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May 19, 2013
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 Turkish Cooperation—and Coffee—in Short Supply for IsraelPosted on Oct 20, 2009It seems it is now hard to get a cup of Turkish coffee in Tel Aviv. Israel’s patriotic restaurant owners are giving Turkey the “freedom fries” treatment because of the Turkish decision to exclude Israel from the annual air combat exercises that since 2001 Turkey has been sponsoring in collaboration with its allies. But this is a more serious affair for Israel than the George W. Bush administration’s “punishment” of France for refusing to invade Iraq in 2003. Israel has for many years enjoyed a certain international impunity with respect to the civilian as well as military casualties of its wars. This was thanks to United States and West European reluctance to discuss the subject and because Israel’s longstanding association with Turkey has provided a certain international insulation for it in matters concerning Muslims. Other than the United States, Turkey has been probably the most important of Israel’s allies, informal or otherwise. It is Muslim; it possesses the most democratic government of all the present-day Muslim states. Its major military and political links are with NATO, the United States and Western Europe. It has provided an important market for Israeli goods and a source of useful military exchanges. It sees itself as a modernizing state, allied with the West. Thus when the war in Korea broke out in 1951, Turkey was an early volunteer to furnish troops to the United Nations coalition that was placed under American command. These won a fabulous combat reputation in the Korea fighting, and in 1952 Turkey was invited to join NATO. Turkey and Greece—the latter also sent troops to Korea—were the first two states to become NATO members, following the 12 original signatories of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. Advertisement The reason for Turkey’s rebuff to Israel is what Israel did last year to the population of Gaza. The disproportionate use of force in Gaza resulted in the United Nations Human Rights Council’s commission of a special investigation and report, recently completed under the leadership of Judge Richard Goldstone, the noted (and, incidentally, Jewish) South African jurist. Goldstone’s report accuses both Israel and Hamas—which controls Gaza—of acts that could be construed of as war crimes. It demands that further investigation be conducted by both sides and that each accept accountability for what its forces did. If that is not done, it is recommended that the report be forwarded to the U.N. General Assembly, for possible referral to the International Criminal Court. Israel officially is outraged, blaming all this on anti-Semitism. But it is seriously alarmed at the threat of losing its alliance with Turkey, which it has considered a talisman in its foreign relations: a Muslim state that has at least symbolically supported Israel against its Muslim enemies. It has perhaps counted too much on the Turkish army, custodian of the secular character of the state founded by Ataturk in 1923, responsible for maintaining Turkey’s distinct secular place with respect to the rest of the Muslim world, and its military and political links to those modern Western forces and societies with which the Turkish governing elite has wished to identify its nation. The orthodox religious community in Turkey, which is increasing in influence, has been much affected by the Gaza affair. It has inspired anti-Israel demonstrations across the country, with definite anti-Semitic overtones. The attack on Gaza has influenced the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the Islamist community in which his party has its roots. Last weekend he said that his government defends the “oppressed” against the “persecutors,” obviously referring to Gaza. The head of Turkish diplomacy said that relations with Israel will not improve until “the human tragedy in Gaza” has ended. Israel’s assumptions of invulnerability to world opinion have become a danger to itself. Visit William Pfaff’s Web site at www.williampfaff.com. © 2009 Tribune Media Services Inc.  TAGS:
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By Karin Kloosterman, October 23, 2009 at 5:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Wake up people!
Turkey is not acting against what Israel did last year. If that was the case, they
would have acted sooner. I am Israeli who has been to Turkey a number of
times, even after the recent air strike against Gaza launching rockets on Israeli
civilians. They like Israelis, and for the most part Turks are very open-minded,
modern, civilized and compassionate.
Turkey is sending a message to the EU : it is clear by now that the EU won’t
accept Turkey as a full partner. The Turks’ religious government are saying:
fine. Be that way. You don’t want to play with us? We’ll show you what it’s like
when you have a country full of Islamic fundamentalists living next door.
It’s a strategic move, people.
Ataturk would not be proud of what’s happening in Turkey today. Shame.
Report thisTurkey has come so far in its progress to now go backwards in so many steps.
By Sepharad, October 22, 2009 at 10:32 pm Link to this comment
Lorenzo’s information is correct: Judge Goldstone has stated that he is unhappy with the UN treatment of his allegations as facts and that he is more than unhappy with no mention of Hamas war crimes. Re his allegations against Israel, he said he assumed they would be the starting point for an official and independent investigation by Israel (not by the IDF, which to date is the only investigation completed though some of Israel’s human rights groups are also investigatiing). (Frankly, I wondered why he assumed anything like a fair hearing or any understanding that his were allegations to use as a starting point, given the makeup of the group—which includes a number of despotic regimes—looking at said allegations.) British colonel Jeremy Kemp’s statements re IDF in Gaza certainly contradict the allegations of Israel’s wrongdoing, focus on the situation presented IDF fighters by Hamas’ use of the civilian population, and actually praise the IDF’s general behavior vis a vis protecting civilians being used as human shields. I don’t know how familiar Colonel Kemp was with the situation on the ground in Gaza, but British officers in general are not notorious defenders of Israel so I tend to give some weight to his words. I’ve thought for a long time that Israel needs to do an indepth investigation on IDF conduct in Gaza, particularly the role and effect some of the more fundamentalist rabbi chaplains had on some of the troops. It’s evident that IDF soldiers themselves had concerns with individual actions they witnessed, because they were the first ones to question what was being done, took their concerns to an academic who immediately set up a forum for them to voice their concerns.
Report thisBy Lorenzo, October 22, 2009 at 3:24 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
REVISED COPY
To Writer On The Storm. You asked, “Are you trying to say that the long-established legal decisions of the UN and World Court are both wrong and Israel shouldn’t be considered an occupying power?” That isn’t what I said at all. Please reread my words. What I said was that you don’t conduct an investigation into a war where you say before the investigation is even started that one of the parties is guilty of war crimes. How can the accused get a fair hearing with such guidelines? It seems that you do not feel Israel should get a fair hearing and that of course speaks to your own mind set. It should also be noted that Judge Goldstone has now criticized the UN Human Rights Commission for excising all references to Hamas war crimes. This reinforces my statement that the inquiry was biased and the outcome predetermined.
Report thisBy Lorenzo, October 22, 2009 at 3:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
To Writer On The Storm. You asked, “Are you trying to say that the long-established legal decisions of the UN and World Court are both wrong and Israel shouldn’t be considered an occupying power?” That isn’t what I said at all. Please reread my words. What I said was that you don’t conduct an investigation into a war where you say before the investigation is even started that one of the parties is guilty of war cimes. How can the accused get a fair hearing with such guidlines? It seems that you do not feel Israel should get a fair hearing and that of course speaks to your own mind set.It should also be noted that Judge Goldstone has now criticized the UN Human Rights Commisssion for excising all references to Hamas war crimes. This reinforces my statement that the inquiry was biased and the outcome predetermined.
Report thisBy guacamaya, October 22, 2009 at 3:52 am Link to this comment
Could not agree more with WriterOnTheStorm with regards Lorenzo’s post. That Gaza was Israel’s response to the 10,000 rockets launched at Israeli towns by Hamas is a often repeated Zionist propaganda lie. Leading Israeli Scholar Avi Shlaim proves this to be false:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/14/leading_israeli_scholar_avi_shlaim_israel
Also see video of speech by British Jewish MP’s speech in Parliament: Israel acting like Nazis in Gaza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMGuYjt6CP8&feature=related
Report thisBy Sepharad, October 21, 2009 at 9:16 pm Link to this comment
Because individual Turks and groups are distancing themselves from Turkey’s distancing of Israel, and because many Israelis have not really changed their attitude toward the Turks as a whole, I would guess that Turkey’s change of attitude has a lot to do with their attempt to have a relationship with Syria (the non-Shiia governments are getting scared and so trying to get together), as well as with the fact that for the first time since Ataturk the Turkish government’s governing party is an Islamic rather than a secular one. The other issue is that Israel has long been a friend to the Kurds and vice versa, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Iran, Turkey and Syria may be tired of Israel’s tacit and otherwise support of the Kurds.
I’m not going to give up my Turkish coffee or my Turkish friends just yet. The Middle East is a more complex place than anything Machiavelli ever contemplated.
Report thisBy Turkey #1 in my book, October 21, 2009 at 4:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Turkey #1 in my book, thanks for giving the rest of us renewed spirit to fight for
good no matter what the cost. On another note, sorry to see truthdig loose it’s
objectiveness in investigating the news. I only come here now to compare actual
events to the spin given frequently on this site. If you need sponsors so bad, why
don;t you ask the people here for ideas.
As far as the guy why defends Israel, it shows that you know nothing of “actual?
world events.
Go Turkey.
Report thisBy Trailing Begonia, October 21, 2009 at 4:21 pm Link to this comment
Good for the Turkish! It’s about time the world take a stand against this anti-semitic/holocaust(TM)-crying bully.
Report thisBy WriterOnTheStorm, October 21, 2009 at 2:15 pm Link to this comment
Lorenzo,
Are you trying to say that the long-established legal decisions of the UN and World
Court are both wrong and Israel shouldn’t be considered an occupying power? Or are
you merely objecting to the stern language the UN adopts when dealing with
occupying powers?
Neither case would have any bearing whatsoever on the findings of the
investigation. If you object to those findings, then bring your evidence that the
findings are in error. If in fact, you have no exculpatory evidence to offer, then your
comment is just another ideologic rant masquerading as a plea for “justice”.
Alleging court bias is usually the last, desperate refuge of the guilty. Curiously, in
Report thisIsrael’s case, it is always the first line of defense.
By Paul_GA, October 21, 2009 at 1:08 pm Link to this comment
Minor correction for Mr. Pfaff—the Korean War began on June 25, 1950, not in 1951.
Report thisBy MK Ultra, October 21, 2009 at 11:25 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Shame on the Turkeys…errr…Turkish, they should know better than to excluse the Chosen People from anything. How dare they? Now, just for that, no Turkish coffee for you. Come back one year!
Report thisBy Archie1954, October 21, 2009 at 9:21 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Israel is its own worst enemy and the US is responsible for that in large part by insulating Israel from the consquences of its egregious actions.
Report thisBy ender, October 21, 2009 at 8:24 am Link to this comment
Yet the US continues to prop up this terrorist, apartheid state to the tune of $billions in aid and weapons. Then we block UN sanctions that would create consequenses for their attrocities. We will continue to be a target for terrorism and watch our influence in the middle east because of our support of this terrorist state.
Report thisBy Lorenzo, October 21, 2009 at 7:27 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
William Pfaff states that that Israel’s response to the 10,000 rockets launced at Israeli towns by Hamas was disproportionate. He quotes the Goldstone report to verify his claim. He further states that Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the UN Human Rights Commission was because it felt the report was antisemitic. Pfaff’s analysis is not factual and I am sorry to say redolent with Hamas-speak. Israel did not cooperate with the UN Human Rights Commission’s investigation, because the mandate from the United Nations Human Rights Council to the Goldstone Commission was for for the Commisssion “to immediately dispatch an urgent, independent international fact-finding mission to be appointed by the President of the Council, to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by the occupying Power, Israel, against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, due to the current aggression,” In other words, Israel was judged guilty even before the commission started its work. Perhaps at the UN, one is considered guilty before their trial, but in Israel and other democracies, one is considered innocent until proven guilty. Too bad Pfaff is willing to abandon this right when it comes to the Israelis.
Report thisBy Howie Bledsoe, October 21, 2009 at 4:09 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Go Turkey!!!!!!!
Report thisOK, USA, you´re next, let´s do it!!!
By Bilejones, October 20, 2009 at 5:06 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Eventually, the actions of the zionists make support for them impossible.
Report this