At the end of his trip to Turkey, Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told a group of reporters on Tuesday that a breakthrough is needed in what he called the sometimes cloudy relations between the two countries. “If we are able to arrange a meeting between both prime ministers alone, without any interference, let them sit and discuss it, you will see that white smoke will come out very quickly,” he said, signaling that an understanding would be rapidly reached.
Ben-Eliezer, a well-known figure in Ankara and a veteran politician in Israel, described both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as “young and very emotional” leaders. He said a summit between the presidents of both countries may proceed on the success of the prime ministers’ meeting. “A breakthrough is must. We want people on the leadership level to come and visit Israel because time is not in our favor, nor is it in the Palestinians’ or the Middle East’s [favor],” he said, pointing out that a nuclear Iran will radically change the balance of power in the region. “We have to bring the Palestinians to the table by any means -- through Obama, through you [Turkey] or through Egypt,” he remarked.
Stressing that he came to Turkey on behalf of the prime minister and the Israeli cabinet, Ben-Eliezer said he repeated the official invitation of Israeli President Shimon Peres to Turkish President Abdullah Gül during a meeting which lasted for 90 minutes in Ankara. He said he does not know whether Gül will accept the invitation. “I came here with a message, and I am now going back to Prime Minister Netanyahu and to the Israeli cabinet with a very important message,” he said, declining to provide specifics on what message he is taking back.
A Turkish diplomatic source says that without any improvement on the ground in Gaza, Turkey will not look favorably on a high-level meeting, at either the prime ministerial or presidential level at this time. “Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu would not want be seen shaking hands with his ultra-right wing Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, at this juncture out of concern that this may signal Ankara’s implicit approval of the Israeli government’s policy in Gaza and on the settlements issue,” the same source said, asking not to be named.
When reminded of Lieberman’s harsh remarks on the eve of his visit to Turkey, Ben-Eliezer said, “Lieberman can say whatever he wants to say, but Netanyahu makes the decisions.” He pointed out that the Israeli government is a coalition of many parties and that dissenting voices are part of the democratic process. “I don’t always necessarily agree with what Lieberman says,” he added. Ben-Eliezer also underlined that all political figures he met with in Turkey were very cooperative and welcoming, despite the fact that they knew very well what the Israeli foreign minister had said about Turkey.
Commenting on the blockade of Gaza, the Israeli minister dismissed reports that Turkish humanitarian aid had been blocked at the border. He cautioned, however, that they do not want to see trucks carrying bombs to militants in Gaza. “We want to help [Gaza]. We want to support and send everything required and needed,” he said, stressing that, in contrast, the economy in the West Bank was flourishing.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah group controls the West Bank, while Gaza remains under Hamas control.
Syria talks may resume
The Israeli minister said he came with a message that his government would like to see the resumption of indirect talks between Syria and Israel. He acknowledged, however, that there are conditions on the table, both from the Turkish side and the Israeli side regarding re-engagement. Turkey argues that the situation in Gaza must be improved before agreeing to mediate between the two sides. “We are working now to rebuild the level of confidence on both sides. Once I believe [we have achieved that] then we can go ahead,” Ben-Eliezer said.
Asked if he got the feeling that the Turkish side still has lingering bitterness about the collapse of talks on the eve of the Gaza offensive last December, he said no. “I have the feeling, through my meetings here, that they [the Turks] are willing to get back on track.” Both Erdoğan and Davutoğlu expressed Turkey’s displeasure about the Israeli onslaught in Gaza on the eve of what they thought was an imminent major breakthrough between Syria and Israel on many occasions in the past. The Gaza offensive halted the process and Ankara was angry for not being kept in the loop during a visit by then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to Ankara just one day before the attack.
Downplaying public concerns
Standing firm on the Israeli government’s policy of not allowing foreign dignitaries to visit the Gaza Strip during visits to Israel, Ben-Eliezer said this would apply to Turkish ministers, the Turkish prime minister and the president as well. “They are welcome to visit Israel at any time, but we would not be able to let them pass into Gaza,” he announced, saying such a move would weaken Abbas in the West Bank. “It would almost destroy the possibility that the Palestinian Authority could begin negotiations. The problem is between the PLO [Palestinian Liberation Organization] and Hamas,” he said.
Recalling that Israel has supported the Turkish government’s fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for many years, Ben-Eliezer said, “We backed you for all these years on very sensitive issues, you have to respect to ours as well.” He noted that unless the attitude of the people in Gaza changes, the policy will remain in place.
When asked how he thinks Israel can ease the growing concerns of the Turkish public, which has demonstrated that it is very sensitive to the goings on in Gaza in terms of human suffering and tragedy, the expansion of settlements and the incidents of Israeli police interference at Muslim holy site the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Ben-Eliezer downplayed the concerns, even though they have put the Turkish government under immense pressure recently. “Public opinion is influenced by the leaders of the country. The leaders are calling, and they [the public] are following,” he said. Conceding that there were some problems and murky issues, the Israeli minister emphasized that he wants to look ahead to see what can be done rather than dwelling on the past.
He underlined that there have been no new homes built in the settlements since the right-wing Netanyahu government took power. “If we achieve peace tomorrow morning, we will destroy all the settlements and evacuate all the settlers and soldiers. We will not hesitate,” he said.
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