Will this increase or decrease the likelihood of terrorist actions in America, Europe and the rest of the world?

If you were a member of a family murdered in this conflict, would you be seeking revenge?

Should Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert, be tried for war crimes if or when this conflict comes to an end?

What will the price of oil be in 4 weeks time?

Report: Turkey navy to escort aid ships to Palestinians in Gaza

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Saturday that Turkey could not "accept the blockade on Gaza."

"We cannot say that the blockade aligns with international law," he said, adding that the stance taken by the Palmer Commission Report was the author's "personal opinion, one which does not correspond with Turkey's position."

Speaking in an interview with Turkish station TRT on Saturday, Davutoglu said that Ankara was preparing to appeal the international court in The Hague, reiterating the official Turkish position which rejects the finds of the Palmer Commission report.

He added that Ankara was planning to initiate the Hague appeal as soon as next week, saying: "We are bound by the International Court of Justice. We say that the ICJ decides."

The Turkish FM also indicated that the flotilla raid was the first time Turkish civilians had been killed by a foreign army, adding: "We cannot remain silent in the face of that."

"If Israel persists with its current position, the Arab spring will give rise to a strong Israel opposition as well as the debate on the authoritarian regimes," he said.

The Turkish FM's announcement came after Turkish officials told the Hurriyet Daily News that Ankara was also planning to take military action to enforce its interpretation of the blockade, saying that the Turkish navy will significantly strengthen its presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

"The eastern Mediterranean will no longer be a place where Israeli naval forces can freely exercise their bullying practices against civilian vessels," a Turkish official was quoted as saying.

As part of the plan, the Turkish navy will increase its patrols in the eastern Mediterranean and pursue "a more aggressive strategy."

According to the report, Turkish naval vessels will accompany civilian ships carrying aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Turkish foreign minister Ahmed Davutoglu warned the Israeli occupation state of a massive Arab uprising against it sooner or later if it persisted in its criminal policies.

Davutoglu made his remarks in a closed meeting of the European foreign ministers which was held last Saturday in Poland, according to Turkish news reports on Monday.

"Because of its intransigence and its arrogant policies, Israel closed the door of hope for peace in the region, so it is more likely that the Arab nations, who are rising in revolt for freedom and democracy, would stand up massively and strongly against Israel, Turkish news agencies quoted the foreign minister as saying.

Davutoglu noted that Israel's deadly attack on Freedom Flotilla aid convoy in late May last year was not something personal between Ankara and Tel Aviv, but something related to the latter and its respect of the international community, and the global rights and ethics.

The Turkish minister also warned the European union that the coming Arab intifada against Israel might expand and turn into an anti-Europe wave if it continued to cover up for Israel's actions.

"The European union should avoid dealing with the issue of the Arab spring with the mindset of colonizers and crusaders or through the use of coercion, but it should evaluate this matter according to the values of freedom and democracy, and the Arab yearning for them," the minister added.

ironic that the meeting was held in Poland-national home to Nazi death camps and Poland being the most antisemitic country in the western world.

It is the usual problem of a misguided person linking anti-Israel feeling with anti-semitism. Even the Palestinians are not anti-semitic. The only repost Israel ever has to criticism is that it is anti-semitism.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israelis-could-face-trial-in-the-hague-if-palestinian-statehood-recognized-at-un-experts-warn-1.383144

Israelis could face trial in The Hague if Palestinian statehood recognized at UN, experts warn

According to the statute of the court, the direct or indirect transfer of an occupiers population into occupied territory constitutes a war crime.

Recognition of a Palestinian state could, in theory, lead to Israeli officials being dragged repeatedly before the International Criminal Court in the Hague for claims regarding its settlement policies in the West Bank, legal experts say.

According to the statute of the court, the direct or indirect transfer of an occupiers population into occupied territory constitutes a war crime.

The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague is a complementary jurisdiction, meaning that the court will not intervene in cases when a war crime complaint is being investigated by Israel and those responsible are prosecuted, explained Prof. Robbie Sabel, a former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry and an expert in international law.

But in instances in which Israel is not conducting a war crime investigation and is not trying to ascertain the guilt of the accused, the court may get involved, he said.
The settlements are a prime example of this, since in theory one could say that we are talking about a war crime, that Israel is not investigating it and not bringing those responsible to justice. Thus, the court could get involved and investigate.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/erdogan-turkey-warships-will-escort-any-future-gaza-aid-flotilla-1.383300

Erdogan: Turkey warships will escort any future Gaza aid flotilla

Turkish PM also says that his country had taken steps to stop Israel from unilaterally exploiting natural resources from the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkish warships will escort any Turkish aid vessels to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks broadcast on Al Jazeera television on Thursday.

Erdogan also said that Turkey had taken steps to stop Israel from unilaterally exploiting natural resources from the eastern Mediterranean, according to Al Jazeera's Arabic translation of excerpts of the interview, which was conducted in Turkish.

Last Saturday, Turkish officials told Hurriyet Daily News that the Turkish navy will significantly strengthen its presence in the easter Mediterranean Sea, as one of the steps the Turkish government has decided to take following the release of the UN Palmer report on the 2010 Gaza flotilla.

"The eastern Mediterranean will no longer be a place where Israeli naval forces can freely exercise their bullying practices against civilian vessels," a Turkish official was quoted as saying.

As part of the plan, the Turkish navy will increase its patrols in the eastern Mediterranean and pursue "a more aggressive strategy".

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=237827

UN experts: Israel's blockade of Gaza illegal

GENEVA - Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip violates international law, a panel of human rights experts reporting to a UN body said on Tuesday, disputing a conclusion reached by a separate UN probe into Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/un-independent-panel-rules-israel-blockade-of-gaza-illegal-1.384267

UN independent panel rules Israel blockade of Gaza illegal

Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip violates international law, a panel of human rights experts reporting to a UN body said on Tuesday, disputing a conclusion reached by a separate UN probe into Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship.

The so-called Palmer Report on the Israeli raid of May 2010 that killed nine Turkish activists said earlier this month that Israel had used unreasonable force in last year's raid, but its naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled strip was legal.

A panel of five independent UN rights experts reporting to the UN Human Rights Council rejected that conclusion, saying the blockade had subjected Gazans to collective punishment in "flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law."

UN independent panel rules Israel blockade of Gaza illegal

Well I never!

USA going to use its veto.

Should endear them even more to the M.E..

Price of oil next year will be?

There is pressure on the US not to use its veto. Saudi Arabia has said it will be very 'disappointed' if the US uses its veto and the close partnership with the US may be in danger. Saudi has said that it would act in a more independant way in future and not consider the US's interests. Palestine may want the US to veto full membership as it isolates the US as well as Israel.

The next step would be membership via a vote through the general assembly of the UN, which it would get easily, as at least 150 of 193 countries countries would vote in its favour. The actualnumbers may be even more. Even membership via the general assembly gives Palestine the right to refer Israel to the International Courts of Justice for war crimes, illegal settlements and the illegal blockade of Gaza. Court proceedings of this nature could generate international arrest warrants making foreign travel for government and army members impossible.

it would be a disgrace to allow palestians in to nato .
they voted for a terrorist gov in hamas and till they are voted out
no one should even talk to them

Your posts are getting worse.

"it would be a disgrace to allow palestians in to nato .
they voted for a terrorist gov in hamas and till they are voted out
no one should even talk to them "

You might consider attaining at least a bare minimum of education before posting on here. NATO is NOT the UN.

UN - United Nations a forum for discussing world issues and consisting of 193 member countries. Israel IS a member.

NATO - North Alantic Treaty Organisation consisting of 28 member countries and is mainly a military body and Israel is NOT a member. In fact no Middle Eastern Countries are members. It is essentially Europe plus the US and Canada.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/nato_countries.htm

The Palestinians did NOT vote for Hamas. The voters of Gaza voted for Hamas.

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=238227

Egyptian ambassador asked to clarify statements

Foreign Ministry calls on Egyptian ambassador to Israel to explain statement that "peace with Israel is not sacred... can be changed."

Following statements made Thursday by Egyptian officials, including Prime Minister Issam Sharaf, that "the peace agreement with Israel is not sacred and is always open for discussion," the Egyptian ambassador to Israel was invited to the Foreign Ministry offices in Jerusalem on Friday for clarification.

Foreign Ministry Director-General Rafi Barak expressed indignation at the statements by senior Egyptian officials, including Sharaf. He stressed at the meeting to the Egyptian ambassador, Yasser Reda, that the agreements should be honored literally.

In an interview with a Turkish television station Thursday, Egyptian prime minister said the peace treaty with Israel is not sacred, and is always open for discussion. According to Sharaf, the agreement could be changed if it "would benefit the region and help create a just peace."

Thursday night about 200 people demonstrated outside the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Jordan, calling for the cancellation of the peace treaty between the countries.

watching the news last night about thepalestian farmer with is few goats and sheep
and saying that he is not interested in money it is way of life .
made me think more and he should and others be allowed to live there lives

Will USA veto Palestine bid?

If they do then the already opinion of USA (and Britain) will be even lower in the ME and lead to increasing problems.

Anybody guess the price of oil over the next few years?

Of course the US will veto if Palestine get its 9 votes. The US is busily doing the rounds of the 15 to bribe a few to vote no so it can avoid using its veto. A number may abstain, such as the UK, Germany. The use of the veto will isolate the US and Israel.

Palestine will probably then go to the General Assembly, where they will easily get a majority of the 193 countries.The vote for them could be 160+. That will give them membership, although at a lower level. Even the lower level membership allows Palestine to go to the International Court of Justice to charge Israel with war crimes such as the continued settlement, the Gaza blockade etc.

as have voiced in the past, USA in this instance should be totally ashamed ..... it would be very easy to bring israel to the (sensible) negotiating table and to halt its continued building on the west bank - stop the aid for a bit and bingo

i don't think UK has much input here, and as far as i know, is not inclined to use its veto .... indeed, UK (FCO) has traditionally been quite heavily pro arab

Who gives a shit about them

about whom?

The US has a poor history regarding Palestinian rights or attempts to solve the impass. It was 23 years ago that the UN General Assembly decided to briefly move its session from New York to Switzerland.

It was because the Palestine Liberation Organization head Yasser Arafat was to deliver a speech to the General Assembly of the UN. The US thought it could thwart the work of the UN and hold it to ransom by the U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz refusing to issue Yasser Arafat an entry visa to the United States. I remember the other members of the UN being pretty annoyed at the time.