Occupation liability for Israel, US

The Australian ^ | 10/17/2009 | Stephen Walt

[a_Turk]

IF you ever questioned whether Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza was bad for the US and for Israel too, you ought to ponder Turkey's decision to suspend a multinational air force exercise last weekend. Why? Because it's a prime example of how pursuing the goal of "greater Israel" - which means retaining control of the West Bank and Gaza and preventing a true two-state solution - is undermining US and Israeli interests.

Here's the background. For the past decade or more, Turkey has been Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world. It has bought a lot of weapons from Israeli defence manufacturers, permitted the Israeli Air Force to conduct military exercises over Turkish airspace (which is especially valuable given Israel's small size), and been an effective mediator between Israel and some of its adversaries. It was by all accounts a very valuable relationship.

[a_Turk]

Don’t freak out. I am posting someone’s opinion, and I am just an innocent bystander.

[lonestar67]

. . . or the Islamic radicals who lead through the pathological rhetoric of anti-semitism are increasingly taking control of Turkey.

[F15Eagle]

In the meantime, those who continue to oppose any effort to use US leverage to bring about a two-state solution

Oh, it's coming. And it won't be worth the paper its written on. But it will seem to work. At first ...

[Freddd]

They are not ‘occupying’ IT’S THEIR STATE!
The Jordanian Palestinians are the occupiers!

[montag813]

The only ones hurt by this Turkish stupidity are the Turks themselves. they benefited far more from their close military ties with Israel than the other way around. I have turkish friends who tell me the Turkish military is pissed off at this action, and increasingly angry at the Islamist government, which itself is a violation of Ataturk’s secular provisions. I sense another coup coming down the line.

[Slings and Arrows]

For those who may not be familiar with Stephen Walt, he's the co-author of a little blood libel called The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. It was much discussed on FR.

[rmlew]

I'm sure it turned off people who hear only anti-Israel socialist notions from Europe, and the pro-Iran musing of the Islamists.
If you and Walt cared for peace as opposed to Israel's destruction you would have wished Israel full sucess. This was a dovish government trying to end attacks on Israel from Gaza. As long as Gaza is a Hamas base for terrorism and rocket attacks against Israel, there is no possibility of further territorial concessions.

[a_Turk]

>> As long as Gaza is a Hamas base for terrorism and rocket attacks against Israel, there is no possibility of further territorial concessions.

We could police gaza and clean out the terrorists. Neither Israel nor the USA could dream of doing that.

[a_Turk]

Thanks for that link.

[veracious]

This was bound to happen sooner or later... The continued oppression of Israel by all parties would lead to the gloves coming off eventually. The peace in our time, as long as appearances matter (period), is coming to a close. Time for everyone to pick their true colors; take their masks off; put their cards on the table...

The summing up of _all_ things, in Yeshua.

[Slings and Arrows]

You’re welcome.

[TopQuark]

Good to see you again, a_Turk. Tesikkur ederim for the post.

[lonestar67]

Agreed.

[a_Turk]

Hi, where have all the good times gone..

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[rmlew]

We could police gaza and clean out the terrorists. Neither Israel nor the USA could dream of doing that.
Both have armed and funded the Palestinian Authority to do so. They failed at first and then were driven out.