One of the few ways the Obama administration has attempted to show its displeasure with Israel following the death of pro-Palestinian activists aboard a flotilla was by stressing its support for an international investigation into the incident.
On Sunday, however, Israel's ambassador to the United States stated firmly that the country wouldn't go along with that type or probe and even threw a subtle dig at U.S. officials who felt it was a necessary course of action.
"Israel is a democracy," said Michael Oren, during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. "Israel has the ability and the right to investigate itself, not to be investigated by any international board. I don't think the United States would want an international inquiry into its military activities in Afghanistan, for example."
Asked flatly if he was rejecting the very idea of an international commission, Oren confirmed he was.
"We are rejecting the idea of international commission and we're discussing with the Obama administration the way in which our inquiry will take place, but the notion of an international commission coming along and judging Israel's right to defend itself, that's not [going to happen]," he said.
Oren's stance leaves very little wiggle room for Israel to satisfy the demands of the world community over the flotilla incident. As for the implications it has with U.S.-Israel relations, that's harder to define. The Obama administration has been very careful in leveling critiques at Israeli forces over the seemingly botched raid. And while the president has stressed his support for an international investigation into what happened, that might mean having Israelis run and oversee the investigation but including a few international figures in the investigatory body -- something that Oren didn't necessarily rule out.
"This is an ongoing discussion in the Israeli government," he said of bringing in the world community to help with (but not run) the investigation. "But at the end of the day, Israel has the right, the duty at the democracy to investigate any military activity."