Tel-Aviv finally obeyed Washington’s injunction and accepted an international probe into the Gaza-bound flotilla events.

It will be made up of four "wisemen". Two have been designated by the United Nations Secretary-General, while the two others will be chosen by Israel and Turkey respectively.

On the advice of U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, Ban Ki Moon named Geoffrey Palmer as President of the Commission and Alvaro Uribe as Vice-President.

– Geoffrey Palmer served briefly as Prime Minister of New Zealand (1989-90), confounding his Labour Party constituents by allowing his Finance Minister to undertake significant privatisations, eradicate customs duties and suppress subsidies for citizen organisations. Promptly compelled to resign, he left behind a Labour Party in shambles. Subsequently, he represented New Zealand on the International Whaling Commission and sat as judge at the International Criminal Court.

– Alvaro Uribe was President of Colombia from 2002 to 2010. Various sources have it that when he was Mayor of Medellin, Uribe kept close ties with the cartel of Pablo Escobar. Elected President with U.S. funds and the support of para-military groups, he waged an unsparing offensive against Colombia’s left-wing guerrillas. Through Plan Colombia he converted his country into an aircraft carrier for the United States and a support base for the destabilisation of Venezuela. He also developed close economic and military ties with Israel.