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  • Netanyahu Apology Short-Sighted

    Netanyahu Apology Short-Sighted

    http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2013/03/28/netanyahu-apology-short-sighted/
    Michael Rubin | @mrubin197103.28.2013 - 10:30 AM

    Jonathan Tobin is absolutely right to dampen optimism regarding the
    restoration of Turkey-Israel ties following Israeli Prime Minister
    Benjamin Netanyahu's apology for the botched interception of the Mavi
    Marmara. Make no mistake, the apology is a disaster. Not only will it
    not lead to a revival of Israel-Turkey ties, but it will'in the long
    run'make them worse. Netanyahu has affirmed Turkish Prime Minister
    Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's strategy. Wishful thinking'be it Ariel Sharon's
    withdrawal from Gaza or Ehud Barak's withdrawal from southern
    Lebanon'does not bring peace so long as enemies believe that terrorism
    or, in ErdoÄ?an's case, its facilitation and his support, has paid
    dividends.

    ErdoÄ?an is a deeply ideological man who, at his core, does not believe
    Israel should exist. It is a mistake for Turkey-watchers to dismiss
    ErdoÄ?an's rants, most recently hisdescription of Zionism as a crime
    against humanity, as merely posturing for his central Anatolian base.
    Projection is perhaps the most corrosive mistake in which any analyst
    can engage. Incitement is not simply a strategy; sometimes, it truly
    is heartfelt. Just as with Yasir Arafat. And Khaled Meshaal. And
    Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And Mohammad Khatami. And Kim Jong-un.

    ErdoÄ?an's temper-tantrums may make him look like a buffoon in Western
    eyes, but he is a man deeply consumed by a sense of grievance. This is
    why he has sued political cartoonists for little more sin than
    depicting him as a cat tangled in a ball of string. Stacked courts
    ensure he wins his cases, and bolster his sense of righteousness.
    Every time he engages in brinkmanship, he finds himself rewarded.

    What's next in Turkey-Israel relations? Certainly not rapprochement.
    By paying compensation to the families of those killed on the Mavi
    Marmara, Netanyahu is effectively funding terrorists. The Mavi Marmara
    had one purpose: supplying Hamas. After all, the health of Gazans is
    generally better than that of Turks. The Turkish press is arguing that
    the lifting of the Gaza blockade'irrespective of Hamas' actions'is now
    looming.

    What's ErdoÄ?an's next step? He has announced that he will soon go to
    Gaza during which trip he will renew his calls for lifting the
    blockade and enjoy Hamas treating him like a conquering hero. Already,
    the Palestinian Authority is nervous over how ErdoÄ?an might bolster
    its terrorist brethren. Make no mistake: It's not just Obama to blame
    for what comes next. Netanyahu could always have said no.



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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