Israel Matzav: Knesset preparing to slap Turkey across the face

Knesset preparing to slap Turkey across the face

The Knesset is preparing to give the Turkish government a smack across its arrogant face. With Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan making false accusations against Israel, the Knesset looks like it will finally fight back. After years of succeeding Israeli governments avoiding giving it recognition, the Knesset is on the verge of officially recognizing the Armenian genocide (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

Shortly before the one year anniversary of the Free Gaza Flotilla that marked a low point in Israel-Turkey relations, the Knesset made history Wednesday afternoon when it held its first open discussion on recognition of the Armenian genocide.

With a number of Armenian religious and lay leaders watching in the visitors’ gallery, MKs ranging from Shas to Meretz took the stand to speak in favor of officially recognizing the series of massacres and deportations that killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in the years during and shortly after World War I.

For years, consecutive governments had blocked attempts by MKs to raise the subject of recognizing the genocide out of concern that such recognition could damage relations with Ankara. This year, however, the government did not block the hearing.

MKs voted by a unanimous vote of 20-0 following the hearing to refer the subject for a further hearing to the Knesset’s Education Committee, a hearing that will also be broadcast, at least via Internet. In contrast, any previous discussions concerning the genocide had been held exclusively behind the closed doors of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Isn't this great? In one move, we're doing the right and moral thing and b**ch-slapping a government that has become a bitter rival.

Here's hoping the Mavi Marmara sinks the day after Israel officially recognizes the Armenian genocide.

Israel Matzav: Knesset preparing to slap Turkey across the face

Love of the Land: Sinking the Gaza Flotilla

Sinking the Gaza Flotilla

Shurat HaDin
Israel Law Center
Press Release
16 May '11

May 16, 2011: It was almost one year ago that Islamic extremists from Turkey and anti-Israel NGOs joined forces to organize a naval flotilla seeking to violate Israel’s coastal blockade of the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. The terrorists' mid-sea confrontation with the IDF resulted in the deaths of nine armed militants and serious injury to numerous Israeli soldiers. Now the same groups are once again planning to breach the Gaza blockade. On June 12th numerous boats loaded with contraband and up to a thousand passengers, including members of the EU Parliament, intend to set sail for Gaza from Greece, Turkey, France, Ireland and Cyprus. The organizers are hoping, once again, to provoke a massive public confrontation with the IDF and compel our soldiers to use force to detain them. They are hoping the IDF will kill some of the Flotilla participants and create another international condemnation of the IDF. In addition, there is a real concern that weapons, money and other contraband might be smuggled on the boats to the Hamas terrorists. Recall that in January 2002, the IDF seized Arafat's “Karine A” ship that was loaded with 50 tons of Iranian-supplied weaponry making its way to Gaza.

Instead of sitting passively by and waiting for another international diplomatic crisis to play out into the Islamic extremists' hands, Shurat HaDin is embarking on a campaign to try and legally block the extremist from setting sail. Every boat that travels from any country's seaports or marinas needs to have maritime insurance. Without insurance a ship is not permitted to set sail. Yet, the maritime insurance companies insuring the boats utilized by the Gaza Flotilla surely have no idea that the passenger boats that they are indemnifying are being used by the organizers to run the coastal blockade, violently challenge the IDF and smuggle weapons into Gaza. No legitimate insurance company nor its shareholders would reasonably agree to insure an expedition like that.

As such, we have begun to send letters placing the maritime insurance companies on notice concerning the Gaza Flotilla and warning them that if they provide insurance (a necessary component in the effort to smuggle contraband to the terrorists) that they themselves will be legally liable for any future terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas. The letters are being sent to all the maritime insurance firms in Europe and Turkey. We are cautioning them that if they knowingly insure one of the Flotilla boats providing material resources to Hamas, they will also be indemnifying the Hamas rocket crews for all future Qassam missile attacks as the terror victims will surely sue them! We are hoping that when their legal departments review our letters and inform the corporation's officials of the potential massive liability being risked they will act to ensure that none of their ships are being utilized by the terrorists.

The major Israeli daily newspaper ran an article in this past Weekend's Yediot Aharonot. The headline reads: "Israeli Legal Group Warns International Insurance Companies -- INSURE THE FLOTILLA TO GAZA? WE'LL SUE YOU."

The government and the IDF are extremely adept at adopting to new military threats and battlefield suprises. They do not seem to be able to get a handle on the new way the delegitimization game is being played globally. The escalating attacks on Israel from all directions requires new and innovative responses before its too late and we are simply overwhelmed. Its time for those who support the Jewish State to start to employ some ingenuity and passion and begin to fight back.

For an article in the London Times.

For a copy of the Yediot Aharonot article (in Hebrew).

For a copy of the letter to a Turkish insurance company.

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Love of the Land: Sinking the Gaza Flotilla

Israel Matzav: Davutoğlu summons and 'warns' Israel's ambassador to Turkey

Davutoğlu summons and 'warns' Israel's ambassador to Turkey

Israeli ambassador to Turkey Gaby Levy (pictured) has been summoned and 'warned' by someone acting on behalf of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. The content of the warnings was not disclosed. Davutoğlu made the fact that the 'warnings' were given public (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

Levy was summoned at Davutoğlu's order and the Israeli diplomat had a meeting with Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Halit Çevik, who gave him a series of “serious warnings and messages,” Davutoğlu said in an interview broadcast on a local television channel in Konya, his hometown and electoral district. The foreign minister did not reveal what the warning were about, saying only that they concerned “recent developments.”

But the conversation, whose date was not given, appeared to be about a planned aid flotilla to Gaza. Davutoğlu denied reports that Levy had visited the Foreign Ministry to tell the Turkish officials to stop the flotilla, which is expected to sail towards Gaza in June despite an Israeli blockade of the coastal strip.

“Ambassador Levy's coming to the Foreign Ministry and issuing such a warning is out of the question. No foreign ambassador in Ankara can do that,” Davutoğlu said. “On the contrary, he was summoned to the Foreign Ministry upon my directions and given several serious warnings and messages about recent developments. Turkey's expectations concerning steps that need to be taken so as to prevent a repeat of similar events were conveyed to him,” he added.

Davutoğlu said he would not provide details about the content of the meeting but added that Gaby was given “clear messages” regarding Turkey's stance on certain issues.

Another report makes clear that the warnings related to the prospect of a repeat attempt by the Mavi Marmara to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza.

"What Turkey expected to prevent repetition of similar incidents to Mavi Marmara attack have been relayed to the ambassador," Davutoglu said while speaking at a tv program.

When recalled that participation to Israel's foundation anniversary celebrations was low and that nobody from the cabinet attended the celebrations, and asked whether this was a diplomatic boycott, Davutoglu said it was not right to describe this a diplomatic boycott.

"It is very meaningful that nobody went there although there was not a boycott decision," Davutoglu said adding that Israel should take this stance into consideration seriously.

Davutoglu said Israel should soon review its stance and should show respect to Turkish nation, "normally, we are careful about national days of the countries. If they want our friendship, criteria of this is clear. Israel should admit its crime and compensate it," he said.

When recalled the news reports that ,"a second flotilla is getting prepared to set sail a short time before the anniversary of the Mavi Marmara attack. There are demands from the United States and Israel to stop this flotilla. Israeli Ambassador in Ankara Levy came to foreign ministry and told to stop the flotilla," Davutoglu said it was out of question for Levy to come to the ministry to make such a warning. "No ambassador can come to Foreign Ministry in Ankara to make warning," he said.

"On the contrary, Deputy Undersecretary Halit Cevik recalled Israeli Ambassador upon my directives, made him serious warnings over the recent developments and gave messages," Davutoglu said.

It's time to recall Levy from Ankara. Enough is enough.

Israel Matzav: Davutoğlu summons and 'warns' Israel's ambassador to Turkey

Love of the Land: NY Times Sinks the Truth: Flotilla 2

NY Times Sinks the Truth: Flotilla 2:

Simon Plosker
Honest Reporting
15 May '11

According to a New York Times report, a second flotilla of vessels led by the Turkish Mavi Marmara is due to sail for Gaza within the next few months. Last time, the real motives and agenda of those involved in the flotilla only became clear after Israeli commandos were attacked by extremists brandishing weapons.

Last time, the flotilla organizers were allowed to sell a false narrative of so-called “peace activists” delivering humanitarian aid to Gazans suffering a humanitarian crisis as a result of an Israeli blockade.

This time, there is no excuse for the media not to question the agenda behind a second flotilla and to include the relevant context. The New York Times, however, has published such a shoddy piece of journalism that it is difficult to believe how such an article was allowed in the newspaper of record.

Where is the context?

According to the NY Times:

Almost a year ago, Israeli naval commandos stormed a previous flotilla sailing to Gaza, killing nine pro-Palestinian activists on the Mavi Marmara, one of six ships in the fleet.

Only this January, The Turkel Commisssion of inquiry into the events surrounding the May 31, 2010 Gaza flotilla concluded that Israeli soldiers only took action in self-defense after being violently attacked by the ship’s passengers and their actions complied with international law.

Having adopted the simple narrative over the events of May 2010, the article continues by describing the owners of the Mavi Marmara as the “Humanitarian Relief Foundation“, a “Turkish nongovernmental organization“.

Why does the NY Times use such a benign description, particularly when the organization is best known by its acronym the IHH, which the article does not refer to? It is no secret that the IHH has a radical Islamic anti-Western orientation, supports radical Islamic networks, including Hamas, and at least in the past, even global jihad elements.

Having interviewed someone from the IHH, did Susanne Gusten, the NY Times journalist not consider this background information on the IHH to be relevant to the story?

(Read full "NY Times Sinks the Truth")

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Love of the Land: NY Times Sinks the Truth: Flotilla 2

Israel Matzav: Turkey: No shortage of volunteers for suicide mission

Turkey: No shortage of volunteers for suicide mission

Let's make this clear. There is no - and I mean no - way that the IDF or the Israeli government is going to let a Mavi Marmara flotilla sail unmolested into Gaza. At the very least, the ships will be stopped, boarded and inspected - and not by a third country. And yet, the New York Times reports, there is no shortage of volunteers for what might be a quite dangerous mission.

At dawn on May 31 last year, Ms. Sonmez stood on the observation deck of the Mavi Marmara, shouting orders as Israeli helicopters hovered overhead and commandos boarded the ship. Her colleague Cevdet Kiliclar, who managed the relief foundation’s Web site, was shot and killed while taking photographs “just three or four steps away from me,” she recounted.

Now Ms. Sonmez, who is on the board of the foundation, plans to embark on the Mavi Marmara once again and will be one of 150 activists making the trip.

Within 48 hours of application forms being posted on the foundation’s Web site last week, some 2,000 people had volunteered to partake in the journey, she said.

Although Israel has warned that it will continue to enforce its Gaza blockade, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation does not expect another raid on its ship, Ms. Sonmez said.

“I don’t think Israel will make the same mistake again,” she said. “I think Israel knows that it has isolated itself.”

Not everyone agrees with her.

“If the ship sails, it will be a disaster,” said Osman Bahadir Dincer, a specialist in Middle Eastern affairs at the International Strategic Research Organization in Ankara. “In this atmosphere in the Middle East, we do not need a provocation,” Mr. Dincer said by telephone this week. “This would absolutely be a provocation.”

What could go wrong?

Israel Matzav: Turkey: No shortage of volunteers for suicide mission