Entering era of low expectations
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Fulya Özerkan
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Nisan 03, 2009 00:00
ANKARA -Israel’s newly formed coalition government may suffer the discord of political parties riding along different wavelengths. The right-wing tendency coupled with extremist policies could cause a backlash, strain relations across the region from Turkey to Egypt and derail already elusive peace efforts between Israel, Syria and Palestine, experts say
Israel's new right-leaning government does not offer much hope for peace negotiations on both the Palestinian and Syrian tracks, according to analysts who say any extremist policies will only further upset ties with Turkey, Egypt and Jordan.
"I don't think this is a rational government to move ahead with peace talks in the region," Sedat Laçiner, president of Ankara-based think tank International Strategic Research Organization, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review yesterday. He predicted more Davos-like scandals if the Israeli government pursued radical policies in the region.Â
The new Israeli government is made up of right- and left-leaning parties with differing views on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads a broad coalition that includes his right-wing Likud, the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, ultra-Orthodox Shas and two small religious factions as well as the center-left Labor Party. The government led by Netenyahu received the Israeli parliament, or Knesset's, vote of confidence Wednesday.
Laçiner said the political parties in the coalition government were not on the same wavelength, which made the destiny of peace talks uncertain.Â
"It would not be a surprise if we hear more shocking statements in the upcoming period from Israel similar to those made by an Israeli army general in the wake of a verbal duel between the Turkish prime minister and the Israeli president in Davos," he said.
At the 2009 World Economic Forum, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan and Israeli President Shimon Peres got into a heated debate over the Gaza invasion and ErdoÄŸan stormed out of the panel discussion.
Not long after, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, commander of the Israeli army, drew ire from Ankara when he reportedly told ErdoÄŸan that he "should first look in the mirror," referring to the 1915 deaths of Armenians and the Kurdish conflict in Turkey.
"It is too early to judge because the government was established only three days ago," said Ephraim Kam, deputy director of the Tel Aviv-based independent think tank Institute for National Security Studies, when asked to comment on the future of Turkish-Israeli ties under the new coalition government. "But I believe that there will be a consensus among the various political parties in the coalition to make a major effort to improve relations with Turkey," he said.
In the past, there were two Israeli governments that were perceived to be right wing: One run by Menachem Begin, who ended the state of war that had existed with Egypt since 1948, and the other was under Ariel Sharon, who decided to evacuate the Gaza Strip.
Fate of peace talks
The fate of peace talks with Palestine and Syria is a source of concern, according to the analysts. Kam said the problems in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process were not relevant to the new government."Israelis are skeptical to what extent the Palestinians will be able to control the territories if Israel evacuates them. Hamas has complicated the entire picture by controlling the Gaza Strip," he said.
Kam went on to say the government could make it more difficult because of the right-wing tendency of the prime and foreign ministers. On the Syrian track, Kam said resolving the problems with Syria would be less difficult than the Palestinian conflict. "The government could conclude an agreement if the Syrian government will be strong enough to fulfill its commitments," he said.
"The key problem is what Netanyahu's future policies will be," said Serkan Taflıoğlu, a Middle East expert for the think tank Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies. He warned extremist policies would upset the balance in the region and could lead to chaos between Israel, Egypt and Jordan. "How can an Israeli government that is against the idea of a two-state solution press ahead with peace talks?" said Taflıoğlu, expecting more U.S. pressure on Israel in the upcoming period.
"I don't think this is a rational government to move ahead with peace talks in the region," Sedat Laçiner, president of Ankara-based think tank International Strategic Research Organization, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review yesterday. He predicted more Davos-like scandals if the Israeli government pursued radical policies in the region.Â
The new Israeli government is made up of right- and left-leaning parties with differing views on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads a broad coalition that includes his right-wing Likud, the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, ultra-Orthodox Shas and two small religious factions as well as the center-left Labor Party. The government led by Netenyahu received the Israeli parliament, or Knesset's, vote of confidence Wednesday.
Laçiner said the political parties in the coalition government were not on the same wavelength, which made the destiny of peace talks uncertain.Â
"It would not be a surprise if we hear more shocking statements in the upcoming period from Israel similar to those made by an Israeli army general in the wake of a verbal duel between the Turkish prime minister and the Israeli president in Davos," he said.
At the 2009 World Economic Forum, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan and Israeli President Shimon Peres got into a heated debate over the Gaza invasion and ErdoÄŸan stormed out of the panel discussion.
Not long after, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, commander of the Israeli army, drew ire from Ankara when he reportedly told ErdoÄŸan that he "should first look in the mirror," referring to the 1915 deaths of Armenians and the Kurdish conflict in Turkey.
"It is too early to judge because the government was established only three days ago," said Ephraim Kam, deputy director of the Tel Aviv-based independent think tank Institute for National Security Studies, when asked to comment on the future of Turkish-Israeli ties under the new coalition government. "But I believe that there will be a consensus among the various political parties in the coalition to make a major effort to improve relations with Turkey," he said.
In the past, there were two Israeli governments that were perceived to be right wing: One run by Menachem Begin, who ended the state of war that had existed with Egypt since 1948, and the other was under Ariel Sharon, who decided to evacuate the Gaza Strip.
Fate of peace talks
The fate of peace talks with Palestine and Syria is a source of concern, according to the analysts. Kam said the problems in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process were not relevant to the new government."Israelis are skeptical to what extent the Palestinians will be able to control the territories if Israel evacuates them. Hamas has complicated the entire picture by controlling the Gaza Strip," he said.
Kam went on to say the government could make it more difficult because of the right-wing tendency of the prime and foreign ministers. On the Syrian track, Kam said resolving the problems with Syria would be less difficult than the Palestinian conflict. "The government could conclude an agreement if the Syrian government will be strong enough to fulfill its commitments," he said.
"The key problem is what Netanyahu's future policies will be," said Serkan Taflıoğlu, a Middle East expert for the think tank Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies. He warned extremist policies would upset the balance in the region and could lead to chaos between Israel, Egypt and Jordan. "How can an Israeli government that is against the idea of a two-state solution press ahead with peace talks?" said Taflıoğlu, expecting more U.S. pressure on Israel in the upcoming period.