Outspoken US professors slam reporti approve Turkey's position

Two distinguished professors from the United States have slammed the UN “Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident” released in September in relation to an Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara ship, for its conclusion that the Gaza blockade of Israel is legal. “The Palmer-Uribe report is a fundamentally flawed document. It is simply not possible to make the case that the blockade of Gaza, which is a clear-cut case of collective punishment, is legal under existing international law. Furthermore, the four-member committee could not determine what really happened on the Mavi Marmara because it had no power to call witnesses and gather evidence,” said John Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago. Answering our questions, Professor of International Affairs Stephen Walt from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government said: “I believe the Palmer-Uribe report is mistaken about the legality of the Gaza blockade. It is permissible for Israel to halt the shipment of weapons into Gaza, but not to block delivery of other items and not to prevent exports out of Gaza. These actions are punitive, and should end immediately.” Professors Mearsheimer and Walt are authors of “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy,” which was published in late Aug. 2007.According to Mearsheimer, Turkey's reaction to the report was correct.“Indeed, I admire how Turkey has acted toward Israel in recent years. I think it is about time that someone stood up to Israel and said loudly and clearly that its behavior toward the Palestinians is morally reprehensible and must be stopped,” he said.Walt said that hard-line defenders of Israel will “undoubtedly try to demonize Turkey” and undermine US-Turkish relations.“But Turkey can protect itself by explaining its position carefully, maintaining its democratic character, and emphasizing its desire for good relations with Washington,” he added."