No apology to Turkey
The Israeli government has decided to look out for Israel, and as a result has left Barack Hussein Obama holding the bag. Obama deserves it.
The Obama administration convinced Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to agree not to bring down the government in the event that Israel apologized to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident. But Netanyahu decided not to apologize anyway (the Israeli media is reporting that Netanyahu 'backed out' but it doesn't sound like he was ever in to back out). And for good reason.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that an Israeli apology to Turkey will not improve the ties between the two countries.Something else for which we can thank the 'social protesters.' Heh.
"[Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep] Erdogan will not make do with just an apology… He also demands lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip," Lieberman told Israel Radio, insisting that Israel does not have to apologize for the 2010 Israel Defense Forces raid on a Gaza-bound ship in which nine Turkish activists were killed.
...
Meanwhile, Army Radio reported on Thursday that the U.S. had already managed to secure an Israeli-Turkish reconciliation agreement two weeks ago, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed out of the deal at the last minute.
The reconciliation deal was reported to include an Israeli apology for tactical errors done during the IDF raid on the Mavi Marmara ship, part of last year's Gaza flotilla, and agree to transfer of funds to a Turkish foundation for those killed in the raid. In turn, Turkey would commit to refrain from suing Israel or IDF soldiers who took part in the raid.
According to the report, Netanyahu initially explained that Israel cannot apologize since Lieberman will respond by breaking up the coalition. The U.S. then pressured Lieberman to promise he will not do so, and the foreign minister went on to make a public statement that apology or not, he will not dismantle Netanyahu's coalition.
However at the last moment, Netanyahu explained that due to Israel's increasing social protests, he cannot allow himself to open another front when his popularity is at a low.
Labels: Avigdor Lieberman, Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Mavi Marmara, Turkish obsession with Israel
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:32 PM
2 Comments:
Its just wonderful Israel's social protests stiffened the Israeli government's spine at a critical time. After the three weeks, thanks be to G-d, good news is arriving like a gift from Him!
Heh
...or Bibi could just have told Obama there will be no apology because only a craven putz would try to put Israel's essential security interests in jeopardy by cobbling together an adhoc split-the-difference mechukmuk "compromise" rewarding Turkey for sub rosa warfare.
That Turkish commitment not to sue (let them sue) like all things Obama--commitments, assurances, speeches, timelines, budgets, promises, guarantees, words--would have been written on an Etch-A-Sketch.
Post a Comment
<< Home