The Gaza Blockade
A collection of press cuttings
Edited by Andy Ross Turkey Versus Israel
David Ignatius, The Washington Post
By attacking the relief flotilla, Israel picked a fight with Turkey. Once
Israel's most important regional ally, Turkey now seeks to challenge
Israel's hegemony as the local superpower. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan is a Muslim populist with a charismatic message: We won't let Israel
push us around. Where Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is often a
buffoon, Erdogan is a genuinely tough rival. The Blockade
We can argue that Israel's blockade of Gaza is legitimate. But a blockade is
an act of war. Israel's actions on the Mavi Marmara reflect a total
disconnect between military means and political ends. The failure appears to
have been the result of gross incompetence and strategic malfeasance. Israel Versus Gaza
The Obama administration considers Israel's blockade of Gaza to be untenable
and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel's security while
allowing more supplies into Gaza. Time To Disengage
The "flotilla affair" offers a good opportunity to complete the
disengagement from the Gaza Strip and leave Hamastan to its own devices.
AR I agree with Benn: Israel
should disengage completely from Gaza and seal the borders. Then it can
treat the first rocket barrage as a pretext for all-out war against
Hamastan. But first try to pacify Turkey — a war that dragged in Turkey as
well as Iran would be unwinnable for Israel. Turkish Press Coverage
Robert Mackey, The New York Times Today’s Zaman, an English-language newspaper in Turkey, reported in detail on the raid: Gaza returnees share horror stories from Israel
Ali Buhamd, deported from Israel along with 18 other activists, was on the
Mavi Marmara, a passenger ship in the flotilla that was attacked by Israeli
naval forces in international waters on Monday. There are at least nine dead
because of the attack according to Israeli officials, but witnesses, such as
Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH) President Bülent Yıldırım, say more people
were killed and their bodies dumped into the sea.
More press cuttings
Edited by Andy Ross Turkey's new role as hero of the Arab world
Turkey is capitalizing on the new adoration of its Arab neighbors. No longer
Trojan Horse of the West but Champion of the Palestinians, a cause where
Arab leaders have failed — that is the new role opening for Turkey. Turkey's role in the Gaza flotilla affair
By Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
Turkey has lost no time in leading the international chorus of condemnation
for Israel's cack-handed response to the Gaza flotilla. Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu even claims that the military interception of the
flotilla has become Turkey's 9/11. AR Israel has massively increased the risk of triggering a historic tragedy for humanity. Like the Spartans at Thermopylae, the Israelis could go down fighting vast armies of enemies — Arabs, Turks and Persians — against whom they have no chance, however valiantly they fight, however hideously they rack up the body count. In the aftermath, the rest of the world would be faced with a regional cauldron of boiling and self-righteous zealots eager to globalize their victory.
Yet more press cuttings Edited by Andy Ross Turkish prosecutors go after Israeli politicians The Istanbul Bakırköy Prosecutor's Office has started a probe into Israel's attack. Among the prosecutors' evidence are the autopsy reports of the eight Turkish citizens and one U.S.-Turkish dual citizen who were killed in the attack. If the prosecutor's office can compile enough evidence against Israel at the end of its probe, it will charge Israeli officials with various crimes, including murder, injury, taking hostages, attacking Turkish citizens on the open seas and piracy. The main suspects in the investigation thus far are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. Navy Boards Rachel Corrie
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu described the boarding of the Rachel
Corrie containing activists and aid for Gaza as a quiet operation. Netanyahu
distinguished between the boat of Irish and Malaysian activists and the
Turkish-sponsored Mavi Marmara: "The different outcome we saw today
underscores the difference between peace activists who we disagree with but
respect their right to express their different opinion and flotilla
participants who were violent extremist supporters of terrorists." AR Netanyahu's praising the peace activists may cause him to reflect on Israeli conduct: if Israel's manners were more peaceful we'd have a more harmonious world. The "tough neighborhood" is tough in part because no-one dare relax among all those hotheads. But someone must be first.
Yet more press cuttings Edited by Andy Ross Israel: We will not apologize
An official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry says the Turkish demand for an
official apology was mainly an excuse to allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to cut diplomatic ties with Israel. Report: Erdogan considering visiting Gaza
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is weighing the possibility of
traveling to the Gaza Strip in order to "break the Israeli blockade," the
Lebanese newspaper al-Mustaqbal reported on Saturday, according to Army
Radio. Flotilla activists: Go back to Auschwitz The Middle East Media Research Institute has released video statements made by Bulent Yildirim, head of the IHH Turkish Islamist organization that organized last week's blockade runners. Addressing his listeners as the "people of paradise," Yildirim said: "Raise your fists to the skies and repeat after me: What can the enemy do to me? I carry paradise in my heart. ... If they kill me — that is martyrdom for the sake of Allah. Allahu akbar." "We had no choice"
When Staff Sergeant "S" abseiled down from an air force Black Hawk
helicopter onto the Mavi Marmara, he did not expect to be landing in what he
called "a battlefield" and facing off against a group of murderous
mercenaries. Turkey not flexing its muscles but pressing for universal values
Questions over the limits of Turkey's soft power have been recently raised
regarding its leverage over its NATO ally the United States in its efforts
to internationalize the issue of the Israeli raid. Ankara has stated that
Israel would have to bear the consequences of violating international law.
AR Now I see the merits
of both sides. The Israelis are doing what they think is right independently
of the risk of massive escalation. The Turks are trying to help the people
of Gaza independently of the Hamas issue. But Israel is right to resist
Hamas. And Turkey is right to press for a more humanitarian resolution.
Another press cutting Edited by Andy Ross Israel and Turkey
The state of Israel may now regret its past collaboration with some of the
worst elements in modern Turkey. If this era of unseemly collaboration is
over, then so much the better. A group of Turkish and Arab activists seek to
donate materials described as humanitarian aid to Hamas. But is it really
humanitarian to make contributions to a ruling party that has a totalitarian
and racist ideology?
Another press cutting Edited by Andy Ross Thorny Turkey
Turkey's prime
minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a hero to the Arab world. His new foreign
policy is openly challenging the way the United States manages Iran’s
nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Another press cutting Edited by Andy Ross Turkey 1, Iran 0
Elliot Hen-Tov and Bernard Haykel
Iran stands to lose much influence as Turkey assumes a new role as the
modern and democratic nation willing to take on Israel and oppose America.
Washington stands to gain if a newly muscular Turkey can adopt a leadership
role in the Sunni Arab world.
AR This is good analysis. Did
someone in Israel see this outcome in advance?
Another press cutting Edited by Andy Ross Turkey and Iran Turkey has emerged as a regional power and the guarantor of Arab interests against Israel and Iran. Either Ankara wants to restore Arab pride by handing over a Hamas scrubbed of Iranian influence or the Turks simply want to use the Palestinian cause to enhance their own regional credentials. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states see that Turkey is Sunni and Iran is Shia. Ankara will mediate between the Arabs and the West.
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