State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss
Photo: Gil Yohanan
State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss said Tuesday afternoon that he has decided to look into the government's decision making process in terms of intelligence and PR in the Gaza flotilla affair.
In his letter to chairman of the Knesset's State Control Committee MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima), Lindenstrauss wrote that "the state control laws determine that the state controller will legality of the actions, integrity, proper management, efficiency and economizing of the controlled bodies, and any other matter he sees fit.
The comptroller clarified, however, that he would not deal with "the military activity of the fighting forces which are being investigated by the IDF, and legal matters which are being handled by the committee appointed by the government with international involvement."
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"The comptroller controls the administration of the State and the government ministries, according to the mentioned laws." He stressed that the comptroller has full independence in choosing the issues that should be examined.
As part of the examination of certain processes related to the Turkish flotilla, the state comptroller has decided to deal with the government's decision making process in terms of PR and intelligence. According to Lindenstrauss, the reports will deal with the preparations and activity of the government before, during and after the Navy operation.
MK Hasson thanked Lindenstrauss for his decision to look into the raid. "The state comptroller's decision to examine the conduct of the political echelon in the Gaza flotilla affair is the right decision at the right time, as the government has not given the Turkel Committee a mandate to examine the political echelon's decision making process in terms of PR and intelligence.
"The state comptroller's investigation will make it possible to expose the failures in the political echelon's decision making process and will help prevent similar incidents in the future," Hasson said.