Flotilla Compensation: Israel Expected to Pay Tens of Millions of Dollars

Charges Against Israeli Commandos Remain an Issue

Though the deal still seems to be quite some way off, Israel has reportedly agreed in principle to pay tens of millions of dollars in compensation for the May 2010 attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which led to the killings of nine aid workers.

Israel and Turkey are discussing the formation of a committee of both nations’ officials to come up with final terms for the deal, with the money to go in a “humanitarian fund” managed by Turkey’s government.

Though Israel has been open to compensation for quite some time, the issue could become difficult since officials demand full immunity for Israeli commandos and the state for the killings, as well as not having to admit any wrongdoing.

Turkey seems willing to abandon any government-led charges against the Israelis for the killings, but has no legal avenue for ordering all other lawsuits related to them cancelled, and the families of victims are unlikely to all agree to drop such charges simply on Turkey’s say-so.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.