Visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week he is confident that if asked to continue mediating between Israel and Syria, Turkey will fall in line again, as it has in the past.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu however disagrees, and in light of Turkey’s recent hostile attitude towards Israel, he no longer sees how Ankara can continue mediating diplomatic efforts between Jerusalem and Damascus. The prime minister disagreed with Moratinos, insisting he cannot see how Turkey can act as an honest broker after releasing vehemently anti-Israeli statements and accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza.

Relations between Israel and Turkey continue to deteriorate in light of recent events, and travel agents report that while Israelis who made reservations in Turkey are not canceling, since they do not wish to lose their money, the number of reservations since Turkey ousted Israel from the multinational military exercises and continues to speak against Israel have dropped significantly. There is also a reported drop in the number of vehicles purchased from Turkey, that is to say vehicles such as the Honda Civic which is assembled in Turkey and then imported to Israel.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)