Worldwide English Report
Wednesday 9-6-2010
Y.Ahoronot
*Report: Israel to ease Gaza blockade in exchange for watered-down probe………………………………………………………………….2
*Criticism in Turkey: Erdogan knew Gaza sail would be violent…………………………………………………………4 *Russian PM: Gas pipeline may not go to Israel………………6
* Welcome back, Erdogan……………………………………..7
Haaretz
*Israel in a changing world…………………………………….9
Jerusalem Post
*Turkey’s support of Hamas worries PA……………………11
LA Times
*Helen Thomas: A troubling end to a distinguished career..13
NY Times
*Turkey Goes From Pliable Ally to Thorn for U.S…………..15
The Independent
*New face of power in the Middle East………………………19
The Times
*Iran state shipping company beating sanctions by deception..23
Y.Ahoronot
Report: Israel to ease Gaza blockade in exchange for watered-down probe
Telegraph quotes Israeli officials as saying country would agree to allow more goods into Strip, but deny willingness to cooperate linked to growing Western support for international probe into deadly flotilla raid. Western sources: Quid pro quo deal in the offing
Israel is prepared to accept a British plan to ease its blockade of Gaza in exchange for international acceptance of a watered-down investigation into last week's deadly raid on a Turkish ship that was headed for the Hamas-ruled territory, the Telegraph reported Wednesday.
The British daily quoted Western officials as saying that last week the UK circulated a confidential document proposing ways of easing the blockade.
Israeli officials said the Jewish state would agree, in principle, to permit the passage of substantially more aid through land crossings with Gaza.
According to the Telegraph, the senior Israeli officials denied there was any direct link between their willingness to cooperate over the blockade and growing Western pressure for international participation in any probe of the flotilla raid.
But a Western source close to international discussions with Israel told the British daily that "a quid pro quo deal is in the offing".
The Telegraph quoted the Western sources as saying that many of the British proposals have been adopted by the Quartet on the Middle East peace, the negotiating body that comprises the UN, the United States, the European Union and Russia.
'Creating some additional trust'
The proposals include calls for Israel to abandon its official list of 35 items whose entry into the Hamas-ruled territory is allowed in favor of a list of specifically outlawed items.
According to the report, Israel has also been asked to ease access into Gaza at its land crossings, where there are frequent bottlenecks, and to allow the UN to transport construction materials and equipment needed to rebuild 60,000 homes destroyed or damaged during Israel's military offensive in the winter of 2008–2009
"Israel could be flexible about items reaching the civilian population," an Israeli official was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the German and Italian government on Tuesday called for an international investigation into Israel's deadly raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla, which left nine pro-Palestinian activists dead.
The United States also backed calls for an international participation in Israel's probe, saying it was "essential" to ensure credibility.
"We understand that the international participation in investigating these matters will be important to the credibility everybody wants to see," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.
"We recognize that international participation... would be an essential element to putting this tragedy behind us and then hopefully creating some additional trust."
y.Ahoronot
Criticism in Turkey: Erdogan knew Gaza sail would be violent
PM dismiss claims, says tried to convince IHH to call off flotilla; columnists warn Turkey aligning itself with Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah. 'We must be careful,' opposition leader says
Politicians from Turkey's opposition parties and a number of columnists have expressed concern over the fueling of public rage towards Israel by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government in the aftermath of the deadly raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla.
According to the critics, this policy is jeopardizing the delicate balance Turkey has maintained in its ties with the East and West. The public agenda, they say, is being dictated by the formerly obscure Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or IHH, an Islamist charity group believed by many to have links to global terror organizations.
IHH organized the flotilla to Gaza, which was intercepted by Israel. Nine people were killed when Israeli commandos raided the convoy's lead vessel, the MV Mavi Marmara.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of The Republican People's Party and one of the opposition's leaders, told Turkish television, "The European Union and the United States consider Hamas a terror organization. We must be careful." The politician also demanded that the government release communications with Israel prior to the incident, suggesting it allowed the flotilla to proceed despite knowing that violence was likely.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Erdogan dismissed Kilicdaroglu as an Israeli "advocate" and said his government sought to persuade the IHH against taking the flotilla to Gaza, but was unable to stop an independent organization.
The newspaper said skepticism concerning the IHH version of events on the Mavi Marmara "appears to have accelerated as a result of unexpected criticism of the IHH's actions from influential Turkish spiritual leader Fethullah Gülen."
According to the Wall Street Journal, analysts saw the intervention by a figure respected by many in the Turkish government as a warning that the storm of anti-Israeli feeling risked getting out of hand.
"People will understand very soon that the IHH is harming Turkey," wrote Cuneyt Ulsever, a columnist in the daily Hurriet, on Sunday, saying the effect of the crisis would be to persuade the West that Turkey is aligning itself with the likes of Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Two major dailies, Hurriyet and Haberturk have now published on their front pages photographs of the bloodied Israeli soldiers captured during the initial fighting, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
According to the newspaper, the religious conservative daily Vakit last week published on its front page the names and photographs of eight newspaper columnists who censured the government's handling of the flotilla affair. The headline read, "Spin doctors who shoot bullets at the aid ship."
Y.Ahoronot
Russian PM: Gas pipeline may not go to Israel
Russia's prime minister says a new gas pipeline that will link Russia to the Middle East via Turkey may not be extended to Israel as originally projected. He says there are economic concerns after Israel found gas in its own waters.
Russia already supplies gas to Turkey through Blue Stream, a pipeline that opened in 2005 and tunnels under the Black Sea separating the two countries. Vladimir Putin says an expanded project, dubbed Blue Stream II, could supply gas to countries such as Lebanon and Syria.
Turkey shelved discussions on extending Blue Stream II to Israel after Israeli commandos killed nine Turks on a Gaza-bound ship last week.
But Putin says "the basic issue is Israel may not be needing this gas that much." He says it is not related to the "tragic incident.
Y.Ahoronot
Welcome back, Erdogan
Eyal Megged wonders whether we won’t be wise to again live under Turkish rule
By Eyal Megged
Ultimately, the Gaza flotilla may end up being a blessing in disguise. As the days pass and we see the grave implications of the brilliant decision to stop, at any price, the maritime infiltration that threatened our existence, and as more time passes without any decision-maker resigning (yes, resigning – such thing exists,) I hear around me more and more despaired voices regarding the Jews’ ability to manage their own affairs wisely, as sovereigns.
Yet suddenly, we see a ray of light amid the clouds! There’s a rumor that this new arch-enemy, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is planning to personally arrive at our shores at the head of a large armada, and while salvaging Islam’s honor he aims to restore the old glory days and re-establish the Turkish empire.
I must admit that it’s an old dream taking shape. For a long while now, I’ve been thinking about the idea of helping re-establish that glorious empire, and willingly coming under its jurisdiction. If you closely examine the history of the Ottoman rule in our country, you will discover that it was the lesser evil. Of all the regimes we’ve known here, it was the most moderate and balanced.
Turks know region well
With the exception of the stormy days of World War I, which were a harbinger of its collapse, things were not as bad as it seemed. Arabs and Jews lived in peace with each other under Turkish auspices. To this day, when I convert my shekels to Turkish currency on the eve of a trip to Istanbul, the east Jerusalem money changer’s eyes shine with glee, and he sees fit to note: “Oh, those Turks, those Turks. They were the best, for us and for you.”
In fact, what have we got to lose except for the shame we feel in the face of the horrors provided by our proud and independent government day in and day out? We have just seen Turkish sophistication teaching the weakening Jewish mind a lesson.
They know the region well, they have plenty of experience in allaying tensions here, and they proved on more than one occasion that their regime does not hate Jews; rather, the opposite is true – they have
shown mercy to us, and when the need aroused they did not hesitate to firmly restrain the Arabs.
In short, instead of becoming overly zealous and turning the latest Turkish leader into another Ahmadinejad who needs to be eliminated, we should welcome his creative initiative and the historic revolution he aspires to lead around here. We should say it out loud: “Welcome, Mr. Erdogan!”
Haaretz
Israel in a changing world
Israel must sober up from the illusion that it can keep up a long-term policy that ignores most of the world.
Haaretz Editorial
Turkey's increasing involvement in the Israeli-Arab conflict, whether in its interest in mediating between Damascus and Jerusalem or in an aggressive way as in the Gaza flotilla affair, reflects a phenomenon that is not unique to the Middle East: the rise of powers seeking to exercise their increasing diplomatic and economic strength in the international arena. Usually these powers have no strong sentiments, positive or negative, about Israel.
A clear manifestation of this phenomenon occurred last month in the visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to Tehran in the hope of obtaining an agreement to transfer enriched uranium from Iran to Turkey. This would thwart the American initiative to impose sanctions on Iran, which is fast at work on its nuclear program.
That initiative rests on cooperation among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a sixth power, Germany, which is not a member of the prestigious club. The Security Council's makeup is a consequence of the establishment of the United Nations by the powers that won World War II. This is why powers weaker than Germany today - Britain and France - have veto power as permanent members of the Security Council.
The international reality indicates that Germany, Japan, India, Turkey, Brazil (the world's eighth largest economy and soon to be the fifth ) and perhaps also Australia, South Korea and other countries are chipping away at the countries previously considered the great powers. The middling powers are demanding a seat of honor at the international table. This picture is complicated by international diplomatic and security organizations such as the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and NATO, but overall the picture is clear: The world has changed.
This doesn't mean Israel should abandon its reliance on its greatest friend, the United States. Israel must understand, however, that in the global balance of power, it must give greater consideration to the wishes of the middling powers. It would be pointless for Jerusalem to refuse to do this, because Washington and other capitals are adjusting their policies to this reality. Israel must sober up from the illusion that it can keep up a long-term policy that ignores most of the world.
Jerusalem Post
Turkey’s support of Hamas worries PA
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
The Palestinian Authority is concerned about Turkey’s increased support for Hamas, a PA official in Ramallah said on Monday.
The official said that the PA leadership was “unhappy” with Turkey’s policy toward Hamas, especially with regard to pressure to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip unconditionally.
“Turkey’s policy is emboldening Hamas and undermining the Palestinian Authority,” the official told The Jerusalem Post.
“Of course we want to see the blockade lifted, but Hamas must also end its coup in the Gaza Strip and accept an Egyptian proposal for achieving reconciliation with Fatah.”
PA concerned about opening of the Rafah border
The PA is also concerned the reopening of the Rafah border crossing to Sinai would enable Hamas to tighten its grip on the Strip.
“We wish to remind the Turkish and Egyptian governments that the border crossing was controlled by the Palestinian Authority before Hamas launched its coup in 2007,” the official added. “If the Rafah border crossing is going to be reopened, that should be done in coordination with us and not with Hamas.”
Azzam al-Ahmed, a top Fatah official in the West Bank, was quoted over the weekend as saying that he was opposed to the lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip until Hamas agreed to end the dispute with his faction.
Ahmed stressed that there was no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip because the PA government was sending aid through Israeli border crossings.
Abbas visits Erdogan in Istanbul
PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who visited Istanbul on Monday, was said to have relayed to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan his concern over the rapprochement between Turkey and Hamas, the official revealed.
Erdogan, according to the official, offered to mediate between the PA and Hamas -an offer that Abbas accepted.
Erdogan declared that ending the power struggle between the rival Palestinian parties “is a must.” He claimed that Hamas had also welcomed a mediation role for Turkey.
Erdogan was speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who was also visiting Turkey.
“Divisions should not continue under the current circumstances,” Erdogan said. “I believe we can make peace between Hamas and Fatah.”
LA Times
Helen Thomas: A troubling end to a distinguished career
Her terrible answer to a question about Israel may overshadow a long and distinguished career, in which she broke many glass ceilings.
Blunt, irascible, argumentative. Those words have long been used to describe Helen Thomas, the grande dame of the White House press corps, particularly in recent years as her questions became less and less coherent. Now, a career spanning 10 presidencies and nearly half a century has come to an end over her own terrible answer to a question about Israeli-Palestinian relations.
After decades as a reporter for United Press International, Thomas had become a columnist for Hearst Corp. She was known as a liberal and as a critic of Israel, and certainly could have contributed to a healthy debate about Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories or U.S. policy in the Mideast. But that's not what she did in a short videotaped interview in which she said that Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Poland and Germany. Whatever her intentions, the remarks were deeply offensive to Jews, who heard her to be saying they should return to countries that exterminated their families. On Monday, Thomas issued an apology and resigned.
It is a sad finale for someone who helped break down barriers for women journalists at the center of American power largely through determination and hard work. UPI assigned Thomas to John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign — to cover his beautiful wife. When Kennedy won, Thomas went to the White House and reportedly dared her bosses to remove her from the job. They didn't. She joined a Washington press establishment that, even during appearances of presidents and foreign heads of state, confined women reporters to the balcony of the National Press Club, until the old boy's network finally agreed to accept women members in 1971. She was the first woman to serve as White House bureau chief for a wire service, the only woman journalist to accompany President Nixon on his historic trip to China, and the first female officer of not only the National Press Club but the White House Correspondents' Assn.