayo, neither gave the political climate as a direct reason for canceling their participation in the festival but it became quite clear that was the reason.
Italian tenor Guiseppe "Joe" Fallisi dedicated his song "Un Momento" to victims of Mavi Marmara
Comedic response
Latma TV, an initiative of the Center for Security Policy
, a staunchly conservative organization located in Washington, D.C., produced a video entitled We Con the World
and set to the tune of the 1985 hit, "We Are the World
". The video, which is published on the internet, satirizes the political intentions of the activists aboard the MV Mavi Marmara with up to a dozen members of the so-called "Flotilla Choir"— some wearing a variation of traditional Arab dress—sing satirical verses, such as: "There's no people dying, so the best that we can do is create the biggest bluff of all." The Israeli government's press office later apologized for circulating a link to the video that mocked activists on board, and clarified that it does not represent Israel's official stance. The creation of the film was initiated by Caroline Glick
, the deputy managing director and columnist for the Jerusalem Post.
In Turkey
, more than ten thousand people gathered to protest in Taksim Square
in central Istanbul
on the night of 31 May 2010. Hundreds of protesters then tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. A second day of protests took place across Turkey; protestors marched in front of Istanbul
's Israeli consulate, and several people were arrested in Ankara
after encountering police in front of the Israeli Embassy there. On 1 June, Azerbaijani protesters gathered outside the Turkish embassy in Baku
to condemn the Israeli attack. The protesters were carrying the Azerbaijani and Turkish flags. They also carried placards saying "Israel is a barbarian" and "Israel is a murderer," and chanted slogans such as "Azerbaijan and Turkey: one nation, two states", "Turkey’s grief is Azerbaijan’s grief" and "Down with Israel." The protesters stated their support for the Turkish government and people.
In Tel Aviv
, leftist and rightist demonstrators clashed on June 5, 2010, as more than 6,000 citizens gathered to protest the Israeli raid against the aid convoy.
During a demonstration at a checkpoint between Israel and the West Bank
, which involved stone-throwing by Palestinian youths, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at demonstrators. An art student from New York, who according to a witness was not involved in any violence, lost an eye when one of the canisters fractured parts of her skull.
In the Arab world
, thousands marched in condemnation on the streets of Baghdad
. Thousands of Egyptians also rallied to request that Cairo
's Israeli ambassador be expelled and that the government open the Gaza border. There were also demonstrations in Damascus
, Amman
, and Beirut
. While Palestinians in the West Bank
clashed with Israeli security forces who responded with tear gas. Several hundred Arab protestors in Israel were arrested in Umm al-Fahm
as the demonstrations turned violent. Protests were also held in the Arab cities of Acre
, Sakhnin
, Arabe and Shfaram, although there was no violence reported. A spontaneous demonstration also took place in Nazareth
as Israeli security forces prepared to face an anticipated wave of violence. Demonstration were also held in Sana'a
.
On 1 June 2010, in Malaysia, a man performed a personal protest before the United States embassy at Jalan Tun Razak when he "slashed himself with a penknife on the thighs and chest" to express his disapproval of the Israeli attack. He was bundled away to a hospital before the knife reached his neck. Protests were held across Pakistan by journalists, political parties, and college students. The Lahore Press Club called for the release of all detained persons, and called the raid an "act of terrorism." They accused Israel of violating international law, and demanded an urgent explanation of the matter. They also demanded the Pakistani government to secure the release of the Pakistanis arrested. Protests were also held in Jakarta
and other cities across Indonesia.
In Greece, thousands of protesters marched on the Israeli Embassy in Athens
, sparking clashes with police, the deployment of tear gas, five arrests and many injuries. Tear gas was also used in Paris
to disperse the thousands of people who waved Palestinian and Turkish flags beside the Israeli Embassy. Twenty-one cities in Sweden, including Gothenburg
and Malmö
, held demonstrations, with thousands of protesters clutching Palestinian flags as they marched on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm
, while speakers expressed their "disgust and dismay". In Norway, approximately 2,000 demonstrators gathered peacefully in front of the Israeli Embassy in Oslo
, while chanting slogans and calling for a "boycott of Israel" and closure of the Israeli Embassy. In Italy, there were protests in many cities, including Rome
, where one speaker said the situation was "extremely serious and has no precedent whatsoever in the history of international diplomacy." In the United Kingdom, over a thousand protesters rallied outside Downing Street
and barricaded Whitehall
on 31 May. In Manchester
800 protesters attempted to storm the BBC
offices in reaction to a perceived bias in the BBC's reporting of the incident. There were further protests in Preston and Bolton. Readers of the Irish Times sent angry letters to the newspaper on the 1 June. Protests took place across Ireland on 31 May, including Belfast
, Cork
, Derry
, Galway
, Sligo
and Waterford
, while hundreds of protesters in Dublin mached from the Israeli embassy to the nearby US Embassy before returning to the Israeli embassy. Those present at the Dublin protest included Aengus Ó Snodaigh
and Chris Andrews
, both of whom Cypriot authorities had prevented from joining the flotilla, as well as Lord Mayor of Dublin
Emer Costello
. Palestinians supporters of both Hamas and Fatah were part of the protests, with chants mostly in Arabic.
From June 1–5, thousands of people rallied throughout various cities across the United States and Canada to protest the flotilla raid and the subsequent seizure of the MV Rachel Corrie
and its crew, including Chicago
, San Francisco, Los Angeles
, Minneapolis, Minnesota
, Toronto
, Ottawa
, Montreal
and Vancouver
. In New York City
, protesters marched from Times Square
toward the Israeli Mission to the United Nations in response to the Israeli attack. Similar scenes were seen in Australia
, where thousands gathered across the country to protest against the Israeli raid and the on-going blockade of Gaza.
On 4 June, there were protests in Ireland and Malaysia. The Israel
i embassy in Dublin was blockaded by dozens of people, causing its closure for the day but authorities deemed it a peaceful protest and no arrests were made. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim
was among protesters who gathered outside the US embassy along Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur
, disrupting traffic for several hours. On 5 June further demonstrations were organised in the United Kingdom, with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign leading a three-thousand strong march in Edinburgh. In London thousands marched from Downing Street to the Israeli embassy to express their outrage at Israeli actions.
On June 7, 2010, approximately 200 mostly Muslim students threw stones at a group of Israelis while chanting "Murderers," and subsequently broke the window of the police car that they took refuge in. One of the Israelis was injured. The incident occurred at the start of the Spain-Israel Chamber of Commerce's conference at Madrid's Autonomous University. Following the violence, the university called off the conference due to safety concerns. According to Spanish media, the organizers had changed the conference's venue at the last minute due to concerns about potential violence but the protestors discovered the new location and stormed in while chanting, "Murderers, murderers. Get out of Gaza" and "Freedom to the Palestinian people."
residents, in Qiryat Shmona and student rallies in the Technion, University of Haifa
, Ben Gurion University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and Tel Aviv University
. The rallies included hundreds of demonstrators waving the flag of Israel
and chanting slogans in support of the IDF
and Shayetet 13
. A large and fierce protest was held in front of the Turkish embassy, which included slogans such as "Shayetet 13, we are with you," "We are all the IDF," "Cold weapon
s kill." Protesters also accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
of "supporting terrorism
" and equated him with Osama Bin-Laden and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They also chanted, "The [Gaza] flotilla is burning," while carrying signs reading, "Ahmadinejad=Erdogan." The organizers of the embassy protest described themselves as young zionists.
In Los Angeles
about 1000 demonstrators were protesting in front of the Turkish Consulate on June 1 in support of Israel. A Jewish high school student was seen walking through a crowd of anti-Israeli protesters alone, carrying a large Israeli flag. Police officers feared for his safety, and escorted him to protect him from potential attacks. On June 6, demonstrators rallied to show solidarity with Israel at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles. Notable attendees included Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner
, actor Jon Voight
, Republican Senate contender Chuck DeVore
, Representative Brad Sherman
and Rabbi Marvin Hier
of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
, Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel
, City Council members Paul Koretz
and Janice Hahn
, Judea Pearl
, and David Pine of Americans for Peace Now
. Several Christian groups were also represented. In New York City
, a number of pro-Israel Jews gathered to show their support for Israel. While in Baltimore
a pro-Israel rally, organized by the Baltimore Zionist District sough to raise awareness of what supporters called an act of self-defense by Israel against Hamas
. As many as 600 people gathered on 6 June at the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami's Bayfront Park
. North Miami Beach City Council member Frantz Pierre led the crowd in a chant of "Peace, peace, peace." Jewish and Christian religious leaders were present. Mohammad S. Shakir, a Muslim and director of the Asian American Advisory Board in the Miami-Dade County
Office of Community Advocacy, made a speech.
On 2 June, in London the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
organized a pro-Israel rally in front of Israeli embassy. On June 4, a demonstration was held in Vienna
. On June 6 an event in support Israel in Paris
was cancelled due to threats from pro-Palestinian groups. On 6 June, a rally was held in Brussels
.
The National Union of Israeli Students
planned to send a Kurdish Freedom Flotilla. According to Boaz Torporovsky, President of the Student Union, the plan is to send a flotilla of ships "to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Kurds of Turkey
."
Israeli Arab members of the Knesset
, Israel's parliament, received numerous death threats after the incident. A bus driver hired by the Israeli military to transport soldiers put up a sign on the bus saying: "Shayetet 13, shame on you. Why did you kill so few?"
national telephone poll in the USA of 1000 voters found that 49% of respondents blame pro-Palestinian activists on the Gaza bound aid ships for the deaths that resulted. 19% blamed Israel and 32% were not sure. 51% of those polled thought that Israel should allow an international investigation into the incident, while 25% agreed with Israel's refusal.
A Yougov
survey found that 55% of the Britons polled believed Israel had over-reacted, 27% didn't know and 18% thought they'd acted in self-defence. When asked about an international investigation, an overwhelming 74% believed it should be conducted by an international group. 4% thought it should be led by Israel, 12% didn't know, and 11% thought an inquiry shouldn't be held as it was a distraction from peace negotiations.
that plans to send a boat with humanitarian aid to break the Gaza blockade, has received a large number of request to travel with the ship, and is searching for a second vessel to accommodate additional participants.
In Ireland, Lord Mayor of Cork
Dara Murphy
opened a book of condolence.
convened an emergency meeting at the request of Turkey
, during which the Turkish foreign minister
stated "Israel must be held accountable for its crimes" (prior to the meeting, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN called for an independent Security Council investigation). While the British ambassador said Israel should end the Gaza blockade and take steps for an investigation, the US deputy permanent representative supported the Israeli position that humanitarian aid should have gone by "accepted international mechanisms," and the Israeli deputy permanent representative said the flotilla was not humanitarian but had a mission of breaking the blockade.
The United States directly intervened to prevent the United Nations Security Council
's statement, which requested an "impartial" investigation of the deaths and condemned those "acts" that led to it, from resembling that drafted by Turkey, the Palestinians and Arab states, which called for condemnation "in the strongest terms" and an independent international inquiry. 12 hours of negotiations were required to come up with a statement that suited all.
As a result of the emergency meeting that went into the early hours of the morning, the council agreed condemn the acts that resulted in the deaths and injuries aboard the Mavi Marmara. They also called for a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards. This was different from what Turkey and the Arab states were demanded - an independent international investigation—leaving open the possibility of who would conduct the investigation.
passed a resolution by 32 votes to 3, with a number of abstentions, in which it condemned in the strongest terms the outrageous attack by the Israeli forces which resulted in the killing and injuring of many innocent civilians from different countries, and decided to dispatch an independent international fact finding mission to investigate violations of international law resulting from the Israeli attack.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Israel expressed regret over loss of life in the Gaza flotilla raid
Gaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
, yet stated that the operation was a "clear case of self defense." The incident also drew attention to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, which was condemned. Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
called for a full investigation and urged Israel to provide a full explanation. Many countries called for an international investigation and civilian protests erupted around the world.
Four countries downgraded their diplomatic relations with Israel and/or withdrew ambassadors: Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, South Africa, and Turkey. Twelve Latin American countries condemned Israeli actions: Argentina
Argentina–Israel relations
Argentina–Israel relations refer to international relations between Argentina and Israel. Both countries established diplomatic relations on May 31, 1949.-History:...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Chile
Chile–Israel relations
Chile–Israel relations refers to the historical and current relationship between Chile and Israel. Chile recognized Israel’s independence in February 1949. Both countries established diplomatic relation on 16 May 1950, with Israel sending their first ambassador on that date and Chile sending their...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Israel had developed significant bilateral relationships with seven of them. Twenty-one European countries condemned or protested Israeli actions: Albania
Albania–Israel relations
Albania and Israel established diplomatic relations on August 20, 1991. Albania had previously recognized Israel as a state since 1949. Albania has an embassy in Tel-Aviv and Israel also has an embassy in Tirana.- History :...
, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Bulgaria, Croatia
Croatia–Israel relations
Croatia-Israel relations refers to the bilateral relationship between Croatia and Israel. Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 9, 1997. Croatia has an embassy in Tel Aviv and 4 honorary consulates...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic–Israel relations
Czech Republic – Israel relations are foreign relations between the Czech Republic and Israel, although this article also includes the foreign relations between the Czech Republic's predecessor state, Czechoslovakia and Israel....
, Estonia, Finland
Finland–Israel relations
Israel-Finland relations are diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties between Finland and Israel. Finland maintains an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel maintains an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean....
, France
France–Israel relations
France–Israel relations refers to the bilateral foreign relations between France and Israel. France has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Jerusalem...
, Greece, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Ireland
Ireland–Israel relations
Ireland–Israel relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Ireland and Israel.Since January 25, 1996, the Republic has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Dublin. The Israeli ambassador to Ireland is Boaz Modai and the Irish ambassador to Israel is Breifne O'Reilly...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Norway, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the United Kingdom. Israel was widely condemned in the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
. Twelve non-Arab Asian countries condemned Israeli actions: China, India, Indonesia
Indonesia–Israel relations
In 2005, the Indonesian Government said that establishing full diplomatic ties with Israel will only be possible after peace has been reached between Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom held a discreet first meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda...
, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, North Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. Israel was also condemned by: Australia, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, New Zealand and South Africa. Eighteen countries expressed regret over the loss of life: Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Holy See, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
The Turkish government and the İHH were also criticized. Several journalists accused Turkey of aligning itself with Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah, and expressed concern over the contribution of Erdoğan and his government to fueling public rage. Pro-Israeli rallies took place in Los Angeles, Miami, Vienna, Great Britain, Brussels and Israel.
United Nations
- The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moonBan Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
condemned the violence, called for "a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took place" and urged Israel to "provide a full explanation [into the matter]." He also said that the underlying problem behind the raid was the siege of Gaza, which he described as "counter-productive, unsustainable and wrong." On August 2 he announced that a U.N. panel was to investigate, see Gaza flotilla raid.
- United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay said "I am also registering my shock at reports that humanitarian aid was met with violence early this morning, reportedly causing death and injury as the convoy approached the Gaza coast." - The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert H. SerryRobert H. SerryRobert H. Serry , is a Dutch diplomat who currently serves as the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.A career diplomat, Serry has served in...
, and the director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near EastUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near EastUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza...
, Filippo GrandiFilippo GrandiFilippo Grandi served as Deputy Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East , appointed to his position by United Nations Secretary-General in 2005...
declared that "these tragedies are completely inevitable if Israel does not listen to the callings of the international community to end the unacceptable and counter-productive blockade of Gaza." - The Relief and Works AgencyUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near EastUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza...
also said "we are shocked by reports of killings and injuries of people on board boats carrying supplies for Gaza, apparently in international waters. Such tragedies are entirely avoidable if Israel heeds the repeated calls of the international community to end its counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza.
Others
African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(See below).
Arab League (See below).Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN rarely ), is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has...
condemned the Israeli attack, called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza, expressed solidarity with Turkey, and urged the UN to conduct an investigation.
European Union (See below). NATO held an emergency meeting on 1 June 2010 in response to the attack. Turkey is a NATO signatory, and Article 5 of the NATO charter states that armed attacks against one or more NATO members in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against all of them, and each will take action (including the possibility of armed force) "to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area." Article 6 explicitly mentions the Mediterranean Sea as a location for where attacks will trigger responses. The result of the meeting was that the NATO Secretary General issued a statement expressing "deep regret" over the loss of lives and "As a matter of urgency, [he] also request[ed] the immediate release of the detained civilians and ships held by Israel.". Organization of American States (See below).' Secretary General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations...
condemned Israel for the attack on the people on the ship.
The Southeast European Cooperation Process
Southeast European Cooperation Process
The South East European Co-operation Process was launched on Bulgaria's initiative in 1996. At the Bulgaria-chaired meeting in Sofia, the SEE countries laid the foundations for regional co-operation for the purposes of creating an atmosphere of trust, good neighbourly relations and stability.A...
, at a meeting of the 13 member countries in June 2010, condemned Israel's raid and demanded an impartial, independent and internationally credible investigation.
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
said that Israel's blockade violated the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
and stated that it constituted a collective punishment imposed in clear violation of Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law.
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
, who was in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the incident, expressed regret for the loss of life, and said that the event represents a clear case of self-defense of the IDF soldiers, he expressed his "full backing" for the military raid and cancelled a scheduled trip to the United States to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. A spokesman for the Prime Minister was quoted as saying that Netanyahu, "feels he has to be home to deal with this." he told a press conference that had Israel not stopped the flotilla from breaking the blockade and entering the Gaza Strip illegally, hundreds of more flotillas would arrive carrying weapons. He stood his ground defending the raid and said Israel will never apologize for the incident. In an address to the country, on 2 June he said "Israel faces hypocrisy and a biased rush to judgment." He further noted that in five of the six vessels in the flotilla, the boarding procedure ended without casualties. "The only difference was with one ship, where extremist Islamic activists, supporters of terrorism, waited for our troops on the deck with axes and knives."
After the boarding took place, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that the flotilla of ships "was an armada of hate and violence." He added that the flotilla attempt to reach Gaza was "a premeditated and outrageous provocation" and claimed that its organizers had ties not only to Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, but also to global Jihad, and al Qaida.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the international community "two faced" and said Israel was being condemned for its military acts of defense. Lieberman was said to have been "reminding" the UN Secretary General that in the past month alone over 500 people were killed in various incidents in Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and India
Indo-Israeli relations
Indo-Israeli relations refers to the bilateral ties between the the Republic of India and the State of Israel. The two countries enjoy an extensive economic, military and strategic relationship....
, which had allegedly been "ignored" while Israel was being condemned for its "unmistakably defensive actions." Israel later rescinded its criticism of India.
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni
Tzipi Livni
Tzipporah Malkah "Tzipi" Livni is an Israeli lawyer and politician. She is the current Israeli Opposition Leader and leader of Kadima, the largest party in the Knesset. Raised an ardent nationalist, Livni has become one of her nation's leading voices for the two-state solution. In Israel she has...
said that the coalition and the opposition are united in support of the defense forces, and that she is ready to assist the government in the political and explanatory aspects of the flotilla incident. She, however, disagreed with what she considered Netanyahu's lack of policy: "The world is certainly hypocritical, but that doesn't absolve us from forming a policy. This is more than an isolated incident. Anything that happened when Israel had a different standing in world opinion would have had a different result. Now, any isolated incident becomes a global drama, and it's becoming worse. We are reaching the stage when Israel's ability to defend itself will no longer exist." She said the lack of policy in the aftermath of the incident would jeopardize Israel's legitimacy and backing from the international community, which she says for years had insisted on not recognizing Hamas until it recognizes Israel and accepts past agreements, and had accepted the closure of Gaza while "it was clear that Israel wanted an agreement with pragmatic forces, with the legitimate Palestinian government." She also said that IDF soldiers acted appropriately, and supports setting up an internal investigation committee with the United States.
Ambassador to the UK, Ron Prosor
Ron Prosor
Ron Prosor is an Israeli diplomat and commentator on the Middle East. He served as Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2007-2011. In February 2011, Prosor was appointed Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations.-Biography:...
, said "It’s obvious — and I won’t beat around the bush on this — that this wasn’t successful and I think it clearly took up an issue that should have been solved differently." [However, the] other side [behaved] appallingly. [Israel was in a] war situation with terrorists.The loss of life was tragic and I’m not just saying that. When you look at the footage ... it’s obvious that the reaction is self—defence to try and save your life."
The Israeli high court rejected a petition seeking to overrule Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda Weinstein is an Israeli lawyer and the Attorney General of Israel, having replaced the previous attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, on 1 February 2010.-Biography:...
's decision to halt the police investigation into the attack. On June 3rd, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the soldiers responded in self-defense, and that the Gaza blockade and the raid of the ships were legal.
Minister of Strategic Affairs
Strategic Affairs Minister of Israel
The Strategic Affairs Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and a member of the cabinet. The portfolio and ministry was created in 2006 for Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beiteinu party had just joined the governing coalition...
Moshe Ya'alon
Moshe Ya'alon
Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon is an Israeli politician and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud, as well as the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs.-Early life:...
, a former IDF chief of staff, announced that the operation was a failure and instead of distributing citations Israel was busy trying to understand why basic operating protocol was not implemented.
Turkey
TurkishTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Deputy Prime Minister, Bülent Arınç
Bülent Arinç
Bülent Arınç , is a Turkish politician. He served as the 22nd house speaker of the Parliament of Turkey from 2002 to 2007. He is one of the State Ministers of Turkey and Vice-Prime Minister today.-Life and education:...
said "“In the name of the Turkish people and of our government, we strongly condemn these attacks” and he announced that Turkey canceled an U-19 football game against Israel. He added that no one should think that Turkey would declare war on Israel.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
said that the raid was "state terror" and decided to return from a state visit to Chile. Erdoğan spoke to the AK Party
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
Group at the Turkish Parliament
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
, he said "Turkey's friendship is as strong as its animosity". He also strongly rebuked Israel's action saying even pirates had a code of conduct. Erdoğan upped the ante, in a speech to legislators saying Israel should be "punished" for its "bloody massacre" amid a warning that no one should test Turkey's patience. He said "It is no longer possible to cover up or ignore Israel's lawlessness. The international community must from now on say 'enough is enough'. Dry statements of condemnation are not enough ... There should be results." He said the Israeli action was an attack "on international law, [and] the conscience of humanity and world peace." He even said that Israel acts as it does because it has powerful friends. He called for Israel to lift the "inhuman siege" of the Gaza Strip, which he referred to as an "open-air prison", and announced that he was considering sending the Turkish Navy
Turkish Navy
The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
to escort any future flotillas or to visit Gaza himself, in order to break the blockade. He also urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel.
President Abdullah Gül
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
said that "From now on, Turkish-Israeli ties will never be the same. This incident has left an irreperable and deep scar". He also claimed that "Turkey will never forgive this attack". Gül compared Israel's actions to those of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, and demanded that Israel apologize and pay compensation, and also urged Israel to thoroughly investigate the incident and lift the blockade of Gaza.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement condemned Israel, and the foreign ministry was reported to have summoned the Israeli ambassador to lodge a protest. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel. Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu
Ahmet Davutoglu
Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish political scientist, an academic and an ambassador. On May 1, 2009, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey after being the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey.-Life and career:...
told the UN Security Council that Israel has "lost all legitimacy" as a result of the raid. He called those who died "martyrs." He said that "It is no longer possible to cover up or ignore Israel's lawlessness. It is time for the international community to say 'enough is enough'." He also said that Turkey was ready to normalise ties if the blockade on Gaza was lifted because "it was time calm replaces anger." That, in turn, was accompanied with statement saying the injured would stay in Tel Aviv hospital under the care of a Turkish doctor, "We will not leave them (the wounded) to the mercy of anyone." The Parliament of Turkey unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
to impose sanctions on Israel, and called the attack a "blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law".
İlker Başbuğ
Ilker Basbug
Mehmet İlker Başbuğ was till August 2010 the 26th Chief of the General Staff of Turkey. In this post he is succeeded by Işık Koşaner.-Biography:...
, Chief of the Turkish Armed Forces held a phone conversation with Gabi Ashkenazi
Gabi Ashkenazi
Gavriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi , was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2007 to 2011.- Background and early life :...
, the Israeli Chief of Staff and called the raid unacceptable and indicated such actions could hold very serious consequences.
Leaders of opposition parties in Turkey also condemned the raid on Turkish ships. The leader of MHP
Nationalist Movement Party
The Nationalist Movement Party , is a far-right political party in Turkey.In the 2002 general elections, the party had lost its 129 seats as it had won only 8.34% of the national vote...
, Devlet Bahçeli
Devlet Bahçeli
Devlet Bahçeli is a Turkish politician and has been the second chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party since 6 July 1997....
, said the attack was an aggression which should be never accepted by the Turkish nation.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
Kemal Kiliçdaroglu
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is a Turkish social democrat politician. He is currently leader of the Republican People's Party and Leader of the Main Opposition in Turkey. He has been the Member of Parliament for İstanbul since 2002....
, chairman of main opposition party, The Republican People’s Party
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
(CHP), supported Turkish government's efforts for a UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israeli government and he said "We said we have given our support to the prime minister, as he said the attacks would not be left without a response. We said the CHP would support solutions which are concordant with our national interests". However, he also criticized the Turkish government and told Turkish television, “The European Union and the United States consider Hamas a terror organization. We must be careful.” He demanded that the government release communications with Israel prior to the incident, suggesting it allowed the flotilla to proceed despite knowing that violence was likely.
Arab League
Arab League called an emergency meeting on 1 June to discuss what it called Israel's "terrorist act" against the flotilla. Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr MoussaAmr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
, stated that "we condemn this crime, taken against a humanitarian mission and people. They were trying to help people. They were not on a military mission. Everyone should condemn this." Palestinian Authority president, and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) since 11 November 2004, Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
said that "Israel has committed a massacre", and declared a three-day state of mourning. Palestinian government official Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti is a Palestinian democracy activist. He was a candidate for the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005, finishing second to Mahmoud Abbas, with 19% of the vote.Barghouti was born in Jerusalem...
stated that Israel's actions would lead to the international boycott
Economic and political boycotts of Israel
Boycotts of Israel are economic and political cultural campaigns or actions that seek a selective or total cutting of ties with the State of Israel...
growing in strength. Salam Fayad said "Israel went beyond all that could be expected. / This [attack] is a transgression against all international covenants and norms and it must be confronted by all international forums."
-
- HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
spokesman Sami Abu ZuhriSami Abu ZuhriSami Abu Zuhri is a senior spokesman for the Palestinian political party Hamas. Zuhri, a relatively unknown member of Hamas, gained notoriety on May 19, 2006, when Palestinian security and customs officials discovered he had 640,000 euros on his person; another report claimed he held a larger sum...
said, "We call on all Arabs and Muslims to rise up in front of Zionist embassies across the whole world". AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
condemned "in the strongest terms" the Israeli onslaught against the fleet of international aid for Gaza and requested a "strong and unanimous" response from the international community. The government of BahrainBahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
stated that it "strongly condemns the Israeli navy’s barbaric attack on the aid flotilla in international waters, an attack which caused the deaths of many innocent victims. The Israeli use of force against civilians, including women, children and elders from several countries who sought to provide humanitarian aid to those people besieged in the Gaza Strip, must be condemned, is unacceptable, and is contrary to the basic laws and standards governing international waters." The Consulate of The ComorosComorosThe Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
in Istanbul condemned the raid. At the UN Human Rights Council, Mohammed Siad Doualeh of DjiboutiDjiboutiDjibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
expressed deep concern over the killings The EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian President Hosni MubarakHosni MubarakMuhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
denounced Israel's use of "excessive and unjustified force" while the Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to express its condemnation. The Egyptian President also ordered the opening of the Egyptian border to Gaza on Tuesday to allow humanitarian and medical aid into the Gaza Strip An IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i government official, MP Khairallah al-Basri (a member of current premier Nouri al-MalikiNouri al-MalikiNouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...
's State of Law CoalitionState of Law CoalitionThe State of Law Coalition also known as Rule of Law Coalition is an Iraqi political coalition formed for the Iraqi governorate elections, 2009 by Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki and his Islamic Dawa Party....
), condemned the attack and described it as a "new humanitarian disaster," as well as, "a violation of human rights and a breach of international standards and norms." The JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian government called the raid a "heinous crime". Minister of Communication and Media Affairs Nabil al-Sharif called the Israeli action an "ugly, unacceptable crime" and said that Jordan held Israel "completely accountable and responsible for any harm caused to the Jordanians on board." Kuwait National Assembly Speaker Jassem Mohammad Al-KharafiJassem Al-KharafiJassem Al-Kharafi, , born in 1940, has been speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly since 1999. Al-Kharafi studied Business Administration at the Manchester Trade Faculty in Kuwait and was director of M. A. Kharafi & Sons before being elected to the National Assembly in 1975. He affiliates with...
condemned the "heinous" Israeli attack on the convoy. He urged the United Nations to ensure the safety of those on board the convoy and to lift the blockade of Gaza. The KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
i parliament has called an emergency session to discuss the attack. Saad HaririSaad HaririSaad-eddine Rafiq Al-Hariri is a Saudi-Lebanese billionaire who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2009 until 2011. He is the second son of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2005...
, the Prime Minister of LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, said, "The Israeli attack on the aid convoy is a dangerous and crazy step that will exacerbate tensions in the region. Lebanon firmly denounces this attack and calls on the international community, notably major powers... to take action in order to end this continued violation of human rights and threat to international peace." - The Lebanese opposition party and paramilitaryParamilitaryA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group Hezbollah issued a statement denouncing the "horrible terrorist crime committed by the Zionist occupation forces against innocent civilians on a human[e] mission to express solidarity with the Palestinians besieged in the Gaza strip." Adding that this was apparently proof of the "inherent evil in Zionists which targets all human beings regardless of their confession and race as long as they're ready to stand by righteousness in the face of the persistent Zionist terrorism against the Palestinians." And that "this atrocious crime is the materialization of the inherent force of tyranny which has escalated in the past years due to the unlimited Western support to the Zionist scheme, and due to the wrong political bargaining of some Arab regimes." MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement "strongly" condemning the Israeli attack, calling it a "cowardly act, a clear defiance to the international community and the continuing rejection of Israel to peace and coexistance." It urged the international community "to intervene to clarify this hideous crime, end Israel occupation in all Arab territories and stop the blockade on Gaza." MoroccanMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri stated that "the Kingdom of Morocco strongly denounces the disgraceful attack of Israel against the humanitarian convoy en route to Gaza." OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
stated that the attack "violates international law." QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i EmirEmirEmir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani condemned Israel’s deadly raid against a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, branding it an "act of piracy." At the Doha Forum 2010, he stated that "The crime perpetrated this morning against civilians supporting the Palestinians reminds us of the unjust siege, the open, bleeding wound in the Strip. And all those who speak for freedom, justice and democracy must do something now to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip so that the blood of these free people will not go in vain. This is a message to the Arab countries that now face the moment of truth." He said the blockade was imposed because "the people of Gaza practised their democratic right in the elections." The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani, lauded the call by the Emir and reiterated Qatar’s condemnation of the Israeli assault. He called the attack a premeditated assault on innocent people and a flagrant breach of international law and conventions. Asking "who would pay for the blood of those who were killed yesterday," while holding the international community responsible for tolerating such "barbaric practices" that could have grave repercussions for the region. He also expressed Qatar’s solidarity with Turkey and stand supporting justice, though he expressed doubt over whether the Arab peace initiative would now go ahead with indirect and direct negotiations after "Israel was opposing peace." Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
n King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired a Saudi Cabinet session which "denounced and condemned the massacre committed" and "described the attack as aggressive and reflects Israel's inhuman practices, flagrant defiance of the whole world and international law, insistence to starve the Palestinian people and prevent all kinds of humanitarian relief, and indulgence in killing innocent people." The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying the "Sudan government, strongly condemning the repeated Israeli crimes, calls on the international community, including governments, organizations and peoples, to come together, more than [at] any time before, against the state of the Zionist enemy and to show the real power of law to prevent Israel from what is committing of crimes against humanity and genocide against the Palestinian people." The National AssemblyNational Assembly of SudanThe National Assembly of Sudan is the lower house of the newly formed National Legislature of Sudan. The Legislature was previously unicameral. The upper house is the Council of States...
of SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
issued a statement saying "the parliament condemns the Israeli attack against international activists who were trying to deliver food for the civilians in Gaza", adding "the attack constitutes a major crime against civilians and should be condemned". The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on behalf of the government, saying it was "strongly condemning the repeated Israeli crimes" and "calls on the international community, including governments, organizations and peoples, to come together, more than any time before" to show "the real power of law" to stop the Israeli regime from committing what it described as "crimes against humanity and genocide against the Palestinian people". It called on the international community to unite to end Israel's "enjoy[ment of] protection and support of influential countries" and what it sees as "exposed silence on the part of the United Nations". SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning Israeli assault on the Gaza-bound international aid flotilla and called it a "bloody and heinous piracy crime committed by Israel in the Mediterranean international water." The SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n government has called a meeting of the Arab LeagueArab LeagueThe Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
to discuss the attack. The Foreign Affairs Ministry of TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
issued a statement saying "While reiterating its condemnation of all forms of collective punishment, Tunisia urges the international community, particularly influential forces to immediately intervene to lift the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people in Gaza and to put an end to their suffering". Tunisia added that it was "reaffirm[ing] its rejection of these hostile practices that are an affront to the international community and a violation of agreements and international and humanitarian resolutions, which threaten to further complicate the situation in the region and undermine any hope of peace". United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
condemned Israel's violent attack on the Freedom Flotilla. Shaikh Abdullah said that "the attack on civilians traversing across the sea to deliver aid to the Palestinian people strongly defied international laws" and called for a United Nations led investigation. YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
The ParliamentAssembly of Representatives of YemenThe Assembly of Representatives is the legislature of Yemen. The Assembly has 301 members, elected for a six year term in single-seat constituencies.-See also:* List of Speakers of the Assembly of Representatives of Yemen...
strongly condemned the Israeli attack and demanded for "an Islamic army to encounter the Israeli arrogance."
- Hamas
In a joint-statement, Syrian President Bashar al—Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri "condemn[ed] the heinous crime committed by Israel through the brutal attacks on unarmed civilians on board the Freedom Flotilla." While warning that Israel’s "violations of basic humanitarian norms and international laws threatens to plunge the Middle East into a war which will not only affect the region." After reconfirming bonds with Turkey and harshly criticizing the Israeli siege, al-Assad joint Ergodan in proposing a new initiative aimed at having the blockade on Gaza lifted "once and for all." His plan involved "a number of political ideas for regional and international activity aimed at lifting the siege." Qatar
Foreign relations of Qatar
Qatar achieved full independence on 3 September 1971 in an atmosphere of cooperation with the United Kingdom, the United States of America and friendship with neighbouring states. Most Arab states were also among the first countries to recognise Qatar, and the state promptly gained admittance to...
is slated to take part in the initiative's implementation. At the conference, Erdogan urged Arab nations to unite and step-up efforts to end Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip. He said "Are we going to remain silent over the murder of nine people? We can't
turn a blind eye to this banditry in international waters. This can't continue as it is. Peace and stability will not come to the region as long as the blockade of Gaza persists. Painful experience has made it clear that no [regional] country will fully achieve prosperity and security as long as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains unresolved."
Africa
African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
condemned Israel for the killings. The representative of Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
at the UN Security Council expressed his shock at the events. He further called upon Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza, and called all parties to refrain from violence. The Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n government issued a statement condemning the killing of nine activists as "grossly callous and a brazen violation of international law." The government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
condemned "in the strongest terms the abject and shameful attack of the Israeli army against the Flotilla of Freedom". "By carrying out the bombing of a fleet carrying humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, deprived of everything including medication, Israel commits an unforgivable act contrary to international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the protection of citizens around the world", the statement added. South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
Foreign Ministry issued a statement "strongly condemning all military aggression by Israel against innocent civilians, including those in the occupied West Bank and Gaza." On June 3, South Africa recalled its ambassador from Israel, and the Israeli ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for a reprimand.
Americas
Organization of American StatesThe Secretary General
Secretary General of the Organization of American States
According to the Charter of the Organization of American States:-Secretaries General of the OAS:-Assistant Secretaries General of the OAS:*William Manger *William Sanders...
of the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
said "Nothing can justify excessive use of military force to attack, with serious loss of human lives, to a disarmed civil convoy". Also he warned of a violence increase risk in the Middle East, Mr. José Miguel Insulza
José Miguel Insulza
José Miguel Insulza Salinas is a Chilean politician and statesman. He is currently the Secretary General of the Organization of American States. He is nicknamed El Panzer, for his tank-like drive and reputation due to his ability to take political heat with little apparent damage...
asked "to avoid actions which can means to increase the situation that, once again, threatens seriously the peace process in the Middle East". Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
's Foreign Affairs Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship is the Argentine government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Argentina.The current Chancellor is Héctor Timerman.-External links:...
(Cancillería) issued a statement condemning the attack by Israeli forces, called for a full investigation and deeply regretted the loss of human lives. It also asked for an immediate stop to acts of violence in the area, and the lifting of the blockade. Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion (Bolivia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion is a Bolivian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Bolivia....
issued a statement calling the attack "atrocious," adding that the actions were a flagrant violation of international law and called for an investigation. Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's Ministry of External Relations
Ministry of External Relations (Brazil)
The Ministry of External Relations conducts Brazil's foreign relations with other countries. It is commonly referred to in Brazilian media and diplomatic jargon as the Itamaraty, after the palace which hosts the ministry...
issued a statement strongly condemning the Israeli action, calling for an independent investigation and the end of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Brazil also expressed deep concern over the well-being of one of its citizens, Iara Lee
Iara Lee
Iara Lee is a Korean Brazilian film producer and director based in New York City. She is better known as the director of the documentaries Synthetic Pleasures and Modulations, as well as for her involvement with the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla", in which at least nine pro-Palestinian activists were...
, that was on board the flotilla. They further said that they had instructed the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations to fully support an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the Israeli military action, and that the Ambassador of Israel in Brasília had been summoned to explain the events. The Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
prime minister's office
Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)
In Canada, the Office of the Prime Minister , located in the Langevin Block, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, is one of the most powerful parts of the government. It is made up of the prime minister and his or her top political staff, who are charged with advising the prime minister on decisions,...
released a statement saying it "deeply regrets" the loss of life in the Israeli raid on an aid flotilla sailing to the blockaded Gaza Strip and that they "... are currently looking for more information in order to shed light on what exactly happened". The Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Journal
The Edmonton Journal is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network.-History:The Journal was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as a rival to Alberta's first newspaper, the 23-year-old...
asserted its view that Canada's "cautious" approach was the right one as "tragedies involving loss of life in the Middle East invariably provoke reflexive responses from opposing camps." This was despite the arrest of Canadian Kevin Neish. The Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "Chile condemns the use of the forces in any form." Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an Senator
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
Alejandro Navarro, who was scheduled to be aboard the Gaza aid convoy, denounced the attack as "cowardly and disproportionate against unarmed civilians." He further stated that Chile "condemns Israel and this event will have multilateral consequences because it set a serious precedent." Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
President Rafael Correa
Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado born is the President of the Republic of Ecuador and was the president pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations. An economist educated in Ecuador, Belgium and the United States, he was elected President in late 2006 and took office in January 2007...
said he recalled his ambassador to Israel for consultations after which the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry said the ambassador would leave Tel Aviv immediately "as an act of protest against the attack which left civilians killed and injured." Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Secretariat of Foreign Affairs
Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Mexico)
The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for Mexico's foreign affairs.-Missions:Mexico currently has:* 73 Embassies* 33 Consulates-Generals* 35 Consulates...
issued a statement "strongly condemning the Israeli attack on civilian vessels in international waters carrying humanitarian aid." It called for a full investigation. The Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n government
President of Nicaragua
The position of President of Nicaragua was created in the Constitution of 1854. From 1825 until the Constitution of 1838 the title of the position was known as Head of State and from 1838 to 1854 as Supreme Director .-Heads of State of Nicaragua within the Federal Republic of Central America...
called the Israeli actions "a clear violation of humanitarian and international law," and suspended diplomatic ties with Israel in protest of the raid. Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement "condemning" and "strongly rejecting" the Israeli attack on the convoy and supported the United Nations' call for a full investigation. Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Foreign Affairs Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Relations (Peru)
The Ministry of Foreign Relations of Peru is the statal entity of the Executive in charge of prepare and execute the foreign politics of the Peruvian State. It works in coordination with Peruvian ambassadors and consuls with accrediting in different countries and with international organizations...
issued a statement condemning Israeli violent attack on the human assistance convoy. Peru disapproves the use of military force based on international rights principles and calls for a full investigation. Peruvian government exhorts to restore dialogue and negotiation in order to reach permanent peace agreements and made an urgent call to the Government of Israel to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza Strip The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
said that "United States supports the United Nations Security Council's condemnation of the acts leading to this tragedy, and we urge Israel to permit full consular access to the individuals involved, and to allow the countries concerned to retrieve their deceased and wounded immediately. We support in the strongest terms the Security Council's call for a prompt, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation." A White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
spokesman cautiously said that the United States "deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained, and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy." President Barack Obama told his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that he deeply regretted the loss of life in the Israeli raid urged him to quickly get to the bottom of the incident. The White House summarized the President's conversation saying "The president expressed deep regret at the loss of life in today's incident, and concern for the wounded." In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
co-authored a letter signed by 85 other senators arguing for the legality of the blockade and the raid and calling on the President to support Israel. Rep. Anthony Weiner of the U.S. congress criticized the flotilla, saying that it had was supported “by some of the worst enemies of peace in that region, and some of the worst enemies, quite literally, not only of Israel, but of the United States as well. And I mean Turkey, Iran, Hamas. These are not entities that were looking for some peaceful resolution here,”. “The complicity of Turkey in launching a flotilla to challenge the blockade in Gaza, the ensuing violence that occurred, the grievous loss of life is deeply troubling to those of us who have supported the U.S.-Turkish alliance in the past,” Rep. Mike Pence said on the House floor. “Turkey needs to decide whether its present course is in its long-term interests, but America will stand with Israel.” In an interview with Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
, Vice President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
defended Israel's decision to intercept the pro-Palestinian flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to the coastal territory, but did not defend the Israel Navy raid itself. He stated that "you can argue whether Israel should have dropped people onto that ship or not[, but Israel] has a right to know whether or not arms are being smuggled in." Mike Hammer, a spokesperson for the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, said: "The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed." The city of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors was considering a non-binding resolution introduced John Avalos and Sophie Maxwell calling for "condemning the Israel Defense Forces' military attack on the Freedom Flotilla", while also calling on the US Congress and Obama to continue working to bring peace and security to the Gaza region. Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
's Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the Israeli navy's action, expressed sorrow for the loss of life and demanded a "quick independent investigation and called on the Israeli government for full cooperation." The ministry has also expressed its solidarity with the families of the victims and is asking for the siege on Gaza to end. Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n President Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
condemned Israel's "attack on peace activists". He called the attack "an act of war undertaken by the Israeli army against defenseless civilians" who were trying to break through Israel's "criminal blockade." At a rally, Chavez described Israel as "cursed terrorist and murderous state" and further alleged that “Israel is financing the Venezuelan opposition. There are even groups of Israeli terrorists, of the Mossad, who are after me trying to kill me.”
Non-OAS members The Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cuba)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Cuban government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Cuba....
condemned the Israeli action, calling it a "criminal attack" and expressed its "most energetic condemnation." Cuba calls for the lifting of the Gaza blockade and reaffirms its solidarity with the Palestinian people. Former Cuban President Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
has condemned Israel's attack on the Freedom Flotilla as "Nazi fascist fury." Adding that the Israeli commandos who boarded the ships fired "frenetically" at the aid workers. he then asked "Is it possible [for Obama to be re-elected] without the Pentagon of...Israel...use nuclear weapons against Iran?"
Asia
BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that "Bangladesh is shocked and saddened at the unwarranted attack on unarmed civilians on board the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010, and the resultant loss of lives." The Ministry also said that Bangladesh expresses its profound condolences and sincerest sympathy to the bereaved families, and joins in prayer for the eternal peace of the departed souls. Bangladesh also called for collective international action to end the siege immediately and to allow the people of Palestine to return to normal life. China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Foreign Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is an executive agency responsible for foreign relations between the People's Republic of China and other countries in the world. The agency is led by the Foreign Minister. The current minister is Yang Jiechi...
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu
Ma Zhaoxu
Ma Zhaoxu is the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China , as well as the director-general of its Information Department.-Biography:...
condemned Israel's raid on the international convoy and urged Israel to seriously implement UN Security Council resolutions and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's Ministry of External Affairs released a statement strongly condemning the attack by Israeli forces. "India deplores the tragic loss of life and the reports of killings and injuries to people on the boats carrying supplies for Gaza. There can be no justification for such indiscriminate use of force, which we condemn. We extend our sympathies to the families of the dead and wounded. It is our firm conviction that lasting peace and security in the region can be achieved only through peaceful dialogue and not through use of force." Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
condemned Israeli action. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
Marty Natalegawa
Raden Mohammad Marty Muliana Natalegawa, more commonly known as Marty Natalegawa, is an Indonesian diplomat and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet...
also condemned the action and said that the Israeli blockade in Gaza is a violation of international law. Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
condemned Israeli actions, and said is Israel is more brutal than Fascists. Iran president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said that the incident was an "inhuman action of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people" and that it would bring the regime "closer than ever to its end." The Iranian government has called for a boycott of Israel. Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili, is an Iranian politician and the present secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. On October 20, 2007, he replaced Ali Larijani as the secretary of the council and hence chief nuclear negotiator of Iran...
underlined the necessity for coordination among regional and Islamic states to confront the Zionist regime of Israel effectively. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the raid, saying "the incident once again revealed the criminal and war-mongering nature of the Zionist regime." Iran also called on the UN Security Council and the OIC to take swift punitive action against Israel. At an Asian security summit in Istanbul, Turkey on June 8, 2010, Ahmadinejad stated that the raid "showed violence and hatred and war-mongering attitudes. The devilish sound of the uncultured Zionists was coming out from their deceit. ... They were holding up the flag of the devil itself." He also claimed that the raid would accelerate the end of Israel, stating that "[The raid] has actually rung the final countdown for its existence. It shows that it has no room in the region and no one is ready to live alongside it. Actually, no country in the world recognizes it, and you know that the Zionist regime is the backbone of the dictatorial world order." Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
issued a statement stating that it is "shocked at the report that people aboard boats carrying supplies to the Gaza Strip were victimized as a result of confrontation with Israel Defense Forces. We deeply deplore the casualties and the injuries of many people. Japan condemns the violent acts which caused this tragic incident." It also expressed deep condolences for the affected families and urged a full investigation into the matter. Malaysia Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia is the second highest political office in Malaysia. There has been ten deputy prime ministers since the office was created in 1957. Although there has always been a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, there is nothing preventing a Prime Minister from not...
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stated that "in the name of the Malaysian government and the people strongly condemn this inhumane, brutal aggression by the Israeli regime on the flotilla which is bringing humanitarian aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza." He added that ""the whole world should condemn the action of this cruel regime" and "hoped the incident will result in a censure on Israel." Malaysia's government also urged Israel not to take any action that could harm people aboard the Malaysian-funded MV Rachel Corrie which would carry its citizens. Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman
Anifah Aman
Dato' Sri Anifah bin Haji Aman is the current Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation , which is part of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and a Member of Parliament representing Kimanis in Sabah...
said Israeli authorities should ensure a safe passage for the vessel to deliver its humanitarian cargo. The Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing its great sadness at the incident and extending condolences to those affected. It condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the attack on civilians. The Maldives joint calls for an international enquiry and for those responsible to be held accountable. It also urged an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza. North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned Israel for having "mercilessly killed or wounded dozens of civilians aboard the boats." It went on to call the attack a "crime against humanity perpetrated at the U.S. connivance and under its patronage and a blatant challenge to the Arabs including Palestinians and the Mideast peace process." The statement also "expresses full support and solidarity with the cause of the Palestinians and other Arab people[s]." Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
strongly condemned the Israeli action, calling it a cruel act and an open violation of international laws and ethics. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that "Pakistan strongly condemns this incident. Our point of view was that there was no moral or legal reason for this attack". The Pakistani government also expressed deep concern over the well-being of Pakistanis and journalists on board and Pakistani missions are in touch with Arab countries of the region to get information about the status of the Pakistani nationals in the flotilla. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
and Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the Israeli actions. They further said that the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
is exerting all its efforts to find out what had happened to the Pakistanis aboard the flotilla. The Government of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
downgraded Israeli President Shimon Peres' visit to 'working' status. The Government of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
condemned the attacks saying it deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from this operation and condemned the indiscriminate use of force to prevent the carriage of supplies for people under occupation, and reiterates its conviction that sustainable peace and security in the region is achievable only through peaceful dialogue. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
condemned the Israeli attack on humanitarian aid convoy in international waters and called for international investigation of the incident. The foreign minister of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
condemned the Israeli attack, and called on Israel to lift the blockage of Gaza. Vietnam cancelled scheduled visit of Israeli President Shimon Peres after the flotilla incident.
A summit at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia a statement agreed to by 21 of the 22 participants at the conference (Israel being the 22nd) read "All member states, except one, expressed their grave concern and condemnation for the actions undertaken by the Israeli Defence Forces." In response Turkish President Abdullah Gul
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
said the near-unanimous condemnation showed Israel was isolated and that it "will suffer the consequences for its mistake against Turkey."
Europe
European UnionThe President
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
called it "an unjustified attack" and "a clear and unacceptable breach of international law, especially the fourth Geneva Convention". Other members of the European Parliament described Israel's actions using words such as "terrorism," "kidnapping," "revulsion," and even "obscene". EU foreign affairs chief
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is the main co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union...
Catherine Ashton demanded Israeli authorities mount a "full inquiry" into the deaths on the flotilla. She also appealed for the opening of the border so humanitarian aid can get through. The ambassadors of the 27 EU members said "The EU condemns the use of violence that has produced a high number of victims among the members of the flotilla and demands an immediate, full and impartial inquiry into the events and the circumstances surrounding it. EU does not accept the continued policy of closure, it is unacceptable and politically counterproductive, we need to urgently achieve a durable solution to the situation in Gaza." Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's foreign minister, Steven Vanackere
Steven Vanackere
Steven Vanackere, born 4 February 1964 in Wevelgem, Belgium, is a Flemish politician, member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party . He holds the portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme II Government...
, called the use of Israeli force "disproportionate" and "invited the Israeli ambassador to explain how the events unfolded." The Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Foreign Ministry demanded the immediate release of two Bulgarian journalists travelling in the convoy. In addition, Bulgaria "slammed" the attack, saying "nothing can justify the violence that resulted in the killing of over 10 people on board one of the ships." It called for an investigation. In Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Israel's ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain the operation. Cyprus stated its belief that NGOs must be allowed to do their work freely and lawfully. Further, it called for the lifting of the blockade of Gaza. Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
foreign ministry spokesman Philip Kanda said Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
is not planning to issue separate statements to the event because it agrees with the observations of the EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton. Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen is a Danish politician and member of parliament who has been Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs since 23 February 2010 and was leader of the Conservative People's Party and Deputy Prime Minister from 9 September 2008 to 13 January 2011...
, described the confrontation as strongly worrying and has summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain the incident. Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Urmas Paet
Urmas Paet
Urmas Paet is an Estonian politician who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia since 2005. He is a member of the Estonian Reform Party. As of September 2010, Paet has been the longest serving minister since the re-establishment of Estonian independence.-Biography:Paet was born in Tallinn...
, condemned the incident and expressed their condolences to the loved ones of the casualties, and wished for a quick recovery for all the injured in the incident. Estonia also called for a thorough investigation of the incident, and expressed concern over the situation. Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Foreign Minister, Alexander Stubb
Alexander Stubb
Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb is a Finnish politician and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 4 April 2008 to 22 June 2011...
, expressed "shock" at the Israeli commando raid and called for an explanation of the incident and on the circumstances surrounding it. The Israeli Ambassador to Finland was called to the Foreign Ministry over the incident. He demanded Israel immediately re-open Gaza border crossings. He stated that "All violence directed at civilians must be condemned."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
condemned "the disproportionate use of force" against the flotilla. French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ), is France's foreign affairs ministry, with the headquarters located on the Quai d'Orsay in Paris close to the National Assembly of France. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of France is the cabinet minister responsible for...
Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner is a French politician, diplomat, and doctor. He is co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde...
was "profoundly shocked" by the incident and demanded an inquiry. Kouchner stated, "Nothing can justify the use of violence such as this, which we condemn." German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle [] is a German liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions...
voiced "deep concern" at reports of deaths, and called for a "full and transparent investigation". German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
's office said Israel's response to the ships was disproportionate, and reaffirmed the German government's demand for lifting the blockade of the Gaza strip. Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Droutsas summoned Ali Yahia, the Israeli Ambassador in Greece to inquire about the incident and convey the annoyance of the Greek government; he stressed that "nothing could justify the use of such violence." After the meeting he announced the discontinuation of the joint Greek-Israeli military exercise "Minoas 2010" as well as the postponement of the scheduled visit of the Israeli Air Force commander to Athens. In a press release issued later in the day the Foreign Ministry described the operation as "incomprehensible" and "utterly alarming" and the resulting loss of life as something that "cannot be justified by any claim whatsoever." The ministry's Crisis Handling Unit was activated to handle the ongoing situation. Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
condemned the attacks, describing them as "very serious" and stated that he feels the blockade action was a violation of international law. He also stated that people are allowed to receive humanitarian assistance and that there should be an international investigation into the matter, describing the Israeli action as "disproportionate". Two members of Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
(the lower house of the Irish parliament
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
), Chris Andrews
Chris Andrews
Chris Andrews is the name of:* Chris Andrews , digital pioneer, restitution activist* Chris Andrews , Irish Fianna Fáil politician...
and Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002, and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.-Early and private life:A Dubliner and Irish language...
were refused access to the flotilla by the Cypriot authorities and had to abandon plans to travel with aid workers. On 1 June, Cowen told Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
that there would be "serious consequences" if Irish citizens had come to any harm at the hands of Israel. Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
said he was "gravely concerned" about the reports of at least ten people being killed. No Irish citizens were harmed in the attack. The Israeli ambassador to Ireland, Zion Evrony, was summoned to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world...
, after appearing on the radio programme Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny
Today with Pat Kenny is a current affairs magazine broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, presented by Pat Kenny. The programme is broadcast weekdays, at 10:00 and ends at 12:00. As of 2008, the average audience for the show was 291,000....
where he explained "This is what soldiers do," and said it was "a sad result" that "a few [activists] were killed." Martin sent his condolences to the Turkish government on the loss of their citizens and to Turkish families who were affected by the tragedy. Martin was reported to be "furious" that Israel had kidnapped Irish citizens in international waters and brought them to Israel where they would then be deported. He said "They were essentially kidnapped from international waters, taken into Israel. And now they are being asked to sign a document almost confirming that they entered illegally. And we think that is unacceptable. I have said this to the Ambassador - it makes no sense. These people should be released unconditionally." Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
's Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
(also the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) said "The Rachel Corrie contains only humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. It is being crewed by Human Rights activists. The Israeli government know this to be the case. They know the Rachel Corrie and her cargo presents no threat to Israel. The human rights activists onboard the boat had made it clear they had no issue with UN officials checking the cargo before they proceeded to Gaza. The Rachel Corrie should have been allowed to proceed to Gaza without Israeli aggression. The decision of the Israeli government to board the Rachel Corrie and divert her away from Gaza is a completely unjustified and unacceptable use of force. This is an attack on an Irish flagged vessel and it demands a strong response by the Irish government. Sinn Féin have already made clear that part of this response must be the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador from Ireland." The party's Spokesperson for International Affairs Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002, and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.-Early and private life:A Dubliner and Irish language...
and Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
also called for the expulsion of the ambassador. This was after Snodaigh expressed disappointment at not being allowed to go with the flotilla by Cypriot authorities. The Irish activist Shane Dillon was sent back to Ireland, though six other Irish activists - including Dr Fintan Lane and Fiachra O Luain - were detained in the Beersheba detention camp. Italy condemned the Israeli military operation, and supported the UN Security Council resolution calling for an investigation and the release of detainees. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini condemned the killing of civilians, saying "I deplore in the strongest terms the killing of civilians. This is certainly a grave act". Italy also called for an EU investigation. Earlier Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Alfredo Mantica
Alfredo Mantica
Alfredo Mantica is an Italian politician. He is a member of the National Alliance party . He became Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Silvio Berlusconi on May 12, 2008.-Career:...
had called the international flotilla to the Gaza Strip a "provocation". However, he had not justified the Israeli course of action. "The manner of the response is debatable, but to think that it would all pass without Israeli action is naiveté on the part of the organizers. I believe someone wanted to see how harsh Israel's response would be," he had said. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing "deep concern" over the Israeli action, offfered condolences to the families of the victims and called for an investigation. Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean Asselborn
Jean Asselborn
Jean Asselborn is a Luxembourger politician. Since 31 July 2004, he has been the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration in the government led by Jean-Claude Juncker....
, "strongly condemned those responsible for the attack on the flotilla" and demanded an international investigation to ascertain responsibilities. Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
foreign minister Maxime Verhagen
Maxime Verhagen
Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen is a Dutch politician in the Christian Democratic Appeal party. He is the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Deputy Prime Minister since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte.He previously served as a Member of the European Parliament for...
has stated that "Israel had, based on military law at sea, the authority to inspect the cargo of the convoy carrying aid supplies for Gaza". In reaction to questions by members of the Dutch Parliament, he wrote: "The risk of breaking a blockade lies with those who do so, provided that the blockade was declared properly". He also stated that "investigation, in the first place by Israel itself, must answer what exactly happened." Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
’s Foreign Minister, Radek Sikorski said "The whole world calls for a clarification. The next step will depend on how well, and convincingly, the Israeli authorities explain what happened." He, however, did not say whether Poland would summon the Israeli ambassador to provide explanations.
Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Foreign Ministry
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Portugal)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal is in charge of conducting the foreign policy established by the Portuguese government, representing the country in many international meetings. The current Minister is Paulo Portas...
issued a statement expressing "deep concern" over the incident, condemned the "excessive use of force against civilian targets" and called for an "impartial" investigation. The President of Romania
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
told the departing Israeli government Oren David that Romania was concerned about the raid on the flotilla that might result in negative consequences for the Middle East Peace Process. On June 23, 2010 at a summit of Balkan countries in Istanbul Romania was one of the countries that strongly condemned Israel's attack on the aid flotilla as well as the loss of life. Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
condemned the attack, has summoned the Israeli ambassador for questioning. The Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos
Miguel Ángel Moratinos
Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé is a Spanish diplomat and politician, a member of the Socialist Workers' Party and member of Congress where he represents Córdoba....
, decried the excessive use of force against an humanitarian convoy, and recalled that the European Union had already requested an end to the blockade. Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
summoned the Israeli ambassador, Benny Dagan, to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible for Swedish foreign policy.Current ministers:*Carl Bildt Head of Office and Minister for Foreign Affairs.*Ewa Björling as Minister for Foreign Trade...
. The Foreign Affairs Secretary Frank Belfrage and the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.The office was instituted in 1809 as a result of the constitutional Instrument of Government promulgated in the same year. Until 1876 the office was called Prime Minister for Foreign...
Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
called the Israeli raid "completely unacceptable". On June 2, it was reported that as a reaction to Israels raid on the flotilla, the Swedish Football Association
Swedish Football Association
The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA...
would attempt to call off an upcoming qualifying game
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 6
The teams competing in Group 6 of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championships qualifying competition were Bulgaria, Israel, Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Sweden.-Standings:Qualification*Sweden secured a qualification to the UEFA Play-Offs....
in Israel for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2011 was the 18th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011....
. On June 5 it was reported that a one week ban of Israeli goods would be launched by the Swedish Port Workers Union. United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
has condemned the Israeli attack, called it "completely unacceptable", and told Israel to "respond constructively" to "legitimate international criticism". Foreign Secretary William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
said he "deplored" the loss of life and called on Israel to open border crossings for aid access. Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
'sDeputy First Minister
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is the deputy to the First Minister of Scotland.The post is not recognised in statute , and its holder is simply an ordinary member of the Scottish Government...
Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon
Nicola Sturgeon is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party and Member for Glasgow Southside....
said Israel's actions had been "rightly condemned around the world". She called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza, and expressed her "deep sadness" at the loss of life on the flotilla. In Belfast, protests were held in front of the City Hall to condemn Israel's actions and to call for an end to the siege of Gaza.
Non-EU members
The Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the violence, considering it "unjustifiable" and calling on the "Israeli authorities to investigate immediately (sic) this incident, which has tensioned (sic) the regional and global stability." The Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
president, Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...
condemned the attack: "We condemn Israel’s deadly attack on the Turkish ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip and express our support for Turkey." He also offered his condolences to the Turkish government and citizens on behalf of the Azerbaijani people. The Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack. He noted that created situation caused anxiety in Azerbaijan: "Azerbaijani side considers that the conclusion of humanitarian action with human losses is a fact giving rise to anxiety. This incident must be investigated accurately in a short time and the offenders must be punished." Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
' Press Secretary Andrei Savinykh condemned the Israeli attack, stating that Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
is "very concerned" by the situation, "deplores" the use of force and considers Israel's actions to be "a gross violation of international law." He stressed the need for a full investigation into what happened and for all interested countries to calm tensions so that comprehensive peace talks could begin.
Bosnian representative at the UN Security Council, Ivan Barbalić
Ivan Barbalić
Ivan Barbalić is a Bosnian and Herzegovinian diplomat serving as a Permanent Representative to the United Nations accredited as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Chief of the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Office of the United Nations...
, condemned the Israeli attack "in the strongest possible terms." He called for an investigation and for Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza.
Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n President Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović is a Croatian politician who has been President of Croatia since 2010. Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Croatia , and played a key role in the democratic transformation of this party as the author of the first statute of the SDP that replaced the...
, expressing deep regret over the loss of lives and injuries, gave condolences to the families of the deceased, and strongly condemned the use of violence. Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia is the ministry in the Government of Croatia which is in charge of foreign relations and admission into the European Union.-Foreign affairs ministers:...
expressed regret over the loss of lives and gave condolences to the families of the deceased. It additionally underscored the need for refraining from escalation of the conflict, calling for an investigation which will meet international standards, and expressed hope that this incident will not hamper the recently re-started Middle East peace process. Furthermore, it emphasized the need for humanitarian aid access to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. As a member of NATO, Croatia activated an emergency decision-making mechanism. The Foreign Minister of Iceland, Össur Skarphéðinsson
Össur Skarphéðinsson
Össur Skarphéðinsson is an Icelandic politician who has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since February 2009.Össur matriculated from the Reykjavík Grammar School in 1973, and gained a BS in Biology from the University of Iceland in 1979, and a doctorate in physiology from the University of East...
, condemned the attack saying that "Gaza is in fact a giant prison where international law is violated. This must stop," and "We support the demands that have been made, e.g. by the EU, that this matter be thoroughly investigated. It is intolerable that Israel repeatedly exerts force in this way." Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
, said "a military attack against civilian activists is totally unacceptable." Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre is the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, having been appointed to Jens Stoltenberg's second cabinet on 17 October 2005. He represents the Norwegian Labour Party.-Personal life:...
, has called for a meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Norway. Protests also spontaneously erupted in a number of cities throughout Norway. A group of 12 Norwegian Members of Parliament wore Palestinian scarves to a session of the Norwegian Parliament as a "show of solidarity with the Palestinian people." On 4 June, the Norwegian military
Norwegian Armed Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces numbers about 23,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to mobilisation plans , the strength during full mobilisation would be approximately 83,000 combatant personnel. Norway has mandatory military service for men and voluntary service for women...
canceled a seminar that included a speech by an Israeli soldier. It was reported immediately after the raid that 43 percent of Norwegians either would like to boycott Israeli products, or were already doing so. Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
called for a thorough investigation of the incident and said that, in any case, the deaths of people are irreversible. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
condemned the assault and expressed concern that it was conducted in international waters. On June 8, Putin condemned the acts and said it has to be investigated specially, especially since it was on international waters. The Foreign Ministries of Russia and the EU adopted a joint statement concerning the flotilla attack, which correlates with the UN Security Council activity in the situation. Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Foreign Ministry expressed "condemnation and profound concern" over the incident and called for a full investigation. It also called the use of "use of arms against civilians and the detention of the vessels on the high seas without any legal grounds constitute a gross violation of generally accepted international legal norms." The head of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
Foreign Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, called for an "urgent meeting" of the Middle East Quartet to discuss the incident. Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
called for an international inquiry and summoned the Israeli ambassador. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
expressed "great concern and pain" about the incident.
Oceania
Australian prime minister Kevin RuddKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
and MPs condemned the Israeli raid. Rudd stated "The Australian government condemns any use of violence under the sorts of circumstances that we have seen." Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was "deeply saddened by loss of life following the incident." Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, speaking during a media conference, said the Government was "deeply concerned" by the turn of events and called for "a full investigation" and for the results to be brought before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
Murray McCully
Murray Stuart McCully is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister for the Rugby World Cup.-Early life:...
condemned the Israeli attack, and urged restraint from all parties. "Representatives from our Mission in New York [are] attending the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
and we will continue to follow their deliberations carefully." Israel's ambassador to New Zealand Shemi Tzur was later summoned to a meeting with McCully who stated that: "I left him in no doubt about the seriousness of the Government's concerns in relation to the incident off Gaza".
International Human Rights and advocacy organizations
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
accused Israel of using excessive force, and claimed that the level of lethal force used was out of proportion to any threat that could have been posed by the activists. Amnesty International called on Israel to make public the rules of engagement used by the commandos, and to launch an "immediate, credible and independent investigation". Amnesty International also called for an international inquiry, and called on Israel to invite UN experts to examine the incident. - The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, has complained the Israeli military seized video and equipment from dozens of reporters on board the main ship. The FPA says the military is now selectively using footage to bolster its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked. FPA also criticized Israel's use of captured material without permission.
- Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
called for a "full, impartial investigation" into the incident, and for the international community to make sure that any inquiries meet basic international standards, and that any wrongdoers were brought to justice. Human Rights Watch also called on Israel to grant all detained and injured flotilla members immediate access to legal counsel and their families, and to disclose the identities of all those injured and killed. - Reporters Without BordersReporters Without BordersReporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
called for the release of the names of all journalists held after the raid. They said there were at least 15 foreign journalists in the convoy. A statement said "We deplore this assault, which left a heavy toll of dead and wounded. The journalists who were on the flotilla to cover the humanitarian operation were put in harm’s way by this disproportionate reaction. We urge the Israeli authorities to release the detained journalists and allow them unrestricted access to the Gaza Strip. The international community needs accurate information about this Palestinian Territory. - Stop the War CoalitionStop the War CoalitionThe Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
issued a statement saying "The action should see Israel condemned under international law. Israel has repeatedly flouted law and public opinion worldwide in its treatment of the Palestinians. The decision by Israel to attack the flotilla with such loss of human life shows it is arrogant and deadly intent in opposing any aid to the Palestinians." - The President of the Algerian MSPMovement of Society for PeaceThe Movement for the Society of Peace is an Islamist party in Algeria, led until his 2003 death by Mahfoud Nahnah. Its current leader is Bouguerra Soltani. It is aligned with the international Muslim Brotherhood...
Bouguerra SoltaniBouguerra SoltaniBouguerra Soltani is the leader of the Algerian party Mouvement de la Societé pour la Paix , which is reformist-Islamist and considered close to the doctrine of the Muslim Brotherhood.-References:...
, whose wife is part of the delegation, announced the dispatch of a parliamentary delegation to Turkey to try to get information about the 32 Algerians aboard the convoy. In an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Imam Ahmad Ibrahimi, the Coordinator of Algerian Delegation to Flotilla, stated (as translated by MEMRI) that "we felt no fear whatsoever of those brothers of apes and pigs. By Allah, I loathed them before, and my hatred of them has only grown, not because they punished and humiliated us, but because I had thought them to be worthy enemies, but it turns out that they are too despicable even to be called our enemies, because they are not our equals. They are cowards...Our hatred for these people is so intense that we wished, at those moments, that we could have been bombs, and blow up among those brothers of apes and pigs."
Israeli and Jewish organizations
The Australian Jewish Democratic SocietyAustralian Jewish Democratic Society
The Australian Jewish Democratic Society , a secular organisation, was formed in Melbourne Australia in 1984 to promote free discussion and action on Jewish and general social and political issues. It grew out of a profound concern at the continuing Israeli-Arab conflict, though some of its...
questioned Israel's claims that the Gaza aid convoy was not a project for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. B'Tselem
B'Tselem
B'Tselem is an Israeli non-governmental organization . It calls itself "The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories"...
called for an independent investigation conducted by non-military officials. Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Jews for Justice for Palestinians is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom that advocates human and civil rights, and economic and political freedom, for the Palestinian people...
condemned the raid German Jewish group Jewish Voices for a Just Peace decided to send a boat with school supplies and humanitarian aid to break the Gaza blockade.
Commercial organizations
- The International Chamber of ShippingInternational Chamber of ShippingThe International Chamber of Shipping is the world's principal shipping organisation, representing around 75% of the world’s merchant tonnage; through membership of national shipowners' associations, concerned with all regulatory, operational and legal issues....
(ICS), an association which represents 75 percent of the world's merchant fleet, has expressed "deep concern" over the boarding by Israeli forces in international waters. "The fundamental principles of international law, safe passage and freedom of navigation in international waters, must always be upheld by all of the world's nations", the organization said.
Religious leaders
- Imam Fethullah GülenFethullah GülenMuhammed Fethullah Gülen is a Turkish preacher, author, educator, and Sufi Muslim scholar living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania . He is the founder and leader of the Gülen movement...
, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric, criticized the flotilla for trying to deliver aid without Israel's consent. He said the organizers' failure to seek accord with Israel before attempting to deliver aid "is a sign of defying authority, and will not lead to fruitful matters...What I saw was not pretty. It was ugly."
- David Hatchwell Altaras, vice president of the 10,000 member Jewish community in Madrid, criticized the Spanish government’s "knee-jerk" reaction to slam Israel’s seizure of the Gaza flotilla. He added that the Spanish government "should be more even-handed and take more distance...the IHH activists attacked Israeli forces in order to have a specific outcome."
Turkey
Ferhat Kentel from Taraf, compared the victims of the Gaza flotilla raidGaza flotilla raid
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...
to Hrant Dink
Hrant Dink
Hrant Dink or Հրանտ Դինք ) was a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent editor, journalist and columnist....
.
Soli Özel, an instructor of international relations at Bilgi University, a columnist for Habertürk newspaper and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post's "Post Global" in Istanbul said:
There is now civilian blood between the two countries. The natural arc of relations will have to change.
Cüneyt Ülsever, a commentator in the daily Hürriyet
Hürriyet
-External links:* * ** * *...
, has criticized the İHH
IHH
Indian hedgehog homolog , also known as IHH, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the IHH gene.-Function:The Indian Hedgehog protein is one of three proteins in the mammalian hedgehog family, the others being desert hedgehog and Sonic hedgehog...
, saying that “People will understand very soon that the İHH is harming Turkey, and warned that the effect of the crisis would be to persuade the West that Turkey is aligning itself with the likes of Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah.
United States
The Washington Post and CBS NewsCBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
reported that American lawmakers in both parties expressed support for Israel in the wake of growing international condemnation following the raid. New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Representative Anthony Weiner said "This was about instigating an altercation and they succeeded."
Another New York Representative, Gary Ackerman
Gary Ackerman
Gary Leonard Ackerman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 1983. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, told the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs he "strongly support[s] Israel’s right to defend itself, and the right of Israel’s naval commandos, who were executing a legal mission, to defend themselves by using force when they were brutally attacked." Politico
Politico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
reports. According to Fox News United States Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
said pro-Palestinian activists "wanted to provoke an international crisis...and they obviously succeeded," while he also questioned President Obama's commitment to Israeli security in the wake of the current crisis.
The Los Angeles Times asked several questions regarding the responsibility for the clash, while saying there was still much to be learned about the incident. While saying "As is so often the case with events involving Israelis and Palestinians, the competing narratives allow supporters of almost any position to hear what they want to hear." The editorial made its own affirmation that "This much, however, seems undeniable: Israel has done itself serious damage. [This was because] the decision to deploy armed troops to obstruct what was apparently a nonviolent mission and then, even if you accept Israel's version of events, to allow them to be drawn into a battle that left so many civilians dead, will serve as a further blow to the ailing peace process and as more fodder for those who argue that Israel's 'disproportionate' use of force is evidence of a cavalier attitude toward human life." While admitting the raid would not focus new attention on attention on the blockade itself, the editorial also concluded in saying that "This page supports Israel's right to self-defense. We support reasonable measures to stop cross-border shelling and to keep weapons from illegally entering Gaza by land or sea. We oppose the Hamas government's consistent call for the destruction of Israel. But we also want to see an end to the blockade, which amounts to collective punishment of about 1.5 million Palestinians."
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
quoted a statement allegedly from the flotilla organizers saying "A violent response from Israel will breathe new life into the Palestine solidarity movement, drawing attention to the blockade." They then said "There can be no excuse for the way that Israel completely mishandled the incident." And that the raid turned out to be "a grievous, self-inflicted wound. It has damaged Israel’s ties with Turkey, once its closest ally in the Muslim world; given the Hamas-led government in Gaza a huge propaganda boost; and complicated peace talks with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank." It also asks "Why did Israel, which has blocked some ships but allowed others to pass, decide to take a stand now? Did it make a real effort to find a compromise with Turkey, which sanctioned the flotilla? [While] Israel has a right to stop weapons from going into Gaza, but there has been no suggestion that the ships were carrying a large cache." The Times concludes that "needs to state clearly that the Israeli attack was unacceptable and back an impartial international investigation. The United States should also join the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, France, Russia and China — in urging Israel to permanently lift the blockade." Another editorial said "Turkey is understandably furious" but "Turkish officials have let their anger and rhetoric go way too far... Israel deserves to be criticized for the flotilla disaster. But gratuitously stoking anti-Israeli sentiment is irresponsible and dangerous."
The San Francisco Chronicle called the said a "disaster on every level." It also contended that Israel's "enemies could not have scripted a more bungled operation:...setting off recriminations, policy breaches and deepening isolation for Israel...
The peace process, already in the cryogenic stage, is at full stop...The episode reruns old stories. Palestinian sympathizers wanted a confrontation over Israel's blockade of Hamas-run Gaza...and ignored offers to dock in Israeli ports and ship the aid by land. ... Another horrifying Mideast moment will live on to paralyze progress in the future...
The purpose was clearly to call attention to the blockade, viewed as essential by Israel to cap terrorism, and regarded as harsh and unsuccessful by critics." It concluded that "There is no other course than to admit a serious mistake. Without one, the region is condemned to a future without change or hope."
In an op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
piece the Wall Street Journal said "Israel's actions in boarding the flotilla of ships bound for the Gaza Strip were entirely justified and perhaps even unavoidable." Although, they add the caveat that "Unfortunately they turned into a tactical and strategic fiasco that does further damage to the Jewish State's tattered international reputation." A separate Wall Street Journal article emphasized Israel's need to keep advanced weaponry from getting to Hamas: "Those who denounce Israel today ought to at least propose how they mean to keep arms from going to Hamas—or else consider the role their denunciations will play in encouraging another war." Another article stated "the more facts that come to light about the flotilla, its passengers and their sponsors, the more it seems clear that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergodan's government, far more so than Israel's, must be held to account for Monday's violent episode." After describing the links between the Islamic charity that organized the flotilla and terrorist groups, the Journal states "No wonder that Israel was not prepared to let this flotilla break its blockade of Gaza. ... Israel is entirely within its rights to prevent Hamas from linking with groups suspected of supplying arms and money to terrorists. Israel had also gone out of its way to give Turkey fair warning..." The Journal goes on to note that Turkish foreign policy under Erdogan has become progressively radical and out of line with the U.S.
The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said the raid was a "diplomatic debacle for the government of Binyamin Netanyahu." And that "Though the investigations to come will find many to blame, it's already clear that Israel's response to the pro-Palestinian flotilla was both misguided and badly executed." The editorial also said that "We have no sympathy for the motives of the participants in the flotilla... What's plain is that the group's nominal purpose, delivering 'humanitarian' supplies to Gaza, was secondary to the aim of provoking a confrontation." While saying "Yet the threat to Israel was political rather than military. So far there's been no indication the boats carried missiles or other arms for Hamas." It continued "Mr. Netanyahu's aim should have been to prevent the militants (sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) from creating the incident they were hoping for. Allowing the boats to dock in Gaza, as Israel had done before, would have been better than sending military commandos to intercept them. The fact that the soldiers who roped down from helicopters to the lead Turkish ferry were unprepared to subdue its passengers without using lethal force only compounded the error." It concluded that "The prime minister (Netanyahu) is in a deepening hole; his only way out is to move to the center." Another editorial stated that while "Western governments have been right to be concerned about Israel's poor judgment...[they] ought to be at least as worried about the Turkish government...which...has shown a sympathy toward Islamic militants and a penchant for grotesque demagoguery toward Israel that ought to be unacceptable for a member of NATO." In reference to Turkey's statement that "Israel had no just cause to clash with 'European lawmakers, journalists, business leaders, and a Holocaust survivor,' the article noted that "there was no fighting with those people, or with five of the six boats in the fleet. All of the violence occurred aboard the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara, and all of those who were killed were members or volunteers for the Islamic 'charity' that owned the ship." The editorial claimed that the İHH "is a member of the 'Union of Good,' a coalition that was formed to provide material support to Hamas and that was named as a terrorist entity by the United States in 2008." It then said that "The relationship between Mr. Erdogan's government and the İHH ought to be one focus of any international investigation into the incident." The article claims that "In the days since an incident that the İHH admits it provoked [Erdogan] has done his best to compete with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah
Hasan Nasrallah, became the third Secretary General of the Lebanese political and paramilitary organization Hezbollah after Israel assassinated the previous leader, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992. Hezbollah in its entirety is considered a terrorist organization by The United States, the Netherlands,...
in attacking the Jewish state [and calling] Israel's actions 'state terrorism.' [and Israel] merciless, rootless state." The editorial labeles Davutoglu's comparison saying "this attack is like 9/11 for Turkey" as an "obscene comparison." The article attacked Erdogan in saying his "attempt to exploit the incident comes only a couple of weeks after he joined Brazil's president in linking arms with Mr. Ahmadinejad, whom he is assisting in an effort to block new UN sanctions." The article mentions that Turkey's moves came despite the Obama administration overtures. "What's remarkable about his turn toward extremism is that it comes after more than a year of assiduous courting by the Obama administration, which, among other things, has overlooked his antidemocratic behavior at home, helped him combat the Kurdish PKK and catered to Turkish sensitivities about the Armenian genocide. Israel is suffering the consequences of its misjudgments and disregard of U.S. interests. Will Mr. Erdogan's behavior be without cost?"
USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said "In practical terms, the argument hardly matters. By opting for an assault on the six-ship convoy trying to break a 3-year-old blockade of Gaza, Israel handed its opponents a victory they could not have achieved by other means and simultaneously left itself, the United States and the struggling Mideast peace process with a huge problem....Israel, however, remained adamant, implausibly casting the flotilla organizers as a mortal threat." They drew parallels saying "The pity is that the Israelis so lacked the same prescience, remarkable in light of their own history. No event was more important to the formation of Israel than the confrontation 63 years ago between the ship Exodus..." They believed that as a "smart solution to the current impasse...Israel should allow humanitarian aid into Gaza on the condition that cargo first be inspected for weapons. Palestinians should accept that restriction. The United States and United Nations should try to ensure its enforcement."
Canada
The Toronto SunToronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
said the attack damaged Israel's reputation and suggested it "might have wanted to rethink the orders that led to Monday's fatal clash." It reasoned that this, along with the Dubai assassination
Assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh
The assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, took place on January 19, 2010, in a Dubai hotel room. Al-Mabhouh—a co-founder of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamist Palestinian militant group Hamas—was wanted by the Israeli government for the kidnapping and murder of two...
of a Hamas leader, "left a trail of evidence a mile wide, to put a dent in the reputation of the country’s legendary intelligence and security operations. " Adding that "For the peace process, this story feels relevant in ways that may not be obvious right away, as though something has shifted. It’s not as simple as Israel stumbling into a PR disaster or lost international support, as some would like to make it." However, it also said that "For the Palestinians, it underscored the division between blockaded, Hamas-run Gaza and the West Bank, which has fared better in so many ways for not being Hamas-run Gaza."
Europe
The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
published an article by José Maria Aznar
José María Aznar
José María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
, former prime minister of Spain, saying the world must support Israel because "if it goes down, we all go down". He said that "In an ideal world, the assault by Israeli commandos on the 'Mavi Marmara' would not have ended up with nine dead and a score wounded. In an ideal world, the soldiers would have been peacefully welcomed on to the ship." In the article Aznar criticizes Turkey, for placing Israel "in an impossible situation" in which it would have to either give up its security or face world condemnation. Aznar concluded that Israel is the West's first line of defense, and must be protected.
The Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
called the attack a "brazen act of piracy," that dealt a blow to the legitimacy of Israel's struggle. The paper continued that "Israel claims the activists had links with extremist groups and that some attacked Israeli soldiers with knives and sticks (and in some accounts the odd light firearm). Even if true, this would not justify the illegal capture of civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid in international waters, let alone the use of deadly force."
Günther Nonnenmacher of the editorial board of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
wrote that Israel seems to have lost all sense of proportion and would not pay attention to public opinion. The raid on the convoy would constitute a new level of escalation.
The Croatian daily Jutarnji List
Jutarnji list
Jutarnji list is a daily newspaper in Croatia with a circulation of about 115,000 copies.It was launched in April 1998, becoming the first successful Croatian daily newspaper to appear since the 1950s. It was named after a Zagreb daily that used to circulate before WW2...
said Croatia was in an unenviable position because "On the one hand, the country feels responsibility towards Israel and its politics have always reflected that responsibility. On the other hand, Turkey is an important ally in the region with its influence on the reform processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as a growing trading partner for Croatia."
Israel
A survey of Israeli Jews published in the MaarivMaariv
Maariv is a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. It is second in sales after Yedioth Ahronoth and third in readership after Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel HaYom. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Maariv saw its market share fall slightly...
on June 2 showed 94.8 percent agreeing that it was necessary to stop the boats, with 62.7 percent saying it should have been handled in a different manner. Only 8.1 percent thought Netanyahu should resign. The newspaper didn’t say how many people were surveyed or give a margin of error.
Criticism within Israel on the flotilla operation has focused largely on the execution of the raid and not the blockade. The
Israeli media, which had initially supported the IDF action and corroborated the IDF account of the incident, later criticized the operation as having been badly handled. Haaretz said that the Israeli army had fallen into a trap set by the flotilla organizers. While Israeli soldiers were supported, the government was chastised for putting Israel in a compromising situation.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
had a headline initially reading "Botched raid on Free Gaza Flotilla," the online headline was later changed to "Israel fears diplomatic backlash in wake of Gaza flotilla deaths", while Maariv went with "Flotilla Fiasco."
Israeli journalist Gideon Levy
Gideon Levy
Gideon Levy is an Israeli journalist.Levy writes opinion pieces and a weekly column for the newspaper Haaretz that often focus on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories...
remarked in an opinion article, "Again Israel will pay a heavy diplomatic price, once which had not been considered ahead of time. Again, the Israeli propaganda machine has managed to convince only brainwashed Israelis, and once more no one asked the question: What was it for? Why were our soldiers thrown into this trap of pipes and ball bearings? What did we get out of it?"
Artistic response
Pixies, GorillazGorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
, and Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
were among the bands scheduled to play Tat el Aviv's Pic.Nic festival. According to festival organizers, all three groups cancelled their plans in relation to the naval raid. In addition Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron
Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
cancelled an appearance.
The Brazilian film maker Iara Lee
Iara Lee
Iara Lee is a Korean Brazilian film producer and director based in New York City. She is better known as the director of the documentaries Synthetic Pleasures and Modulations, as well as for her involvement with the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla", in which at least nine pro-Palestinian activists were...
wrote about her experience on the ship in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle in which she said "Israel's powerful navy could have easily approached our boat and boarded it in broad daylight or pursued nonviolent options for disabling our vessel. Instead, the Israeli military launched a nighttime assault with heavily armed commandos...I feared for the lives of my fellow passengers as I heard shots being fired on deck, and I later saw the bodies of several people killed being carried inside...When it was over, the Israeli soldiers commandeered our ships, illegally kidnapped us from international waters, towed us to the port of Ashdod, and arrested all of us on board." Concluding that "
What happened to our flotilla is happening to the people of Gaza on a daily basis. It will not stop until international law is applied to all countries, Israel included."
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
canceled their appearances in 2010's Jerusalem Film Festival
Jerusalem Film Festival
The Jerusalem Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Jerusalem, Israel. The festival was the brainchild of Lia van Leer, who inaugurated it on May 17, 1984...
in the events of flotilla raid. According to associate director of the festival, Yigal Molad Hayo, neither gave the political climate as a direct reason for canceling their participation in the festival but it became quite clear that was the reason.
Italian tenor Guiseppe "Joe" Fallisi dedicated his song "Un Momento" to victims of Mavi Marmara
Comedic response
Latma TV, an initiative of the Center for Security Policy
Center for Security Policy
The Center for Security Policy is a Washington, D.C. think tank that focuses on national security issues. The Center was founded in 1988 by Frank Gaffney, Jr....
, a staunchly conservative organization located in Washington, D.C., produced a video entitled We Con the World
We Con the World
We Con the World is an 2010 video clip that satirizes the purportedly peaceful intentions of the political activists aboard the Turkish-owned flagship, MV Mavi Marmara, which led the Free Gaza flotilla...
and set to the tune of the 1985 hit, "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
". The video, which is published on the internet, satirizes the political intentions of the activists aboard the MV Mavi Marmara with up to a dozen members of the so-called "Flotilla Choir"— some wearing a variation of traditional Arab dress—sing satirical verses, such as: "There's no people dying, so the best that we can do is create the biggest bluff of all." The Israeli government's press office later apologized for circulating a link to the video that mocked activists on board, and clarified that it does not represent Israel's official stance. The creation of the film was initiated by Caroline Glick
Caroline Glick
Caroline Glick is an American-Israeli journalist for Makor Rishon and is the deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post. She is also the Senior Fellow for Middle East Affairs of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Security Policy.-Life:...
, the deputy managing director and columnist for the Jerusalem Post.
Critical
Throughout 31 May, demonstrators gathered in the Middle East, Europe, North America and South Asia following the attack.In Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, more than ten thousand people gathered to protest in Taksim Square
Taksim Square
Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network...
in central Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
on the night of 31 May 2010. Hundreds of protesters then tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul. A second day of protests took place across Turkey; protestors marched in front of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
's Israeli consulate, and several people were arrested in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
after encountering police in front of the Israeli Embassy there. On 1 June, Azerbaijani protesters gathered outside the Turkish embassy in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
to condemn the Israeli attack. The protesters were carrying the Azerbaijani and Turkish flags. They also carried placards saying "Israel is a barbarian" and "Israel is a murderer," and chanted slogans such as "Azerbaijan and Turkey: one nation, two states", "Turkey’s grief is Azerbaijan’s grief" and "Down with Israel." The protesters stated their support for the Turkish government and people.
In Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, leftist and rightist demonstrators clashed on June 5, 2010, as more than 6,000 citizens gathered to protest the Israeli raid against the aid convoy.
During a demonstration at a checkpoint between Israel and the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, which involved stone-throwing by Palestinian youths, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at demonstrators. An art student from New York, who according to a witness was not involved in any violence, lost an eye when one of the canisters fractured parts of her skull.
In the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, thousands marched in condemnation on the streets of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Thousands of Egyptians also rallied to request that Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
's Israeli ambassador be expelled and that the government open the Gaza border. There were also demonstrations in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, and Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. While Palestinians in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
clashed with Israeli security forces who responded with tear gas. Several hundred Arab protestors in Israel were arrested in Umm al-Fahm
Umm al-Fahm
Umm al-Fahm is a city in the Haifa District of Israel with a population of 43,300, nearly all of whom are Arab citizens of Israel. The city is situated on the Umm al-Fahm mountain ridge, the highest point of which is Mt. Iskander , overlooking Wadi Ara...
as the demonstrations turned violent. Protests were also held in the Arab cities of Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
, Sakhnin
Sakhnin
Sakhnin is a city in Israel's North District. It is located in the Lower Galilee, about east of Acre. Sakhnin was declared a city in 1995. Its population of 25,100 is Arab, mostly Muslim with a sizable Christian minority. It is located on the site of the ancient Jewish town Sikhnin, which...
, Arabe and Shfaram, although there was no violence reported. A spontaneous demonstration also took place in Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
as Israeli security forces prepared to face an anticipated wave of violence. Demonstration were also held in Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
.
On 1 June 2010, in Malaysia, a man performed a personal protest before the United States embassy at Jalan Tun Razak when he "slashed himself with a penknife on the thighs and chest" to express his disapproval of the Israeli attack. He was bundled away to a hospital before the knife reached his neck. Protests were held across Pakistan by journalists, political parties, and college students. The Lahore Press Club called for the release of all detained persons, and called the raid an "act of terrorism." They accused Israel of violating international law, and demanded an urgent explanation of the matter. They also demanded the Pakistani government to secure the release of the Pakistanis arrested. Protests were also held in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and other cities across Indonesia.
In Greece, thousands of protesters marched on the Israeli Embassy in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, sparking clashes with police, the deployment of tear gas, five arrests and many injuries. Tear gas was also used in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to disperse the thousands of people who waved Palestinian and Turkish flags beside the Israeli Embassy. Twenty-one cities in Sweden, including Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
and Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, held demonstrations, with thousands of protesters clutching Palestinian flags as they marched on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, while speakers expressed their "disgust and dismay". In Norway, approximately 2,000 demonstrators gathered peacefully in front of the Israeli Embassy in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, while chanting slogans and calling for a "boycott of Israel" and closure of the Israeli Embassy. In Italy, there were protests in many cities, including Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where one speaker said the situation was "extremely serious and has no precedent whatsoever in the history of international diplomacy." In the United Kingdom, over a thousand protesters rallied outside Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
and barricaded Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
on 31 May. In Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
800 protesters attempted to storm the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
offices in reaction to a perceived bias in the BBC's reporting of the incident. There were further protests in Preston and Bolton. Readers of the Irish Times sent angry letters to the newspaper on the 1 June. Protests took place across Ireland on 31 May, including Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
and Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, while hundreds of protesters in Dublin mached from the Israeli embassy to the nearby US Embassy before returning to the Israeli embassy. Those present at the Dublin protest included Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002, and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.-Early and private life:A Dubliner and Irish language...
and Chris Andrews
Chris Andrews (politician)
Chris Andrews is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 2007 to 2011.-Family:He is the grandson of Todd Andrews, a leading figure in the early days of Fianna Fáil...
, both of whom Cypriot authorities had prevented from joining the flotilla, as well as Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
Emer Costello
Emer Costello
Emer Costello is an Irish Labour Party politician and member of Dublin City Council. She was Lord Mayor of Dublin from 2009–10.A native of County Louth she has a B.A. and a H.Dip...
. Palestinians supporters of both Hamas and Fatah were part of the protests, with chants mostly in Arabic.
From June 1–5, thousands of people rallied throughout various cities across the United States and Canada to protest the flotilla raid and the subsequent seizure of the MV Rachel Corrie
MV Rachel Corrie
MV Rachel Corrie is a 499 GT coaster owned and operated by the Free Gaza Movement. The ship is named in honour of Rachel Corrie, a former member of the International Solidarity Movement...
and its crew, including Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, protesters marched from Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
toward the Israeli Mission to the United Nations in response to the Israeli attack. Similar scenes were seen in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where thousands gathered across the country to protest against the Israeli raid and the on-going blockade of Gaza.
On 4 June, there were protests in Ireland and Malaysia. The Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i embassy in Dublin was blockaded by dozens of people, causing its closure for the day but authorities deemed it a peaceful protest and no arrests were made. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
was among protesters who gathered outside the US embassy along Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, disrupting traffic for several hours. On 5 June further demonstrations were organised in the United Kingdom, with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign leading a three-thousand strong march in Edinburgh. In London thousands marched from Downing Street to the Israeli embassy to express their outrage at Israeli actions.
On June 7, 2010, approximately 200 mostly Muslim students threw stones at a group of Israelis while chanting "Murderers," and subsequently broke the window of the police car that they took refuge in. One of the Israelis was injured. The incident occurred at the start of the Spain-Israel Chamber of Commerce's conference at Madrid's Autonomous University. Following the violence, the university called off the conference due to safety concerns. According to Spanish media, the organizers had changed the conference's venue at the last minute due to concerns about potential violence but the protestors discovered the new location and stormed in while chanting, "Murderers, murderers. Get out of Gaza" and "Freedom to the Palestinian people."
Support
Many pro-Israeli rallies took place within the country, including by SderotSderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
residents, in Qiryat Shmona and student rallies in the Technion, University of Haifa
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel.The University of Haifa was founded in 1963 by Haifa mayor Abba Hushi, to operate under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
, Ben Gurion University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
and Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
. The rallies included hundreds of demonstrators waving the flag of Israel
Flag of Israel
The flag of Israel was adopted on October 28, 1948, five months after the country's establishment. It depicts a blue Star of David on a white background, between two horizontal blue stripes...
and chanting slogans in support of the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
and Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
. A large and fierce protest was held in front of the Turkish embassy, which included slogans such as "Shayetet 13, we are with you," "We are all the IDF," "Cold weapon
Cold weapon
A cold weapon is any weapon that does not involve fire or explosions as a result from the use of gun powder or other explosive materials....
s kill." Protesters also accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
of "supporting terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
" and equated him with Osama Bin-Laden and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They also chanted, "The [Gaza] flotilla is burning," while carrying signs reading, "Ahmadinejad=Erdogan." The organizers of the embassy protest described themselves as young zionists.
In Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
about 1000 demonstrators were protesting in front of the Turkish Consulate on June 1 in support of Israel. A Jewish high school student was seen walking through a crowd of anti-Israeli protesters alone, carrying a large Israeli flag. Police officers feared for his safety, and escorted him to protect him from potential attacks. On June 6, demonstrators rallied to show solidarity with Israel at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles. Notable attendees included Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner
Steve Poizner
Stephen Leo "Steve" Poizner is an American businessman/entrepreneur and conservative Republican politician, who was elected State Insurance Commissioner of California in November 2006, and concluded the 4 year term in January 2011...
, actor Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....
, Republican Senate contender Chuck DeVore
Chuck DeVore
Charles S. "Chuck" DeVore is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010 and represented the 70th District, which includes portions of Orange County...
, Representative Brad Sherman
Brad Sherman
Bradley J. "Brad" Sherman is an American politician. He has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing ....
and Rabbi Marvin Hier
Marvin Hier
Rabbi Marvin Hier is the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, its Museum of Tolerance and of Moriah, the Center's film division....
of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
, Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel
Wendy Greuel
Wendy Jane Greuel is a municipal American politician. She is the 18th and current Los Angeles City Controller and former President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 2nd District, which includes portions of the San Fernando Valley.-Early Life, Education, and Early...
, City Council members Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz is an American politician. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the Fifth Council District. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly and the West Hollywood City Council...
and Janice Hahn
Janice Hahn
Janice Kay Hahn is the U.S. Representative from California's 36th congressional district and a member of the Democratic Party. She was previously a Los Angeles City Councilwoman representing the 15th district from 2001 to 2011...
, Judea Pearl
Judea Pearl
Judea Pearl is a computer scientist and philosopher, best known for developing the probabilistic approach to artificial intelligence and the development of Bayesian networks ....
, and David Pine of Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now
Americans for Peace Now , the United States partner of Israel’s Shalom Achshav organization, is an American coalition working to help Israel achieve a secure peace with the Arab states and the Palestinian people...
. Several Christian groups were also represented. In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, a number of pro-Israel Jews gathered to show their support for Israel. While in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
a pro-Israel rally, organized by the Baltimore Zionist District sough to raise awareness of what supporters called an act of self-defense by Israel against Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
. As many as 600 people gathered on 6 June at the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami's Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay.-History:The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist...
. North Miami Beach City Council member Frantz Pierre led the crowd in a chant of "Peace, peace, peace." Jewish and Christian religious leaders were present. Mohammad S. Shakir, a Muslim and director of the Asian American Advisory Board in the Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
Office of Community Advocacy, made a speech.
On 2 June, in London the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland
The Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, also known as the British Zionist Federation or simply the Zionist Federation , was established in 1899 to campaign for a permanent homeland for the Jewish people...
organized a pro-Israel rally in front of Israeli embassy. On June 4, a demonstration was held in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. On June 6 an event in support Israel in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
was cancelled due to threats from pro-Palestinian groups. On 6 June, a rally was held in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
The National Union of Israeli Students
National Union of Israeli Students
The National Union of Israeli Students is the national representative body of university students in Israel.-Members:...
planned to send a Kurdish Freedom Flotilla. According to Boaz Torporovsky, President of the Student Union, the plan is to send a flotilla of ships "to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Kurds of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
."
Israeli Arab members of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
, Israel's parliament, received numerous death threats after the incident. A bus driver hired by the Israeli military to transport soldiers put up a sign on the bus saying: "Shayetet 13, shame on you. Why did you kill so few?"
Polls
A Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
national telephone poll in the USA of 1000 voters found that 49% of respondents blame pro-Palestinian activists on the Gaza bound aid ships for the deaths that resulted. 19% blamed Israel and 32% were not sure. 51% of those polled thought that Israel should allow an international investigation into the incident, while 25% agreed with Israel's refusal.
A Yougov
YouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
survey found that 55% of the Britons polled believed Israel had over-reacted, 27% didn't know and 18% thought they'd acted in self-defence. When asked about an international investigation, an overwhelming 74% believed it should be conducted by an international group. 4% thought it should be led by Israel, 12% didn't know, and 11% thought an inquiry shouldn't be held as it was a distraction from peace negotiations.
Flotilla movement
Jewish Voices for a Just Peace, a group of German Jews belonging to the European Jews for a Just PeaceEuropean Jews for a Just Peace
European Jews for a Just Peace is a federation of Jewish groups in ten European countries aimed at bringing about peace in the Middle East and ensuring respect for the human rights of the Palestinian people...
that plans to send a boat with humanitarian aid to break the Gaza blockade, has received a large number of request to travel with the ship, and is searching for a second vessel to accommodate additional participants.
Books of condolence
Books of condolence were opened in aid of the Turkish families whose relatives were killed in the attack.In Ireland, Lord Mayor of Cork
Lord Mayor of Cork
The Lord Mayor of Cork is the honorific title of the Chairman of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork in Ireland. The incumbent is Terry Shannon of Fianna Fáil. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the Council.-History of office:In 1199 there...
Dara Murphy
Dara Murphy
Dara Murphy is an Irish Fine Gael politician, who was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Cork North Central constituency at the 2011 general election. He is a former Lord Mayor of Cork in 2009–10. He was first elected to the Cork City Council in 2004, and served as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2005–06...
opened a book of condolence.
Donations
Four trucks carrying tents, blankets and 13 power generators were donated by Russia and Oman.United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security CouncilUnited Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
convened an emergency meeting at the request of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, during which the Turkish foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoglu
Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish political scientist, an academic and an ambassador. On May 1, 2009, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey after being the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey.-Life and career:...
stated "Israel must be held accountable for its crimes" (prior to the meeting, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN called for an independent Security Council investigation). While the British ambassador said Israel should end the Gaza blockade and take steps for an investigation, the US deputy permanent representative supported the Israeli position that humanitarian aid should have gone by "accepted international mechanisms," and the Israeli deputy permanent representative said the flotilla was not humanitarian but had a mission of breaking the blockade.
The United States directly intervened to prevent the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
's statement, which requested an "impartial" investigation of the deaths and condemned those "acts" that led to it, from resembling that drafted by Turkey, the Palestinians and Arab states, which called for condemnation "in the strongest terms" and an independent international inquiry. 12 hours of negotiations were required to come up with a statement that suited all.
As a result of the emergency meeting that went into the early hours of the morning, the council agreed condemn the acts that resulted in the deaths and injuries aboard the Mavi Marmara. They also called for a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards. This was different from what Turkey and the Arab states were demanded - an independent international investigation—leaving open the possibility of who would conduct the investigation.
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
passed a resolution by 32 votes to 3, with a number of abstentions, in which it condemned in the strongest terms the outrageous attack by the Israeli forces which resulted in the killing and injuring of many innocent civilians from different countries, and decided to dispatch an independent international fact finding mission to investigate violations of international law resulting from the Israeli attack.
See also
- Legal assessments of the Gaza flotilla raidLegal assessments of the Gaza flotilla raidMany legal assessments of the Gaza flotilla raid were published subsequent to the event. International law experts differed over the legality of the action by Israel...
- International reaction to the Gaza War
External links
- Report of the Secretary-General’s Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident (02 september 2011)
- Israel Rejects Call for International Probe into Attack on Gaza Flotilla - video report by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
- Editorial cartoons from around the world
- The Media and the Free Gaza Flotilla: Islamists or Freedom Heroes?
- Commentary by Amos Oz: The Gaza Flotilla and the Limits of Force
- The Price of Defying Israel by Paul LarudeePaul LarudeePaul Larudee, PhD is a San Francisco Bay Area human rights advocate for justice in Israel and Palestine. He works with the International Solidarity Movement and the Free Palestine Movement, and was cofounder of the Free Gaza Movement...
- an American flotilla passenger