According to a Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report, a senior-level meeting held three weeks ahead of the Mavi Marmara operation by the National Security Council did not include representatives of the IDF, not the intelligence corps, navy or the spokesman’s office, as per the directive from Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

These new developments raise even more questions amid mounting accusations that Barak blundered dealing the Gaza flotilla, resulting in worldwide condemnations and finger pointing against Israel. Nine people on board the vessel were killed and a number of naval commandos were injured, the more serious ones fortunately escaping an attempted lynch.

A spokesman for Barak released statements to the media that several meetings were held ahead of the operation, and the military representatives were absent as a result of procedural realities.

Minister of Strategic Affairs (Likud) Moshe Ya’alon, a former IDF chief of staff, announced that the operation was a failure, and unfortunately, instead of distributing citations the nation is busy trying to understand why basic operating protocol was not implemented. Not holding back, one senior IDF official pointed the finger of blame at Ya’alon, who was acting prime minister when the operation took place since Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was abroad.

Some accuse Ya’alon of trying to distance himself from a position of responsibility as a commission of inquiry into the operation is likely.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)