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Last update - 01:43 16/02/2009
A cynical use of morality
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: israel news, Israel, Turkey

Two outrageous new developments have worsened the already tense relations between Israel and Turkey. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, the head of the Israel Defense Forces' Ground Forces issued a tongue-lashing to Turkey's prime minister to remind the country of past atrocities. It goes without saying that as an army man, Gen. Mizrahi is not tasked with formulating Israel's foreign policy, nor does he appraise other countries. But even more grievous is the liberty he took to denounce and preach morality to a strategic ally, causing a stir in relations between Israel and Turkey.

At the same time, Israel's Foreign Ministry pulled out a long worn-out card, threatening to label the massacre of Armenians in 1915 as genocide. It is hard to believe that the Foreign Ministry had a sudden attack of morality regarding the Armenians. For years the ministry has avoided adopting the word holocaust or genocide regarding the massacre of Armenians, not only because Israel seeks to preserve its exclusivity over the word holocaust. Mainly, it knows that adopting the word genocide in the Armenians' case would be tantamount to a diplomatic showdown with Turkey, one that would in all likelihood result in a severing of ties.

This time the Foreign Ministry apparently decided that the Turkish prime minister's blunt statements about Israeli policy deserve a fitting Israeli response, or at the very least the threat of such a response. The debate is not whether to define the killing of Armenians as genocide or a holocaust. This is a moral issue that obligates us to re-examine history and offer a value-based judgment. The criticism is aimed at Israel's trying to make political use of the Armenian issue to "punish" Turkey for daring to be so insolent as to condemn the military operation, whose results are a matter of controversy even in Israel.
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Turkey is one of Israel's most important allies even if its prime minister does not always express an understanding of our policies or resorts to insulting language. The Foreign Ministry's main efforts should thus be geared toward containing the dispute and restoring the relationship to its proper course. If Israel seeks to alter its stance on the question of the murder of the Armenians, it would be wise to do so at a more appropriate time, from a worthy position of morality and not as a way to make threats. It shouldn't happen whenever a disagreement erupts with Turkey.

As for Gen. Mizrahi, perhaps the chief of staff should let his subordinates know when they are overstepping the bounds of their authority. In a different era, one would have expected the general to be relieved of his duties because of his comments.
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  1.   The next "99 cents only" politician 09:22  |  Haim 16/02/09
  2.   It Was GENOCIDE...Stop The Political Football 11:22  |  Mikhael 16/02/09
  3.   Attacking the critics 11:35  |  Natallie Durson 16/02/09
  4.   Genocide By A name is 11:43  |  Baruch Gold 16/02/09
  5.   Not as punishment, but because it`s truth 11:48  |  Israeli 16/02/09
  6.   I am appalled... 12:13  |  Stem Cell 16/02/09
  7.   Armenians deserve recognition of their sorrow from us and Turkey. 12:27  |  Michael J 16/02/09
  8.   To natallie 12:31  |  yosi 16/02/09
  9.   By the way 12:33  |  Ali 16/02/09
  10.   How many allies can Israel afford to lose? 12:41  |  Manny Goldstein 16/02/09
  11.   so many of the posters just don`t seem to understand... 12:56  |  Efraim 16/02/09
  12.   Attack the prime minister, not 13:14  |  bobby 16/02/09
  13.   My genocide is better than yours 13:17  |  Raffa 16/02/09
  14.   Two points 13:22  |  Ilan 16/02/09
  15.   The nature of human criticism 13:22  |  Marco Mauas 16/02/09
  16.   Turkey Is Not Guilty of The So-Called Armenian Genocide 13:48  |  Fairness 16/02/09
  17.   To #14 -IIan 13:48  |  Ibrahim 16/02/09
  18.   !!! No one should question the acts of Israel?!! or we open cupbo 14:08  |  Mehmet S 16/02/09
  19.   NATALIE.Otherwise we would be perfectlike those that criticise us 14:13  |  PETER SM 16/02/09
  20.   Erdogan was Right 14:24  |  Art Skell 16/02/09
  21.   Love Israel 14:46  |  Will 16/02/09
  22.   For #21 Love Israel 15:20  |  Okan 16/02/09
  23.   to Mehmet S. 15:38  |  yosi 16/02/09
  24.   ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 15:38  |  VartanTiger 16/02/09
  25.   Israel and Turkey are only real allies in th region 15:38  |  Serly 16/02/09
  26.   Israel`s known hypocrisy 15:41  |  Fatih 16/02/09
  27.   To Mikhael # 2 15:46  |  VartanTiger 16/02/09
  28.   Protecting Turkishness continues 16:21  |  Anonymous 16/02/09
  29.   Israel alliance with Turkey 16:25  |  Anonymous 16/02/09
  30.   Israel must end Turkey crisis, not make it worse? 17:19  |  Meir M. 16/02/09
  31.   It is up to Turkey to preserve its alliance with Israel 17:35  |  Realist 16/02/09
  32.   Turks live in denial 17:46  |  UlfT 16/02/09
  33.   A cynical use of morality 17:46  |  Anonymous 16/02/09
  34.   Is it really? 18:07  |  Be Fair 16/02/09
  35.   Turkey 18:19  |  roger 16/02/09
  36.   What if.... 18:25  |  American 16/02/09
  37.   Turkey and Israel must stick together - Part 1 18:27  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  38.   Turkey and Israel must stick together - Part 2 18:28  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  39.   # 21 will 18:29  |  Axel 16/02/09
  40.   Turkey - friend or foe? 18:35  |  American 16/02/09
  41.   VartanTiger 18:45  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  42.   TALKING TURKEY ALREADY 18:51  |  CHARLIE ROME 16/02/09
  43.   Kindergarten Ministry 19:39  |  Brian Freund 16/02/09
  44.   Okan, 22 19:40  |  Jozef 16/02/09
  45.   Turkey and Israel - part 1 - 2nd try 19:59  |  David israel 16/02/09
  46.   Turkey and Israel - part 2 - 2nd try 20:00  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  47.   Turkey ....Israel`s manipulation...FINISHED.. 20:29  |  ali 16/02/09
  48.   VartanTiger 2nd try 20:45  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  49.   # 21 will 21:01  |  Axel 16/02/09
  50.   Turkey and Israel - part 1 - 3rd try 21:01  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  51.   Bravo Gen MIzrahi! Tell the truth! 21:22  |  Karen 16/02/09
  52.   VartanTiger - 3rd try 21:32  |  David Israel 16/02/09
  53.   Finally a voice of reason 21:40  |  Murat 16/02/09
  54.   Erdogan started it; he needs to fix it 21:54  |  Orkochav 16/02/09
  55.   Realpolitik 22:00  |  Murat 16/02/09
  56.   david israel 22:20  |  Mehmet S 16/02/09
  57.   #53 Murat, that is a problem with Jews regarding Israel 22:23  |  Mark B. 16/02/09
  58.   When Turks Stole the Land Armenians Lived For Thousands Of Years 23:29  |  ott 16/02/09
  59.   Turkey and Israel 23:39  |  MTakman 16/02/09
  60.   Perspective 23:52  |  Tony Price 16/02/09
  61.   As if Israel didn`t have enough enemies... 00:04  |  Silvienne 17/02/09
  62.   Turkey cannot be depended on 00:05  |  wanda 17/02/09
  63.   #51, Karen... 00:06  |  Silvienne 17/02/09
  64.   Spot on Manny 01:38  |  Neil 17/02/09
  65.   israel-turkey 01:50  |  kutay 17/02/09
  66.   Don`t Afraid of Erdogan and His Footpads...Afraid of Turkish Army 02:22  |  Turk 17/02/09
  67.   Genocide in Gaza 03:10  |  Aaron Konstam 17/02/09
  68.   Erdogan must apologise 03:48  |  Bruce 17/02/09
  69.   Turkey Brought on this Crisis 04:15  |  Ron 17/02/09
  70.   This article is full with wishfull thinking. Honeymoon with 04:31  |  Realist 17/02/09
  71.   The General is 100% Right 04:52  |  PJ 17/02/09
  72.   Gaza and Cyprus ..No Comparison 05:00  |  PJ 17/02/09
  73.   Geopolitics 05:13  |  Paradigm Shift 17/02/09
  74.   All you JEWS know nothing! 05:46  |  OD 17/02/09
  75.   i`m lovin it 07:08  |  levent 17/02/09
  76.   The issue.. (1) 08:11  |  Adem 17/02/09
  77.   The issue.. (2) 08:12  |  Adem 17/02/09
  78.   General should have kept opinions to himself or run for office 08:24  |  michael 17/02/09
  79.   Archives: Armenian wiped out 523,000 Turks between 1910-1922 08:50  |  candemir 17/02/09
  80.   Massacre committed by Armenians revealed in East Anatolia 08:52  |  tunatan 17/02/09
  81.   AGREE!!! 09:26  |  Razmig Tchoboian 17/02/09
  82.   David Israel 09:28  |  VartanTiger 17/02/09
  83.   #44 Jozef, about history..think this way 10:17  |  Okan 17/02/09
  84.   Loosing Sight of What the Problem Is 00:50  |  Seth 18/02/09
  85.   To My Turkish Friends 05:45  |  Phantom 18/02/09
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