Will Bibi Apologize to Turkey?

While Bibi has an undeserved reputation as being tough and a hardliner, in reality he is weak and wobbly. That he would even consider apologizing to and giving reparations to turkey, makes me sick. This is a country which essentially committed an act of war against Israel by sending terrorists to attempt to break the blockade of Gaza and instigate a violent confrontation with the IDF. Not suprisingly the White House is on board with this idea. What Israel needs are proud Jewish and Zionist leaders. Instead they have groveling, feckless “leaders”. Is it any wonder that the world consistently condemns every Israeli military action when Israeli leaders apologize and act as though their country has done something wrong? How can the rest of the world believe Israel is in the right if Israel itself is apologetic for self-defense against aggressors?

An Israeli apology may just deepen the rift with Turkey

By JONATHAN SCHANZER, JPost

If Netanyahu insists on going through with this, he should wait until after the June 2011 elections, when the AKP will have little to gain from an apology.

Nearly seven months after the military operation on the high seas to block a Turkish vessel from reaching the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may now issue an apology. His advisers support him. So does the White House. But if he follows through, Netanyahu will likely exacerbate a deepening diplomatic crisis with Turkey.

When IDF commandos intercepted the Mavi Marmara on May 31, weapons-wielding passengers attacked them as soon as they boarded. The clashes resulted in nine deaths – all Turks. The Turkish government soon demanded an apology. The Israelis insisted that the boat was full of violent Islamists who sought nothing more than an opportunity to do battle. The Israelis, in retrospect, were vindicated. The videos proved their case. Moreover, the flotilla turned out to be sponsored by a group with ties to Hamas and al-Qaida.

Today, however, multiple Middle East media reports indicate that the Israelis could soon apologize to Turkey for the incident. They might even pay reparations to the families of those killed to the tune of $100,000.

Not surprisingly, the move has its critics. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman opposes the deal. Defense Minister Ehud Barak doesn’t like it either. Neither do senior IDF officers.

So, who exactly supports this? According to a senior Israeli diplomat, Netanyahu and his advisers do, despite some well-placed quotes to the contrary. The prime minister has been floating this story in the media as a trial balloon to assess how the Turkish and Israeli people will respond.

After witnessing an outpouring of sympathy from the Turkish people during this month’s Carmel fire (during which, to the surprise of many, Turkey sent two fire-fighting planes), Netanyahu and his inner circle believe that while the Turkish government now champions Hamas, the people of Turkey stand with Israel. He reportedly thinks an apology might win the hearts of Turks and simultaneously get Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) to somehow ease their anti-Israel rhetoric.

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