By Barry Rubin
Israel apologizes to Turkey, reads every headline. That simply isn’t true in the sense it is taken to imply. To understand what happened one must examine the long negotiations on this issue.
[..]
It is important to understand that the flotilla issue was not the cause of Israel-Turkish problems, which had begun long before. The real basis was the election of an Islamist government in Turkey. Discussions inside the Israeli government for years had known Prime Minister Mehdi Erdogan’s hatred for Israel but did not want to be seen as responsible for any breakdown of relations.
During the talks, Erdogan made three demands:
–Israel must apologize completely.
–Such an apology implies a legal responsibility to pay reparations.
–Erdogan insisted that Israel drop the embargo against the Gaza Strip.
Israel rejected these demands and instead offered:
–To say it regretted the clash and the loss of life. This is like saying: If I offended anyone I’m sorry.
–It offered to pay voluntarily, as a humanitarian gesture not as part of a guilty plea, the families of those killed.
–Israel rejected any change on its policy toward the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan angrily rejected Israel’s offer.
Now, a compromise has been reached, apparently with some help from President Barack Obama. The agreement, which includes restoring normal bilateral relations, has been portrayed as some sort of Israeli surrender.
That is simply not true. The agreement is much closer to Israel’s position. There is no change on Israel’s strategic policy toward the Gaza Strip at all. While the word “apology” appears in Netanyahu’s statement, it is notably directed at the Turkish people, not the government and is of the sorry if your feelings were hurt variety.
Moreover, Israel denied that it killed the Turkish citizens intentionally, a situation quite different from what Erdogan wanted, and offered to pay humanitarian assistance to families.
Should Israel have expressed regret when it should instead receive an apology from the Turkish government for helping to send terrorists to create a confrontation? On purely moral grounds, no. Yet as I pointed out Israel did not abandon its long-standing position on the issue. It does not want an antagonism with the Turkish people nor one that will continue long after Erdogan and his regime are long out of office. Perhaps this was undertaken to make Obama happy and in exchange for U.S. benefits. But what has happened is far more complex than onlookers seem to be realizing.
Perhaps these seeming word games and niceties are beyond the interest or comprehension of many people, but everyone involved directly on this issue knows exactly what is happening. Erdogan knows very well that this was not a Turkish victory—except in public relations– though Israel won’t object to letting it be claimed as such.
Israel acted to try to reduce the tension with Turkey but without any illusions that the Erdogan regime would now be friendly. Indeed, there were implications that Erdogan was breaking his commitment on the deal.
Immediately afterward, he said that a legal case against Israeli officers for alleged responsibility in the death of the Turks would continue and he was not yet sending back his ambassador to Israel. This might be posturing for a few hours or a real deal-breaker. We will see.
Obama’s role in this deal is not clear. (I have made clear to readers that I’m not just bashing Obama reflexively but I will also continue to analyze his actions as accurately as possible.) Did he put any pressure on Erdogan or Netranyahu? Did he promise either or both sides some benefits for making a deal? Not yet clear.
The danger is that this is the kind of arrangement that is all too common in the region. The media proclaim progress; the political leaders say what they want; but nothing changes in reality. One possibility is that Obama doesn’t understand (or doesn’t care) how deeply Erdogan’s anti-Israel feeling runs just as he doesn’t understand how deeply that is true for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Still, this deal is clearly in U.S. interests since it supposedly heals a rift between two countries that are close allies to itself in Washington’s eyes. As I said above, let’s see if this deal sticks or if there is any progress in fixing Israel-Turkey relations in the coming weeks.
—————-Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest book, Israel: An Introduction, has just been published by Yale University Press. Other recent books include The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). The website of the GLORIA Center and of his blog, Rubin Reports. His original articles are published at PJMedia.
Professor Barry Rubin, Director, Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center http://www.gloria-center.org
The Rubin Report blog http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/
He is a featured columnist at PJM http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/.
Editor, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal http://www.gloria-center.orgEditor Turkish Studies,http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t713636933%22
Elliott Green
Barry, in the third paragraph from the end, you write Obama where I think
you meant Netanyahu.
I hope you’re right in that Netanyahu has made no strategic change. But
paying compensation suggests to other people, outside parties, that you are
admitting guilt.
Canadian Otter Said:
Apparently Israel also paid off the families of the terrorists for their attempted murder and Jihad.
Darwin award of the year.
Before you people get wiped out, I’d like to sell you the CN tower , real cheap.
Jerry G Said:
I agree that one of Israel’s greatest threats is ghettoization. Israel is not a ghetto and if Israel is to advance its cause in the world, it needs to conduct itself very carefully like a nation. But being a nation requires diplomacy too. And it is entirely possible that what really transpired in this recent apology is more and less than it was announced to be.
Nobody really believes that Israel should repent what it did to enforce the blockade on Gaza. The blockade on Gaza is just and Israel is entirely within its rights to enforce it any way it feels necessary. Furthermore the military standards, especially exhibited in that event, are without peer anywhere. The facts are all out there, on the table, and if Netanyahu disemboweled himself to appease Turkey, no one would be fooled.
Notice that nobody else is lined up to rush the blockade again. All is well on the coastal borders of Gaza.
I’m sorry but I’ve lost my respect for Barry Rubin. Ghetto Jews had the knack of turning defeats into some sort of moral victory usually through humor. For them it was a survival instinct. You can take the Jew out of the Ghetto but you can’t take the Ghetto out of the Jew. When will Israel’s so called leaders stop acting like ghetto Jews?
yamit82 Said:
Its not the people of Israel who are to blame! Its the people leading them to the abyss who are and none of them are worthy of leading the Jewish people and the State Of Israel. This craven act of cowardice, ineptitude and betrayal sickened me! One day Israel will get the leaders it truly deserves to have. Proud Jews today are not in evidence amongst them. FWIW, I find myself in complete agreement with you regarding the mendacity, stupidity and incompetence of Israel’s current elite.
Israel is in a war and is under existential threat from iran. Decisions made in a war are based on military and security considerations first. Personal and national pride, propaganda and the sending of messages generally take a back seat or are based on military rather than diplomatic and political considerations. We are not in a position to evaluate those considerations. There may be a need for Israel to coordinate with Turkey re chemical weapns or attacks on syria; there may be other considerations of which we are not aware. surely all info is not shared with the public regarding future operations,etc. In the past Israel used Turkey’s air space to attack syria’s reactor.
WE DID NOTHING WRONG, say IDF commandos. “We did the right thing. I’m not ashamed of it and we have nothing to apologize for.” http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4360511,00.html
What message is the govt sending to the men and women who risk their lives defending their country? To their parents?
Are Jews regressing to a time when they were not allowed to defend themselves? We see it in the way police prosecutes military and civilians for firing at terrorists, or even in the air!
Why is it that the only way Israel relates to other countries is now one subservience and humiliation?
I don’t think this issue should be rationalized with explanations of political convenience – or allowed to go away and forgotten. Apologizing was wrong, wrong, wrong!
yamit82 Said:
I don’t think Israel is ever going to be allowed anywhere near NATO. NATO is more likely to bomb Israel than Syria. Ask any Serb.
my reply to Yamit in moderation(too many quotes?)
yamit82 Said:
No
yamit82 Said:
No
yamit82 Said:
I agree
yamit82 Said:
He will try to do this
yamit82 Said:
Lauding makes no sense but silence does.
yamit82 Said:
Not much is good for the Jews but it might be better than the existing situation from a military and operational point of view at this time. This is a case, for me, of not being privy to all info and conditions which then limits my ability to criticize. For me it would be primarily a security judgement.
yamit82 Said:
you may be right but in this case,with the current situation of Syria, Iran, Nato I would give BB the benefit of the doubt(I often don’t)
I think he should apologize and explain to the soldiers who took part and if there were actually operational errors he should be clear about where they lay. My guess is that it lay in a political decision which put the men in unnecessary danger rather than proceeding with the best military plan.
@ Paul:
Erdogan has been blocking Israeli participation with Nato. Their veto has barred Israel from closer working relations with Nato organs and joint participation in exercises, conferences and military industrial projects. While this may hamper Israeli commercial and strategic interests I wonder if this was not paramount in the IDF Command supporting the apology?
There is an outside chance Israel might be forced to intervene on the side of Assad. At least we knew what to expect with him and he did keep our common border quiet since 73. The alternative is a replay of the Lebanese civil war which could spill over on to us. That would put us on the opposite side of Turkey. I think we would enjoy both Russian and Chinese support were we to try to save Assad’s ass.
@ NormanF:
@ Shy Guy:
Plaut and me are usually on the same page and his letter does not alter that assessment. Kudos Dr.Plaut!!!!
@ Canadian Otter:
Great photos, I recommend all view them
Bernard Ross Said:
Do you really believe the feud has ended? 😉
Do you think it wise under the circumstances that Israel should continue to help enhance the military capabilities of an Enemy that at any given point can turn our own Israeli produced weapons against ourselves? Unless he either is deposed or dies in office Erdogan has another 10 years left to his term in office. While some relations might improve they will never return to what was and as a megalomaniac wannabe of the Muslim world he can never be trusted nor relied upon to uphold any agreement. He will continue to blast and bait Israel and limit our political relationship to where it enhances only Turkeys interests not ours. All of the Turkish military who had close working relationships with Israel in the past have been deposed and or are now residing in Turkish prisons.
All of the left wing Talking heads and Shimon Peres especially are lauding the apology and most of the right so far as I can see are silent.
That tells me it’s not good for the Jews. Those fools have a lousy track record of getting it right have never taken personal responsibility for past mistakes and faulty wrong assessments and I fear the past is prologue in this case as well.
MY ZAPPED PICTURES rescued by Ted and now posted on talkback #4 –
Worth seeing.
Who deleted my comment???
@ Canadian Otter:
You know Canadian Otter I have to say you and Laura are ladies of a few words and you get your point across.
Lectured, yes that he did.
Maybe Israel should provide the Palestinians new shoes and let them walk (of course point them in the right direction)
@ NormanF:
To shed some light on the myopic if not stupid mindset of those in decision making positions in Israel, those same intellectual pygmies were all advocating giving up all or most of the Golan to Assad both father when he was still alive and the son only a few years ago. Their ostensible reasoning was breaking the link between Iran and Hezbollah. Israel should give up the Golan for such a fatuous dim-witted proposition? Even Bogie Ayalon favored that brilliant idea.
Where would Israel be today if Assad had agreed? None of them saw the fall of Mubarak, Gaddafi, or Assad of Syria. These are the same people especially BB who is willing to throw our brave soldiers under the bus by putting the blame for the fiasco on the terrorist “flotilla” ship. BB essentially thew them to the wolves and showed that he is at best a coward and worst a traitor to the ethos that the government of Israel will back her soldiers against all comers.
They were not responsible for the operational planning and orders given to our soldiers, which they followed to the letter until there was no choice left to them? Some received permanent physical injuries and it could have been worse. Where is the acceptance of responsibility by Barak and BB not to mention senior officers who did not question or refuse such stupid rules of engagement that any recruit could have seen through as needless endangerment of our soldiers lives? Where was the Intel on those aboard the ship? If they had good Intel why was it ignored? If they didn’t have it then it was irresponsible of our military echelon to insert essentially defenseless soldiers into a waiting trap.
In many normal democracies, a fuck up like that fiasco would have resulted in the resignation of those responsible. Not only did BB and Barak avoid taking responsibility for the sick joke of an operation; by this apology they have thrown the responsibility on the lower ranks who performed the operation.
BB I’m sure in a few weeks will meet with those relevant military units and spin his apology to infer that he did not throw them to the wolves. Some might even buy the spin but not all I’m sure and it will effect the trust by our lower ranks in our political leaders and the senior politicized officer corp of the IDF.
How many times do we have to shoot ourselves in the foot before the people of Israel face the reality that we are being led by criminal incompetents who are so detached and even so corrupt that every decision they make endangers not only the state but us as well?
Why isn’t the text of this “apology” available to the public? That would clear up a lot. If we can believe that Netanyahu did not grovel before Turkey, maybe we can also assume that the recent communication was not brokered by Obama. Maybe Netanyahu was so revolted by this visit that he found the intestinal fortitude to try to settle this issue with Erdogan. Maybe Erdogan is fresh air compared to Obama. Obama once claimed a personal friendship with Erdogan, a sentiment not repeated by Erdogan.
comment 6 in moderation again
muscle flexing contests with clownish muslim wannabe caliphs are unimportant. It is what is under the table which is important here. For decades Israel allows the enemy to crow. For the first 3 days of the 67 war the enemies were crowing that they were victorious and were pushing the Jews into the sea. On the 4th day their abject defeat was slowly becoming known to the world and immediately calls for a cease-fire began. It was too late to reverse the reality that was masked by empty pompous muslim crowing. In this case the Jews ate the crowing crow as he was crowing. The arab muslim penchant for bluster, boasting, machismo and the like is their greatest weakness because it clouds their judgment of reality. They also repeatedly must wear the dunce cap of the clownish buffoon. If this is what the clownish buffoon needs to be massaged then give him his buffoonish desires. I have not one shred of doubt that BB got something of real value for this PR stunt which gave 2 egos their moment in the sun. I have often criticized BB but I have confidence that he made the right move, even without knowing the full reason. (there are already known sensible valid military reasons but I believe there is more) Yaalon also supported this move and he does not appear to desire to send messages of weakness.
Obama made a trip wherein he totally reversed his prior stances re Israel: no calls or weak calls for anything related to the pals. His projected image re BB was orchestrated: taking off his jacket(which would be respected in Israel) revealing a blue tie and white shirt: the colors of Israel. BB also took off his jacket and the 2 leaders in shirt sleeves projected a global image of unity in action, 2 men getting down to business in their shirt sleeves together, in unity. that image was no coincidence. It was a message. Obama must be given something for such a reversal, for the trip, to look more than an israeli lackey. He must be seen to be a world leader making achievements. hopefully the apology is the only thing but I believe, as 2 DM’s expressed, it was in Israels interest to end the feud.
Actual letter of apology
Not what you think.
My comment was zapped by Spam Filter
PICTURES –
HE CAME, HE SAW, HE LECTURED ISRAELIS (Hey Jews, try to walk on Palestinian Nazi shoes and have more empathy), HE MADE ISRAEL HUMILIATE ITSELF, AND DISRUPTED THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
But he’s gone now. So try to smile again.
Dogs Underwater – picture gallery.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/9630536/Underwater-Dogs-photographs-of-dogs-underwater-by-Seth-Casteel.html
Amazing pictures of lightning volcano: AMAZING PICTURES OF A LIGHTINING VOLCANO
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2295912/Incredible-images-captured-thrill-seeking-photographer-seeks-rare-moments-lighting-collides-lava.html
@ NormanF:
I’ll say one thing for sure this Prof. Steven Plaut is one smart dude.
Now don’t you find that amazing, those who’s plate is full of sins are the first to point the finger.
Of course since Ovomit is an anti-Semite who embraces Islam, should we be surprised.
He is a divider and he figures he can persuade the youth of Israel to change course on the Palestinian issues.
Sorry Ovmit there is only one state in Israel and it shall always be the Sovereign Jewish Nation of Israel with its capital Jerusalem.
The sand storm was a sign of G-d not pleased with his visit to Israel.
calev dan Said:
I’m posting here an Open Letter To The Turkish Prime Minister From Steven Plaut this morning. I go on record as subscribing to his view:
An open letter to Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Prime Minister of Turkey
Dear Mister Prime Minister:
On behalf of all of the people of Israel, I would like to apologize to you for the cowardice and fathomless idiocy of the Prime Minister of Israel. As you know, this weekend Benjamin Netanyahu sent you an “apology” for Israel having defended itself against the genocidal terrorists who attacked Israeli soldiers armed only with paint guns when they boarded the terrorist “flotilla” ship that you sent out to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Hamas enclave in Gaza. Netanyahu spoke only for himself when he apologized to you for Israel’s defending itself and its people, this two generations after the Holocaust. He does not represent anyone at all in the country when it comes to this “apology.” No one else in the country, except for some anti-Israel radical leftists with tenure at the universities, agrees that Israel owes you an apology for defending its people.
Actually, on behalf of all REAL Israelis, I would like to apologize to you for the fact that ONLY nine terrorists were killed by Israeli troops on the flotilla ship when Israeli soldiers were savagely attacked by Turkish and other terrorists. I would like to apologize for the fact that Israeli did NOT torpedo and sink the terrorist ships trying to break the blockade and bring in aid to the Hamas Nazis. I would like to apologize for the fact that Israel has a Prime Minister who is so clueless, insensitive, and divorced from
Jewish history that he would consider buying a few moments of diplomatic calm with a Moslem aggressor by shaming his entire country with an “apology” to Turkey, exhibiting one of the most disgraceful acts by a Jew in all of history, and all this just hours before the Jewish holiday of national liberation, Passover.
Beyond that, I really do think that Israel owes an apology for NOT having done much more to draw the world’s attention to the illegal occupation and destruction by Turkey of the jewel of Cyprus, the city of Famagusta. Israel sat by while Turkey conquered 40% of Cyprus and transferred tens of thousands of its own people as illegal settlers to the island. And for that I apologize. And since you have spent so much time in recent years denouncing Israel as an occupier, I think Israel owes an apology to the world for not helping to end the illegal Turkish occupation of the great ancient Greek capital of Constantinople, now under an illegal Saracen occupation that has continued for far too long. It is high time that Constantinople be returned to its true heritage and its legal owners, the Greek people. It is less than a hundred years since the city, along with Smyrna and other Greek homelands, was almost liberated by the Greeks, who were only to be blocked by the Turkish military aggressors, the mass murderers of the Armenians.
So Mister Prime Minister, as you see, I am afraid that Israelis DO owe the world quite a few apologies.
On behalf of the non-pusillanimous citizens of Israel, I remain
Most sincerely yours,
Prof. Steven Plaut
only a fool can believe a moslem, and erdogan is one damn moslem.
israel, on the other hand, is squeezed from all sides – that’s the main cause of the “deal”
and the damn israeli left is not of great help.