The Turks say they plan to challenge Israel over its naval blockade of Gaza. Turkish officials claim they will take legal, diplomatic, as well as military action to force an Israeli retreat from its refusal to permit ships from bringing aid to the Israeli- occupied territory.
The Turks are mad as hell about the Israeli refusal to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish citizens during the IDF assault on the Mavi Marmara in 2010. They also are angered by the UN report which characterized the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza as legal and justifiable based on the Israeli right of self-defense. Ironically, the report was intended to be a vehicle to assist Israel and Turkey in mending their strained relations, but instead has become the immediate cause of a serious diplomatic breach.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey will take the case of the legality of the Gaza blockade to the International Court of Justice. The Minister also warned that Israel risks alienating Arab nations by its refusal to apologize for the flotilla tragedy.
Davutoglu charged that Israel had leaked the report, which he said is just the latest chapter in a long line of “press manipulations.”
Turkey has recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv and has notified the Israeli ambassador that he will be expelled. In addition, the Turkish government has frozen military cooperation with the Jewish state.
The Hurriyet Daily News quoted a government official saying, “The eastern Mediterranean will no longer be a place where Israeli naval forces can freely exercise their bullying practices against civilian vessels.” The newspaper has also reported that the Turkish navy would increase its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and that Turkish ships would escort civilian boats to Gaza.
The prospect of the Turks actually confronting the Israeli navy off the shores of Gaza seems remote, but a threat such as this indicates the current level of animosity between the two nations.
Although a naval clash near the shores of Gaza appears unlikely, a dramatic diplomatic battle could be joined if Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Gaza as planned. A Turkish official said the trip’s “primary purpose is to draw the world’s attention to what is going on in Gaza and to push the international community to end the unfair embargo imposed by Israel.”
I believe the Mavi Marmara massacre may well be viewed historically as a turning point in defining Israel’s occupation.
Those people were not murdered in vain.
that is a positive thought pineywoodslim..
kudos to turkey for having the panache to challenge israels bullshit while the rest of the western world looks on silently or worse… enough is enough and turkey has the character and integrity to say so.. i guess they are one country not beholden to israels bullshit..
Hi James,
Q: i guess they are one country not beholden to israels bullshit..
R: Could it be that Turkey is one of the very few NATO members not burdened by a feeling of WWII era guilt and thus acts based on present-day facts?
Yeah, why would they feel guilty just because their mass murder of a million Armenians was an inspiration to Hitler in creating the Holocaust.
Armenian tragedy didnt have a thing to do with nazis and their inspiration to get jews massacred. Go to WW1 and how America get involved in war. From there you’ll find reason.
Greece, Israel sign pact on security cooperation
September 5, 2011
ATHENS (JTA) — Greece and Israel signed a security cooperation agreement amid declining Israeli relations with neighboring Turkey.
Greek Defense Minister Panos Beglitis, making the first official visit by a Greek defense minister to Israel, and his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Barak, signed a cooperation memorandum on security in Jerusalem on Sunday during the first day of Beglitis’ three-day trip.
just wow. i was a little afraid there for a minute because the site went down. at least from my end.
knew something was comin’ after the news turkey released yesterday, but i didn’t appreciate the fullness of it. go turkey.
Annie,
Thank you for posting this, it’s just the best news ever. I just had one of those nasty name calling exchanges on another web site and this makes me feel much better
Janet
Janet, think about becoming a regular here, it’s without peer in my opinion.
Take a look, for example, at the last 50 or so posts on “Taking himself to the woodshed, Derfner…”
janet, ditto what john said..x1000. and a big thank you.
and thanks to Ira too.
Bravo for Turkey!
There’s hope – they stood up against us when we tried to get them to let us use bases in Turkey to launch our war on Iraq.
turkey has massive cajones.
I challenge the Egyptian people to join with the Turkish people in isolating the pariah state of Israel and pressuring Israelis to cease with their oppression of Palestinians and get the hell out of Palestine!
Let’s hold our horses.
The Turkish declaration does not imply outright war.
The other factors, such as Syria, could well modify their attitude.
Who on earth said anything about war? This is about justice and international law
I didn’t mean literally war. Rather all-out conflict
Gotta love the Turks for showing spine. Hope they follow through. A bit a good news here amid lots more bad. Bravo to Turkey!
Turkey, get the hell out of Northern Cyprus! Stop the killing of civilians in Kurdistan! Apology for the genocide of the Armenian people.
But no, not at all: Turkey is talking tough to Tel Aviv.
Ah, those Armenians, the Kurds! Now tell me, j, since when do you care for them? Is it not, as instructed by your hasbaramaster, only after Turkey took an independent point?
Oh, how I like to see again that video from Davos, when Peres was left by Erdogan (“we have to go to diner”).
Oh, how I like to see again that video from Davos, when Peres was left by Erdogan .
link to youtube.com
Get the hell out of the West Bank! Stop killing civilians in Gaza and the West Bank! Apology for the dispossession and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people
Yeah, Israel loves acting the tough guy, the model gangster state
Hi eGuard,
Q: j, since when do you care for them?
R: Any action against citizens around the world [by whom- or whatever] is an act of cruelty. Singling out a handful, based on some cumbersome, selfish criteria, is why these individuals fail to get their twisted message across. Logic and reason don’t need bombastic comparisons in order to shine in their natural environment, aka reality.
Very accurate, Daniel:
“Singling out the same one country, based on some cumbersome, selfish criteria, is why these individuals fail to get their twisted message across.”
You couldn’t describe better your kind.
Call me when Turkey is using white phosphorous to set fire to babies the way Israel has.
Jonah,
*Maimonides and many other Jewish sages say that Abraham was originally from Urfa in the Şanlıurfa province of southern Turkey. It’s near the traditional site for Haran. BTW, Alexander the Great took the island of Cyprus from the Persians in 333 BC. The Ottomans conquered the Island in 1570.
*The Armenians have their own state and UN membership.
*4 of the 9 people who were murdered on the Mavi Marmara were ethnic Kurds. 13.5 Million Kurds voted for Erdogan at the last election.
Ok, now the Turkish government says Turkey will ask the International Court of Justice for a verdict on the Gaza Blockade. I am kinda surprised that nobody did that before. Why didn’t the Palestinians think of this or what stopped them?
From what I’ve read, the fact that Palestine is not a state precludes its access to the ICC, and one of the benefits of UN statehood approval is gaining that access.
The ICJ is different from the ICC. Actually the ICJ has already made a unanimous ruling on the apartheid wall. The ICJ ruling is that it is illegal should be dismantled and Israel should pay compensation. The spineless PA has not done anything about it to highlight it though.
This is a smart move by Turkey unlike the PA it is not beholden to the USA or Israel and the Palmer Report is not legally binding but a ICJ ruling is.
Actually the ICJ has already made a unanimous ruling on the apartheid wall. The ICJ ruling is that it is illegal should be dismantled and Israel should pay compensation. The spineless PA has not done anything about it to highlight it though.
That’s an urban legend. The findings of the ICJ were cited in the Fact Finding report that the League of Arab States, including Palestine, turned over to the ICC Prosecutor. The government of Palestine has also submitted a detailed dossier on the Situation in Palestine. Those are generally never made public in order to protect the identity of witnesses & etc.
The advisory opinion was requested by an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly after the Security Council had refused to take any action. The General Assembly had already demanded that Israel stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem (resolution ES-10/13 of 21 October 2003). After the Court agreed, the General Assembly demand that Israel, the occupying Power, comply with its legal obligations as mentioned in the advisory opinion; and called upon all States Members of the United Nations to comply with their legal obligations as mentioned in the advisory opinion in (resolution ES-10/15, 2 August 2004).
The Observer for Palestine subsequently put the ICJ advisory opinion on the agenda of the Security Council, General Assembly, the HRC, and UN treaty monitoring bodies.
Why didn’t the Palestinians think of this or what stopped them?
The 10th Session Emergency Special session of the General Assembly on Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory was first convened in 1997. In 2003, it requested the advisory opinion on the Wall resolution ES/10/14) The Human Rights Committee has adopted resolutions noting the failure of Israel to conduct adequate investigations that meet international standards. It has requested that the General Assembly follow the recommendations of the Goldstone fact finding mission and refer the matters to the Security Council.
It’s likely that the Security Council will refuse to refer the matters to the ICC. When that happens, Turkey and/or Palestine can request that the 10th Emergency Session be reconvened. There are a multitude of issues that might result in a request for an advisory opinion or the deployment of a peacekeeping force to supervise the flow of humanitarian relief to Gaza.
Hasbara tactic number 3! It’s getting boring – please invent some new ones.
I’d have a discussion about Northern Cyprus on another forum at another time – though I don’t think you really care. It’s just a diversionary tactic. As to the Armenians and Kurds I’d agree with you but do you really care about them either – or is it again just a diversion.
I have been so elated by the reports about Turkey’s offical announcements that they will not recognize the Blockade of Gaza and that they are referring the issue of the illegal Blockade to The International Court of Justice.
I see these announcements and developments as huge victories for the Flotilla Movement. Who would have thought a biased and faulty and as yet unreleased UN report could lead to such consequences as this? And these developments also illustrate that the nine who died on the Mavi Marmara made a huge difference in our world, those nine who died did not lose their lives in vain. Standing up against injustice matters and makes a difference.
I just emailed a letter to Prime Minister Erdogan, expressing my appreciation and support for all Turkey is doing to take a stand against the illegal Blockade. Hopefully, we will get another International Court of Justice Opinion out of this, that finds the Blockade illegal, an Opinion by the Highest Court in our world. It took four International Court of Justice Opinions to end Apartheid in South Africa.
Here is the letter I emailed to PM Erdogan. I expect he is under a whole lot of pressure to back down on these policies, and I just read that the UN Report may not be released until the Secreatary General gets back from his travel in Australia and New Zealand, on September 9. Erdogan needs to know those of us who care about human rights are behind Turkey’s new policies, so I think the more letters he gets supporting his new policies, the better.
ozelkalem@basbakanlik.gov.tr email address of PM Erdogan
Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkiye Cumhuriyeti Basbakanlik
Vekaletler Caddesi
Kızılay / Ankara
September 3, 2011
Your Excellency Mr Erdogan,
Re: The Illegal Blockade Of Gaza
I am an American citizen, who was and am appalled by the illegal attack by Israel on the Mavi Marmara last year. And I am so sorry about the loss of life and about the US attempts to whitewash the crimes that Israel carried out on that ship.
I am also appalled by the news that the UN will soon release a report by the Palmer Commission that whitewashes Israel’s crimes against humanity carried out on the Mavi Marmara.
I have been reading the reports that Turkey will no longer be recognizing the illegal Blockade and will refer this matter to the Intl Court of Justice.
I want to express to you my appreciation and support for all you are now doing to take a stand against the illegal Blockade of Gaza, that daily deprives 1.7 million human beings of their basic human needs for survival and basic human rights.
It is so refreshing and wonderful to see a nation stand up and take a stand for justice, like Turkey is doing right now.
I just wanted to let you know how the eyes of the world are on Turkey right now and how all of us who care about human rights for every person are inspired by and support Turkey’s recent announcements on their position with repect to the illegal Israeli Blockade of Gaza.
May God bless you and keep you and your nation safe,
Sherri Munnerlyn
Remember what you said in July, Sherri?
“Better to hang on to hope and love, than to become filled with hate, the path the Occupier walks down.”
Yay!
Sherri, I have just sent the following email to Turkey’s President:
Your Excellency Mr Erdogan,
Re: Your stand for Middle East justice
Thankyou for your strong stand against injustice, both in Turkey and with regard to Israel/Palestine.
I am a New Zealand citizen that is well aware of the illegal attack by Israel on the Mavi Marmara last year. I am appalled at the needless loss of Turkish lives that resulted. I also much regret the US attempts to whitewash the crimes that Israel carried out on those on that ship, and the news that the UN will soon release a report by the Palmer Commission headed by a New Zealander that also whitewashes them.
I have read the reports that Turkey will no longer be recognizing the illegal blockade and will refer this matter to the International Court of Justice, and that it has frozen military cooperation and diplomatic ties with Israel.
I am also aware of your stand for justice in Turkey. Yesterday I learned of your decision to return hundreds of properties to non-Muslim communities, an act that will rectify a long-standing injustice in your country.
I want to express to you my appreciation and support for all you are now doing to take a stand against the illegal activities of Israel, including the blockade of Gaza that is a form of collective punishment on nearly 2 million people, 50% of which are children.
It is so refreshing and encouraging to see a nation stand up for justice, as Turkey is doing right now.
The eyes of the world are on Turkey in these challenging days. All of us who care about human rights for every person are inspired by and support Turkey’s recent announcements on their position, and their actions that have resulted and will result.
May God richly bless you for the stand you have taken and keep you and your nation safe from those who oppose it.
My mistake – of course Erdogen is the Prime Minister, not the President.
Nice letter. I hope there are more Americans like you.
“The Minister also warned that Israel risks alienating Arab nations by its refusal to apologize for the flotilla tragedy.”
?
I thought the Arab nations were already pretty alienated from Israel.
It’s called oil.
“I thought the Arab nations were already pretty alienated from Israel.”
Not at all, RoHa, “aligned with” describes them better than “alienated from” and because they’re not and with the total absence of deterrence on the part of the Arabs, Israel has been dealing with the Palestinians in any which way it felt like it. You are confounding Arab states with Muslim ones like the non-Arab Malaysia where Mahatir campaigned incessantly againt the evils of Israel and demanded its boycott at the 57-member Organization of Islamic States or the non-Arab Turkey that had Erdogan walk out of Davos because he could no longer stand the company of the”child-killer” Shimon Peres and is now taking the Mavi Marmara monumental stand. There is never a peep out of the Arabs, not even a symbolic one at the redundant UN; their mild rebukes are barely heard at the toothless AL whose former Secretary-General is slated to be rewarded for his good work with the presidency of Egypt in November.
“You are confounding Arab states with Muslim ones”
No, I am thinking of the people of the Arab nations, not the governments of the Arab nations.
“No, I am thinking of the people of the Arab nations, not the governments of the Arab nations.”
Are people a reflection of their governments or is it the other way around? Israelis too play that game when they blame their ills on the settlements and the mistreatment of Palestinians on their governments but in survey after survey the majority of Israelis agree with what their government has been doing as with Cast Lead. Would Mubarak have held down the Gazans to be butchered if his people hadn’t gone along with it and would Obama be killing people in Afghanistan if most Americans didn’t agree? From where I’m standing, the people and the government are one as otherwise you end up with revolts like what happened in Tunisia and Bahrain.
“Would Mubarak have held down the Gazans to be butchered if his people hadn’t gone along with it and would Obama be killing people in Afghanistan if most Americans didn’t agree? From where I’m standing, the people and the government are one as otherwise you end up with revolts like what happened in Tunisia and Bahrain.”
There was no revolt in Egypt against Mubarak? What on earth do you mean? Granted, Gaza and the I/P conflict did not take center stage in the Egyptian revolt, or, for that matter, in the Israeli revolt. Still, I do find it problematic to assume alignment between governments and people on all issues, both in democracies and, especially, in dictatorships unless there is a revolt. As for the Americans (as well as many Europeans): there is no democratic way to end the war in Afghanistan, and civil liberties are in decline since 9/11. There is no party Americans could vote for to stop the slaughter in Afghanistan and Iraq. They tried in 2008. Obama did not deliver the change he promised. As far as foreign policy and the interests of American hegemony are concerned, there is no difference between Dems and Reps. There are rhetorical differences at best, or futile attempts to change course. Same in Israel wrt the occupation and the settlements. Once Americans will realize the connection between their dwindling standards of living, ‘swinish capitalism’ (Gideon Levy on Israel’s oligarchs) and foreign policy, the tent cities will go up in the US as well. The tea baggers and the parade of clowns presenly seeking the Rep nomination will only succeed in further discrediting the propaganda lies Americans have been fed for decades, if not centuries
I hadn’t noticed this in the original post – but it’s there – bad eyesight! This could get serious:
link to news.antiwar.com
If the Turks really do send their navy to escort ships to Gaza, things are going to get – um – interesting.
It would be a declaration of war against Israel. Anyone know what it takes to kick a country out of NATO? Can the U.S. do it unilaterally or would we have to get some percentage of the rest of the NATO countries to go along?
I doubt if US could do it unilaterally Fred – much to your chagrin.
I think that an attack by Israelis on a Turkish boat in international waters would be an act of war but I’m no lawyer.
If Israel attacks a Turkish ship in international waters it is an attack on NATO. NATO should then declare war on Israel for attacking a fellow member.
Actually I think Turkey should use the israeli preferred method of a preemptive strike. No remorse. Just like the israelis do it.
Without Turkey, NATO falls apart. They are the second largest contributor to the alliance, and removing Turkey would make suddenly turn NATO into an exclusive anti-Muslim military force. And the smart European countries will then promptly pull out of it too.
This is basically Israel costing the US one of its most important strategic arrangements.
Ha ha, fred, you are funny. When Israel attacks Turkish ships and murders civilians, then by your logic that is an act of war, which would justify Turkish retaliation. Mind you, Israel is the war state which prefers perpetual war rather than respecting its neighbours, the ones who have been there for eons before Israel.
I like the thought…but what is Turkeys responsibility to respect and IDF blockade?
NATO was set up as a defense military union against the SU, an attack against any of its members means an attack against all!! Turkey had the right to call in the NATO doctrine last year, only huge american pressure stopped them from doing it.
Since the SU is non-existent since 1991, the NATO has no ptactical use and presently being used to support american aggression against nations far away from Europe, not the purpose for it was founded, being a pure defensive association.
Attacking a ship of any nation on high seas and killing its passangers/crew is an act of war and I was very surprised that Turkey waited this long to react, it is not in their character.
Now that they got the ball rolling watch for actions and reactions from different corners, countries who did not like Israel´s behavior, but did not dare to go against the big brother, who allows anything that spoiled little country does.
Cyprus belongs to Turkey since the 15th century and did the greek colones not plan a military coup on that island, Turkey would have never invaded it. It came in the defense of turkish cypriots who were at the mercy of the greeks.
By the way, when greek Cyprus became member of the EU, they used all dirty tricks available to make sure the turkish side will not qualify.
Before you blame Turkey do research the case fully.
Correct. It would be an act of war. As would the Turks aiding a breach of the blockade. Regardless of the cargo of the ships.
IOW, if the Turks send escorts for ships into Gaza, that would be an act of war against Israel just as surely as opening fire at Israeli ships would be.
However. Israel doesn’t have to sink the Turkish war ships. If the situation is such that capture of a blockade runner is impossible, then the blockade runner can legally be attacked (sunk). So the Israelis could legally just torpedo the merchant ships running the blockade instead, if the warships prevent them from capturing the merchant ships running the blockade that is.
Boo hoo. The Soviet Union that NATO was formed to fight is gone, with it went the strategic value of Turkey. Really what’s the point of having them if they won’t even give our troops permission to cross their land (like when we attacked Iraq). Also, the U.S. would still have allies of all the NATO countries that aren’t busy aiding terrorists. The Turks have de facto turned on the U.S. even if not officially. Time to dump them.
Thankfully, the U.S. is not obligated to declare war every time some captain of some ship flying the flag of some NATO country does something stupid in a war zone.
LOL at the self-serving revisionist history about Cyprus.
I know! NATO hasn’t been used for anything at all recently!
Nothing! Not in North Africa or the Middle East!
What a useless deadly organization!
Correct. It would be an act of war. As would the Turks aiding a breach of the blockade. Regardless of the cargo of the ships.
You’re full of crap. Any neutral state can act as a protecting power and escort humanitarian aid convoys to Gaza. All that’s required is that they certify the cargoes and provide Israel with manifests. Israel has the right of visit and inspection, but it cannot prevent ships themselves from passing through the blockade. Any attempt to treat humanitarian aid shipments from a neutral state as a hostile act is a violation of article 70 of the 1st Additional Protocol of 1977.
link to icrc.org
“Since the SU is non-existent since 1991, the NATO has no ptactical use and presently being used to support american aggression against nations far away from Europe, not the purpose for it was founded, being a pure defensive association.”
I agree with everything you wrote, Theo, but you forgot Nato’s first military attack ever, in 1999, against Serbia, cloaked in humanitarian garb, just like the latest attack on Libya.
“Really what’s the point of having them if they won’t even give our troops permission to cross their land (like when we attacked Iraq)”
trl: What’s the point of an alliance if its members do not do everything the US asks them to do, even if the action is immoral, illegal, based on lies, and aimed at destroying a country and its people? American hegemony and self-interest is a god-given right, and every country which opposes this in any way, shape or form is to be dumped and/or destroyed by diplomatic, economic or military means.
Cool. Really cool. With friends like this, who needs enemies? No wonder Israel does all it can to keep Big Brother on a tight leash via an army of infiltrators and lobbyists.
Actually, the only thing I like about Israel is the chutzpah with which they regularly give the US the finger. I just wish they’d do it for a higher purpose than to get away with acting as arrogantly as the US, and at great expense to other people
Interesting analysis by Abunimah: link to electronicintifada.net
yeah, measured.
Here’s another interesting piece of text from
link to hurriyetdailynews.com
“Turkey pushed its allies not to single out Iran as the sole threat against NATO and gave its approval to the concept only after its pre-conditions were met.”
Now who could that be? Perhaps Pakistan – they have missiles with that range, but perhaps someone else.
Diplomatically, I don’t know what the endurance of Turkey vs Israel is.
But, economically, it seems Turkey is much stronger and able to withstand greater hits.
I think someone posted that Turkeys economy is 17th and Israel’s is around 50th?
Geography would seem to favor Turkey, as well.
Turkey will be able to rally FAR more support from Middle Eastern and, I actually suspect when push comes to shove, from European nations too. Europe is deadlocked right now between business interests and Islamophobic hate-peddlers who are in bed with Israel, and the larger but less influential common population who would be (and largely are) absolutely appalled at Israel’s disregard for international law and human life.
Israel openly attacking the Turkish military? That would push Europe away from Israel for good. It would force Israel’s allies in Europe to lobby for what would functionally be a neo-Crusade against the Muslim world, and the people of Europe in their vast majority will not stand for that, I will wager.
Begs the question:
Is there any moderate opposition party/coalition on deck if Israel government collapes?
Moderates? In Israel? Surely you jest. The only parties that have EVER controlled Israel have EXPLICITLY excluded Arab majority or Arab participating interests. You wouldn’t even be able to scrape together 1/3 of the seats in the Knesset at any given time who are willing to condemn the settlements, let alone bombing places like Gaza and Beirut to the ground.
Understood.
Looking for a pressure release valve in Israel…and I can’t find one.
Not to forget world opinion and Mondoweiss!!!
So let me get this straight – in the last 12 hours we’ve learned several fresh new lessons of how the Israelis think about themselves and what they think of their future
We’ve learned thru a fresh Wikileaks exposure yesterday of Israeli documents that the main reason Israel has been so obviously desperate to stop the Palestinian state was because of the ICC – because Israel itself thinks Apartheid is going to lose at the ICC and the Palestinians will be successful in their suits against Israel. Stunning – Apartheid sued into oblivion, and this is what the Israelis are expecting to be the outcome.
That Turkish victims of the Gaza Flotilla attacks suing Israel at the ICC are forecasted to be successful in winning their suits against Israel as well – and once again, that’s the Israelis call on their prospects. And too late to settle out of court because Netanyahu (on record) thinks that settling out of court would be ‘demoralizing to the national consciousn¬ess’ and cause widespread depression.
The take home lesson is how dependent Israel has been on using it’s internatio¬nal leverage thru the Israeli Lobby in the US to sabotage the UN, the ICC, and any other international recourse for victims of Israeli Apartheid. And that dependency is now fully exposed to international law Amazing
Absolutely amazing – the Israeli defense of Apartheid is in tatters and the Israelis are on record as saying they know it
“Absolutely amazing – the Israeli defense of Apartheid is in tatters and the Israelis are on record as saying they know it.”
Which could be the reason Israel seems to be acting so defensively hysterical/end of the world, right now..and why the U.S. stands up at every opportunity and declares (in their best Shakespearian manner) how unbreakable our bonds are….and why Israel is only able to present the most pitifully transparent, amateur and childish UN report…and why Turkey all of a sudden seems so bold.
So like now Turkey is planning on getting closer to Egypt, militarily – at the expense of isreal:
link to haaretz.com
Wow!
Not sure how this report dovetails with the one where Egypt is cementing in all the Gaza tunnels, though.
Egypt cementing-in “all” Gaza tunnels is pure Egyptian military propaganda aimed at buttering up USA concerns (on behalf of israel). I know this cuz I know it’s an IMPOSSIBLE task and the Egyptians and israelis know this. Besides, who’s gonna pay for all that cement? How are they going to locate ALL tunnels, old and new and prospected?
Now israel’s gotta deal with the bulk armies of Iran, Egypt AND Turkey. Remember it could barely keep up with Hizbollah and those damn dangerous Hamas blitzing rockets.
Well, they did say “cement and water”….but I agree…the quanity it would take would spike the world cement price.
I do like what seems to be a developing strategy…to take Israel to court and get ducks in a row to blockade Israel into submission.
“Egypt cementing-in “all” Gaza tunnels is pure Egyptian military propaganda aimed at buttering up USA concerns (on behalf of israel).”
Good. I do hope you’re right, and it does make sense
Strategically, this could mean that Turkey gets the use of Egyptian Air Force bases. That would enable Turkey to provide better air cover over the sea approaches to Gaza.
A very brave and honorable move by Turkey. A move which displays their sincerity and dedication to bring attention and ultimately justice for Gaza.
However taking such a stance will undoubtedly prove to be one not without consequences. The fact that Israel and Turkey are (former) friends will only complicate the situation further. Trade between the two countries which totals in the billions of dollars will certainly be reduced significantly. As well as extensive military cooperation which has already been suspended.
In addition, as we all know by now, anybody viewed as hostile towards Israel will undoubtedly be targeted and attacked by Western media (particularly in US) and their zionists masters. We are sure to hear more about the Armenian genocide and how Turkey has “drifted further away from the Western world and has embraced terrorism” and blah blah blah….
Yeah. One of the few criticisms I have had about Israel was it’s opposition to the truth about the Armenian genocide. I’ve always said that denying genocide just because an ally did it was a reprehensible thing to do. I wish that they had been honest from the beginning instead of waiting until it is politically expedient to call a spade a spade.
>> We are sure to hear more about the Armenian genocide …
And rightly so. Better for Turkey to admit fault, apologize, pay reparations and hold accountable whomever it can, than to remain blatantly hypocritical.
It’s all well and good (not really) for someone like RW to avoid condeming immoral and unjust acts (or to label them “necessary”, to approve of them and to “primarily celebrate” their occurrence) simply because they happened in the past, but not everyone is nor should anyone aspire to be like him. Turkey must do better than hypocrite nations like Israel and the U.S.