Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday refused to apologize Turkey for Freedom Flotilla attack and pay compensation to those injured.
"Israel can't apologize for the fact that its soldiers were forced to defend themselves from a crowd that was almost lynching them," Netanyahu told an Israeli TV channel, adding that compensations are "out of question."
Israeli commandos stormed the six-ship Freedom Flotilla on May 31 in international waters off the coast of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip as it carried some 10,000 tons of aid and up to 700 human rights activists to the Palestinian enclave. Nine activists were killed and dozens were injured.
Meanwhile, the Israeli premier approved the meeting between Israeli Minister of Industry and Trade Binyamin Ben Eliezer and Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu held on Wednesday.
"It is good that such a high-level meeting was held even despite the fact any agreements had not been reached there. The attempt to stop the degradation of relations [between Israel and Turkey] corresponds to Israeli and Turkish interests," Netanyahu said.
TEL AVIV, July 3 (RIA Novosti)
