UN Report on Gaza Flotilla

[mawilson 2,133]

I have posted innumerable "things Israeli" with which I heartily support and agree - B'Tselem, Uri Avnery, Gideon Levy, Amira Haas, Ilan Pappe just to name a few. The list goes on and on and on.

So you only like Israeli things or people who reject the very idea of Israel's existence as a Jewish state? Got it.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

So you only like Israeli things or people who reject the very idea of Israel's existence as a Jewish state? Got it.

####### are you babbling about ?

[웃 910]

All three appear to lack curves. Maybe they are going for that androgyny look with big hair this year.

She's pretty hot though:

Here is Egypt, she has nice curves:

And here is the stick figure (Ukraine):

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Naturally, you can't be on record liking anything Israeli.

I'm sure she would adore Justin.

####### are you babbling about ?

Honey, babbling is all they got left. We won this round (again).

[Pooky 3,785]

We won this round (again).

With what? Hopes that there is another shoot-out and more people die, in greater numbers. Hopes that the Israelis are overconfident in their military and get a bloody nose? Hopes that other countries get dragged into a major Middle East firefight? Are you really that bloodthirsty you'd wish that to happen?

That really doesn't sound like winning to me - unless you're Charlie Sheen.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Overcome the hyperbole. I'm confident that no one is "hoping" for any such thing. This is a discussion between opposing views, not a military strategy session.

With what? Hopes that there is another shoot-out and more people die, in greater numbers. Hopes that the Israelis are overconfident in their military and get a bloody nose? Hopes that other countries get dragged into a major Middle East firefight? Are you really that bloodthirsty you'd wish that to happen?

That really doesn't sound like winning to me - unless you're Charlie Sheen.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Overcome the hyperbole. I'm confident that no one is "hoping" for any such thing. This is a discussion between opposing views, not a military strategy session.

I suppose if Turkey wants to assume the old UNEF role in the Sinai, that might bring some strength to the Palestinian's position when dealing with Israel.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Crusty Old Perv

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I suppose if Turkey wants to assume the old UNEF role in the Sinai, that might bring some strength to the Palestinian's position when dealing with Israel.

Since there has been some talk that Egypt may soon abrogate any previous agreements with Israel, then Turkey may be reluctantly welcomed by Israel in that role as well.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Still not a peep out of Washington.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Still not a peep out of Washington.

Our young President is only concerned with keeping his job. Anything he says will cost him votes. I expect to see a senior state department official fielding all questions on the Sunday morning news shows tomorrow.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Our young President is only concerned with keeping his job. Anything he says will cost him votes. I expect to see a senior state department official fielding all questions on the Sunday morning news shows tomorrow.

I think there may be a bit more to it than that....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8737158/Turkey-backs-Nato-missile-defence-shield-against-Iran.html

[Sofiyya 1,687]

From the article:

Turkey, with Nato’s second biggest military, has a geo-strategic importance to the Alliance dating back to its role as a front-line state in the Cold War era. But its value to Nato has risen as Middle East states with anti-Western policies, like Iran, have developed their missile capabilities.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I think there may be a bit more to it than that....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8737158/Turkey-backs-Nato-missile-defence-shield-against-Iran.html

Them Turks are pretty smart. They want to help the US continue to isolate Iran. They might get away with it too, as most Americas still think of Turkey as, "Those good Arabs(sic)."

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Them Turks are pretty smart. They want to help the US continue to isolate Iran. They might get away with it too, as most Americas still think of Turkey as, "Those good Arabs(sic)."

I know you're laughing coz you know Turks aren't Arabs , but most of them are Sunnis, and that old Sunni-Shia split does play into their desire to contain Iran. It's also worth noting that Iran has demonstrable aspirations to be what the Turks recently were - empire builders. That Shia 15% or so of the Muslim population has some big dreams to compensate for their small numbers.

Edited September 4, 2011 by Sofiyya

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Them Turks are pretty smart.

World will likely support Turkey’s moves against Israel

Supporting legal actions against Israel by families of the raid victims in Turkish and international courts, and appealing to International Court of Justice against the blockade of Gaza could have far-reaching effects.

The expulsion of Israel's ambassador from Ankara and downgrading of diplomatic ties to the level of second secretary could turn out to be the lightest of the sanctions Turkey intends to impose on Israel. Supporting legal actions against Israel by families of the victims of the 2010 naval commando raid of the Mavi Marmara, in both Turkish and international courts, and appealing to the International Court of Justice against the blockade of the Gaza Strip could prove to be much more powerful. The former could affect the foreign travel plans of Israeli officers and decision makers, while the latter would move the Gaza issue from the local arena, where Israel maintains a relative advantage, to the international stage, which has not as yet interfered in Israeli policy vis-a-vis Gaza.

Turkey is judged likely to gain international support for its actions against Israel, in light of its climb in status in the global community in recent weeks. Contributing to Ankara's rising star are its harsh criticism of the Assad regime in Syria, despite heavy pressure from Iran; its cooperation with Libya's provisional government, and its support of the revolution in Egypt. Turkey's consent to the deployment of early warning radar, part of a NATO missile-defense system whose undeclared purpose is to protect Europe from Iranian missiles, is particularly important in this regard. The decision signals Turkish commitment to its alliance with NATO in general and to the United States in particular, deflecting the "accusation" that Ankara is turning away from the West and toward the East - that is, toward Tehran. It is Israel that may have to pay a price for Turkey's growing ties with the West and Ankara's decision to refuse Russia's entreaties to reject the radar deployment on its territory.

But Turkey's demand that Israel apologize, compensate the victims and lift the Gaza blockade is rooted primarily in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's obligation to his electorate. It has become a common, uniting, national denominator, an integral part of Turkey's national prestige and its domestic policy.

The concept of national prestige has also trapped Israel, which on at least two occasions rejected a skillfully crafted apology to Turkey due to the objections of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon.

Turkey is not an enemy state. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu emphasized that Ankara's actions are a result of the policies of the Netanyahu government and are not intended to hurt the Israeli or Jewish people. He called on the Israeli government to amend its mistakes, which he said were not constructive to the remarkable friendship between Turkey and the Jewish people.

Davutoglu's remarks in effect are a declaration that Turkey sees the sanctions as a means of changing Israeli policy rather than as a policy or strategy in themselves. They place all the options for action in Israeli hands and emphasize Turkey's desire to maintain relations with Israel despite the enormous disagreement between the states.

Egyptians yesterday celebrated the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Turkey. In a headline, Al-Masry Al-Youm termed the action a "lesson that Turkey taught Egypt" - an allusion to what Cairo should have done in the wake of last month's attack near Eilat. To keep relations with Egypt from deteriorating further, Jerusalem must put aside its "national prestige" and apologize for killing five Egyptian soldiers while responding to the terror attack near the Egyptian border.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/world-will-likely-support-turkey-s-moves-against-israel-1.382404