By Barry Rubin
The "Godfather" film coined a famous phrase: To make someone an offer they can't refuse. But in diplomacy there's the opposite phenomen: To send someone an ultimatum you know they can't accept. An example of the latter is recent Turkish government diplomacy toward (or should I say, against?) Israel.
Its ultimatum demanded Israel apologize for Turkish citizens killed in the Mavi Marmara confrontation, pay compensation, and end all sanctions against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. This is in spite of the fact that those killed were radical Islamist jihadis who openly spoke beforehand of happily dying if they could kill Israeli soldiers and about massacring all Jews. As for the sanctions, they are against a terrorist group openly declaring its goal of genocide against both Israel and Jews in general and which has repeatedly attacked Israel.
Since Israel refused to surrender to this ultimatum, the Turkish (Islamist) government has expelled Israel's ambassador just as the new, Palmer report on the Gaza Flotilla incident is released. But while the report claims Israel used excessive force--what is the proper amount of force to use on jihadis with weapons who advocate genocide against you?--it also concluded that the blockade is completely legal and that the flotilla activists acted recklessly. In other words, the Turkish regime demands Israel apologize and pay compensation for those who committed an illegal act in order to harm it.
After discussing the Turkey-Israel issue, the article points out how the Obama Administration has betrayed the real Middle East moderates, especially in Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria--not to mention Israel. The article includes an amazing new Wikileak showing how the leader of the democratic Lebanese opposition mocked U.S. policy. It's worth reading just for that exchange.
Read it all.
http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/2011/09/02/turkish-regime-to-israel-obama-white-house-to-real-middle-east-moderates-drop-dead/
Saturday, September 3, 2011
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