The Israeli government faces international disputes with some countries in the region, and this time they are Israel’s allies.
It started with Turkey. And now, it has expanded to Jordan.
King Abdullah of Jordan cautioned Israel to avoid the consequences of excessive force in Jerusalem during recent protests by Palestinian and Muslim demonstrators. The word of warning from Abdullah also reflects a sense that Israel is attempting to expand settlement activity around the holy city in an effort to fortify Jerusalem as Israel’s. A “ring” of settlements around Jerusalem would complicate dividing the city in the event of a final two-state solution.
Today, another Turkey-related story emerged, this time characterizing Ankara as the hero.
Turkish news reported that Turkish authorities thwarted a terrorist plot against Israeli, NATO, and U.S. targets. An elite police squad from Istanbul arrested 32 individuals with terror links in eight different provinces throughout Turkey. Additional information has yet to emerge.
“Teams from the Istanbul Anti-Terror Squad have launched an operation against al Qaeda members found to be planning operations against US and Israeli representative offices and NATO installations.”
First, it was a dispute on the Gaza War between Israeli President Shimon Peres and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Then, an IDF General rebuked Turkish criticisms of Israel by conjuring images of the Armenian genocide.
Now, the Turkish military ousted the IDF from a joint military exercise.
But wait, its still going.
A new Turkish television program, Ayrilik, is about a romance during the recent Gaza War and depicts Israeli soldiers as boorish murderers, drawing sharp criticisms from Israeli officials, particularly from Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. In response to the program, Lieberman said:
“Such a drama series, which doesn’t even have the slightest link
to reality and which presents Israeli soldiers as murderers of
innocent children, isn’t worthy of being broadcast even by enemy
states and certainly not in a state which has full diplomatic
relations with Israel.”
Some analysts are describing the recent military tension as a “strategic blow” to Israel, claiming that support from virtually no other countries could fulfill the same role of Turkey as a regional ally. Ron Ben-Yishai writes:
“Israel has indeed embarked on a process of seeking substitutes to the strategic advantages offered by the relationship with Turkey. However, this process is difficult and complex, and it is doubtful whether it will compensate us for the lost ties with Ankara.”
Similarly, in response to Israel’s removal from the military exercise, Erdogan defended the move, citing domestic tension from Turkish citizens regarding Turkish cooperation with Israel. Erdogan said:
“There is military cooperation between Turkey and Israel… but currently there are diplomatic sensitivities that we have to take into consideration.”
Regardless of the disputes, Israeli military technology companies claim that sales to Turkey are slowly slipping, making Italy the largest supplier of military equipment to Turkey. The decline in sales represents the changing relationship between Israel and Turkey, partially due to a recent shift in Turkish policies towards Islam. One military source told Ynet:
“If additional proof of the change occurring in Turkey were needed, this is one of them.”
Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that Israeli exports to Turkey dropped 40-percent during the first three-quarters of this year, a significantly larger percentage than the average 22-percent drop. Similarly, the debt from Turkish companies to Israeli firms skyrocketed 90-percent during the same time frame.
While Turkey and Armenia seem to be mending their relationship, a growing rift is still developing between Turkey and Israel, largely over disagreements on the Gaza War earlier this year.
The Turkish government ousted Israel from participating in an international joint military exercise scheduled to include the air forces of Turkey, Israel, the United States, and Italy. Following the dismissal of Israel from the drill, both the United States and Italy opted-out of the exercise.
The Turkish government’s official statement on the removal of Israel from the drill did not mention the Gaza offensive, however one official clearly indicated a correlation between the exercise and the Gaza War.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday in an interview with CNN:
“We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved, that the situation will be back to the diplomatic track. And that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations as well. But in the existing situation, of course, we are criticizing this approach, [the] Israeli approach.”
The rift between Israel and Turkey grew earlier this year over disagreements on the use of force during the Gaza offensive. High-ranking Turkish officials condemned the attacks, eliciting anti-Turkish statements from a high-ranking IDF official. The recent drill incident reflects the duality of the Islamization of Turkey, torn between attempting to join the European Union and establishing closer ties with the Muslim world.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak played down the drill’s cancellation at a cabinet meeting, stating:
“In spite of the ups and downs, Turkey continues to be a central figure in our region. There is no place for getting drawn into fiery statements against them…
“The relations between Israel and Turkey are strategic and have existed for dozens of years.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon echoed Barak and said:
“Turkey is very important, and our relationship is very strategic. Turkey is very important for the stability and promotion of peace in the Middle East…
“Here is a Muslim country that is both a democracy and tolerant, living in good relations with Israel because it is in the interest of both countries to do so.”
An Israeli women won a prize much more important than being the champion of “More to Love” (see a previous blog post) Ada Yonath won this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry for discoveries in the structures of ribosomes that help them function. The work has implications in developing antibiotics and preventing bacteria from becoming resistant to antibiotics.
Describing her work, Yonath said:
“The topic was such that if a breakthrough could really be achieved, it would have Nobel-winning potential. It was considered difficult to the point of impossible….
“People were skeptical and I myself wasn’t sure we would make it – but indeed we did.”
In the midst of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s clandestine trip to Moscow earlier this month, initial rumors surfaced falsely indicated that the Israeli leader met with Arab leaders. These rumors raised some eyebrows of potential coordination between Israel and Arab countries without ties to the Jewish state, particularly Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries.
Moreover, any Israeli air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would require the use of Saudi Arabian or Iraqi air space. Because of the negative ramifications towards the United States by Iraqis for permitting Israel fly-over authority, any air strike would likely incorporate Saudi territory. Rumors circulated earlier this year that Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with Saudi officials to secure fly-over permission.
A new INSS report highlights another benefit of improved Israel-Gulf state relations, namely money. The financial support by Gulf states for the peace process would prop-up a young Palestinian state and help propel pan-Arab support for a peace deal. The report states:
“Furthermore, the Gulf states might give added momentum to the peace process, and if and when an Israel-Palestinian/Arab peace agreement is signed, they may help finance it….
“At most, the future role the Gulf states will likely be that of donors, for example by financing joint Israeli-Palestinian projects, or of facilitators, by hosting rounds of talks at home.”
Knowing the key role that Saudi Arabia would play in peace talks, U.S. officials recently urged Gulf States to normalize ties with Israel.
Following months of mutual cooperation on anti-terrorism initiatives and attempts to secure the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Israeli-Egyptian relations seem to be taking a hit this week as multiple events accentuated the perpetual tension between the two nations. The countries concluded their decades-long war under the guidance of U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 1979, although many analysts describe the peace as “cold” because of the continued border tension, minimal cooperation, and deep-seated distrust between the two countries’ citizens.
For starters, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Ghei penned a letter to the United Nations Security Council calling for international supervision of nuclear programs in the Middle East, including “Israel’s nuclear capabilities.” Even though Israel likely developed its first nuclear weapons at least 40 years ago, the country remains mum on its capabilities and refuses to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. A resolution passed at last week’s International Atomic Energy Agency general assembly calls for international inspections of Israel’s nuclear facility in Dimona. Versions of the resolution introduced at previous IAEA meetings failed primarily due to efforts from the United States and European countries to convince developing nations to oppose the motion.
In parallel to the nuclear issue, Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosny blamed the West, and Jews in particular, for his defeat in elections for the leadership role of UNESCO, the leading international cultural and education entity. Critics of Hosny questioned his ability to perform in the role due to excessive censorship in Egypt and Hosny’s previous comments that called for the burning of Israeli books. Upon losing, Hosny blamed ”European countries and the world’s Jews” for his defeat as opposed to considering how his comments on censoring the literature of other cultures would potentially conflict with his ability to serve as the world’s leading cultural liaison.
Lastly, the Israeli Foreign Ministry went into an uproar over a recent cartoon in Al-Ahram that depicts Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with a large nose, pointy ears, and a scheming glare. Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Yossi Gal summoned Egypt’s Ambassador to Israel Yasser Rida to admonish him over the cartoon and asked him to relay to Cairo Israel’s firm objections over the insulting depiction.
(Full disclosure: Even though I find the cartoon highly -highly, highly…. highly- entertaining, the caricature represents an anti-Israel and, more importantly, anti-Semitic sentiment. By highlighting Netanyahu’s nose and making him appear ‘evil,’ the cartoon taps into centuries-old stereotypes of Jews that were historically used to foster and breed anti-Antisemitism.)
The newest INSS report examines the complex relationship between Israel and Russia alongside recent efforts for increased cooperation between the two countries. Russia, and previously the U.S.S.R., always sought a prominent role in the Middle East, at times forging alliances with Arab countries to counteract the U.S.-Israel relationship. Further, as Russia attempts to regain its stature as a world leader, the country’s leaders simultaneously seek a function in the resumption of the Arab-Israeli peace process while also supplying some of Israel’s enemies with munitions, such as anti-aircraft systems. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently undertook a secret trip to Russia, reportedly to discuss the cessation or Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria. Further, Israeli President Shimon Peres met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last month. In subsequent interviews, Medvedev claimed that Peres ruled out an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Peres, however, disputed the charge, insisting that Medvedev misunderstood.
See excerpts from the article below:
“In addition to Russia’s interest in becoming actively involved in the Middle East peace process, recent Russian-Israeli contacts suggest the possibility of a Russian initiative in formulating new operational proposals for this process or even a more far-reaching possibility, such as the attempt to mediate between Israel and one of Russia’s radical partners in theMiddle East. If so, this could augur a real breakthrough in Middle East affairs, or at least a positive Russian effort to find ways to exit the Middle East quagmire.”….
“At the same time, however, Russia is careful to continue developing its positive relations with the opposite camp: its sweeping support for Iran continues, even though at least superficially it seems that there is cooperation with the international community to stop the Iranian nuclear program. Its sweeping support for Syria also continues, and it is also clear that Russia is making significant efforts to exert its influence vis-à-vis the Palestinians.”….
“Given the changing international reality, it appears that Israel too is more ready to examine new proposals. For Israel, Russia was and still is an important country, both in the international context and bilaterally. It is inIsrael’s interest to generate changes in Russia’s current policy, based as it is on sweeping support for Israel’s enemies, and to encourage Russia to work towards finding a foundation for positive international cooperation in the Middle East.”
This video is pretty telling of Israeli humor. It’s more a combination of confusing and awkward as opposed to roll-on-the-floor laughing.
The video mocks the recent diplomatic rifts between Israel and some northern European countries. Norway recently cut ties with an Israeli firm after objections to the border barrier (wall and fence) between mainland Israel and the West Bank. Previously, a Swedish news article on alleged harvesting of Palestinian organs by IDF troops led to cries of anti-Semitism and fear of a new blood-libel.
Young Israelis often perform a mass exodus from the country upon completing compulsory military service in their early twenties. The Israel Defense Forces provide departing soldiers with a small stipend to supplement the meager pay they received while serving. Instead of saving the cash, many Israelis take a trip to South America, Thailand, or India to take a much needed vacation where the value of one shekel can go a long way. Due to the massive number of Israelis traveling around the world, locals often think Israel is a huge country with a population in the hundreds of millions.
However, some of the people in India may not be as welcoming as we thought. The Israeli Counter Terrorism Bureau warned travelers in India of a severe terror threat targeting Jewish and Israeli centers on the eve of Rosh Hashana. The warning focused on a potential attack from a Pakistani terror group linked to Al-Qaeda, the same organization that orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai attacks that targeted some Jewish centers and resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 people.
Chabad, an ultra-religious group with offices throughout the world in an effort to provide Jewish services to the diaspora and travellers, intends to hold multiple services and dinners for Israelis visiting India.
In a statement from the Israeli government announcing the threat stated:
“The terrorist group that carried out the serious Mumbai attack in India is planning to carry out a number of attacks across India, particularly against concentrations of Western or Israeli tourists.”
An Israeli women 
