Israel’s former Foreign Minister has some strong words in opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the latter’s apology to Turkey for how it handled the Gaza flotilla in 2010. It’s quite hard to argue with his logic.
Via Times of Israel:
Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday for his decision to apologize to his Turkish counterpart for the “operational errors” made by Israel during the 2010 raid that led to Turkish fatalities on the Turkish-registered, Gaza-bound ship Mavi Marmara.
“Israel’s apology for the soldiers activity against a terrorist organization is a serious mistake,” said Liberman, who served as Israel’s top diplomat during the height of the crisis with Turkey, and who is also Netanyahu’s No. 2 in their joint Knesset Likud-Beytenu faction.
“Anyone who watched the photos taken on the ship Mavi Marmara understands beyond any doubt that the IDF soldiers acted in self-defense against the activists of the IHH organization, recognized in European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, as a terrorist organization,” stated Liberman.
When Israel apologizes for things it should not – like the allegedly staged death of Muhammad al-Dura – there are unintended and often disastrous consequences. Evidence clearly points to the Israelis not being responsible for the boy’s murder. Yet, they apologized and consequently accepted blame. The uncovering of Pallywood by Richard Landes should have had Israel rushing to its own defense – but it hasn’t done so.
In fact, in a trial that shouldn’t even be taking place, French politician Philippe Karsenty stands accused of libeling France 2 reporter Charles Enderlin, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary that it was Israel who was libeled. Making things difficult for Karsenty is that Israel refuses to fight for its own innocence.
Karsenty is upset because he feels the French establishment is arrayed against him, protecting one of its golden boys, France 2’s Israel bureau chief, Charles Enderlin. “The whole French establishment is against the truth and against Israel,” he said.
Karsenty also feels he hasn’t received the kind of support he deserves from the government of Israel, which he says hasn’t asserted its innocence in the case with nearly enough vigour.
“The State of Israel, by not defending itself, is putting the Jews around the world in a bad situation,” Karsenty said.
To Karsenty’s point, Arabs all across the Middle East have pointed to al-Dura’s supposed death at the hands of the Israelis as the inspiration for acts of terror all over the world, most notably 9/11, Daniel Pearl’s murder, the tearing to pieces of two Israelis in Ramallah, and the Jihadist attack by Mohammed Merah in France last year.
We cannot know what tactics were used to get Netanyahu to apologize to Turkey for the flotilla raid but we can most assuredly know that when Israel apologizes for things it should not, bad things usually happen. We also know that Netanyahu understands this. We can conclude that he must think worse things will happen if he doesn’t apologize.
Unfortunately, this kind of mindset is likely what will lead to a certain seven year peace treaty one day.