(Israel Defense) Amir Rapaport - Many in Israel's defense establishment, including former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, do not believe that Turkey could regain its "friendly state" status in light of its Muslim Brotherhood ideology. On the other hand, Israel has a clear interest in establishing an anti-ISIS axis in the Mediterranean Basin, together with Greece and Turkey. Moreover, the Israeli interest in reconciliation with Turkey is related to Hamas in Gaza. One of the lessons of the 2014 Gaza war was that there was no mediator to end the fighting. Once the Israel-Turkey reconciliation agreement is signed, Turkey will instantly become the most effective route to convey messages to Hamas. This will not prevent the next war in Gaza, but it would enable a mechanism to end the fighting.
2016-06-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive