Israel Matzav

Jews still can't admit Turkey is an enemy

It's high time that we recognize both our friends and our enemies. Since the flotilla incident in May, and even before then, Turkey is an enemy. So why are three mainstream Jewish organizations denying a role in pushing an anti-Turkish resolution through the US Congress?

A report last week in Congressional Quarterly said the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbied for the nonbinding resolution passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 28 by voice vote.

Officials for all three groups denied any such role to JTA.

A spokesman for Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), a Greek American who initiated the legislation, would say only that "we did not seek support of any outside group, although many Jewish members of Congress cosponsored the resolution."

Four Jewish lawmakers are among the 27 sponsors. One is Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the powerful chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Another is Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), whose district has a strong Armenian presence and who routinely has taken on Turkey in his House career.

Another cosponsor, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Calif.), is of Greek-Jewish heritage. The House has more than 30 Jewish members.

The Congressional Quarterly story cast what it said was pro-Israel support for the resolution as part of deteriorating Israel-Turkey relations in the wake of the 2009 Gaza war and Israel's deadly May 31 raid on a Turkish-flagged aid flotilla attempting to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Israel and Greece have enhanced ties over the summer, in part because Turkey recently canceled joint military exercises.

Bilirakis at a recent Washington conference promoting Israeli-Greek ties said such an evolution was natural, blaming Turkey for alienating both countries. But diplomats from Greece and Israel at the conference were at pains to say that enhanced ties would not be at Turkey's expense.

Let's be blunt. Israel is wisely replacing Turkey with Greece in many areas, particularly as a military partner and as a tourist destination. What's wrong with saying that? What's wrong with letting the Turks understand that the Jewish community will no longer use whatever influence it has in Congress to protect the Turks from condemnation for their atrocities (in Armenia, Cyprus and Kurdistan) as the Jewish community has done in the past? Why do we turn the other cheek to enemies while being less helpful than we could be to friends?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:44 PM