© islamivahdet.comErdogan: "He offered an olive branch." Netanyahu: "I gave him a fig leaf." It's all good.
The reactions of the Turkish-Israeli rapprochement deal have been met with a plethora of emotions. Some Palestinians have argued that despite Turkish rhetoric,
national self-interest would always supersede that of the Palestinian people. Others have reflected
sentiments of disillusionment at the about turn taken by Turkey which appears to be
diametrically opposed to its erstwhile stance on the Palestinians issue. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's profile in the solidarity community skyrocketed with his
stance vis-à-vis Shimon Peres in his 'one minute' display. There is another grouping that views the
by-product of the agreement to be beneficial to the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip and are adamant in depicting a silver lining.
The actual text of the agreement has not filtered into mainstream circulation as yet, however the terms contained therein are gradually surfacing. An extensive exposé emerged in the leading Israel publication
Haaretz which painted
a shocking picture of the deal. There is not a shadow of doubt that one of the crucial motivators behind this deal was
economics. Israel's Netanyahu alluded to this crucial aspect on the 27th June 2016 stating that
the deal has "immense implications for the Israeli economy".
Haaretz ventured to shed further light on the matter by alluding to
a gas pipeline deal between Turkey and Israel. Turkey is viewed as the gateway to Europe and the portrayal of Turkey is a lucrative incentive for both countries. Interestingly, the first gas fields were found
off the coast of the Gaza Strip in the early 2000's. This was viewed
even by the Israeli regime as property of the Palestinian people. In 2011, Israel National News ran a story titled
"PA Claims Israel Steals Gas in Exploration of Gaza Waters" which would come as no surprise as the
State of Israel is premised on the dispossession of Palestinian natural resources which include but are not limited to land and water resources. In 2012 the fields of Tamar Field and the Leviathan Field were found off the coast of Haifa. Judging from Israel's dubious history of dispossession, it would not be far-fetched to suspect that
part of the gas being alienated by Israel via this Turkish gas deal may actually belong to the Palestinian people. Knowledge of this possibility and the existence of these fields are within the grasp of the Turkish leadership which compounds the treachery.
Comment: As we wrote in our coverage on Erdogan's apology (see here and here), it's time for Turkey to put up or shut up, and so far, they have made a big show of actually changing their disastrous policies on Syria. Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said today that Turkey will "cooperate with everyone who fights Daesh", adding: "we opened Incirlik air base for those who want to join the active fight against Daesh. Why not cooperate with Russia in the same manner? Turkey is ready for such cooperation. Terrorism is our common enemy. Joint efforts are important to avoid negative incidents [among sides fighting ISIS]" While many interpreted that as meaning that Turkey was opening the base for use by Russians, Cavusoglu clarified, saying that isn't what he said.