How To Tell Who Is Friend And Who Is Foe?
It is very hard to understand the President and those who advise him about the policy towards Israel.
A strong leader can be a good friend of many nations at the same time, and particularly with people who have been with him from the beginning of his presidency. Such a leader deserves the respect of other leaders.
The Obama administration has “screwed up the messaging” about its support for Israel over the past 14 months, and it will take “more than one month to make up for 14 months”, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said on Thursday to a group of rabbis called together for a meeting at the White House.
Rahm Emanuel did not realize that during the past 14 months alone the enemies of Israel took advantage of the perceived weakness of the American administration which indirectly gave the impression that Israel also became weak and now stands alone, without allies. The incident with the Turkish activist ship has proven the contrary. Israel will never retreat when it comes to its security. Even a week before the flotilla arrived, the Turks hinted a threat by letting Israel know through the media that the flotilla must reach Gaza or they would be against the Israelis. The intention to break the embargo is in itself an act of war.
I hope that Rahm Emanuel feels like all those who have family in Israel and who are worried and are hurting until now. This episode of 14 months costs Israel a lot of human aggravation and political problems like the one we just saw with the flotilla. And not to mention the millions of dollars lost because of this.
ProfessorHenri J. Barkeyby writing that “Turkey emerged as a Middle East leader” seems to reward Mr. Erdogan for his aggressive behavior. But to his credit he also wrote: ”Turkey has also used its increasingly rancorous disputes with Israel to advance its status in the Middle East at the expense of traditional leaders across the region”. In fact it was easy for the Europeans to condemn Israel and to join the Turks’ lie, as since WWII many of them lost their moral dignity and the sense of justice.
I would add that Erdogan, as an elected Muslim leader, chose the rapprochement with Iran and Syria, and implicitly with Hezbollah, Hamas, and the IHH, which calls itself a humanitarian organization, while in fact it is a terror organization, instead of a rapprochement with the democratic world, the Western World, the United States and Israel. He is following the Iranian path.
Is the uranium deal with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran the reason that may have emboldened Turkey to become an activist player in the Middle East, even at the cost of aligning itself whit terrorist organizations? It seems to have gone to Mr. Erdogan’s head and he already saw himself as a great and influential leader of the Middle East or as the Turks used to say “the Sultan of the Middle East” while letting Ahmadinejad use him until Iran reaches its nuclear goal. By intervening in the flotilla affair, Mr. Erdogan played the game of Iran, which is,trying to divert the media’s attention away from its nuclear development and creating a challenge for Israel. Mr. Erdogan chose this path despite the fact that other Middle East countries fear Iran with nuclear power more than they fear Israel. Actually, Mr. Erdogan by doing so set back Turkey to the time of the Ottoman Empire. I don’t believe that the Arab nations would like to return to that time, of which the Arab countries don’t keep fond memories. These countries know well that Israel has never threatened the Arab states with unconventional weapons.
Those who saw the video and still accuse Israel are not free minded observers, and the Jews should not listen to their voice. Israel has nothing to be ashamed of for defending its borders. It is always better to be safe than sorry, like for the six million Jews who perished during WWII, for not taking seriously the threat of Hitler.
It is also time for Abbas to show maturity and not to jump on Turkey’s bandwagon, like the late King Hussein of Jordan, who, without being under threat jumped on Nasser’s bandwagon in order to enter the fray and lost the West Bank in the Six-day-war with Israel. I guess that the flotilla incident showed Israel who are its real friends and its real enemies. Can Israel trust Abbas in the upcoming negotiations?
Copyright 2010 Emile Tubiana
