As I write these lines, 10 hours after Israeli troops forcibly boarded the leading vessel, the Mavi Marmara, in international waters, the Turkish government was still in the dark about the exact number of casualties. For the families of some 600 activists, including 350-400 Turks, an anxious wait was continuing.What is already clear is that the incident marks a turning point in Turkey’s relations with Israel. Ties have been fraying since Israel’s Gaza offensive in December 2008-January 2009, which led to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s very public “one minute” reaction in Davos. With this latest escalation, they are now close to breaking point and appear unlikely to improve as long as the hard-line Israeli government led by Benyamin Netanyahu remains in power.
The matter is of course not one that only concerns Turkey. The aid convoy was supported by activists from many countries, including Israel itself, and representatives of the international community -- from EU High Representative Catherine Ashton to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon -- are already calling for an independent inquiry. The Greek government cancelled joint naval maneuvers with Israel.
The Gaza enclave, one of the most densely populated places on earth, has been under embargo since Hamas came to power nearly three years ago. Whether we like it or not, the radical Palestinian organization was democratically elected, an outcome that directly results from decades of heavy political pressure on the Palestinian population. The UN, the Red Cross and other international organizations have on numerous occasions drawn attention to the suffering experienced by civilians, who lack the most basic supplies.
Will this new diplomatic crisis convince the international community to revisit its attitude to Hamas and force Israel to lift its embargo? Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is flying to New York, where Turkey intends to bring the issue to the UN Security Council. The boarding of the Mavi Marmara provides Ankara with a strong case, but Turkish politicians need to remain cool-headed and avoid emotional outbursts if their diplomatic initiative is to carry any weight. Above all, the Turkish government must ensure that popular reaction in Turkey does not explode into ugly incidents.
Although Tel Aviv appears increasingly isolated and even the Obama administration has recently expressed frustration with Netanyahu’s defiant refusal to stop building settlements, Washington is unlikely to openly condemn Tel Aviv. European public opinion, however, is much more sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians and Israel’s attempts to paint itself as the victim ring increasingly hollow in the face of its disproportionate use of force.
Israel does have the right to protect its citizens against attacks, but while it claims that its Gaza strategy aims to do just that, its policies are in fact fuelling frustration and hopelessness among the Palestinian population and creating fertile ground for radicalism.
I witnessed it first hand when I lived in South Lebanon in the early 1980s. Within months of Israeli’s intervention, its heavy-handed approach had turned the local population against the invading forces. Frustration translated into support for Hezbullah, the powerful Lebanon-based organization which was founded in opposition to the Israeli occupation and remains a feared adversary nearly three decades later.
The current blockade on Gaza, which amounts to collective punishment, prohibited by international law, has caused untold suffering to civilians. It has now killed international activists and led to yet another crisis in the tense Middle East. As UN Secretary-General Ban pointed out during a visit to Gaza in March, the embargo “undercuts moderates and empowers extremists” and is ultimately counterproductive for all concerned, including Israel.
