Tag: Olmert

  • Israel is paying for Gaza war with Turkey and Egypt crises

    Israel is paying for Gaza war with Turkey and Egypt crises

    During Hanukkah 2008, Israel attacked Gaza in Operation Cast Lead. Now it is eating the bitter fruit of that operation, which was the turning point in the attitude of the world and the region toward Israel and its belligerent and violent policies. The shock waves take time to arrive, but now they are coming, and they are big. Every day has new dangers. Some are the result of Israel’s actions, its aggression, its euphoria, its arrogance and carelessness. The outcome: The only two countries that ever accepted it in the region, Turkey and Egypt, are burning their relations with Israel. The first was via a government decision, the second that of an angry mob.

    During that fateful Hanukkah, the Israel Defense Forces attacked Gaza and its defenseless population. Israelis did not see that war on their televisions as people saw it in Istanbul and Cairo. Here they made do with an army of pundits who reported fighting in Gaza when there was almost none. Here they hid from us most of the horrific pictures that were broadcast elsewhere in the world – including, of course, Istanbul and Cairo. At the time, they only counted the numbers of the (many) Palestinian dead and the numbers of the (few) Israelis, and therefore the operation was seen as a colossal military, diplomatic and even moral success.

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    IDF soldiers during Gaza war

    IDF soldiers during Operation Cast Lead.

    Photo by: AP

    But it was a resounding failure. What is happening now in Egypt and Turkey must be added to the balance of Operation Cast Lead. Not that it’s all because of Cast Lead. Hatred for Israel flared before it, but Cast Lead was the turning point when a good deal of the world reversed its attitude toward Israel.

    Not that everything was Israel’s fault, but its governments – both former and current – have done too little to lower the flames and a great deal to raise them. Yes to settlements and no to peace arrangements; no to apologies and yes to a light trigger finger for Sinai and the Mavi Marmara. As British journalist Robert Fisk put it so well on Saturday: “Israel thinks too little and shoots too much.”

    The decline in relations with Turkey doubtless began following Operation Cast Lead. The attacks on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo came at first following the killing of the five Egyptian soldiers by Israel last month, but was spurred by Israel’s deteriorating ties with Turkey. Last week it was clear that if Turkey is all but cutting its relations with Israel, Egypt cannot stand by and do nothing.

    In the new Egypt the street speaks, and the street had its violent and unequivocal say over the weekend. This is the street that had practically nothing against Israel during the Tahrir uprising in the spring, but after the killing of the five soldiers, Israel’s lack of apology for doing so and the Turkish fiasco, it is coming out against Israel now.

    The street saw the brutal scenes from Operation Cast Lead not shown in Israel, and they became enemies, more than ever. Then came the attack on the Mavi Marmara, a miniature version of Operation Cast Lead.

    The former prime minister, Ehud Olmert, the current defense minister, Ehud Barak, and the former foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, should be held accountable for the diplomatic destruction they brought on Israel.

    A very dangerous fire broke out in the shabby office building where, until Friday, Israel had its embassy. That is black news. The original sin: Operation Cast Lead.

    via Israel is paying for Gaza war with Turkey and Egypt crises – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

  • Olmert: Turkey not Israel’s enemy

    Olmert: Turkey not Israel’s enemy

    Speaking at Regional Cooperation Conference former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert discusses Turkey diplomatic crisis, PA ties and national protests but ignores pending trial

    Boaz Fyler

    Published: 09.05.11, 00:26 / Israel News

    His trial is set to resume on Monday but speaking at the Conference on Regional Cooperation organized by Vice Premier Silvan Shalom at the David Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert chose to ignore his pending legal battle in favor of discussing the mass social protests, Israel-Palestinian ties and of course – the diplomatic crisis with Turkey.

    “I’m the last one who would say that the statements made by Turkish prime ministers and chief representatives over the last two years and the last few days are music to my ears,” said Olmert whose term as prime minister saw relations between Israel and Turkey flourish.

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    אולמרט בוועידה. “מדינת ישראל זקוקה לשינוי יסודי” (צילום: אלי אלגרט)

    Olmert at Conference on Regional Cooperation (Photo: Eli Elgart)

     

    “But based on my personal and intimate acquaintance with this leadership, I would like to say – it isn’t automatically and necessarily an enemy of Israel. Over the years we have succeeded in building a relationship with Turkey that we, across the political map, have defined as relations of the utmost strategic importance to Israel,” Olmert added.

     

    “Turkey is not Israel’s enemy and Israel is not Turkey’s enemy. Turkey has previously functioned as a bridge to important and sensitive contacts of the highest importance to our interests, and it can continue to be so in the future.”

     

    The former prime minister also touched upon the Palestinian peace process, noting that the most important mission in promoting regional cooperation is resuming the political process with the Palestinians. “I know the Palestinian leadership… I know Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad,” said Olmert.

     

    Voices heard

    He then added: “Gentlemen, there will not be a Palestinian leadership who wants peace more than the current leadership. Peace on terms that may be difficult and painful to most of us, peace that will involve concessions, the thought of which shocks us all, but they want peace.”

     

     

    Olmert also mentioned how moved he was by Saturday night’s mass-protests: “It was impossible to remain unmoved, seeing the people converging throughout the country and symbolically in Tel Aviv, at the State Square making their voices heard in a restrained and responsible way.”

     

    Olmert’s trial and that of his bureau chief Shula Zaken is set to resume on Monday at the Jerusalem District Court with the defense presenting its witnesses.

     

    Aviad Glickman contributed to the report

    via Olmert: Turkey not Israel’s enemy – Israel News, Ynetnews.

  • Dr. Josef Olmert: The New Middle East and Turkey

    Dr. Josef Olmert: The New Middle East and Turkey

    In March of 1941, Nazi Germany seemed to overrun the Middle East and deprive Britain of its historic and hegemonic role in the region. The British government under Winston Churchill made an offer, supposedly very enticing to the Turkish Government. “Help us to occupy Syria, and we will share the spoils with you — the north of the country to you, the south to us.”

    The elusive ally, as Turkey was described by a historian of its foreign policy, justified its reputation and turned down the unprecedented offer. Its Foreign Minister Saracuglu told the British, that the Syrians were tough customers, alluding to the 400 years of Ottoman Turkish rule over Syria.

    This was another Middle East, and this was another Turkey, still dominated by the Kemalist ideology, looking towards Europe for inspiration, rather than back towards its lost lands in the region, Syria included. Turkey under the moderate Islamic AKP — with P.M Erdogan as the undisputed leader — is engaged in a comprehensive reevaluation of its regional role. There are many reasons for that, among them the reluctance of the EU to accept Turkey as a full-fledged member, for fear of changing its character by the inclusion of such a vast Muslim population, something that is widely resented by most Turks including the secular element of the Turkish people.

    The fact is that almost for a decade the AKP gradually pulled Turkey away from the basic tenets of the Kemalist ideology and that is the culmination of profound developments inside Turkey itself which seem to have much greater effect than European attitudes.

    Be as may, the new Turkey has already started to flex its muscles in a way which leaves small room for doubt. P.M Erdogan wants to become the new strong man of the Middle East, so much so that he is already called the new Sultan.

    Turkish relations with Israel, which evolved for 3-4 decades into an undeclared strategic alliance, were first to feel the brunt of the new policy. The last three years have witnessed a sharp deterioration in the relations and very little is left of the alliance. Yet the two parties are very careful not to go beyond the point of no return. In the case of Turkey, Erdogan is subjected to some pressure from the military establishment, the traditional proponent of the old alliance as well as some secular groups. Erdogan who proved himself to be an astute diplomat knows also that a final, complete rift with Israel will bring about a crisis with the US. Turkey and Israel may still heal some wounds, though the intimacy of previous years is no more.

    Erdogan has made major strides towards Iran, but let’s not be fooled by that. In the Middle East, history usually repeats itself, and Turkish-Iranian relations have always been problematic, tensed and competitive rather than cooperative. Turkey being the largest Sunni state in the Middle East, Iran being the Shi’ite power. Love lost has not historically characterized these relationships, nor will it be the case in the foreseeable future.

    Syria may prove to be one of the potential collision points between the two regional powers. In the last few years, Erdogan promoted Turkey’s relations with Syria, overcoming the legacy of longstanding mistrust. Some Middle East observers went as far as to suggest that Bashar Assad looked to Turkey as a possible alternative to his alliance with Iran, as well as a shield against possible future Israeli aggression against his country.

    Bashar Assad is still around — it’s not clear for how long — but Erdogan is already preparing for the post-Assad era in Syria and its likely regional implications. Iran, on the other hand, sees no horizon beyond Assad, and knows full well that his downfall will be a crucial setback to its regional aspirations. Not so for Turkey, which stands to gain from a post-Assad Sunni-dominated Syria.

    There is an unmistakable buzz in diplomatic circles in the region clearly indicating that Turkey is engaged in behind-the-scenes efforts, in conjunction with some Arab countries, to find ways to smooth the expected transition in Syria. The fact that this new new situation may mean a defeat to Iran is among the prime calculations of the countries participating in these talks, Turkey included.

    In public, Erdogan has sharpened his rhetoric when talking about Syria in general, and Bashar Assad in particular. The tone is clear, and the music is that Syria will have to change. Here is a challenge also to the US and the NATO Alliance. When the time comes to intensify pressure on Bashar Assad, give a major role to Turkey. This time around, the Turks may not refuse.

    via Dr. Josef Olmert: The New Middle East and Turkey.