As Turkey Freezes Israel Ties, Critics Decry "Whitewashed" UN Report on Gaza Flotilla 1 of 2

DemocracyNow.org - Turkey has downgraded diplomatic ties with Israel and frozen military co-operation ahead of a long-awaited United Nations report on Israel's deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid ship in 2010. The report accuses Israel of "excessive and unreasonable" force in its attack on the ship, Mavi Marmara — which killed nine people — and says Israel should issue a statement of regret and compensate the families of the dead as well as wounded passengers. But it also chides passengers aboard the Marmara and the other flotilla ships for what it calls a "reckless" attempt to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. In a major development with broader implications, the U.N. report concludes that the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip is legal under international law.

Watch Part 2 of 2:

Democracy Now! speaks with Norman Finkelstein, author of several books on the Israel Palestine conflict including, "This Time We Went Too Far: Truth & Consequences of the Gaza Invasion." We are also joined by Huwaida Arraf, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Flotilla movement. Both Arraf and Finkelstein blast the U.N. report, calling it a "whitewash" and "morally debased."

For the complete transcript, to download the podcast, or for additional Democracy Now! reports on the Gaza aid flotilla in 2010 and 2011, visit

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