The world wants the IDF's attack on the Mavi Marmara investigated, preferably by an international Panel.  Israel wants to investigate itself.  The world demands that non-Israelis be part of the investigative panel.  Israel yields.  You with me so far? 

The investigative panel has been chosen, and was approved by the Cabinet unanimously this week.  According to Haaretz , Bejamin Netenyahu told his cabinet these things about the investigation in order to sell the members on the idea of any investigation at all:

"The government decision will make it clear to the world that Israel is acting legally, responsibly, and with complete transparency," said Netanyahu.

And

"It is not ideal, but the other options are less good," Netanyahu said regarding the probe. "The flotilla to Gaza was not a one-time incident. We are in the midst of a difficult and continuous fight against the state of Israel."

 The panel will 'tackle' the legality of both the Gaza blockade and the IDF's actions, as well ass Turkey's part in the flotilla, and organizers IHH, which is accused of having ties to terrorist groups.  The Goldstone Report will also be considered.

Netenyahu has ordered all individuals and agencies to cooperate with the investigation except:  the panel won't hear testimony from the IDF soldiers; they can access only the IDF's internal reports compiled by Maj. General Giora Eiland.  The panel will be headed by former Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, who has publicly stated that he doesn't believe the commission should exist.

The 'foreign observers' are a Canadian former judge advocate general, Ken Watkin, and

William David Trimble, a Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Here's where it gets either funny or outrageous, depending on your mood at the time:

The day after the Mava Mamara attack, Trimble, former Ambassador to the UN John Bolton, and Dore Gold (a close associate of Netenyahu), and. and Spain's former right-wing prime minister, Jose Aznar met in Paris and formed an initiative they call the Friends of Israel.

At the launch of their 'initiative', the group issued a press release:

This initiative "is promoted by people who are not Jewish and whose motivations are based on the deep conviction that Israel is part of the Western world. In fact, today Israel is a fundamental actor for the future of the West. Although the peace process is important, the members of Friends of Israel Initiative are more concerned about the onslaught of radical Islamism as well as the specter of a nuclear Iran since these are threats affecting not only Israel, but the entire world.

...The sponsors of this Initiative believe there is no West without Israel."

The term 'conflict of interest' seems to cloud every part of this investigation, except maybe Watkin's part.  Neither Trimble nor Watkin have voting power on the panel, and the panel has no force in law.  Is the panel anything but a not-such-due-diligence whitewash?

 From the US State Department:

"We stand by Israel," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley declared, as he voiced the State Department's support for Israel's internal investigation of the attack on the flotilla bound for Gaza. Israel "has the institutions and certainly the capability to conduct a credible, impartial and transparent investigation," Crowley said.

From the White House:

We believe that Israel, like any other nation, should be allowed to undertake an investigation into events that involve its national security. Israel has a military justice system that meets international standards and is capable of conducting a serious and credible investigation, and the structure and terms of reference of Israel's proposed independent public commission can meet the standard of a prompt, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation. But we will not prejudge the process or its outcome, and will await the conduct and findings of the investigation before drawing further conclusions.

(There's more you can read)

The niggling caveats are 'Israel is capable of a credible investigation and the proposed commission can meet the standard of...credible', etc.

Will the European leaders Netenyahu contacted sign off on this, or will Turkey's demand for an international investigation cause some indignation, or even furor throughout the world that will matter in the end?