The Turkish ambassador to the U.S., Namik Tan,
wrote an editorial in the Washington Post actually demanding an apology from Israel. It takes quite a bit of nerve to stab your former ally in the back, help sponsor a mission to break its naval blockade, openly support its enemies, misrepresent what happened and then demand an apology. But that's Turkey these days.
As we now know well, instead of the day ending with the delivery of humanitarian aid to ease the desperate lives of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, it began with the killing by Israel Defense Forces of nine peace activists and the wounding of about 30, all civilians.
Opening up with outright lies. The people killed were in no way "peace activists." And armed individuals attacking a boarding party gave up their civilian status by their own actions.
The Free Gaza flotilla was not an initiative by the Turkish government.
Oh please. It was organized by a Turkish terrorist support outfit, permitted and no doubt encouraged by the Turkish government, and included Turkish vessels. The only thing it lacked was a Turkish naval escort. It may not have been an official mission, but it clearly had the support of Turkey's government.
It was an international aid convoy made up of nationals of 32 countries taking food, toys, medical equipment and similar aid to the people of Gaza, who have been deprived of these basic commodities for years.
Nonsense. Gaza hasn't been deprived of those things for days, let alone years. The Israelis themselves deliver humanitarian supplies to their enemies.
Among the ships' 600 activists were Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, European lawmakers, journalists, business leaders and an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor -- hardly targets who could pose a threat to Israel's well-trained commandos.
Another lie, this time of omission. Let's not mention the armed individuals who ambushed the naval boarding party.
this was a humanitarian initiative.
No, actually it wasn't. Israel had already agreed to deliver the humanitarian supplies. What this was was an attempt to break the blockade, and to stage an incident to use against Israel.
Because the attack took place in international waters, 72 miles off Israel's coast, it was illegal.
No, it wasn't. It was legal in accordance with the rules of blockades. The ambassador knows this and is again blatantly lying.
this was the first such attack against civilian Turkish citizens by a foreign military force in our republic's 87-year history.
It wasn't an attack at all. The attack was against the Israeli boarding party. The ambassador goes on to whine about how great a friend Turkey was to Israel, and how horribly it has been treated, as if it hasn't been undertaking a campaign to delegitimize its former ally and support its enemies.
We cannot avert our eyes when the lives of our citizens -- innocents -- are lost during an illegal assault in defense of a blockade that is unfair, inhumane and unsustainable.
It was not illegal, not an assault, and the blockade is neither unfair, inhumane, nor unsustainable.
Israel can start by bringing an end to its blockade on Gaza; by ending its inappropriate and disproportionate police actions toward the Palestinian civilians of that land; and by allowing a prompt, independent, impartial, credible and transparent international investigation into the incident.
Israel should maintain the blockade, which is there for excellent reasons. The disproportionality argument is ludicrous. If there is need for an investigation, it should be directed at the Turkish role in fomenting this incident.
Israel owes an apology to the Turkish nation
Turkey owes the apology for supporting a hostile act against Israel and then lying about it.
The United States should encourage Israel to become a genuine partner for peace in the Middle East.
The U.S. should encourage Israel by standing behind its reasonable and necessary actions, and making it clear to the Turks that we aren't impressed by their transparent propaganda.
Totally agree - well said.
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