What a missed opportunity
Since Erdogan is striving for pan-Islamism and Netanyahu is trying to hold off the rest of the world while nurturing a Jewish Israeliness that hates minorities and foreigners, the clash was inevitable.
By Aluf BennJournalists are expected to keep a distance from the subjects they cover, but the crisis in relations with Turkey has filled me with sadness and a sense of loss. It pains me to watch the wrathful and hate-filled anti-Israel speeches of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and it pains me to watch Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman respond to Erdogan with his characteristic combination of ignorance and crudeness. We are not a country of liars and murderers, as Erdogan claims, and Turkey is not an Iran that seeks to wipe Israel off the map, as Lieberman believes.
Aside from peace with Jordan, the alliance with Turkey was the most important thing Israel got in return for the peace talks conducted in Madrid and Oslo. The security cooperation with Turkey, the bilateral trade and the tourism went beyond what Israel expected. The relationship flourished not just because of a momentary overlap of interests; Israel and Turkey have a lot in common. Israel's ties with Turkey exist on a more emotion-laden plane than its ties with other countries. We're just too alike.
Israel's first two prime ministers, David Ben-Gurion and Moshe Sharett, spoke Turkish. Ben-Gurion studied law in Istanbul. Sharett served as an officer in the Ottoman army during World War I. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his right-hand man, Ismet Inonu, served as senior commanders on the Palestine front.
The ideological connection is more important than the history trivia, though. Ben-Gurion and Ataturk rebelled against the religious societies in which they were raised and established secular countries with a Western orientation. Ben-Gurion's establishmentarianism was the Israeli version of Turkey's Kemalism, and both had to struggle against the religious and their influence. The shortcomings of democracy in both countries are similar: problematic attitudes toward minorities and excessive military influence, which in Turkey has resulted in military coups.
During the early 1990s, under the leadership of Yitzhak Rabin in Israel and Tansu Ciller in Turkey, it seemed that Western secularism was heading for a historic victory in both countries, which appeared to be on the cusp of deservedly capturing a spot among the more developed democracies. Turkey was knocking on the doors of the European Union and Israel was enjoying the fruits of normalization and globalization that resulted from Madrid and Oslo.
At the time, Israel was in the process of absorbing 1 million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, almost all of them entirely secular; they completely changed Israeli society and shifted the country's religious Jews to the sidelines. But the change was short-lived.
Demography had the final say: 45 percent of Jewish first graders today attend religious public schools or ultra-Orthodox schools, an increase of 13 percent in the past decade. Turkey, rejected by the European Union, underwent a similar process of religious revival. A fascinating polarization has developed in both countries: high-tech companies and advanced industry alongside packed synagogues and mosques; lively nightlife and bikinis alongside head coverings and mezuzah-kissing.
In Ankara as in Jerusalem, the governments in power today are trying to dismantle the legacies of Kemal and Ben-Gurion; their ideology is rooted in religion and tradition, even if Erdogan and Benjamin Netanyahu wear suits and ties. Erdogan's party is trying to weaken the army and the judicial system, both pillars of Kemalism. In Israel the process looks a little different: The army has more and more high-ranking religious officers, and the government is ignoring Supreme Court decisions.
Since Erdogan is striving for pan-Islamism and Netanyahu is trying to hold off the rest of the world while nurturing a Jewish Israeliness that hates minorities and foreigners, the clash was inevitable. The flotilla crisis exposed the prejudices and stereotypes that had been kept hidden during the years of friendship: anti-Semitic stereotypes in Turkey, and Israeli disdain for Muslims and their culture. We forgot that the much-maligned Erdogan was perfectly capable of working with Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, and showed restraint when Turkish sovereignty was violated during the bombing of the Syrian nuclear reactor.
But we cannot lay the blame solely at the feet of the Israeli and Turkish leaders and ruling parties. We, the secular, Western-oriented Israelis, have not really tried to move closer to our Turkish counterparts. Their country was and remains an exotic place for a vacation, business and air-force training - but nothing more.
We're always interested in what's happening in New York, London and Paris, and we've ignored Ankara and Istanbul. We have not built a network of interpersonal relationships that could survive political upheaval, nor have we nurtured mutual curiosity. That is sad, now more than ever.
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I d like to thank Mr Benn for this article.You are brave to write this article in such difficult times.Two governments and their fanatic supporters in both countries are fighting to ruin this historic relation between these two nations.They are filling young generations with hatred and anger.Turks and Jews relations are very old than Israel's relations with America and Europeans.It is very sad to see those events happenning
It is so unfortunate what has been going on between Turkey and Israel. as a democratic citizen of Turkey, I deeply feel sorry. The article is reflecting what I have been thinking since one week. What a shame! Turkey and Israel are the only democratic countries of this region...
It is so unfortunate what has been going on between Turkey and Israel. as a democratic citizen of Turkey, I deeply feel sorry. The article is reflecting what I have been thinking since one week. What a shame! Turkey and Israel are the only democratic countries of this region...
Once AKP came to power, it became clear that no matter what Israel did or didn't do, the Islamist-led Turkey would join the anti-Israeli camp. It would be better for Israel to accept the unpleasant truth than to keep playing into the AKP's hands by blaming Israeli policies.
The title here is a Kurdish pro-verb. Dear Aluf; From Turkeys annual economic growth you can surely see that they are slowly but surely turning into an economical and militarily super power in the region to control the water, energy flows, have a finger in every corner of middle east, and even beyond - in Africa and central Asia. In my opinion, what you Israelis have witnesses back in Davos and over last couple of weeks incidents, are just the beginning. I am not sure when you "good hearted" Israelis" will wake up, but some day, it may be a bit too late. Turkey will be more head ache, or not? Wait or see? Does Israel really want to take the chance when the question is about their very existence? You are about to loose your credibility in international communities, and diplomatically, you won't recover that easily.. Thank to your "allies"! Israels first two prime ministers may have spoken Turkish, so do I....
Maybe Israel would have fit in better if they had bothered to learn Arabic instead of Turkish.
At least that is what Aluf is suggesting. The fact that you are secular or religious is irrelevant: a huge mistake is to believe that the key is to wipe out tradition, be it jewish, islamic or christian. One should fight radicalism and extremism, not the religions as they are. To declare any ideology as the best, superior, sounds dangerous, very dangerous to me. In name of secularism terrible things happened in Israel at the beginning of the state. Religious jews of Marroco or Yemen that arrived in the late 40's and 50's to Israel were discriminated against. They were forced into secular kibbuztim, there payes (side locks) were cut, and they were not allowed to keep shabbat or kosher. No, it's a mistake to believe that because you are secular yourself you are a better person. Its a mistake to believe because someone is a religious jew, muslim or christian he is a problem to Western society. Only a society where people can freely chose religion, where they get proper education, where they can be whatever they want to be, be it secular or religious, there is hope for a better future. Aluf is making the same mistake as some of the radicalists: his or her view, is the best and only view for success. I rather wish to live in a balanced society with the beautiful values of tradition, religion, secularism, socialism, capitalism. freedom of speech and religion are all being respected next to each other
I'm a Turk and I can easily say yes, we've got a lot of missed opportunities with Israel. If only Operation Cast Lead never happened :( We were going to have you sign an agreement with Syria and Turkish-Israeli ties would have been far better now. Who knows, Syria would no longer cause trouble for Israel after that and we would have gotten much further in solving the Gaza crisis.
This article was very nice and informative...thanks
I went to a school which the 40 % of the students were turkish jews. In my neighbourhood there is a synagogue so half of the population residing in my apartment are jews again. So in my daily life i am interacting with jews all the time. Do i blame them for Israel's killing 9 turkish citizens ? No . Do i blame Israeli people for the death of 9 turkish citizens ? No. But whom i blame are the politicians. I blame Erdogan for letting this ship leave Turkey. I blame Barak for letting such a bloody intervention. I believe they were capable of handling the situation more quietly. But they did not chose to do it. To show power ? Maybe..Who knows. I blame Bibi for still being proud of what they have done.. I do not blame Avigor Libermann as i do not think he is capable of understanding what damage he has done to the relationship. I again blame Erdoğan for not being as polite as he should have been in Davos. I blame Olmert for being such a two faced man. I blame Gul at least fo not criticising Erdogan since he is having a symbolic duty.
I went to a school which the 40 % of the students were turkish jews. In my neighbourhood there is a synagogue so half of the population residing in my apartment are jews again. So in my daily life i am interacting with jews all the time. Do i blame them for Israel's killing 9 turkish citizens ? No . Do i blame Israeli people for the death of 9 turkish citizens ? No. But whom i blame are the politicians. I blame Erdogan for letting this ship leave Turkey. I blame Barak for letting such a bloody intervention. I believe they were capable of handling the situation more quietly. But they did not chose to do it. To show power ? Maybe..Who knows. I blame Bibi for still being proud of what they have done.. I do not blame Avigor Libermann as i do not think he is capable of understanding what damage he has done to the relationship. I again blame Erdoğan for not being as polite as he should have been in Davos. I blame Olmert for being such a two faced man. I blame Gul at least fo not criticising Erdogan since he is having a symbolic duty.
good article, one of the best analysis on the relationship between two countries i ve read .. i believe that israeli people are closer to turkish people compared to europeans, except the immigrants form europe and soviet republics.. they still have the european arrogance and show this in any case..
Thoughtful article, but what bothers me is the extreme anti-semitism in Turkey. Mein Kampf one of the most popular books today and that TV series showing Israeli soldiers executing pregnant Arab women! As well, after the flotilla incident I cannot find enough coverage in the Turkish media showing the Turkish provocateurs beating the Israeli soldiers that descended into the ship without weapons in their hands. Not one journalist in Turkey can I find who has called thei provocation a provocation. Look on the other hand in the israeli media and you see a high level of self-criticism and open-minded discussion. The main problem that allows Erdogan to be a demagogue and capitalize on Arab sentiments, is this immaturity in Turkish society about free discourse.
But don't read Zaman Sabah and Taraf (Or rad them but just know what they are). In Hurriyet, Cuneyt Ulsever, Ertugrul Ozkok, Tufan Turenc, Mehmet Yilmaz, Eyup Can, In Milliyet Kadri Gursel, Smih Idiz and Maehmet Tezkan also Mehmet Ali Birand, Bekir Coskun all criticized Erdogan and AKP for his actions against Israel. They asked very good questions that need to be answered. The answers might wake the Turkish public. This is a great article in the subject of Turkish Israeli relations and where it should be. Israel has always been aware that she needs only friends and no enemies. However Erdogan and AKP are following an anti Kemalist agenda and using Israel as a tool. It is the only thing that unites many conservative Turks to vote for AKP. Don't fall for the trap. Israil Turkiyenin dostudur.
I fully concur with your assessment. It is sad to see that somehow the feelings of the silent majority never manages to reflect on the government policies. But this article is a reminder that there are still plenty of sane people on each side which gives hope for the future.
To the opposite direction of Mr Marwan from Dubai, I know we share lots of common things. If you think that at least half a million jews in Israel are turkish descendant you can understand why we share similar culture.We do not hate israeli people. But Isralei Government must have known that when they harm the people on the flotilla the bill Israel has to pay is going to be very high. I do not discount his writings but it may have been too late
Aluf's article can't be more true - unfortunately both Turkey and Israel are both grappling with internal power struggles. The secularists in both countries need to do more to oppose Erdogan and Netanyahu's irrational behaviour....
Israel and Turkey are too much alike. I see the last events as the results of the relationships of two sick men. On one side, a pathetic Israeli government with good enough Israeli public support to disregard wise attitudes towards Turkish counterpart, on the otherside a Turkish government running around like a chicken without a head, seeming almost lost the last remnants of sanity. What is said that both nations has nothing to remember from their short republican histories and both acting without a solid feeling of responsibility towards their public. I suggest both should be immediately hospitilized since when they are around, they are widely spreading their illness to public also.
As a Turk, this is a very well written and balanced article. thank you Mr Benn.
This is by far the best article written on the issue. Anyone trying to understand what went wrong between Israel and Turkey should read this piece over an over again. When two fundamentalist ideologies clash, the voice of reason and common sense dissappears. I really hope the common sense eventually prevails.
How right you are, Aluf! Chaval, that both countries have missed an amazing opportunity to strive for a common fight against terrorism! Next to that, together they could have created and enforced an economic stabilisation of the region, above religious or political interest. How can we still get here?
... the level of society-state-religion complicity has not been the same in the two countries. Religion has always been part of Israel's fabric in a degree far greater than that characterizing Turkey.
Thanks for this objectiv article...
At our campus, we have a Hillel, and last year when I started my Master's degree, it was one of the first places on the campus I visited. Of course I did not like what Israel is doing to Palestinians, but still I had always thought that somehow Jews are closer to us more than Americans, Indians or Chinese, and when you are away from your country, you just look for people like you. I went to Hillel like 9 times. People were so cool to me, they did not even bother to say hello. I asked a guy who was like an organizer there to teach me Hebrew. They were teaching Hebrew to American Jews anyways, and I am really interested in foreign languages. I never got a response. I left my mail like 3 times, every time he promised to let me know, but nothing came out of it. After so many stupid attempts to be friends with people I just gave up. Ironically this organizer guy is a birth-right officer too. Finally I came to believe that I am not wanted in Hillel. Also I heard that when a Turkish student had a community service, he chose to clean Hillel for that work. I am sure he had the same experience with me. I do not know if Jews accept Turks as friends or not. But sincerely I do not think so. At least I tried and failed miserably.
Thank you Mr.Ben. I’ve been reading Turkish, American, British media and your newspaper since the incident at the 31st May. This is the best interpretation ever on this subject. There were mistakes starting from the beginning till the end from both sides. People, politicians, armies make mistakes, accidents happen (I am pushing myself to believe that that was not on purpose), but an apology would be enough for honorable nations. And telling that “That was a mistake and we are sorry about it” is a wisdom. As a Turkish citizen I’ve met many Israelis at the last 10 years in Turkey and Turkish people really use to love Israeli people a lot, more than Europeans, Americans and especially Arabs and Iranians, and I still think that most of the population is still not against Israel (The radical protesters you see on TV’s are just %1-2 of 75 million, but the rest is protesting from their heart – Even Mr. Erdogan is saying that their problem is not with Israelis but with the current government) but each day we are becoming enemies and we will be the only losers when many other parties will be benefiting from this (In the 100 years financial crises your government have already ordered 2.5 billion USD of new weapons from US, I am sure Turkey has also started to take precautions which will be paid by taxpayers, so again we are the payers to save other economies - How can the deficits be closed without creating new funds?). So am I going to fight with those people that I’ve met or Turkish Jew friends who relocated to Israel? Stupid, nonsense! Turkey has lost 9 citizens, and it doesn’t matter if they were Islamists (even for me as an Kemalist), I think our nation deserves an apology from your government. Well, I hope the stance that Mr.Erdogan is insisting on will return him with less votes at the next election (and I hope the same for Mr. Netanyahu). And I hope we can cure our wounds with positive steps and next year I can come and have my summer holiday at Israeli coasts with my wife and child. Thank you for your nice interpretation again.
It seems to me that as long as all the actions of the Israeli state is driven by feelings of xenophobia, and hatred of minorities, there is no opportunity to miss, simply because there is no comprehension of any opportunity at all. Opportunity is for those who are aware of it.
There are Turkish workers in Israel who live there freely gathering in parks barbecuing on week ends. None have ever been mistreated or harmed. Remember the Turkish barber who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia? No such thing ever happens in Israel. No xenophobia as you mentioned against Turks. However In Turkey not long ago the son in law of my friend dentist Yasef Yahya was murdered only because he was Jewish. Uzeyir Garih, Hrant Dink, Father Santoro wrere murdered also for being the other (OTEKI). In the Turkish History we have the 1955 September 6-7 incidents, the 1941 Varlik Vergisi / 20th draft military service and the deportations to Askale and Afyon, 1936 Kirklareli pogroms. So re consider your post under these Turkish realities.
I completely agree with the comments made by Aluf Benn in this article. Instead of both countries reconciling their differences and celebrating their likeness they are moving apart to extremes not representative of the core of what both countries represent. Western secular democracies. Australian-Turkish citizen.
contrary to your essumption. From the first date we have had a religious parties coalition dependance. I am afraid that unfortunately for us we are stuck with it as there has never been a net majority in Israel's elections and we are thus dependant on the religious parties for any coalition, their votes are for sale and we just keep on paying for them
thanks for the article ben, i can put my signature down, but the problem is ben gurion and ataturk is not living anymore and people are trained to forget what words order about peace :(
This is an excellent article by Mr. Benn on Jewish-Turkish relationship. As a Turkish citizen it pains me as well to see the current situation between both countries. I like a lot jewish people, above all, Sephardi Jews, but i am very disgusted witht that what the israeli did on the aid ship. The governances aside, Turkish and Jewish people should not forget and relinquish their friendship.
i've just read your article. and i definitely agree with you
I have lived in Turkey for more than 3 years and visited Israel twice, for 1 month each time. What an inciteful article you written. It reflects the attitudes on the streets and in the parliaments in both countries.
very good article ....
I too believe that Erdogan and Bibi are destroying the legacies of Ataturk and Ben Gurion. Turkey became a boring, conservative, ugly capitalist , artless and scienceless society with huge income gaps and Israel preferred wild capitalism and racism to secular kibbutzim and social state. I am afraid we are heading towards worse.
Erdogan hid his true Muslim Brotherhood ideology all these years. Now he must have felt secure enough to drop his mask. There was absolutely nothing Israel could do to change this! What happened is not the result of any specific event or action. It's the result of ideology.
a great piece of intelligent journalism. shame what could have been,maybe it`s still not too late. we,the secularists everywhere have our work cut out ,but hey we enjoy a challenge don`t we,so bring it on!
I am a secular arab butits hard for me to think that there is possibilty for interpersonal connectiones between muslims and israelis. there is so much hate and ignorance. on personal level I am intrested on konwing how israel functinoes, if any israeli brave smart to contact me here is my e-mail : marwan103@hotmail.com
As balanced as this article tries to be, Erdogan is not Turkey's Netanyahu and the moderate AK Party cannot be compared to ultra nationalists like Yisrael Beiteinu. Erdogan's extensive democratic reforms have won European praise and he has done more than any other Turkish Prime Minister to fast-track EU requirements and normalize relations with the neighbouring countries (and keep Israel's alliance, before Operation Cast Lead). Netanyahu and Lieberman have done the exact opposite with regard to Israel's neighbours and the openness of their country's political system. Their hard-line, ultra-nationalist attitude (in addition to the disfranchising of ethnic minorities) is far more similar to Kemalism (whose "liberal" track record you would do well to look up). Yes, Erdogan opposes certain aspects of Kemalism: he has specifically spoken out against the Turkish Republic's ethnic cleansing policies from the 20s and 30s. Let's see Lieberman or Netanyahu apologize for Israel's past treatment of minorities. Then you can start talking about how they mirror Turkey's leadership.
Yes it IS sad, and not just now - it's always been sad - but unfortunately, because of its ethnocentric "us against them" mentality, Israel tends to take all its "friends" for granted; with little or no "actual" reciprocation. What's known as a "user".
well written article. best regards from istanbul
When Merkel who is a christian-democrat, insists that there should be crufixes in the schools u do not see any reaction from the world. when Livni complains about the reluctance of jewish youth for synagogues, u can not observe any world-wide reaction. But when Erdogan praises Islam, suddenly international reactions appear. Erdogan is a pious muslim but not an anti-semite like once Israel government claimed. And I am really tired of making his advocacy coz my personal opinions are generally conflicting with his thoughts. But I am fair with him...If there are Christian-democrat parties in the west, there must be an islamic party within the same patterns in Turkey. Otherwise, neglect of pious people`s voice may cause a revolution like the one in Iran. (eventhough it is difficult in turkey) Finally, U can not compare Erdogan with a person who advocates the killing the civilians (I am not only talking about Flotilla)
I am against European religious political parties as well as Israeli or Turkish. Religious beliefs (they are called beliefs not facts) are personal. Anyone can believe as much as they want or not believe at all. This is freedom of religion and secularism or Laicism. Unfortunately even in the USA where I am from religion has influence in government which should not be the case.
Very unique way of looking at the similarities between Turkey and Israel, never saw it like that. Other similarities: - Turkey's occupation of Cyprus and Israel's control of the West Bank, Gaza and Golan. - Both try to deny bad episodes in their histories, Turkey with the Armenian genocide and Israel with its expulsion of the Arab population in 1948. So they both have similar virtues as well as similar skeletons in their closets.
Right thinking good job ,more articles like this will help to achieve fruitefull relations .more dialogs tolerance exception and respect always win