MNeagle
3rd June 2010, 02:35 PM
JERUSALEM—Israel's leadership is considering alterations to its Gaza policy in an effort to allow aid to more easily reach the territory's citizens, according to Israeli officials.
One official familiar with the government's thinking said Israel still intends to search "every ship" that could be smuggling weapons into Gaza, which is controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. But he said the government also wants to allow humanitarian and aid to be able to reach the people of Gaza.
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-IS791_0603ga_D_20100603155753.jpg
"We are currently exploring additional ways to implement these principles," the official said, without giving details. He didn't say whether the easing of a naval blockade of Gaza was specifically being considered.
Another Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to explore "creative solutions" to facilitate the flow of goods into Gaza. But this official said Israel hasn't agreed to lift the sea blockade.
The review comes amid growing international condemnation of the blockade — including a new push for a change in Gaza policy by the U.S. — after a deadly raid this week on a flotilla of aid- and activist-laden ships that attempted to run the blockade.
Senior U.S. officials said Thursday that the Obama administration would "redouble" its efforts to get Israel to ease the siege on the Gaza strip. But these officials indicated the White House wasn't going to ask Mr. Netanyahu to formally end the blockade.
Rather, they said they believed there were ways to accelerate the introduction of important goods into Gaza, such as construction materials and food, while still allowing Israel to guard against the smuggling of weapons.
"We don't think it's in Israel's interest to maintain the status quo," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. But he added: "Given the history and reality, Israel has a very legitimate interest to inspect and control the flow of materials into Gaza."
Earlier in the day, Israeli officials defied growing criticism of their blockade and vowed not to soften the policy, even as the owner of a ship that had planned to head for Gaza's shore said it would delay the voyage.
Israel also earlier ruled out cooperating in any international probe of its raid to intercept a Gaza-bound flotilla Monday, in which nine people died, including eight Turks and an American of Turkish descent. But officials suggested Israel was considering allowing a foreign observer to sit in on an Israeli probe, a concession that could ease some of the diplomatic fallout from the operation.
The U.S. and U.K. have both recently suggested an international observer play a role in any probe of the incident.
On Wednesday, Britain's foreign secretary told Parliament that the U.K. believed an international observer was needed for any probe to be deemed "independent, credible and transparent."
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in an interview Thursday that he couldn't speak for the government, but that he "wouldn't be averse at all" to allowing an American or German observer on the panel. Officials say the Israeli government hasn't made any decision about such a proposal.
Another Israeli official suggested allowing an American to observe an investigative panel wouldn't be an aberration of normal information exchange between Israel and the U.S.
Israel has said it will conduct its own probe of Monday's boarding of the six-ship flotilla. "It is our standard practice after military operations, especially operations in which there have been fatalities, to conduct a prompt, professional, transparent and objective investigation in accordance with the highest international standards," said government spokesman Mark Regev.
Israeli commandos boarded five of the ships in the flotilla relatively peacefully, in a predawn raid on Monday. But violence broke out on the last, the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara, and at least nine activists were killed. Israeli said its soldiers resorted to deadly force only after being set upon by activists. Activists have said they were acting in self-defense.
While a foreign observer may ease some of the diplomatic pressure buffeting Israel, officials here said earlier Thursday that they would continue to enforce their blockade, justifying it as self-defense. "It's a red line," said Mr. Ayalon.
Gaza is controlled by the militant Palestinian group Hamas, which Israel designates as a hostile entity. Critics, including human-rights groups, say the blockade punishes the entire population of the territory.
Israel appears likely to avoid another imminent test of its policy. The Free Gaza Movement, a pro-Palestinian group that helped organize the original flotilla, said it was organizing a second, larger flotilla to challenge the Israeli blockade. But a spokeswoman said it wouldn't send one of its own ships to Gaza alone in the next few days, as originally planned.
Israeli officials had expected the ship, the 225-foot, 1,200-ton cargo ship Rachel Corrie, to approach Gaza in the next few days and vowed to stop it.
Free Gaza spokeswoman Greta Berlin said that the group wants to send a large number of vessels on the next voyage as a deterrent to any aggressive military response by the Israeli army.
"Our boats are small and we don't want them sunk," she said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703340904575284644206367262.html?m od=WSJ_hps_LEADNewsCollection
One official familiar with the government's thinking said Israel still intends to search "every ship" that could be smuggling weapons into Gaza, which is controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. But he said the government also wants to allow humanitarian and aid to be able to reach the people of Gaza.
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-IS791_0603ga_D_20100603155753.jpg
"We are currently exploring additional ways to implement these principles," the official said, without giving details. He didn't say whether the easing of a naval blockade of Gaza was specifically being considered.
Another Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to explore "creative solutions" to facilitate the flow of goods into Gaza. But this official said Israel hasn't agreed to lift the sea blockade.
The review comes amid growing international condemnation of the blockade — including a new push for a change in Gaza policy by the U.S. — after a deadly raid this week on a flotilla of aid- and activist-laden ships that attempted to run the blockade.
Senior U.S. officials said Thursday that the Obama administration would "redouble" its efforts to get Israel to ease the siege on the Gaza strip. But these officials indicated the White House wasn't going to ask Mr. Netanyahu to formally end the blockade.
Rather, they said they believed there were ways to accelerate the introduction of important goods into Gaza, such as construction materials and food, while still allowing Israel to guard against the smuggling of weapons.
"We don't think it's in Israel's interest to maintain the status quo," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. But he added: "Given the history and reality, Israel has a very legitimate interest to inspect and control the flow of materials into Gaza."
Earlier in the day, Israeli officials defied growing criticism of their blockade and vowed not to soften the policy, even as the owner of a ship that had planned to head for Gaza's shore said it would delay the voyage.
Israel also earlier ruled out cooperating in any international probe of its raid to intercept a Gaza-bound flotilla Monday, in which nine people died, including eight Turks and an American of Turkish descent. But officials suggested Israel was considering allowing a foreign observer to sit in on an Israeli probe, a concession that could ease some of the diplomatic fallout from the operation.
The U.S. and U.K. have both recently suggested an international observer play a role in any probe of the incident.
On Wednesday, Britain's foreign secretary told Parliament that the U.K. believed an international observer was needed for any probe to be deemed "independent, credible and transparent."
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in an interview Thursday that he couldn't speak for the government, but that he "wouldn't be averse at all" to allowing an American or German observer on the panel. Officials say the Israeli government hasn't made any decision about such a proposal.
Another Israeli official suggested allowing an American to observe an investigative panel wouldn't be an aberration of normal information exchange between Israel and the U.S.
Israel has said it will conduct its own probe of Monday's boarding of the six-ship flotilla. "It is our standard practice after military operations, especially operations in which there have been fatalities, to conduct a prompt, professional, transparent and objective investigation in accordance with the highest international standards," said government spokesman Mark Regev.
Israeli commandos boarded five of the ships in the flotilla relatively peacefully, in a predawn raid on Monday. But violence broke out on the last, the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara, and at least nine activists were killed. Israeli said its soldiers resorted to deadly force only after being set upon by activists. Activists have said they were acting in self-defense.
While a foreign observer may ease some of the diplomatic pressure buffeting Israel, officials here said earlier Thursday that they would continue to enforce their blockade, justifying it as self-defense. "It's a red line," said Mr. Ayalon.
Gaza is controlled by the militant Palestinian group Hamas, which Israel designates as a hostile entity. Critics, including human-rights groups, say the blockade punishes the entire population of the territory.
Israel appears likely to avoid another imminent test of its policy. The Free Gaza Movement, a pro-Palestinian group that helped organize the original flotilla, said it was organizing a second, larger flotilla to challenge the Israeli blockade. But a spokeswoman said it wouldn't send one of its own ships to Gaza alone in the next few days, as originally planned.
Israeli officials had expected the ship, the 225-foot, 1,200-ton cargo ship Rachel Corrie, to approach Gaza in the next few days and vowed to stop it.
Free Gaza spokeswoman Greta Berlin said that the group wants to send a large number of vessels on the next voyage as a deterrent to any aggressive military response by the Israeli army.
"Our boats are small and we don't want them sunk," she said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703340904575284644206367262.html?m od=WSJ_hps_LEADNewsCollection