A statement released by Barak's office on Thursday said the issue also came up in talks Barak had earlier at the White House with Vice President Joe Biden and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, the Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday. Barak is a strong supporter of reconciliation with Turkey, but other partners in the Israeli coalition, particularly Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, are against the move.
Turkish-Israeli relations were badly damaged last year after Israeli naval commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza to breach Israel's naval blockade, leaving nine Turkish civilians dead. Turkey demands an official apology and compensation for the families of the victims; Israel says its soldiers acted in self-defense.
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Barak are warm to apologizing to Turkey to rescue relations and also to avoid lawsuits against Israeli soldiers, Lieberman is against apologizing. The foreign minister says an apology to Turkey is humiliation and will pave the way for lawsuits against Israeli soldiers.
