(Image Source:   Wikimedia Commons )     BY JEREMY TRUITT     In a stark shift in diplomatic posturing, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkey for the deaths of nine Turkish humanitarian workers during a flotilla raid in the Mediterranean Sea in 2010. Al Jazeera has the details.   “The apology by the Israelis has been completely accepted...The apology has been full, it appears to be sincere, it talks about operational errors which is what Turkey said happened and it offers compensation to the families.”   The tension started in May 2010 when a flotilla of six ships left Cyprus carrying humanitarian supplies for Gaza. According to reports, Israel warned the ships that they were not to breach the naval blockade that had been established — a blockade meant to stop the flow of arms coming from Iran. (via The Guardian )   Following the raid, Netanyahu fiercely defended Israel’s actions. “Israel regrets the loss of life but we will never apologize for defending ourselves...And Israeli soldiers have every right to defend their lives and their country.  (via Fox News )   The strained relationship further complicated U.S. relations in the region where both countries are crucial allies to the U.S. In President Obama’s first trip to Israel this week, the opportunity to normalize relations between the two countries is seen as a huge step forward.   “It is absolutely ground breaking. You could argue it’s the first concrete diplomatic step to come out of President Obama’s trip. It certainly came at the behest, the urging of President Obama. In fact, President Obama was briefly on that call today.”  (via ABC )   But not everyone is praising the move. Former Israeli foreign minister Avidgdor Lieberman, whose party joined with Netanyahu’s after November’s election, blasted the prime minister.   Haaretz quotes Lieberman saying: “An apology by the State of Israel on an Israel Defense Forces operation against a terror organization is a serious mistake. The apology hurts the motivation of IDF soldiers, strengthens extremists...and harms Israel's struggle along the righteous path.”   Prime Minister Erdogan accepted Israel’s apology, saying by admitting error and compensation, Israel has met nearly all of their demands. The only remaining sticking point is the naval blockade itself, which has been in place since 2007.