Israel’s disease

ERGUN BABAHAN

They claim that there is an Islamist government in Turkey, but it is they who are guided by the most aggressive forms of religious sentiment. Based on the scriptural premise of “a promised land,” they persecute a nation. If these lands had been really promised to Israel, then all Muslims around the world should assert their claims over Saudi Arabia, where the Kaaba is located.   It is ethically flawed and problematic to talk about peace while the construction of new settlements is underway on the Palestinians’ lands. A state that allows itself to kill even unarmed civilians will not only cause problems in the region, but also puts its own future in danger.

In the year 2010 Israel continued to base its policies on the US. According to a Haaretz story, the Obama administration -- whose approach to the Netanyahu government changed with pressure from Jewish lobbies -- and even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have run out of patience.

This is because they have realized that Ehud Barak has been lying to them about the peace process and you cannot build your personal friendships or international relations on lies. Because of those lies, Palestinians continue to suffer and the young people of the US have to fight in Afghanistan, although their country is suffering from economic hardship.

If Muslims today feel rage against the West, and especially the US, their policies regarding Israel play a great role in this. The US may continue to let Israel drain its already diminishing funds. It may force Ankara to establish a missile shield. But none of these things will relieve Israel. A foreign policy cannot be built entirely on ethics, but a foreign policy that completely ignores ethnics cannot be maintained.


The WikiLeaks documents imply that Israel had been expecting a military intervention a la Feb. 28 in Turkey. If the neocons reclaim the helm of the country in the 2012 elections, you can be sure that Israel’s expectations will be animated once again. Such a development will reinforce the relations between neocons and those who are unhappy about the current government in Turkey.

There are already strong signs indicating such collaboration. Accordingly, a functional democracy in Turkey is indirectly related to the settlement of the Palestinian issue.
Many developments, including the recent incidents in northern Iraq and the autonomy debates, are also related to this issue. If peace is sought for the region and if civilizations are intending to live together peacefully, then the European Union and Russia should sincerely lend support to the Obama’s peace efforts. Otherwise, al-Qaeda, which may seem considerably weakened for the time being, will not have much difficulty in recruiting new volunteers in the future.

In a world where the sense of justice has weakened, there will always be fanatics who will do everything for the sake of justice. And the current situation is far from being described as fair.

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-231512-israels-disease.html