(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan threatened to unleash "Plan B," a further deterioration of ties with Israel, if Jerusalem does not meet his terms to settle the Mavi Marmara issue. In response, a Jerusalem official said Monday, "The problem is that many people here don't think that this is Plan B, but rather Plan A, and that Erdogan's long-term strategic plan has been to reduce to a minimum the ties with Israel." According to this official, there is a great deal of skepticism in Jerusalem that Israel could do anything to satisfy Erdogan. Last week the Turkish press reported that Erdogan would visit Gaza if an apology was not forthcoming from Israel, a threat dismissed as hollow in Jerusalem by officials who said Erdogan could enter Gaza via Egypt, but that a photo opportunity there with the Hamas leadership would probably undermine the Palestinian Authority more than it would bother Israel.
2011-07-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive