Media review: The Israel-led flotilla inquiry
However, the controversy lies in the composition of the inquiry’s panel. Indeed, as the BBC, The Times and The Daily Telegraph reported, Turkey totally rejects an Israeli-led investigation and wants an international probe instead. The BBC also mentioned that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s was not satisfied with the panel as ‘the inquiry would not meet demands made by UN Security Council’.
Instead, Israel has appointed two foreign observers, Lord David Trimble, from Britain and retired Canadian military prosecutor Ken Watkin to follow the proceedings, which according to Netanyahu will ‘make it clear to the world that Israel is acting legally responsibly, and with complete transparency.’
Doubts were expressed about the sufficiency of the two observers, particularly Lord Trimble, who recently joined a “Friends of Israel” association. In all three BBC articles pertaining to the inquiry this association was mentioned as it was in The Times, The Daily Telegraph and Financial Times.
The Daily Telegraph’s main article about the inquiry, ‘Gaza blockade may be eased within days after inquiry deals’ by Bruno Waterfield and Adrian Blomfield, suggested that as part of ‘an unofficial bargain with the Jewish state’, Israel would agree to ease the blockade of Gaza in exchange for leading the flotilla investigation.
The Guardian (print edition) and The Independent were more focused on the blockade itself, only mentioning the composition of the inquiry subsequently.
The fact that today’s media outlets were doubtful about the objectivity and suitability of the composition of the inquiry indicates the likelihood of a rejection of any future decision that the panel might take on the raid.