Israelis have been shocked by the harsh anti-Israel rhetoric from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan since Operation Cast Lead, with the Turkish leader calling on the international community to come down hard on Israel for its “war crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza” during the counter-terrorist offensive.
While Turkey has been a longtime ally of Israel, things did change, not during the Gaza War but in 2002, with the rise of the AKP (Justice & Development) Party. While Israel turned a blind eye to new political realities, it became increasingly clear when Turkey invited Hamas leaders to Ankara in 2005. This was a clear message as to the policies of the government, clearly aligning itself with the Hamas terrorist regime in Gaza. This became even more painfully clear during the recent war in Gaza, with the Turkish leader walking out of the Davos Economic Summit in protest, but only after shouting down President Shimon Peres, who was delivering an address explaining Israel’s position, the fact that after eight years of enduring Hamas rocket attacks, the decision was made to strike back in the hope of ending the unprovoked aggression.
Bilateral trade yields over $4 billion annually, and a severing or diminishing of relations would hit both countries hard, Israel and Turkey. The two nations also enjoy high-level military cooperation, including joint maneuvers involving the United States, providing Israel with air and sea space for maneuvers while Turkey enjoys the best of Israeli technology.
For now, tensions remain high as does the rise in anti-Semitism, which of late includes the January attack against the Israeli-owned Bank Pozitif, the attack against the Israeli girls volleyball team, shouts to send Jews so “we can slaughter them” during the game, and the government decision to have all the school children, numbering over 16 million, to observe a minutes of silence to condemn Israel.
Israelis vacationers for the most part are reconsidering travel to Turkey, which is having a serious impact on the nation’s tourism industry, and while optimists believe the trend is only temporary, others fear the situation could deteriorate to a total breakdown in relations.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
I have a plea to all Israeli vacationers; stay at home a arrange a chavrusa. Life is too precious to risk to losing one’s life overseas at a vacation.
THIS IS WHAT happens when Islamic parties come to power, also the Iraqi government that Bush brought to power is just as anti-Israel as Hussein (not Obama but Saddam). Geroge W. Bush a president that makes Jimmy Carter look good
i wonder if that minute of silence to condem israel is mida keneged mida for the minutes of silence enacted in israel which cause so much conflict (and were already condemed by the gedolim as another go at trying to be a non-jewish county- chukos hagoyim)