The US Vice President, Joe Biden, says Israel is right to defend its security and prevent attacks on the country. Photo by BGNES
The US Vice President, Joe Biden, has defended Israel's right to deal with its security interests by boarding ships bound for Gaza to prevent weapons smuggling.
Biden spoke in a televised interview for the “Charlie Rose” show on the US TV Channel PBS, adding that Washington remains concerned about the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza strip.
"Israel has an absolute right to deal with its security interest," Biden said while reiterating the Obama administration's support for a transparent, impartial investigation of what happened.
"They (Israel) have said, 'Here you go. You're in the Mediterranean. This ship - if you divert slightly north you can unload it and we'll get the stuff into Gaza." So what's the big deal here? What's the big deal of insisting it go straight to Gaza? It's legitimate for Israel to say, 'I don't know what's on that ship. These guys are dropping eight - 3,000 rockets on my people," Biden stated
9 people, all reported to be Turkish citizens, were killed Monday after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of 6 ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip.
Israel declared that the organizers of the flotilla, which tried to reach the Gaza Strip despite the Israel blockade, are terrorists connected to Hamas and Al-Queda. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, canceled his visit to Washington on Tuesday to return to Israel, but already held several conversations with US President, Barack Obama.
The attack sent shock waves of outrage in Palestine, Greece, and Turkey, while the EU and the UN demand full investigation of "what has happened."
The US has been careful in its response to the deadly attack and has refrained from joining the international condemnation of Israel.