Friday, September 23, 2011

Oh No, Obama! He's Talking Turkey

I sent around the story of Obama's talk with Rabbis and was sent this reaction to this excerpt there:


"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," Obama said. "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. That's why we think direct negotiations are so critical."

Yeah, Turkey is upset because of the Palestinians.
Ok, Obama.


I left this comment there:

I would humbly suggest that this thinking by President Obama - "the Palestinian-Israeli crisis...feeds so much of the tumult in Egypt...That's what I think has created the deep tension between Turkey and Israel" - if correctly quoted, is not only fatuous and wrong but dangerous for Israel and America's regional interests.


In 1948, the Egyptian interest in "Palestine" was grabbing territory (they got Gaza). In 1979, Sadat got the Sinai and didn't bother with Begin's autonomy proposals for the Arabs in the former Mandate territory of Palestine.

As for Turkey, visions of a resurrected ottoman Empire drive Erdogan vis-a-vis Israel, Armenia, Cyprus, etc.

^


No comments: