The Supreme Court ruled against calls demanding the attorney order filing a criminal indictment against participants in the Marvi Marmara.

The Marvi Marmara was the 2010 flotilla that tried breaking Israel marine blockade on Gaza. IDF naval commandos intercepted the vessel and acted under orders not to use force since it was a ship carrying “peace activists”. In actuality, members of the flotilla were armed and the commando force was attacked and some seriously injured.

Taking part in the flotilla were Arab MK Hanin Zoabi and the head of the Israel Islamic Movement Northern Branch, Sheikh Raid Salah.

Petitioners were seeking to compel Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to file a criminal indictment against the two but the Supreme Court rejected the petition.

Zoabi was an active player in the flotilla and even used her political exposure to reject the apology made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to Turkish authorities.

Salah has been a frequent visitor to Israeli prisons for his pro-Hamas activism and his calls for continued violence against Israel on Har Habayis.

The petition was filed by former right-wing MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari and Hebron activist and attorney Itamar Ben-Givir. They also asked the court to compel the state to show the evidence gathered in the case towards determining why the two are not facing criminal charges. The Supreme Court rejected that request too.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)