Turkey-Israel honeymoon over

[Hope And Change]

Honeymoon is over

Turkish-Israeli ties in danger unless trust building measures promptly implemented

Haymi Behar Published: 03.01.09, 12:47 / Israel Opinion

The Turkish-Israeli honeymoon has ended. From the 90s up until recent times Israelis flocked to Turkey, while economic and military ties flourished. Yet today, following Turkey’s harsh criticism of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, angry Israelis canceled more than 70% of travel bookings to Turkey. In any case, they wouldn’t feel so welcomed in many Turkish shops, which displayed signs expressing anti-Israeli sentiments.

Israel’s Cast Lead operation triggered an unprecedented wave of widespread criticism across Turkey. Solidarity with the suffering fellow Muslim in Gaza, combined with difficult images of civilian casualties led the crowds to the streets in mass protests. Yet accusations did not stop at “disproportionate use of force” by Israel. Rather, demonstrations held in almost every city often turned anti-Semitic in tone, as hordes chanted “Death to Israel, down with the Zionists.”

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan assured Jewish citizens of Turkey that no one would dare harm them. However, support for Hamas positions only added to the rhetoric used by protesters, culminating in hate speech. In recent years, anti-Semitism in Turkey reached unprecedented levels. The PEW’s polling center recently published shocking results on the rise of animosity towards Jews in traditionally tolerant Anatolian culture. According to the research, 76% of Turks hold negative views about Jews and do not wish to be their neighbors. In 2004, 49% expressed this view.

The ever strengthening Islamic media’s criticism of Israel often turned to demonizing Jews as a whole, referring to them in one case as “blood sucking vampires.” Pro-government media deemed the Gaza operation genocide and a crime against humanity. Those same media outlets kept silent when Sudan’s vice president visited Turkey around the same time.

President Abdullah Gul was quick to denounce the racist jargon against Jews. Nevertheless, even in Kayseri, the birthplace of the president, a schoolteacher distributed lokhum (Turkish delight) in the city center to honor the memory of Adolf Hitler, recounting to bystanders his dream about the notorious Nazi leader. Disturbingly enough, no legal action was taken against the schoolteacher, symptomatic of the inaction by the state against hate speech.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3679140,00.html">Read the full opinion here

[Idealism]

1. It is a travesty that Jews abroad suffer for the malfeasance of the Israeli government.

If they had no vote in whom Israel elects, they should not be ever subjected to sentiments against the elected government.

[movonne]

2. Yes it is travesty and the people of Israel should try and put a

stop to going into Gaza and bombing everything they can...it is wrong and it is not good for the people...It is about the same the way some countries felt about us when we killed Iraqi's...and gave them a little "shock and awe"...

[Idealism]

3. That would help, too, yes. n/t

[tom_paine]

6. The people of Israel have as little to say in the governance of their nation as the American Subject

Populace.

People in glass houses...

[LeftishBrit]

5. Fully agree!

[burning rain]

4. "[T]raditionally tolerant Anatolian culture"...

is euphemistic. Turkey's historically been relatively tolerant of Jews, but not Christians or Kurds.

[formervolunteer]

7. No, it's not ;)

a euphemism.

A euphemism in this situation would be a statement such as : "Turkey as a whole killed few people because of their race or religion", implying amplification.

There is nothing traditionally tolerant about the anatolian culture. Ask Armenia, Kurdistan, or anyone not agreing with Turkey for the past few centuries. Not to badmouth Turkey, which is a fine country and everything, but this kind of statement, though not euphemistic (if still not ok with this check the definition) is non constructive and disinformative, thus sabotages part the article's spirit.

[Joanne98]

8. They're fighting over that natural gas find.