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Gaza: conveniently ignoring the truth

By Jonathan J. Ariel - posted Monday, 7 June 2010


Appeasing terrorists or their allies never helps. In fact, it only serves to embolden jihadists.

Take Ankara’s demand that Israel releases all the passengers, including the seven members of Islamic Terror group, IHH, who were filmed beating to near death the Israeli boarding party. This obscene demand was swiftly complied with.

Having managed to humiliate Israel, the Turks then commanded that the Gaza blockade be lifted. At once.

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In a televised message to the nation last Thursday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised, "to continue to uphold our right to self-defense against terror". Pointedly, he stayed “mum” with respect to his intentions on the blockade.

Turkey’s intimate involvement supporting the pro HAMAS flotilla is best understood through the support they gave the Irish vessel, the Rachel Corrie. This ship was left out of the flotilla after it developed engine trouble, and on Saturday was intercepted by the Israeli Navy and escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod from where its cargo was forwarded to Gaza.

That is bad news.

What is far worse news is Turkey’s Prime Minister Racip Erdogan, whose government sponsored the flotilla, is clearly determined that the HAMAS sympathisers will reach Gaza.

His determination to raise rather than defuse tension between Turkey and Israel is clear. On Friday he leaked word that his challenge to the blockade of Gaza will continue with another 10 ships in the next flotilla. And this time the ships will be escorted by Turkish warships.

It seems that having the blood of Israelis enforcing a lawful blockade as well as the blood of IHH terrorists in addition to injuries of over 40 others on the MaviMarmara is not enough for Ankara.

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Sunday’s Washington Post called for Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan's government's ties to terrorism to be investigated by any international examination into the flotilla, pointing to its support for HAMAS, which Australia and the United States has designated as a terrorist entity. The Post called Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutogolu's statement that the Israeli attack "is like 9/11 for Turkey" obscene.

Ahead of the Mavi Marmara incident, Erdogan, in Turkish occupied Cyprus began deploying air and naval units, readying them to repel any Israeli action Ankara finds disagreeable with respect to the HAMAS-bound vessels. He was only restrained from sending them into action by the 11th-hour intervention of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who threatened him with hitherto unheard of isolation in NATO and Europe if he dared to go ahead.

On the weekend, the Turkish leader made it known that he is considering joining the next flotilla in person to dramatise his confrontation with the Jews.

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About the Author

Jonathan J. Ariel is an economist and financial analyst. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. He can be contacted at jonathan@chinamail.com.

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