Did Obama Deal Blackmail Israel?

The U.S. extracted concessions from Israel in exchange for American opposition to the establishment of a United Nations commission to investigate Israel's commando raid of a flotilla earlier this month that resulted in the deaths of nine violent activists, WND has learned.

Separately, an official from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office told WND the Obama administration pressed hard on Israel to ease a blockade on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Israel says the blockade is intended to stop the shipment of weapons into Gaza.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu's office released a statement that Israel's security cabinet decided to ease the Gaza blockade.

The White House yesterday called that decision "a step in the right direction."

Obama has called the three-year blockade unsustainable and urged Israel to scale it back dramatically.

In the place of a U.N. commission, which had been opposed by the U.S., Israel established its own commission of inquiry into the flotilla incident earlier this month in which violent activists engaged in confrontations with Israeli commandos who stormed the ship, resulting in the deaths of nine activists.

The Israeli commission consists of three Israelis and two foreign observers – David Trimble, a Northern Ireland politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Canadian jurist Ken Watkin.

Israel had opposed a U.N. commission, believing such an investigative body would be partial.

Previous U.N. commissions investigating the Jewish state were seen as biased against Israel, including a probe earlier this year that claimed Israel carried out war crimes during its defensive war in Gaza in 2009 targeting the Hamas terror group.

Just yesterday, Israel issued an official complaint against the president of the U.N. Correspondents Association for deliberately barring Israeli officials from responding to the public screening of a documentary film on the events of the Gaza-bound flotilla. The documentary was filmed by one of the flotilla activists. Israel called the film one-sided.

An Israeli government official, meanwhile, told WND the Obama administration extracted concessions from the Netanyahu government in exchange for U.S. opposition to a U.N. investigation.

The official said the concessions regard an extended freeze on Jewish construction in the strategic West Bank and eastern Jerusalem as well as a resumption of talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state.

The developments came as Iran announced it will facilitate the sail of more flotillas to Gaza.

Israel maintains a naval blockade on Hamas-controlled Gaza, fearing if it allows ships to reach the territory, Hamas will be able to transport weaponry for use against Israelis.

Israel and the international community numerous times have stopped ships loaded with weapons destined for Gaza.

Despite claims of activists, Israel does not block humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel allows a large number of trucks daily to enter Gaza with food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies. Israel transfers monthly into Gaza tens of millions of dollars worth of Israeli shekels to ensure the flow of cash in the territory.

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