Putting soldiers on the boat was the mistake. Instead they should have used other methods to disable it. It's like sending special ops to perform crowd control functions. Armed with lethal force ,someone is going to die. Bibi is hinting this but still protect ting the responsible one.

Liberate Constantinople!

The soldiers are right, they did nothing wrong, they were very good soldiers. The fact that Gantz didn't back them fully means that the leadership of the IDF like the American military is chosen for political not military reasons. None of Netanyahu's or Gantz's explanations are valid, they humbled Israel before Turkey and will be weaker for it.

Navy Commandos Rock!

if there was an error, it was the fault of those who initially sent them in with paintballs. obama pressured israel to use minimum force in the initial attempt to board the ship.

country to make such an apology, knowing how many will be against it, especially when its to a gobbler whimp! I am sure much pressure came from Obama and with the situation in Syria, Bibi may be right in what he did. I for one give Ergodog the finger and all his followers and hope the modern Turkish people will do the same. My hat is off for our IDF, and for their injuries I am sorry.....for the dead Turks, a warning, stay out of the dirty business.

the soldiers did nothing wrong and defended themselves whilst their own lives were at risk. It was the operation itself of stopping and diverting the flotilla that should have been better planned from the start. The whole purpose of the so called aid flotilla was to provoke a confrontation with Israel for the benefit of Palestinian PR so the military planners should have also taken this into account.

and the apology was a political correction. The army just did what the politicians ordered.

Of course restoring relations with Turkey is important but like everything else one must BALANCE the goal with THE PRICE to be paid. When the "bills" start coming in for this glaring display of weakness by the PM, price to be paid by The Nation, it will be obvious that it was a terrible mistake. Additionally, the conclusion to be drawn from the transaction is that Israel needs Turkish friendship a lot more than the other way around.When did this happen? If true this in itself is a hideous situation. The apology was truly a wrong-headed sickening act on multiple levels.

#12. I agree with you completely. The soldiers simply were following orders where they were put in an untenable position. The stupidity lies at the political level. Turkey is not Uganda.

You ask soldier X about incident X by country X and he is permitted to say he, as a 20 year old soldier, did not see anything wrong with his acts. Where would the world be if you took away the reliable "I was just following orders".

It is in Israel's interest right now (not 2 years ago) to make a political apology to Turkey - for security reasons. I agree, the soldiers have nothing to apologize for - but also we need to know that nothing is black or white sometimes.

In my opinion this was a very well calculated and correct decision on the part of Israel. Something must be done to either peacefully or by force to deter Iran getting nuclear capabilities. Having Turkey on our sid is an advantage. On the other hand (as a Turkish born American) I can guess that Erdogan will continue to sa bad things about Israel to keep his constituency happy while doing all the opposite helping Israel and USA silently.

Turkey may not be Uganda but as a Turkish born American I can tell you that PM Erdogan intellectually is not much better then Idi Amin Dada.

Should be Ehud Barak. First off to the lives of these commandos who he almost sacrificed to appease Washington and the UN.

The apology could prove to be a useful lesson to PM Netanyahu if he is sufficiently ashamed or embarrassed to the point he does not again put this misplaced trust in Barack Obama on the Iranian issue. I have not seen any evidence that the PM is ashamed or embarrassed; only excuses thus far. I would like to see a few people (HaBayit HaYehudi?) in his government coalition politely yet firmly break with him publicly on this issue.

who, while being a member of the Israeli government, willingly committed a treasonous act against the State of Israel, by participating in the attempt at breaking the Israeli embargo against the terrorist government of Hamas in Gaza. She should apologize before the Knesset and her Balad supporters before being stripped of her Israeil citizenship (which she has so dishonorably taken advantage of) and being sent to permanent exile in the Gaza that she so supports.

...the point in time when Avigdor Lieberman, began to rise towards the position of Prime Minister. A rampant display of abject weakness in the face of an unrepentant enemy is NOT the smartest or most political gesture one may make. The enemy? Erdogan or Obama? Machs nicht, kinder.

You did what you needed to do and you were attacked. Turkey needs to apologize for their actions causing the violence that resulted. If there were not steel pipes attacking the soldiers no one would have gotten hurt. Edrogen is an ahole

IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz continuously backs up IDF soldiers with the utmost of commitment and professionalism, and this is no exception. Read what he actually is saying. I, for one, trust what Netanyahu, Peres, and Gantz are doing right now... especially after The Great Eye of O's visit. Detractors: don't try this at home.

One bad decision leads to other bad decisions. Appeasement is never a good option, especially when you are in the right. A good general knows when to break with his civilian leaders. A good general will tell his commander he is wrong.

An apology for ones errors makes them stronger not weaker. Thats why you are hated throughout the world, because you commit crimes withoit apologizing.

except they attacked a boat on high sea and killed it's crew.

Mr. Erdogan, Please apologize to Israel for allowing jihadis on board the Mavimara to conduct a premeditated attack on Israeli soldiers using steel bars, chains, knives, pipe bombs. That showed total disrespect for your former ally, the country you want to normalize relations with.

Well said Steve. Kudos, you are right.

meaning cost to Israel...the people of Israel must be in prayer and listen carefully to G-d .... Principle is important ...however when nations use that principle to the disadvantage of Israel ...Israel must figure out how to defuse and deflect that use,,,, In the Torah God has promised to dish out in same measure of judgement to the nations as those nations have dished out to Israel ...... the nations of the Earth need to remember this .....