Israeli daily criticizes policies toward Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 18, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Israeli Foreign Ministry is trying to punish Turkey for criticizing its policies toward Gaza by using the Armenians’ "genocide" claims, a leading Israeli newspaper says. The daily also criticizes Gen. Mizrahi for overstepping the bounds of its authority
A leading Israeli newspaper has criticized the Israeli Foreign Ministry for signaling that Israel may recognize Armenian "genocide" claims to punish Ankara, which has grown increasingly vocal in its criticism against Israel's Gaza operation.
In an editorial published Sunday, Haaretz also criticized the Israeli Ground Forces Commander Gen. Avi Mizrahi, whose earlier statements said the Turkish prime minister should first look in the mirror before attacking Israel, which led to another wave of tension between the two countries, prompting the comment that Mizrahi was a military officer and thus "not tasked with formulating Israel's foreign policy, nor does he appraise other countries."
"Perhaps the chief of staff should let his subordinates know when they are overstepping the bounds of their authority," Haaretz’s editorial said. One would even have expected the general to be relieved of his duties "in a different era," it read.
Out of line
The general feeling among Israelis is that Gen. Mizrahi was out of line making political statements as a military figure. But experts say he should be reprimanded, not discharged as suggested by Haaretz.
Professor Yair Evron, an expert at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, said he agreed with the general tenor of the Haaretz editorial. Although Prime Minister Erdoğan’s references to the operation in Gaza were extreme and unfounded, "I do not think that Israel should raise the Armenian issue as a political instrument vis-?-vis Turkey," he said.
Professor Efraim Inbar from the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, on the other hand, said it was the Turks who were defending an organization like Hamas and they were the ones who should face the consequences when the time comes.
"The Israeli lobby was very active in preventing the passage of the genocide resolution in the United States. We value our relations with Turkey very much. But if the Turks don’t want to be our friend, or if they are creating a crisis, then the lobby would do what it must do," he said.
On Mizrahi, Evron said generals should not make public declarations concerning foreign or defense policy. "However, I do not think that general Mizrahi should be relieved from office, but he should be reprimanded," he said.
Inbar also said the general should keep away from politics, although, "Israel’s anger at Turkey is understandable."
Turkey awaits detailed explanation from Israel
The controversial remarks made by a senior Israeli general telling the Turkish prime minister to look in the mirror, after the latter was critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza, did not benefit already strained bilateral relations, the foreign minister said late Monday.
"We believe it would better if there was a more detailed and comprehensive explanation (from the Israeli side)," Ali Babacan told reporters at Ankara’s Esenboğa airport, before departing for Yemen.
The Israeli army made a statement over the weekend disassociating itself from the harsh remarks by Major General Avi Mizrahi, saying his views were not reflective of the official position of the army. The general called on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to look in the mirror, referring to the 1915 incidents and the Kurdish conflict in Turkey.
Ankara described the comments as unacceptable and demanded urgent clarification, while delivering a note of protest to Israel.
"It is quite easy to escalate tension with such statements," Babacan said, adding Turkish reaction was conveyed to the Israeli side at various levels. He repeated that Turkey wished to see a detailed explanation from Tel-Aviv and stressed there were intense contacts between the two countries’ foreign ministries but warned no special meaning should be attributed to that communication.
In an editorial published Sunday, Haaretz also criticized the Israeli Ground Forces Commander Gen. Avi Mizrahi, whose earlier statements said the Turkish prime minister should first look in the mirror before attacking Israel, which led to another wave of tension between the two countries, prompting the comment that Mizrahi was a military officer and thus "not tasked with formulating Israel's foreign policy, nor does he appraise other countries."
"Perhaps the chief of staff should let his subordinates know when they are overstepping the bounds of their authority," Haaretz’s editorial said. One would even have expected the general to be relieved of his duties "in a different era," it read.
Out of line
The general feeling among Israelis is that Gen. Mizrahi was out of line making political statements as a military figure. But experts say he should be reprimanded, not discharged as suggested by Haaretz.
Professor Yair Evron, an expert at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, said he agreed with the general tenor of the Haaretz editorial. Although Prime Minister Erdoğan’s references to the operation in Gaza were extreme and unfounded, "I do not think that Israel should raise the Armenian issue as a political instrument vis-?-vis Turkey," he said.
Professor Efraim Inbar from the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, on the other hand, said it was the Turks who were defending an organization like Hamas and they were the ones who should face the consequences when the time comes.
"The Israeli lobby was very active in preventing the passage of the genocide resolution in the United States. We value our relations with Turkey very much. But if the Turks don’t want to be our friend, or if they are creating a crisis, then the lobby would do what it must do," he said.
On Mizrahi, Evron said generals should not make public declarations concerning foreign or defense policy. "However, I do not think that general Mizrahi should be relieved from office, but he should be reprimanded," he said.
Inbar also said the general should keep away from politics, although, "Israel’s anger at Turkey is understandable."
Turkey awaits detailed explanation from Israel
The controversial remarks made by a senior Israeli general telling the Turkish prime minister to look in the mirror, after the latter was critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza, did not benefit already strained bilateral relations, the foreign minister said late Monday.
"We believe it would better if there was a more detailed and comprehensive explanation (from the Israeli side)," Ali Babacan told reporters at Ankara’s Esenboğa airport, before departing for Yemen.
The Israeli army made a statement over the weekend disassociating itself from the harsh remarks by Major General Avi Mizrahi, saying his views were not reflective of the official position of the army. The general called on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to look in the mirror, referring to the 1915 incidents and the Kurdish conflict in Turkey.
Ankara described the comments as unacceptable and demanded urgent clarification, while delivering a note of protest to Israel.
"It is quite easy to escalate tension with such statements," Babacan said, adding Turkish reaction was conveyed to the Israeli side at various levels. He repeated that Turkey wished to see a detailed explanation from Tel-Aviv and stressed there were intense contacts between the two countries’ foreign ministries but warned no special meaning should be attributed to that communication.