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STOP BLAMING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT FOR REGION'S TURBULENCE
Evelyn Gordon
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/09/23/israeli-palestinian-conflict-turkey-egypt/
09.23.2011 - 9:30 AM
With President Barack Obama so far saying and doing all the right
things at the UN this week, it's depressing to realize his basic
worldview hasn't changed: He still sees the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict as the root of all regional troubles. As he said in a
conference call with American rabbis yesterday, "The most important
thing we can do to stabilize the strategic situation for Israel is
if we can actually resolve the Palestinian-Israeli crisis because
that's what feeds so much of the tumult in Egypt ... That's what
I think has created the deep tension between Turkey and Israel and
Turkey has historically been a friend and ally of Israel's."
Let's start with Turkey. During the last few weeks, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send warships to the
Mediterranean to challenge Cyprus's plans to drill for undersea gas.
He threatened to suspend ties with the European Union if Cyprus
takes up the EU's rotating presidency as scheduled next year. He has
repeatedly bombed Kurdish areas of Iraq, and threatened to cooperate
with Iran in a larger-scale operation in Iraq's Qandil mountains. And
despite his much-ballyhooed peace initiative with Armenia, he not only
still refuses to apologize for the Armenian genocide Turkey perpetrated
in the 20th century, but is now demanding Armenia apologize to Turkey.
So are Turkey's increasingly violent and threatening relations with
Cyprus, Iraq, Armenia and the EU also due to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict? Or is it just possible that the problem - in relations with
Israel as well - is Erdogan's megalomania and short fuse, which are
rapidly turning Turkey's vaunted policy of "zero problems" with its
neighbors into one of "problems with all its neighbors"?
As for Egypt, consider one revealing recent report: Cairo has just
banned the export of palm fronds - a vital component of the lulav,
a ritual object used in the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot - not
only to Israel, but to Jewish communities worldwide. In previous years,
Egypt has supplied up to 40 percent of the global demand for lulavim.
Egypt's economic situation is dire. According to a recent report
by its central bank, the country had a $9.2 billion balance of
payments deficit for the fiscal year ending in June; income from
tourism is down almost 50 percent; foreign investors are fleeing;
and the Egyptian pound has lost 12 percent against the dollar since
the revolution began in January. So you'd think Egypt would welcome
a chance to earn some much-needed foreign currency.
Instead, it has banned palm frond exports to Jewish communities
worldwide. So is that, too, due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Or it just possible that the problem - in relations with Israel
as well - is the rabid anti-Semitism Egyptian politicians and the
media have inculcated in the public for years? (See here and here
for some examples.)
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is just one factor among many in the
region's turbulence, and rarely is it the most important one. But it
seems no amount of evidence will ever convince your average Western
liberal of that.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Evelyn Gordon
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/09/23/israeli-palestinian-conflict-turkey-egypt/
09.23.2011 - 9:30 AM
With President Barack Obama so far saying and doing all the right
things at the UN this week, it's depressing to realize his basic
worldview hasn't changed: He still sees the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict as the root of all regional troubles. As he said in a
conference call with American rabbis yesterday, "The most important
thing we can do to stabilize the strategic situation for Israel is
if we can actually resolve the Palestinian-Israeli crisis because
that's what feeds so much of the tumult in Egypt ... That's what
I think has created the deep tension between Turkey and Israel and
Turkey has historically been a friend and ally of Israel's."
Let's start with Turkey. During the last few weeks, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send warships to the
Mediterranean to challenge Cyprus's plans to drill for undersea gas.
He threatened to suspend ties with the European Union if Cyprus
takes up the EU's rotating presidency as scheduled next year. He has
repeatedly bombed Kurdish areas of Iraq, and threatened to cooperate
with Iran in a larger-scale operation in Iraq's Qandil mountains. And
despite his much-ballyhooed peace initiative with Armenia, he not only
still refuses to apologize for the Armenian genocide Turkey perpetrated
in the 20th century, but is now demanding Armenia apologize to Turkey.
So are Turkey's increasingly violent and threatening relations with
Cyprus, Iraq, Armenia and the EU also due to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict? Or is it just possible that the problem - in relations with
Israel as well - is Erdogan's megalomania and short fuse, which are
rapidly turning Turkey's vaunted policy of "zero problems" with its
neighbors into one of "problems with all its neighbors"?
As for Egypt, consider one revealing recent report: Cairo has just
banned the export of palm fronds - a vital component of the lulav,
a ritual object used in the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot - not
only to Israel, but to Jewish communities worldwide. In previous years,
Egypt has supplied up to 40 percent of the global demand for lulavim.
Egypt's economic situation is dire. According to a recent report
by its central bank, the country had a $9.2 billion balance of
payments deficit for the fiscal year ending in June; income from
tourism is down almost 50 percent; foreign investors are fleeing;
and the Egyptian pound has lost 12 percent against the dollar since
the revolution began in January. So you'd think Egypt would welcome
a chance to earn some much-needed foreign currency.
Instead, it has banned palm frond exports to Jewish communities
worldwide. So is that, too, due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Or it just possible that the problem - in relations with Israel
as well - is the rabid anti-Semitism Egyptian politicians and the
media have inculcated in the public for years? (See here and here
for some examples.)
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is just one factor among many in the
region's turbulence, and rarely is it the most important one. But it
seems no amount of evidence will ever convince your average Western
liberal of that.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress