What should have been a multinational exhibit of military cooperation earlier this month between the Turkish Air Force and its counterparts in the US, Italy, and Israel, has become yet another political snub in the growing public rift between Turkey and Israel. The joint exercise, which takes place every few years, was canceled indefinitely after Turkey withdrew Israel's participation, causing the US and Italy to forgo the exercise in response. This public rebuff is one of many in a string of events that has shown Turkey's visceral frustration with Israel's handling of its incursion into Gaza late last year.
While Turkey and Israel continue to enjoy a strong alliance and their commercial and trade relations remain uninterrupted, the public slights have undoubtedly put a strain on their bilateral relationship, especially after Turkey relied heavily on the Israel lobby to prevent the Armenian genocide bill from being passed in the US Congress only two years ago. But what is Turkey gaining from these public outcries? Unless Turkey wants to seriously undermine its relations with Israel and its Western allies, it should start to act judiciously as a partner to both Israel and the Arab world.
Turkey's ability to lead in the future will depend on its capacity to balance its relations with the powers in its diverse neighborhood--Iran, Syria, Israel, Russia, and Greece all being immediate neighbors--without trading one bilateral relation for another. Turkey views itself as a strategic power with the capacity to maintain regional stability, not only in the Middle East, but as a bridge between East and West. But after the infamous Davos incident in January, where Prime Minister Recep Erdogan walked out on a panel with Israeli President Shimon Peres after stating, "When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill," Turkey has looked less like a skilful diplomatic mediator and more like an instigator. At this point, after earning the praise of the international community for its efforts as a member of NATO and the G-20, Turkey has too much at stake to start playing the blaming game in this intractable 61-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Much of Turkey's animosity towards Israel is likely out of frustration, after Israel's failure to deliver an initial agreement with Syria from negotiations Turkey so painstakingly mediated throughout 2008. Furthermore, Netanyahu has refused to resume the negotiations from where they were left off. But Turkey should not underestimate its role as the only strong political ally of Israel, Iran, and the Arab world. Apart from government and diplomatic relations, Turkey has been the number one tourist destination for both Israelis and Iranians, though since January it has seen a huge downturn in Israeli tourists. To sabotage its unique standing in this delicate global order at such a crucial time would be a major strategic blunder. Sooner rather than later, Turkey should realize that this isn't a fight worth having at this particular junction, especially when Israel has seen an increase in cooperation from its Arab neighbors since the Gaza war.
Many recall January 2008, when Sudan's Omar al-Bashir came to Ankara as a guest of the Turkish government after being accused by the ICC of heinous war crimes in Darfur. Only months later, Turkey participated in joint naval exercises with Israel, a tradition that has continued even after the Gaza war. The point is that Turkey has chosen a path as an ally to the many feuding nations it sits between, and in recent years has seen its integrity as an international partner skyrocket. It even made the final step of reconciliation with the Armenians this month, establishing diplomatic ties and reopening their shared border. So why now, should Turkey find it necessary to undermine its historic and valuable ties with Israel, who has considered Turkey a partner of the utmost importance since its foundation as a state? As Turkey found out through the US and Italy's immediate withdrawal from the military exercise, a rift with Israel can have destructive ramifications in its ties with the West. At this point in time, in its push for EU membership, and as it seeks to work with the US over its Kurdish issue, a public schism with Israel will only weaken the Turkish case. And as the international community -including the Arab states--unites around the Iranian nuclear threat which is as worrisome to Turkey, it is in Ankara's best interest to cooperate.
To be sure, the importance of Turkish-Israeli relations cannot be overstated enough, as Turkey and Israel share not only critically important strategic relations but a deep affinity that goes back between the Jews and the Ottoman Empire. Although Turkish-Israeli military and trade relations remain uninterrupted, it is not a minute too early to end public condemnations and begin mending the relationship; any further deterioration will serve neither Turkish nor Israeli interests now or in the future. Israelis have good reason to feel indignant, but they should not allow a temporary political mishap to obscure Turkey's contribution to regional peace and prosperity. And likewise, Turkey must not allow the significant relations with Israel to be marred by unfortunate chain of political mishaps.
Ankara must demonstrate that on the occasion of its proud 86th anniversary it can rise to the occasion and stretch its hand to the Israelis in friendship and show publicly that it values and reciprocates its partnership with the Jewish state. The Israelis must now show magnanimity by accepting this invitation to join their Turkish friends and allies to celebrate the anniversary of the Turkish Republic on October 29 and use the occasion as a symbol of renewed partnership.
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Michael Brenner: Obama -- Really the Afghanistan "Decider"?
There is something rotten in the current state of Washington's Afghan policy making. And a confused American public, and an ever credulous press, are buying the fairy tale.
I suppose some genocides are more important than others....
Those who don't believe in the power of the Israeli lobby need to read this, aloud, a few times.
The Turks have realized that they are not going to join the EU with France an Germany opposed. They have also gotten many clear demonstrations of Israeli arrogance ( the Israeli airplanes that bombed that alleged Syrian reactor took off from Turkey without informing the Turkish government) and realize that Israel's only goal is to "Jordanize" Turkey into a pliant junior state.
But the Turks don't have the genuflecting reflex of the Hashemite royal family.
They are on their way to being a major power in the area, are mending relations with Syria (how the prospect of peace upsets the Israelis!) and have much more to gain by aligning with their neighbors and other friends, including Iran.
Turkey's membership in the fading NATO alliance is meaningless. The US is strung out and overextended and has just recently led the world into financial disaster. China is rising.
See the tectonic plates move.
Do you think there's a main-stream campus anywhere in north america where that could happen today? I don't.
My point is that if things are different with Turkey, it's not Turkey that changed. Governments and individuals all over are losing their tolerance and affection for Israel over Israel's inability to moderate its own behavior.
*Three of whom were jewish, unbeknownst to Hillel, btw.
And your point is poorly taken. It is Turkey, and the world that have changed. Israel has been consistent in its demand for acceptance as a Jewish state in a small part of its ancestral homeland. In the meantime, the world held its breath, (and witheld its support) each time attacks on Israel seemed to bring it to the brink of extermination. Was/Is there frustration with Israel's resilience?
The world has changed. Islam is the world's fastest growing religion, and has made immense inroads in the western democracies as well. Arab oil wealth and increasing media and propaganda savvy have deftly taken advantage of the internet and personal contact web sites. A world that was steeped in 2000 years of antisemitism was rudely shocked by what could transpire and, as a result, took steps to make attacks against individual Jews, simply for being Jews. beyond the pale. This, however, has been replaced by attacks against the homeland of the Jews, simply for being Jewish, in the guise of anti-Zionism, a much more acceptable term.
On second thought, maybe you are right. Maybe the world hasn't changed.
I don't call hundreds of dead Palestinian civilians, the use of white phosphorus in built-up civilian areas and collective punishment - an "unfortunate chain of political mishaps." I call them war crimes.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alon-benmeir/mending-a-strained-allian_b_332062.html
While Israel like any other country is accountable for any violations of international law or human rights, if that law is not applied EQUALLY, if Israel is held to a higher or unattainable standard than any other state, that law is not valid - that is antisemitism.
Turkey has invaded, and continues to colonize the country of Cyprus, with no U.N. actions taken against it. Turkey regularly invades sovereign Iraqi territory, bombs, and strafes Kurdish civilians there, and has killed thousands, without any approbation from the likes of Thelonius. Turkey regularly and horribly ignores human rights of those it deems political enemies, and criminals (remember Midnight Express?) that are lost in its prison systems.
This has nothing to do with "two wrongs don't make a right". This has everything to do with today's antisemites seeking to make the world "Judenstaatrein" - free of a Jewish state.
Israel is a state, criticism of a state's actions is NOT anti-semitism
Logic? Absent. Explanation of why Turkey has adopted the position it has? No. Explanation of what that position(s) is? No.
Here's what it says: Turkey shouldn't be dissatisfied at Israel like most of the rest of the world. They should overlook war crimes in Gaza. They really need Israel. Why does Turkey need Israel? They don't.
Israel wants and needs Turkey as a friend because it gives them a Muslim-majority nation that it's on good terms with. Turkey can then serve as an intermediary for Israel to Arabs and other Muslim nations. Why the connection? Because Turkey's leaders--secular, for now--consider fundamentalist Muslims a major threat, as does Israel. Enemy of my enemy is my friend. The same dynamic underlies Israel's relations with India: Both consider fundamentalist Muslims significant enemies. The assertions here ignore morality, actual events, and logic.
This article is a plea to be nice to Israel just because. Italy and the US cancelling joint military operations with Turkey? Meaningless matter. It even wouldn’t make sense to continue with only 3 parties them given that they were designed as 4-partite.
I don't think Turkey will suffer very much. The writer offers no compelling reason for why Turkey should adopt a different posture. He merely pleads what is a hope, not an argument.
The settlements need to go. They are morally indefensible, the needlessly inspire terror against the US and Israel, and cause nothing but suffering, loss and infamy for Israel, the Palestinians, and the US.
Where was the Turkish President when rockets rained down on Israel over 8 years?
"Outrage", when only directed in one selected direction, is another name for "hypocrisy".
The descendants of the 650,000 Arabs displaced by the creation of Israel and the war against its emergence must do as the descendants of the 850,000 Jews from Arab lands displaced over the same period. They must put all of their energy into building their own not vowing to tear down the other, as the Hamas charter clearly states. The Palestinians must accept the reality that the country created form 1/3 of the Transjordan (on 2% of the ME's land) is not going away but that they can create an equally good state. The 10 million Germans who were kicked out of Eastern Europe (after they like the Mufti of Jerusalem largely supported the Nazis) went on to live and prosper in Germany.
The actions in Gaza were wrong in themselves but because the world is going to hold Israel to a different standard. Few care about the wars that have raged in the Arab world resulting in the loss of over ten million Arabs; 40,000 Palestinians were mowed down by Syria and Jordan. The symbol of oppression for the world is the 7,500 Palestinians killed in the occupied territories over the last 50 years. A recent UK poll asking for an estimate on that number. Average : 500,000!
Jordanian daily, Filastin (Feb. 19, 1949): "The Arab States...encouraged the Palestinians to leave their homes, temporarily, not interfering with the invading Arab armies." Khaled al-Azam, Syrian Prime Minister in 1949 (memoirs, 1973): "We brought destruction upon the refugees, by calling on them to leave their homes." London Economist (Oct. 2, 1948): "The most potent of the factors [in the flight] were announcements made by the Palestinian-Arab Higher Committee, urging all Haifa Arabs to quit, intimating that those remaining would be regarded as renegades." Arab over-confidence prior to the war (600,000 Jews vs. 27, 000,000 Arabs) was crashed by defeat, intensifying the flight of Arabs.
"Arab leaders were responsible for the [Arab] flight, disseminating exaggerated rumors of Jewish atrocities, in order to incite the Arabs, thus instilling fear in the hearts of the Palestinians." (Jordanian daily, al-Urdun, April 9, 1953). Ismayil Safwat, Commander of Palestinian Operations (March, 1948): "The Jews haven't attacked any Arab village, unless attacked first."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/22/israel-turkey-goldstone-gaza
EXCERPTS: "Ofra Bangio, a Turkey expert at Tel Aviv University, told the Christian Science Monitor that Turkey's domestic and foreign policy calculations were shifting as it strengthened its ties with Iraq, Syria and other leading Arab world countries and turned away from an unwelcoming European Union. 'In Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu's ideological framework, Israel doesn't play a central role,'" Bengio said...."
"Turks really are upset about Gaza,...The Turkish public was scandalised by January's events and Turkey's politicians have reacted accordingly, as politicians do. But among Israeli leaders, the perception is different. Gaza, a justifiable action, cannot be accepted as the real reason for the row; so ulterior motives and complicated explanations are sought. Inhabiting a parallel world, they just don't get it."
"Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu spelled out the reasons in diplomatic terms: “We hope that the situation in Gaza will improve...and that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations...”
"Losing Turkey could turn out to be the worst setback Israel has suffered for a very long time.
"Turkey has greatly improved its relations with Iran and with neighboring Arab states -- Syria in particular -- and is emerging as the wise “big brother” of the greater Middle East. It has offered to mediate local conflicts and is attempting to spread stability and security all around it."
http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1464&Itemid=225