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Wed, June 09, 2010 | Prime Minister’s Office

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

Address by PM Netanyahu at The Marker Financial Conference

The following is a translation of remarks made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from his address to The Marker Financial Conference this week regarding the Gaza flotilla operation.

“We meet here every year to talk about Israel’s economic policies, and I intend to do so today as well. However, before I speak about the economic policies, I would like to briefly touch on a topic on the international agenda. We are consulting with several leaders within the international community regarding the appropriate framework of inquiry that will unveil all the facts relating to the Gaza flotilla. We know the truth and the people of Israel know the truth.”

“The Minister of Defense, Ministers, Chief of Staff and I are prepared to testify and provide the facts. But I remain firm in my position that the IDF continue to be the only organization to investigate our soldiers. This is the custom in our allies’ armies and we shall behave in a similar fashion.”

“But I insist that the whole truth come to light, and therefore the inquiry must also include answers to certain questions that many in the international community would rather ignore. Who is behind the radical group on the deck of the ship? Who funded its members? How did axes, clubs, knives and other types of blunt weapons find their way on to the ship? Why were extremely large sums of money found in the pockets of those people on the deck of the ship? Who was this money intended for? The world needs to know the full picture and we will ensure that the full picture is made public.”

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday night that a final decision on who will investigate the flotilla events will be made by this Sunday. It currently appears that an Israeli team of lawyers, accompanied by two foreign observers, will perform the inquiry. [Arutz Sheva, Thu, June 10, 2010]