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Apology? Extortion
The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
March 24, 2013
Posted by Ariel Blumenthal
On Thursday, as President Obama was getting ready to deliver his
vision of peace to Israeli students, the alternative to that vision
was typically expressed by a rocket attack from Gaza. On Thursday
morning the contrast between the two visions was clearly illustrated;
Just a day later the violent alternative received a tremendous boost.
Hamas applauded Turkish PM Erdogan on finally getting his apology,
declaring it `A victory' - and so they should: The effort to rescue
the Hamas regime in Gaza, taken by the Turkish Islamist organization
IHH three years ago, ended Friday with their calamitous moral
victory. Since IHH radicals on board of the Mavi Marmara are still too
often related to as `carrying humanitarian aid' and as `peace
activists', I'm inclined to remind my readers who they were, via this
3:35 video I made with my friend Guy Ross
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb-G1PlFGIs&feature=player_embedded).
No, these were no peace activists attacked by ruthless commandos while
selflessly seeking justice; These were fanatic Islamists confronted
with paint guns while seeking martyrdom and itching for a holy
fight. These `peace activists', die-hard supporters of Hamas and the
alternative it offers to the region, were never looking for peace. And
on Thursday morning, back in their homes in Turkey, they were very
happy to see some rockets flying into Israel. These are the people
granted an apology.
Beyond the context of intent and ideology, there's also the issue of
affiliation. Three years ago the Muslim Brotherhood was unknown to the
Western public; Today it's a household name, making the significance
of IHH's ties to the global Brotherhood clear. A report by the
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs showed that `The IHH ... was an
integral part of a Turkish Muslim Brotherhood network' and that `Since
2006, Turkey has become a new center for the Global Muslim
Brotherhood, while the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip acted as the
main axis for this activity.' You can't expect the IHH to care for
Shiites, or even non-Brotherhood Sunnis (like the Palestinian
Authority). The flotilla was an act of alliance between Muslim
Brotherhood affiliates; The thin veneer of `humanitarian aid' that
miraculously still holds, was intended for those who are foolish
enough to still believe in it.
Erdogan did not hesitate to throw his weight behind the IHH and keep
it there for three years. The PM and his Justice and Development
party, (which last year received Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal with a
standing ovation and `damn Israel!' chants), are Brotherhood
sympathizers, if not affiliates themselves. The moral ramifications
are to be expected.
Erdogan doesn't think Hamas is a terrorist organization, but calls
Israel a `terrorist nation'. He takes no notice of Hamas' violence and
accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, while ironically facing a very
similar situation with the Kurdish PKK, a challenge he responds to
with lethal ferociousness. Describing Erdogan as a non-objective
mediator is an understatement. In 1998 he said that `the image of the
Jews is no different than that of the Nazis'; In 2011 he rallied an
Arab League meeting: `Israel must pay the price for its aggression and
crimes.' He told his Parliament that Israel is engaged in ethnic
cleansing; He said that `Israel is inexplicably cruel' and `hiding
behind the Nazi Holocaust'. Some classic Antisemitic themes? Here you
go: `The world media is under the control of Israel' and `Wherever
Jews settle, they make money.' Bizarro roots? By all means: Back in
1974 Mr. Erdogan wrote, directed and starred in the play `Maskomya'
about a Free-Mason - Communist - Jewish (Mas-Kom-Ya) evil conspiracy.
And finally, just three weeks ago he told a press conference in Vienna
that Zionism is a crime against humanity. This coming from the PM of
Turkey, whose nationalism cost an enormous number of Armenian, Greek
and Kurdish lives - is infuriating. This is the man granted an
apology...? The game of apologies in the Middle East is a one-way
affair: the provocateur demands it, the provocateur is granted it.
Commentator Robin Wright was correct to say on Friday's =80=9CLeft
Right & Center' that the apology `was the most important thing to come
out of Obama's visit'. The diplomatic necessity for Turkish-Israeli
cooperation in light of the chaos in Syria is clear; Access to NATO
facilities in Turkey and the dismissal of abusive legal charges
against Israeli officers are just two of many immediate benefits. It's
a prospect you can't refuse.
This is an artificial apology, a product of extortion. Israelis don't
believe in it, their PM had to eat a dish-full of frogs in order to
make the call. The Turkish PM will escalate again very soon - he won't
be able to help it. It's the ideology, stupid. Did I hear
reconciliation? Erdogan was remarkably quick to cool it down on
Saturday using confrontational language the world has grown so deaf to
identify.
The moral consequences are devastating. If I were an Islamist anywhere
in the world - I'd be launching a new flotilla tomorrow. For the rest
of the world, the understanding of good and bad intentions, violent
and peaceful ideologies and the very principle of justice, is more
blurry today. As I wrote here yesterday, reality and perception are
growing further and further removed.
Follow me on Twitter: @lostroadtopeace
The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
March 24, 2013
Posted by Ariel Blumenthal
On Thursday, as President Obama was getting ready to deliver his
vision of peace to Israeli students, the alternative to that vision
was typically expressed by a rocket attack from Gaza. On Thursday
morning the contrast between the two visions was clearly illustrated;
Just a day later the violent alternative received a tremendous boost.
Hamas applauded Turkish PM Erdogan on finally getting his apology,
declaring it `A victory' - and so they should: The effort to rescue
the Hamas regime in Gaza, taken by the Turkish Islamist organization
IHH three years ago, ended Friday with their calamitous moral
victory. Since IHH radicals on board of the Mavi Marmara are still too
often related to as `carrying humanitarian aid' and as `peace
activists', I'm inclined to remind my readers who they were, via this
3:35 video I made with my friend Guy Ross
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb-G1PlFGIs&feature=player_embedded).
No, these were no peace activists attacked by ruthless commandos while
selflessly seeking justice; These were fanatic Islamists confronted
with paint guns while seeking martyrdom and itching for a holy
fight. These `peace activists', die-hard supporters of Hamas and the
alternative it offers to the region, were never looking for peace. And
on Thursday morning, back in their homes in Turkey, they were very
happy to see some rockets flying into Israel. These are the people
granted an apology.
Beyond the context of intent and ideology, there's also the issue of
affiliation. Three years ago the Muslim Brotherhood was unknown to the
Western public; Today it's a household name, making the significance
of IHH's ties to the global Brotherhood clear. A report by the
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs showed that `The IHH ... was an
integral part of a Turkish Muslim Brotherhood network' and that `Since
2006, Turkey has become a new center for the Global Muslim
Brotherhood, while the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip acted as the
main axis for this activity.' You can't expect the IHH to care for
Shiites, or even non-Brotherhood Sunnis (like the Palestinian
Authority). The flotilla was an act of alliance between Muslim
Brotherhood affiliates; The thin veneer of `humanitarian aid' that
miraculously still holds, was intended for those who are foolish
enough to still believe in it.
Erdogan did not hesitate to throw his weight behind the IHH and keep
it there for three years. The PM and his Justice and Development
party, (which last year received Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal with a
standing ovation and `damn Israel!' chants), are Brotherhood
sympathizers, if not affiliates themselves. The moral ramifications
are to be expected.
Erdogan doesn't think Hamas is a terrorist organization, but calls
Israel a `terrorist nation'. He takes no notice of Hamas' violence and
accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, while ironically facing a very
similar situation with the Kurdish PKK, a challenge he responds to
with lethal ferociousness. Describing Erdogan as a non-objective
mediator is an understatement. In 1998 he said that `the image of the
Jews is no different than that of the Nazis'; In 2011 he rallied an
Arab League meeting: `Israel must pay the price for its aggression and
crimes.' He told his Parliament that Israel is engaged in ethnic
cleansing; He said that `Israel is inexplicably cruel' and `hiding
behind the Nazi Holocaust'. Some classic Antisemitic themes? Here you
go: `The world media is under the control of Israel' and `Wherever
Jews settle, they make money.' Bizarro roots? By all means: Back in
1974 Mr. Erdogan wrote, directed and starred in the play `Maskomya'
about a Free-Mason - Communist - Jewish (Mas-Kom-Ya) evil conspiracy.
And finally, just three weeks ago he told a press conference in Vienna
that Zionism is a crime against humanity. This coming from the PM of
Turkey, whose nationalism cost an enormous number of Armenian, Greek
and Kurdish lives - is infuriating. This is the man granted an
apology...? The game of apologies in the Middle East is a one-way
affair: the provocateur demands it, the provocateur is granted it.
Commentator Robin Wright was correct to say on Friday's =80=9CLeft
Right & Center' that the apology `was the most important thing to come
out of Obama's visit'. The diplomatic necessity for Turkish-Israeli
cooperation in light of the chaos in Syria is clear; Access to NATO
facilities in Turkey and the dismissal of abusive legal charges
against Israeli officers are just two of many immediate benefits. It's
a prospect you can't refuse.
This is an artificial apology, a product of extortion. Israelis don't
believe in it, their PM had to eat a dish-full of frogs in order to
make the call. The Turkish PM will escalate again very soon - he won't
be able to help it. It's the ideology, stupid. Did I hear
reconciliation? Erdogan was remarkably quick to cool it down on
Saturday using confrontational language the world has grown so deaf to
identify.
The moral consequences are devastating. If I were an Islamist anywhere
in the world - I'd be launching a new flotilla tomorrow. For the rest
of the world, the understanding of good and bad intentions, violent
and peaceful ideologies and the very principle of justice, is more
blurry today. As I wrote here yesterday, reality and perception are
growing further and further removed.
Follow me on Twitter: @lostroadtopeace