I’m quite sure that Bibi is shaking in his boots over this latest demand.
Turkey declared Thursday that it would not tolerate further delay in the release of a United Nations report concerning Israel’s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010, and warned of consequences including sanctions should Israel continue to refuse to apologize for the incident.
Let us recap the issue: The UN report on the Mavi Marmara incident, which has been postponed three times, is going to show that Turkey is at fault.
According to Israeli officials, the 102-page report comes to the following conclusions:
- Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza was legal, as was the interception of vessels trying to break the blockade.
- The IHH activists behind the flotilla were looking for a violent provocation.
- Turkey had a role with the IHH in the flotilla setting sail.
- The IDF soldiers defended themselves after coming up against premeditated violence by those on the ship.
- The IDF soldiers used excessive force.
The publication of the report has been delayed for months in the hopes that Israel and Turkey could reach an amicable agreement that would obviate the need for its publication. The concern is that once the report is released – a report that calls on Israel to express “regret” for the incident, but not apologize – it will be more difficult for Israel and Turkey to reach any type of reconciliation.
Israel has already expressed regret for the loss of life in the incident.
So, even though Israel has already bent over as far as possible towards Turkey’s position, Erdogan is going for broke and trying to get Netanyahu to apologize for having his soldiers attacked by terrorists. Yeah, I’m thinking not. So what are the consequences of a non-apology going to be?
In another reference to the possible consequences that would occur in the eventuality that Israel continued to avoid a public apology for the raid, the Turkish FM said that Turkey intended to ” impose sanctions which both Israel and other international parties are aware of.”
Really? Sanctions? Turkey has already lost more than 90% of its tourism from Israel, which is a huge hit to its tourism industry. Trade between Israel and Turkey? I’m thinking there was almost none. Turkey won’t sell Israel arms? Turkey doesn’t sell Israel arms. The only kind of sanctions Turkey can issue that will harm Israel is support of Israel’s enemies. And the IHH (to name only one Turkish organization) already does that.
Empty threats, and yet, watch the world media leap on them as if they mean something.
Update: When I’m wrong, I’m REALLY wrong. Israeli exports to Turkey total nearly one billion dollars. The question is, will Erdogan stop the trade? It will hurt Turkey, too.