Israel’s standing in the international community understandably suffered a massive blow earlier this year following a commando raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish ship that killed nine and injured many pro-Palestinian activists. The fallout also roiled the Israeli home front, prompting a sweeping inquiry of the event. Another casualty of the foray was the promising diplomatic relationship between Israel and Turkey, the Jewish state’s strongest Muslim ally in the Mideast. The importance of the latter should not be underestimated.
The raid immediately created a gulf between the erstwhile allies. Turkey demanded an apology, compensation for raid victims and an international investigation. If Israel fails to meet those demands, Turkish officials publicly say, they’ll end diplomatic relations. Israel is just as intransigent. It won’t apologize. It says a domestic inquiry is sufficient.
On the surface, then, it would appear that Israel and Turkey are close to severing ties. Appearances, though, can be deceiving. Public posturing about the flotilla raid aside, neither nation, it seems, is prepared to make the break. There are sound reasons for their reluctance to do so.
Turkey, which has become a bastion of Muslim moderation in the tinderbox Mideast, would like to expand its role and influence in the region. Severing ties with Israel would make that almost impossible.
Israel, too, can ill afford an abrupt end to the relationship. The country has carefully cultivated Turkey, understanding that it needs a Muslim friend both to end its political isolation in the region and to help promote its interests in the world at large. Ending the relationship because of the raid would severely damage those hopes.
There are other global ramifications, too. Turkey has served ably as mediator in disputes involving Israel and its neighbors, most notably in a case involving Syria in 2008. Both Turkey and Israel have strong ties to the West – the United States – and many European nations. A major breach between Turkey and Israel could threaten the tenuous diplomatic and military balance in the region. The global community can ill afford that.
There are indications that both nations are working quietly to resolve problems. General trade between the two remains brisk, though military business has declined. Turkey allowed an Israeli volleyball team into the country for a tournament last week. That might not seem like much, but it is an important gesture because many Mideast nations refuse to honor Israeli passports.
Israel, for its part, is signaling a similar willingness to resolve the difficulties arising from the attack on the flotilla. Officials there ended a warning on travel by Israelis to Turkey, a popular vacation destination. Those are minor steps, to be sure, but they signal a welcome willingness by both nations to repair a relationship that eventually could play a major role in bringing peace to the troubled Mideast. Their mutual effort should be encouraged and supported by the international community.