...This finding, recently reported by Al Jazeera stands in marked contrast to claims from Israeli leaders at the time of the raid that the violence directed at activists was purely reactionary and in self-defense against violent attacks from the flotilla activists themselves.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, now admits that the violence related to the deaths of nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists in May 2010 - was “expected” by Israeli leaders weeks ahead of the actual raid.  He granted this admission during an Israeli commission set up to determine the legitimacy of the flotilla raid and Israel’s now four year long blockade against Hamas and the people of Gaza.  Barak’s admission is consistent with on the ground reporting that there was an offensive mindset among Israeli commandos at the time the raid took place.  Eyewitness accounts found that Israeli commandos had fired upon those in the raid prior to even boarding the boats (the original claim from Israeli leaders was that they only attacked the flotilla activists after boarding and facing serious threats to their safety and lives).

Barak attempted to legitimize the raid by claiming that Israeli leaders understood “the organizations [supporting the flotilla] were preparing for armed conflict to embarrass Israel.”  Israel’s commitment to violence, however, in order to dismantle and destroy a non-violent humanitarian campaign, ensured that Israel would be deeply embarrassed, in light of an embargo widely recognized as illegal under the Geneva Conventions.  The raid itself is also a blatant violation of provisions of the San Remo Agreement, in addition to the U.N. Charter, and the Law of the Sea Treaty...