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Home / Mideast Peace / Erdogan to Betray Gaza for Israeli Gas
Erdogan to Betray Gaza for Israeli Gas
June 25, 2016 By Richard Silverstein 5 Comments
Israeli and world media have featured screaming headlines over the past few
days that Turkey and Israel are about to resume diplomatic relations broken off
after Israeli naval commandos murdered 10 Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara
in 2010 (including one U.S. citizen). The freeze between the two countries cut
off Israeli trade and military coöperation with one of the largest and most
influential Muslim nations in the region. Prior to the massacre, Turkey and
Israel’s militaries conducted joint military exercises, intelligence agencies
freely shared information, and bilateral trade flourished.
I should add that much of the ISIS oil pumped in Iraq ends up purchased by
Israel via Turkish ports. So in this illicit trade, both appear allied.
Since 2010, Turkey has had three key demands in order to resume ties: financial
compensation to the victims, an Israeli apology, and lifting Israel’s siege of
Gaza. As outlined in the press, Turkey will have two of those three conditions
met. Israel will pay $20-million to the families of the victims. It has
already apologized. But Israel adamantly refused to lift the siege. Instead
of holding fast until his demands were met, Erdogan caved.
Israel has only agreed to permit Turkey and Germany to build a new hospital in
Gaza and to build a new sewage treatment and power plant there. Turkey will
also be permitted to aid in reconstruction of the 20,000 homes destroyed in the
2014. But it will be forced to unload all shipments at the Israeli port of
Ashdod. This is ironic because the entire purpose of the Mavi Marmara trip was
to break the Israeli blockade. After Israel hijacked the ship and kidnapped
the passengers it forced them to Ashdod, where Israeli authorities promptly
stole millions of dollars worth of electronic equipment and personal belongings
of the victims. Meaning that Turkey has acceded to the very conditions which
the Mavi Marmara sought to end.
A further dark irony of the Turkey-Israel agreement is that as soon as the next
war between Israel and Gaza breaks out, these Turkish projects will be among
the first Israel will destroy. Just as it did during Operation Protective Edge
when it destroyed every government building, the Islamic University and
infrastructure like power and sewage plants. In an earlier conflict it
destroyed a nascent project to rebuild the Gaza seaport funded by the Dutch and
French.
Oil and gas fields in eastern Mediterranean
So what exactly has Turkey won and Gaza lost? Most importantly for Turkey,
Israel plans to extract massive amounts of oil and gas off its seacoast from
the Mediterranean. A number of nations and militant groups dispute Israel’s
plans. Both Gaza and Lebanon claim portions of these fields are in their
territory. Hezbollah, no doubt, looks forward to attempting to sabotage any
resource production off the Lebanese coast.
Israel is hard at work attempting to ensure the security of these new oil
platforms. When Turkey was out of the picture, Israel negotiated with Cyprus
and Greece to ship its product to Europe. But Turkey, with its powerful
military forces, was a wildcard. Now, with Turkey back on the team, Israel not
only has one less enemy to worry about, it could conceivably receive assistance
from the Turkish military in protecting the facilities.
What’s in it for Turkey? A significant portion of the likely $2-billion cost
of the project along with a percentage of the tens of billion in revenue
generated by transshipment through Turkish territory. You can easily see when
faced with a choice between loyalty to Gaza and a financial bonanza, which
outcome Erdogan preferred.
Israel’s new Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, was reported to have made a secret
visit to Turkey in recent days. Though Israeli media says he went to ask
Turkey to shut down Hamas activities inside the country, Turkish media said he
came to discuss oil. Haaretz reports that Turkey agreed to shut down all
military activities of Hamas on its soil (I’d only heard Israel claim once
during this period that a Hamas operative planned a terror attack from Turkey).
Hamas political activity will continue there. Though both oil and Hamas may’ve
been subjects on the table, my guess is that Cohen came primarily with barrels
of oil and dollar signs flickering in his eyes.
Though this subject hasn’t been mentioned in the media, Israel and Turkey also
have common interests in Syria, where the Muslim nation supports Sunni rebels
(some say ISIS itself) fighting the Assad regime on the northern front; and
Israel supports al-Nura rebels on the southern front. What form such
cooperation may take isn’t clear. But you can be sure that both will be
exploring their options.
Israeli media also report another visitor to Turkey’s Ottoman-style
presidential palace: Hamas chief, Khaled Meshal. This visit can’t be a happy
one for the Hamas leader. He’ll essentially be told by Erdogan that Turkey’s
commitment to Gaza has evaporated. Hamas will have little or nothing to show
for it. And all Erdogan’s bluster over the past few years about how he
remained steadfast for Gaza in the face of Israeli barbarity–all that will be
for naught.
The two groups shut out of the benefits of the oil-gas revenue are Gazans and
Israelis. You read that right. Oh, a few Israeli oligarchs, IDF ex-generals
and intelligence chiefs who transformed themselves into consultants will reap
almost all the billions. Bibi and the Likud will take some of the spoils as
well. But the average Israeli? Not a hope in hell that this will benefit him
or her. Remember that Israel is the poorest of 32 OECD countries and has the
fifth most striated economy. It has 18 families which own 60% of the country’s
corporate equity. There will be no trickle-down benefit to the poor in Israel.
So if you’re counting winners and losers, the result is a given.
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Tikun Olam תיקון עולם
Promoting Israeli democracy, exposing secrets of the national security state
You are here: Home / Mideast Peace / Erdogan to Betray Gaza for Israeli Gas
Erdogan to Betray Gaza for Israeli Gas
June 25, 2016 By Richard Silverstein 5 Comments
Israeli and world media have featured screaming headlines over the past few
days that Turkey and Israel are about to resume diplomatic relations broken off
after Israeli naval commandos murdered 10 Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara
in 2010 (including one U.S. citizen). The freeze between the two countries cut
off Israeli trade and military coöperation with one of the largest and most
influential Muslim nations in the region. Prior to the massacre, Turkey and
Israel’s militaries conducted joint military exercises, intelligence agencies
freely shared information, and bilateral trade flourished.
I should add that much of the ISIS oil pumped in Iraq ends up purchased by
Israel via Turkish ports. So in this illicit trade, both appear allied.
Since 2010, Turkey has had three key demands in order to resume ties: financial
compensation to the victims, an Israeli apology, and lifting Israel’s siege of
Gaza. As outlined in the press, Turkey will have two of those three conditions
met. Israel will pay $20-million to the families of the victims. It has already
apologized. But Israel adamantly refused to lift the siege. Instead of holding
fast until his demands were met, Erdogan caved.
Israel has only agreed to permit Turkey and Germany to build a new hospital in
Gaza and to build a new sewage treatment and power plant there. Turkey will
also be permitted to aid in reconstruction of the 20,000 homes destroyed in the
2014. But it will be forced to unload all shipments at the Israeli port of
Ashdod. This is ironic because the entire purpose of the Mavi Marmara trip was
to break the Israeli blockade. After Israel hijacked the ship and kidnapped the
passengers it forced them to Ashdod, where Israeli authorities promptly stole
millions of dollars worth of electronic equipment and personal belongings of
the victims. Meaning that Turkey has acceded to the very conditions which the
Mavi Marmara sought to end.
A further dark irony of the Turkey-Israel agreement is that as soon as the next
war between Israel and Gaza breaks out, these Turkish projects will be among
the first Israel will destroy. Just as it did during Operation Protective Edge
when it destroyed every government building, the Islamic University and
infrastructure like power and sewage plants. In an earlier conflict it
destroyed a nascent project to rebuild the Gaza seaport funded by the Dutch and
French.
http://i1.wp.com/www.turkishnews.com/en/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cyp_oil_and_gas_drilling_72.jpghttp://i1.wp.com/www.turkishnews.com/en/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cyp_oil_and_gas_drilling_72.jpg
Oil and gas fields in eastern Mediterranean
So what exactly has Turkey won and Gaza lost? Most importantly for Turkey,
Israel plans to extract massive amounts of oil and gas off its seacoast from
the Mediterranean. A number of nations and militant groups dispute Israel’s
plans. Both Gaza and Lebanon claim portions of these fields are in their
territory. Hezbollah, no doubt, looks forward to attempting to sabotage any
resource production off the Lebanese coast.
Israel is hard at work attempting to ensure the security of these new oil
platforms. When Turkey was out of the picture, Israel negotiated with Cyprus
and Greece to ship its product to Europe. But Turkey, with its powerful
military forces, was a wildcard. Now, with Turkey back on the team, Israel not
only has one less enemy to worry about, it could conceivably receive assistance
from the Turkish military in protecting the facilities.
What’s in it for Turkey? A significant portion of the likely $2-billion cost of
the project along with a percentage of the tens of billion in revenue generated
by transshipment through Turkish territory. You can easily see when faced with
a choice between loyalty to Gaza and a financial bonanza, which outcome Erdogan
preferred.
Israel’s new Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, was reported to have made a secret
visit to Turkey in recent days. Though Israeli media says he went to ask Turkey
to shut down Hamas activities inside the country, Turkish media said he came to
discuss oil. Haaretz reports that Turkey agreed to shut down all military
activities of Hamas on its soil (I’d only heard Israel claim once during this
period that a Hamas operative planned a terror attack from Turkey). Hamas
political activity will continue there. Though both oil and Hamas may’ve been
subjects on the table, my guess is that Cohen came primarily with barrels of
oil and dollar signs flickering in his eyes.
Though this subject hasn’t been mentioned in the media, Israel and Turkey also
have common interests in Syria, where the Muslim nation supports Sunni rebels
(some say ISIS itself) fighting the Assad regime on the northern front; and
Israel supports al-Nura rebels on the southern front. What form such
cooperation may take isn’t clear. But you can be sure that both will be
exploring their options.
Israeli media also report another visitor to Turkey’s Ottoman-style
presidential palace: Hamas chief, Khaled Meshal. This visit can’t be a happy
one for the Hamas leader. He’ll essentially be told by Erdogan that Turkey’s
commitment to Gaza has evaporated. Hamas will have little or nothing to show
for it. And all Erdogan’s bluster over the past few years about how he remained
steadfast for Gaza in the face of Israeli barbarity–all that will be for naught.
The two groups shut out of the benefits of the oil-gas revenue are Gazans and
Israelis. You read that right. Oh, a few Israeli oligarchs, IDF ex-generals and
intelligence chiefs who transformed themselves into consultants will reap
almost all the billions. Bibi and the Likud will take some of the spoils as
well. But the average Israeli? Not a hope in hell that this will benefit him or
her. Remember that Israel is the poorest of 32 OECD countries and has the fifth
most striated economy. It has 18 families which own 60% of the country’s
corporate equity. There will be no trickle-down benefit to the poor in Israel.
So if you’re counting winners and losers, the result is a given.