"There
is now a perception around the world that Israel can spit in America's eye and
get away with it every time. President Obama's election triggered waves of
optimism across the Middle East. At the time, Israel was the only country
overtly dissatisfied with Obama's victory. But the way things are going now, this
equation could easily reverse itself."
After a commando raid on a flotilla of ships intent on breaking Israel's three-year blockade of Gaza, the Jewish State is confronting a firestorm of global criticism.
Israel's latest botched display
of determination toward pro-Palestinian activists headed for Gaza has brought
matters to a head not only for Tel-Aviv, but for U.S. President Barack Obama as
well. Washington is now in the uncomfortable position of having subtly diffuse tensions
between two of its key allies, Turkey and Israel.
The Americans also have to
prevent a crisis in its own relations with the two countries. Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's angry tone on Tuesday during a highly publicized
speech to Parliament wasn't something Washington can brush aside as mere "rhetoric."
Echoing former President
George W. Bush's remark, "either you're with us or with the terrorists,"
Erdoğan said that anyone who tries to justify Israel's bloody operation against
a civilian flotilla "would be party to the crime." Around the same
time, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told journalists in Washington that
the U.S. response to the Israeli operation was "a disappointment for
Turkey."
There can be no doubt who
Erdoğan's remarks were aimed at - and they come at a time when Turkish-U.S.
relations are already strained over Iran's nuclear program. Ankara and
Washington remain on very different pages in regard to sanctions against Iran.
The emergency meeting between
Foreign Minister Davutoğlu and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on
Tuesday was therefore bound to be interesting - and possibly tense. It appears,
however, that the sides arrived at a general understanding of the critical
issues, even if they differ on the specifics.
Mr. Davutoğlu's remarks before
his return to Turkey on Wednesday clearly reflected this. Statements issued by
Ankara and Washington after President Obama and Prime Minister Erdoğan
held a phone conversation later in the day also reflected a moderate tone
It was telling that shortly
after these conversations, news agencies began reporting that Israel had
decided to deport hundreds of detained activists, most of them Turkish citizens,
without further questioning or legal action. There's little doubt that the
Netanyahu government was forced to do this by Washington.
Particularly after the
defiant remarks on the issue from Israel the previous day, it seems that its
closest ally presented Israel with some limited options. It's of course no
secret that due to a host of practical reasons, America is bound to support
Israel come what may.
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But it's also clear that Washington's
patience is running thin with the current Israeli government, which has the
Obama Administration's boat more than once. It can therefore be surmised that discussions
between U.S. and Israeli administrations have beensomewhat
tense since the incident in the eastern Mediterranean.
As Davutoğlu said at a
press conference before returning home from the U.S., he had conveyed to the
American side the simple fact that if Israel didn't immediately release the
activists it held, then Turkey was determined to take all necessary measures to
get its citizens back.
He didn't specify what these
steps would be, preferring to indicate that subsequent developments had made
them irrelevant. But it is clear from the chain of events that the warning registered
with the Americans, who clearly applied the needed pressure to prevent an
escalation which was bound to get out of hand.
It was also clear from
Davutoğlu's determined but reasonable overall tone - especially when
compared with Prime Minister Erdoğan's remarks at Parliament, that
Secretary Clinton had convinced the Turkish side to calm down and think things over
reasonably and realistically before acting.
Of course, Washington is walking
a tightrope. Up front it must appear pro-Israel, but behind the scenes it will
have to work feverishly to calm a situation that has sent shockwaves across the
globe - particularly in the Islamic world.
And for the effort to be
credible in the eyes of the international community, this will of course involve
leaning on the Israeli side more than has hitherto been the case.
After the insult is
administered to Washington during Vice President Joe Biden's trip to Israel
country last year, there's a perception around the world that Israel can spit
in America's eye and get away with it every time.
Obviously, this is not the
image American officials want to encourage. President Obama's election triggered
waves of optimism across the Middle East and many other parts of the world. At
the time, Israel was the only country overtly dissatisfied with Obama's victory.
But the way things are going now, this equation could easily reverse itself - to
the detriment of U.S. interests.
While Washington may have
helped diffuse the immediate Turkey-Israel crisis this week, the real repair
work remains. It's obvious that this will also require putting the Middle East
peace drive back on the agenda while simultaneously addressing the plight of
the Palestinians in Gaza.
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This will demand a much more
impartial approach to the region. But when we look at the picture today, it's
clear that the image of "Israel and the U.S. against everyone else" is
again on the rise. This is Mr. Obama's challenge.
The question is, will he manage
to salvage the positive U.S. image he fostered after his election? One might
recall that he chose Turkey as one of his first ports of call, sending warm
messages of friendship and cooperation to the Islamic world.
He must build on what's left
of the positive atmosphere he created before it completely disappears in order to
make the world a safer place for all. Inevitably, this will require American leadership.
