Category: Israel

Turkey Denies Probing Jews Over Mavi Marmara

Turkey strongly denies reports it launched a probe into Jewish citizens for collaborating with Israel in the raid on the Mavi Marmara.

Turkey has strongly denied reports that it had launched a probe into some of the country’s Jewish citizens on the grounds that they had collaborated with Israel in the deadly 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla which killed nine Turks, Today’s Zaman reports.

“There has never been anti-Semitism in any part of our history and there will never be. Racism does not exist in the culture and the tradition of the Turkish nation. Turkey has repeatedly said it considers anti-Semitism and racism as crimes against humanity, ” Selçuk Ünal, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, said, according to the report.

Ünal said legal procedures are underway to identify possible perpetrators of the Mavi Marmara incident, adding that those legal procedures had nothing to do with Turkey’s “Jewish community who are equal citizens and an integral part of our society.”

The Turkish media claimed last week that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) identified five Turkish citizens who were allegedly either among the Israeli troops who raided the Mavi Marmara or among those who interrogated the victims following the raid on the ship in May 2010.

According to reports, the names and addresses of the five have been identified, at the request of the prosecutor’s office, thanks to the efforts of the MİT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The MİT conducted an investigation into all Turkish citizens leaving Turkey for Israel at least two weeks before and returning up to two weeks after the Mavi Marmara incident, and sent the information regarding these five Turkish citizens who are allegedly part of the elite Israeli naval commando Shayetet 13, to the Istanbul 7th High Criminal Court.

The Marmara incident involved nine armed terror activists who attacked Israeli commandos in a clash aboard the Mavi Marmara flotilla ship. The vessel, owned by the Turkish IHH group, was one of six sent to illegally breach Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza as a “humanitarian flotilla” but was found to be carrying nothing.

When the vessels ignored repeated Israeli navy requests to redirect their boats to Ashdod port, IDF commandos boarded each vessel to force them to port, where the humanitarian aid they were allegedly carrying could be off-loaded and carried to Gaza through the land crossings with Israel.

In the case of the Mavi Marmara, however, the Israeli soldiers – armed only with pistols and paint-ball training guns — were brutally attacked by the “activists” as they boarded, with several critically injured. The commandos who followed them shot and killed their attackers, leaving nine dead.

The incident caused Israel’s relationship with Turkey, already strained, to break down completely. Turkish leaders demanded an apology, but Israeli leaders refused, saying Israel had acted in self-defense.

Former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has emphasized them Israel is ready to solve any outstanding disputes with Turkey, but it will not apologize to Ankara for the raid on the Mavi Marmara.

“We are ready to discuss [our problems with Turkey] in high-level or low-level open meetings,” said Lieberman. “We’re really ready to discuss not only this issue but also the Iranian problem, the Gaza issue or the support for Hamas. But [we’re not ready] to discuss in what way we will protect our citizens.”

“[The Mavi Marmara mission] was a clear provocation and it was our right to protect the lives of our soldiers. Frankly speaking, Israel has no reason to apologize,” he added.

Turkey plans to try four top IDF commanders for the Marmara raid.

The accused officials are: Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, former Navy Chief Eliezer Marom, former Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin and former Air Force Intelligence Chief Avishai Levy.

The trial was due to start in November, but it has been adjourned until February.

via Turkey Denies Probing Jews Over Mavi Marmara – Middle East – News – Israel National News.

December 23, 2012
Turkey 4th Exporter of Goods to Zionist Entity: Reports

Turkey 4th Exporter of Goods to Zionist Entity: Reports

Local Editor

Turkey: Yeni Asya dailyA Turkish daily reported Friday that following the straining of Turkey- Zionist entity relations after the killing of 9 Turk citizens in Mavi-Marmara flotilla attack, both governments have resumed their former relations secretly.

According to the Iranian Mehr News Agency, Turkish daily Yeni Asya wrote that bilateral relations are resuming the former path behind the closed doors.

“Deployment of missile shield radar in Kürecik military base in Malatya, a southern province has the definite objective of defending the Zionist entity against Iran,” Mehr said, adding that other cooperation includes Patriot deployment near borders with Syria.

Al Alam, the Arabic TV news network, reported that a bridge over the sea connects İskenderun harbor to the Zionist port city of Haifa and facilitates transport of trucks from Turkey to Occupied Territories, Jordan, and other Persian Gulf states.

The bridge was constructed after Turkey closed its borders with Syria, while Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish prime minister, was criticized Egypt over its position on the Zionist invasion of Gaza, and Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkish Foreign Minister, was crying for the victims during his Gaza visit.

Yeni Asya daily also revealed that Hakan Fidan, head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) had meetings with the head of Mossad to boost intelligence cooperation with the Zionist entity.

According to this report, the détente is not limited to intelligence, and political relations also on the card between these traditionally-allied countries.

Yeni Asya unfolded that Erdoğan criticizes the entity of occupation in public, while – at the same time – holds secret diplomatic and intelligence meetings with it. A 58-per cent rise in the Zionist exports to Turkey and 42-per cent rise in Turkey export to the entity have made Turkey the 4th largest exporter to Zionist entity of occupation.

via Turkey 4th Exporter of Goods to Zionist Entity: Reports.

December 17, 2012
Origins of Israel Palestinian Conflict – YouTube

The Israeli Arab conflict is the result of interactions of superpowers in the early 20th century. British and French strategic interests in the Middle East were related to the Mediterranean trading route, which went from the Suez channel to Indian markets. But the presence of the Ottoman navy based in the Levant was a direct threat to British interests. So the British and the French decided to divide the Middle East into smaller entities and countries to make it impossible for the Ottoman Empire to control them all. A century later, the legacy of European colonization of the Arab world is reflected by its many ongoing conflicts.

via Origins of Israel Palestinian Conflict – YouTube.

December 6, 2012
Israel rejects UN call for nuclear transparency

The United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters. (Reuters / Lucas Jackson)

Israel has rebuffed a UN call to adhere to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open itself to international inspectors, calling the suggestion a “meaningless mechanical vote” of a body that “lost all its credibility regarding Israel.”

In a 174-6 vote, the United Nations General Assembly demanded in a non-binding call that Tel Aviv join the NPT“without further delay,” in an effort to create a legally binding nuclear-free Middle East.

Washington, Israel’s strongest ally, surprised no one by voting against the resolution – but did approve two paragraphs that were voted on separately, which called for universal adherence to the NPT and for all non-signatory governments to join.

The UN body “has lost all its credibility regarding Israel with these types of routine votes that are ensured passage by an automatic majority and which single out Israel,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor was quoted by Jerusalem Post as saying.

The Assembly’s call on Israel comes days after a large majority of its members voted to grant Palestine statehood state status and just weeks after the an escalation of violence between Gazans and Israel’s occupation forces. Palmor stressed, however, that since the NPT vote takes place annually, the Palestinian victory is not connected.

Israel is not a signatory to the 1970 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, the main objective of which is to is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. Despite near-universal acknowledgement that Tel Aviv maintains a powerful nuclear arsenal, Israeli officials promote a position claiming their government will “not be the first country to introduce weapons into the Middle East.”

The Middle East’s only democracy possesses as many as 400 nuclear warheads, along with various ways to deliver them. It is also one of four countries known to have nuclear weapons that are not recognized as Nuclear Weapons States by the NPT. The others are India, North Korea and Pakistan.

Israel follows a policy known as “nuclear opacity,” which it sees as a deterrent against its neighbors.

The timing of the Israeli dismissal of the call for transparency comes less than two weeks after Washington’s withdrawal from December’s nuclear-free Middle East conference, to be held in Finland and sponsored by Russia, the UK and the US.

State Department officials said the international effort is being postponed because of “a deep conceptual gap [that] persists in the region on approaches towards regional security and arms control arrangements,” and because “states in the region have not reached agreement on acceptable conditions” for the meeting, quotes the IPS.

But many blamed Israel’s refusal to accept the terms as the real reason for postponing the regional nuclear drive.

“The truth is that the Israeli regime is the only party which rejected to conditions for a conference,” Iranian diplomat Khodadad Seifi told the General Assembly on Monday, as he called for “strong pressure on that regime to participate in the conference without any preconditions.”

The meeting is now expected to be held early next year.

There are currently five nuclear-weapon-free zones in the world, according to the UN: Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific, South-East Asia, Central Asia, and Africa.

RT’s Paula Slier is exploring the controversies surrounding Israel’s nuclear activities.

December 6, 2012
Britain ready to back Palestinian statehood at UN

Mahmoud Abbas pledge not to pursue Israel for war crimes and resumption of peace talks are UK conditions

Ian Black, Middle East editor

Palestinians hold posters of President Mahmoud Abbas during a rally supporting the UN bid for observer state status, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Photograph: APAimages/Rex Features

Britain is prepared to back a key vote recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations if Mahmoud Abbas pledges not to pursue Israel for war crimes and to resume peace talks.

Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, has called for Britain’s backing in part because of its historic responsibility for Palestine. The government has previously refused, citing strong US and Israeli objections and fears of long-term damage to prospects for negotiations.

On Monday night, the government signalled it would change tack and vote yes if the Palestinians modified their application, which is to be debated by the UN general assembly in New York later this week. As a “non-member state”, Palestine would have the same status as the Vatican.

Whitehall officials said the Palestinians were now being asked to refrain from applying for membership of the international criminal court or the international court of justice, which could both be used to pursue war crimes charges or other legal claims against Israel.

Abbas is also being asked to commit to an immediate resumption of peace talks “without preconditions” with Israel. The third condition is that the general assembly’s resolution does not require the UN security council to follow suit.

The US and Israel have both hinted at possible retaliation if the vote goes ahead. Congress could block payments to the Palestinian Authority and Israel might freeze tax revenues it transfers under the 1993 Oslo agreement or, worse, withdraw from the agreement altogether. It could also annex West Bank settlements. Britain’s position is that it wants to reduce the risk that such threats might be implemented and bolster Palestinian moderates.

France has already signalled that it will vote yes on Thursday, and the long-awaited vote is certain to pass as 132 UN members have recognised the state of Palestine. Decisions by Germany, Spain and Britain are still pending and Palestinians would clearly prefer a united EU position as counterweight to the US.

Willian Hague, the foreign secretary, discussed the issue on Monday with Abbas and the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, offiicals said.

Palestinian sources said Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, raised the issue with Abbas at his Ramallah headquarters last week, shortly before a ceasefire was agreed in the Gaza Strip, as had Tony Blair, the Quartet envoy.

Abbas has been widely seen to have been sidelined by his rivals in the Islamist movement Hamas, as well by his failure to win any concessions from Israel. Abbas, whose remit does not extend beyond the West Bank, hopes a strong yes vote will persuade Israel to return to talks after more than two years.

Officals in Ramallah have opposed surrendering on the ICC issue so it can be used as a bargaining chip in future, but views are thought to be divided. Abbas said at the weekend: “We are going to the UN fully confident in our steps. We will have our rights because you are with us.”

Leila Shaid, Palestine’s representative to the EU, said: “After everything that has happened in the Arab spring, Britain can’t pretend it is in favour of democracy in Libya, Syria and Egypt but accept the Palestinians continuing to live under occupation. As the former colonial power, Britain has a historic responsibility to Palestine. Britain is a very important country in the Middle East, it has extensive trade relations, and David Cameron should know he risks a popular backlash from Arab public opinion if he does not support us.”

Palestinians have rejected the claim that they are acting unilaterally, calling the UN path “the ultimate expression of multilateralism”. Israel’s apparent opposition to unilateralism has not stopped it acting without agreement to build and expand settlements, they say.

guardian.co.uk, 27 November 2012

November 29, 2012
Turkey confirms negotiations are taking place with Israel

Though he holds firm that Israel must meet Turkish demands, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has confirmed there are talks taking place with Israel on the matter of reconciliation and normalization of ties between the two nations.

He also acknowledged that Turkey was actively involved in brokering the Gaza ceasefire, along with Egypt and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It was reported during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense that Israel had reached out to Turkey in reference to Gaza through ‘intelligence back channels’. Turkey’s head of intelligence was present in Cairo and assisted in discussions with Hamas.

Israel and Turkey had enjoyed a relatively close relationship for several decades. Tourism and trade flowed both ways between the two countries. Turkey though Muslim, never participated in any of the Arab-Israeli wars since Israel’s independence. The two nations had also developed close military ties with cross training and military industry deals between the two nations. It is widely believed in and out of military and intelligence circles that in 2007 Turkey allowed the over flight of Israeli warplanes which bombed and destroyed Syria’s one fledgling nuclear weapons facility near Deir Alzour in Syria’s northeast region.

However relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated dramatically after the May 2010 incident at sea where a Turkish flagged relief ship bound for Gaza was stormed by Israeli forces and 9 civilians were killed in the ensuing fight including Turkish citizens. Turkey has insisted ever since on a formal apology from Israel, monetary compensation for the families and the total lifting of all restrictions in place by the Israeli land and naval blockade of Gaza.

Whether there had been an approach made by Israel or Turkey prior to Israel’s air strikes on Gaza is unknown. But, Israel’s bold and punishing air campaign against Hamas in Gaza and the now known imminence of an Israeli invasion and occupation of Gaza on the eve of the ceasefire, no doubt has played a role in the decision by Turkey to at least entertain discussions with Israel.

Had normal relations existed, Turkey may have been able to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier on in the fight and without the ‘political baggage’ brought to the table by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood in the form of President Morsi.

Another factor for Turkey is Iran. There is currently a growing adversarial situation between Turkey and Iran, primarily involving the two nations backing of opposite sides in the Syrian Civil War. But, there is also a similar pattern developing involving both nations and Iraq.

These situations have driven an even deeper wedge between Ankara and Tehran than previously existed. Iran and Turkey share a border, though it is an extremely mountainous border region inhospitable to a regular battle between two armies.

However, Iran does have missiles and is of course, known to be working on a nuclear program. Iranian intelligence agents have been caught and arrested by Turkish military authorities assisting the Kurdish insurgent group known in Turkey as the Kurdistan Workers Party, (PKK).

But, it is the Iranian missiles and nuclear program that no doubt has Turkey’s government worried the most and it may well be why they are now holding discussions with Israel. The day may come when the benefits of a rapprochement with Israel outweighs any Turkish heartburn over the assault and seizure of a relief ship carrying aid to a terrorist group in Gaza supported primarily by Iran.

via Turkey confirms negotiations are taking place with Israel – Arlington Foreign Policy | Examiner.com.

November 27, 2012