New pressure on Obama to support Israel comes from a bipartisan group of senators urging him to confront Turkish P.M. Erdogan at a scheduled meeting of the two leaders tomorrow. The letter is signed by Joe Lieberman and both New York Dem senators and “details seven major policy decisions recently made by the Turkish Prime Minister that ended 50 years of good relations with Israel and set the two eastern Mediterranean nations on a path to a potential conflict.”
Note Scott Brown’s presence, from Massachusetts. Is this a sign that he means to use Israel against likely Dem opponent Elizabeth Warren in the Senate race next year? I say again, if this issue continues to boil away, could Obama be primaried from the right? (Thanks, Justin Elliott)
We understand that on September 2, 2011 — the same day that Turkey severed virtually all ties with Israel – Turkey also accepted the U.S. offer to host a key missile defense X-band radar (AN/TPY-2) as part of Phase I of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). …We ask for your Administration’s written assurances that the data collected by any Turkish-based, U.S. X-Band radar would be shared in real-time with the State of Israel, a major non-NATO U.S. ally, in order to strengthen her defenses against a potential ballistic missile attack from Iran.
Mr. President, it appears that Turkey is shifting to a policy of confrontation, if not hostility, towards our allies in Israel and we urge you to mount a diplomatic offensive to reverse this course. We ask you to outline Turkey’s eroding support in Congress with Prime Minister Erdogan at the earliest opportunity and how its currentill-advised policy toward the State of Israel will also negatively reflect on U.S.-Turkish relations and Turkey’s role in the future of NATO.
Sincerely,
Sen. Mark Kirk
Sen. Charles Schumer
Sen. Mark Warner
Sen. Scott Brown
Sen. Joe Manchin
Sen. Joe Lieberman
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
