Terming as a "regrettable error" bracketing of India with other violence-hit countries at the UN by it, Israel said on Wednesday that it was taking up the issue to make sure that the misunderstanding caused will be removed. Clarifying the remarks made by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman who compared the incidents in India and some other countries with that of recent attack on an aid flotilla killing nine pro-Palestinian, Israeli Ambassador to India Mark Sofer told reporters that "it was a regrettable error."
"Of course, Israel doesn't see India in a same light as it sees its enemies. India is a close friend for whom we have greatest of respect," Sofer said while noting that his country "listens to everything" India has to say on the Middle-East.
In an unusual step, Israel, which is facing global criticism for attacking an aid flotilla, has said violent incidents in countries like India and Pakistan in the past one month which claimed 500 lives have been "ignored" while it is being condemned for its "unmistakably defensive actions."
Lieberman "reminded" the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that in the past month alone 500 people were killed in various incidents in Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and India. Sofer said already the name of India has been removed from the speech of his foreign minister and "we are taking this up to make sure that any misunderstanding risen out of this error of this nature will no longer be there", indicating that his country would tender apology for it.
He also said "Israel stands hook, line and sinker behind India in its struggle in South Asia." The Israeli envoy also tried to counter the charges by countries like Iran and Sudan made after the recent incident and presented a minute-long video which showed that Israeli officers gave a warning to the flotilla which was trying to enter the blocked area.
It also showed Israeli paratroopers jumping onto the international Gaza aid flotilla. He said the soldiers got tough resistance of the armed personnel on one of the boats and some soldiers were beaten and thrown into the sea. Criticising Iran strongly, Sofer said that is the country which killed its people when they were protesting against government after elections. "Where was the UN then? Why was it silent?......Every single thing we do at UN seems wrong," he said.
In an emergency session on Tuesday, the UN Security Council called for an investigation into Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip on Monday, condemning the act that resulted in the loss of at least nine lives.
