Israel refuses to apologize to Turkey

Israel will not apologize to Turkey over the 2010 flotilla incident in which 9 Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who were confronted with severe violence when they boarded the Mavi Marmara ship . Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made the announcement Wednesday in response to a U.S. request asking that Jerusalem apologize to Ankara over the incident. Netanyahu told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that given the current situation in the Middle East, Israel will not issue an apology. The U.S Administration has pressured Israel to issue an apology hoping it would assist in improving ties between Ankara and Jerusalem.