Fixing The Western Alliance - Israel's Apology



Benjamin Netanyahu's telephoned apology to Recep Erdogan of Turkey, in respect of the deaths of nine Turkish citizens on the Marmara in 2010, provided a dramatic ending to Barack Obama's visit to Israel.

Erdogan has declared this a victory for Turkey's "principled stand" over the past three years.

Netanyahu is linking this apparent Israeli back-down to events in Syria.

Commentators are referring to Obama pressuring Netanyahu - pointing out that Obama personally spoke first on the phone with Erdogan, and then closed the Netanyahu/Erdogan conversation after the apology was delivered and accepted.

In 2009 and 2010,  Erdogan set his nation on a collision course against Israel,with a series of attacks, including the 2009 Davos diatribe against Shimon Peres, Erdogan's vitriolic & hostile rhetoric against Israel - climaxing during the Gaza War in 2010, and saber rattling with threats to set Turkey's navy on Israel's gas exploration rigs around Cyprus.

A lot has changed regionally since then and I suppose that's why Netanyahu agreed to apologise (beyond the previous statements of "regret"), and why Erdogan accepted (short of his demand that Israel remove the blockade on Gaza).

Turkey's attempts to become a regional power have floundered; and Turkey's budding relationships in 2009 with Iran and Syria, have gone very sour. Even Turkey's attempts to woo the Arab Spring resulted in fewer friends for Turkey, not more.

But the most powerful logic to the kiss-and-make-up between Turkey and Israel is the need for the USA to have a united alliance in the middle east.

With Iran and Syria top of the US foreign policy worry-list, the USA needs a concerted and reliable front of  allies.

Having Turkey at Israel's throat, US interests - and of course, also Israel and Turkey's interests - were not being served.

Obama's successful effort to bridge the gap, getting both sides to swallow some pride (that seems to be the extent of the obstacle), can have substantial dividends in the USA actively and practically confronting the evil regimes of Iran and Syria.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why IS That Man Taking Such An Interest In My Child??

Image
[Introductory Note: There have been several cases in Bet Shemesh/RBS in recent weeks of charismatic men who have a Pied Piper influence over kids, some of whom they allegedly have molested. The kids' parents were aware of the 'specialness' of the relationship, even the peculiarity, but were not aware of the risks. I offer this article as guidance to help parents become more aware of the potential downside of these relationships. I have used males, but whereas most pedophiles are male, their child victims can be equally likely girls or boys.]   ------- If you reminisce back to your school days,   you can probably think of a specific adult who had a profound influence on you and helped you overcome your growing-up challenges.  There are some particularly gifted and wonderful people who are able to bridge an age gap, and thereby positively engage with someone who is even many years their junior. Such people can apply this talent to working with kids and youth in a profe
Read more

Marrying a Soloveitchik

Image
Mazaltov! My nephew, Gedaliah Kestenbaum married Devori Soloveitchik in Jerusalem last week. Gedaliah has married into rabbinical aristocracy .    Devori is the daughter of  Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik, and the grand-daughter of Rabbi  Meshulam Dovid (Reb Dovid) Soloveitchik , who is Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Brisk (one of the two) in Jerusalem . The Soloveitchik's are a rabbinical dynasty descended from Rabbi  Yosef Dov (HaLevi) Soloveitchik (The "Beis Halevi") and his son Rabbi  Chaim Soloveitchik ("Reb Chaim Brisker"). Rav Chaim's sons Rabbi  Yitzchak Zev (Reb Velvel) Soloveitchik ("The GRIZ" The Brisker Rov) and Rabbi  Moshe Soloveitchik seem to have gone in different hashkafik directions. Whereas Reb Velvel's descendents are predominantly right wing hareidim, Rav Moshe's branch are leaders in the Modern Orthodox/National Religious hashkafa – most notably Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ("The Rav")
Read more

Hoax Letter Sent to Synagogue

Image
            (Beis Tefillah Synagogue, Ramat Beit Shemesh) The following hoax letter has been sent to members of the Beis Tefillah Synagogue board of management, as if it was written by Rabbi CM [ed. name respectfully withheld] who serves as their rabbi: I think that as long as David Morris sets policy for L.A [ed. Lema'an Achai ], and is their public face,  I will not allow L.A. to use the Shul for fundraising purposes. This will change if: 1)David M apologizes publicly for stating,and insinuating again and again(in many forums,but especially in his childish Tzedek Tzedek blog) that , as a group ,  "Rabbis" (of RBSA ) are guilty of aiding and abetting and enabling child molesters.(And that of course that leaves LA to come to the rescue of our children.) OR IF  2)LA  publicly , clearly,and unambiguously disavows such statements .They must say--we clearly,and unambiguously ,disavow  statements or blogs which say or imply that  Rabbis  of RBSA (as a group ) aid or a
Read more