ISRAELI DAILY CRITICIZES POLICIES TOWARD TURKEY

Hurriyet
Feb 18 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Israeli Foreign Ministry is trying to punish Turkey
for criticizing its policies toward Gaza by using the Armenians’
"genocide" claims, a leading Israeli newspaper says. The daily also
criticizes Gen. Mizrahi for overstepping the bounds of its authority

A leading Israeli newspaper has criticized the Israeli Foreign
Ministry for signaling that Israel may recognize Armenian "genocide"
claims to punish Ankara, which has grown increasingly vocal in its
criticism against Israel’s Gaza operation.

In an editorial published Sunday, Haaretz also criticized the Israeli
Ground Forces Commander Gen. Avi Mizrahi, whose earlier statements
said the Turkish prime minister should first look in the mirror before
attacking Israel, which led to another wave of tension between the two
countries, prompting the comment that Mizrahi was a military officer
and thus "not tasked with formulating Israel’s foreign policy, nor
does he appraise other countries."

"Perhaps the chief of staff should let his subordinates know when they
are overstepping the bounds of their authority," Haaretz’s editorial
said. One would even have expected the general to be relieved of his
duties "in a different era," it read.

Out of line

The general feeling among Israelis is that Gen. Mizrahi was out of
line making political statements as a military figure. But experts
say he should be reprimanded, not discharged as suggested by Haaretz.

Professor Yair Evron, an expert at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for
National Security Studies, said he agreed with the general tenor of
the Haaretz editorial. Although Prime Minister Erdogan’s references
to the operation in Gaza were extreme and unfounded, "I do not think
that Israel should raise the Armenian issue as a political instrument
vis-?-vis Turkey," he said.

Professor Efraim Inbar from the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic
Studies, on the other hand, said it was the Turks who were defending
an organization like Hamas and they were the ones who should face
the consequences when the time comes.

"The Israeli lobby was very active in preventing the passage of the
genocide resolution in the United States. We value our relations with
Turkey very much. But if the Turks don’t want to be our friend, or if
they are creating a crisis, then the lobby would do what it must do,"
he said.

On Mizrahi, Evron said generals should not make public declarations
concerning foreign or defense policy. "However, I do not think that
general Mizrahi should be relieved from office, but he should be
reprimanded," he said.

Inbar also said the general should keep away from politics, although,
"Israel’s anger at Turkey is understandable."

Turkey awaits detailed explanation from Israel The controversial
remarks made by a senior Israeli general telling the Turkish prime
minister to look in the mirror, after the latter was critical of
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, did not benefit already strained bilateral
relations, the foreign minister said late Monday.

"We believe it would better if there was a more detailed and
comprehensive explanation (from the Israeli side)," Ali Babacan told
reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga airport, before departing for Yemen.

The Israeli army made a statement over the weekend disassociating
itself from the harsh remarks by Major General Avi Mizrahi, saying his
views were not reflective of the official position of the army. The
general called on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to
look in the mirror, referring to the 1915 incidents and the Kurdish
conflict in Turkey.

Ankara described the comments as unacceptable and demanded urgent
clarification, while delivering a note of protest to Israel.

"It is quite easy to escalate tension with such statements," Babacan
said, adding Turkish reaction was conveyed to the Israeli side at
various levels. He repeated that Turkey wished to see a detailed
explanation from Tel-Aviv and stressed there were intense contacts
between the two countries’ foreign ministries but warned no special
meaning should be attributed to that communication.