The Netanyahu government made the correct political and moral decision to help Turkey following the earthquake disaster that struck it.
Israel can be proud of the military and civilian delegations it sent to Turkey, this is how a sovereign and democratic country with high moral values should behave, the world looked and examined Israel.
Turkey greatly appreciates Israeli aid in times of need, according to senior political officials in Jerusalem, President Erdogan told Foreign Minister Eli Cohen at their meeting on February 15 in Ankara that Turkey will never forget the aid it received from Israel and the fact that it saved 19 Turks from under the rubble.
Erdogan praised the professional work of the Israeli team and expressed deep appreciation for Israel.
This is certainly another important political development in the process of Turkey’s rapprochement with Israel that began about a year ago after a decade of deep crisis in relations between the two countries.
President Erdogan praises Israel for two main reasons: one, he really appreciates Israel’s humanitarian aid to Turkey during a crisis, and the other, a desire to get closer to the Biden administration.
The Turkish president knows very well that the road to the White House in Washington passes through Jerusalem and he very much needs an open door in Washington.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu also praised Israel and said that Israel’s position will upgrade Turkey’s relations with Israel to a high level.
At the meeting of the Israeli foreign minister with the Turkish president, Eli Cohen tried to promote the release of the four Israelis held captive by Hamas, President Erdogan has excellent relations with the leadership of Hamas and he is hosting the movement’s leader Ismail Haniyeh in Turkey.
Erdogan expressed concern about Israel’s moves on the Temple Mount and emphasized the need to maintain the status quo at the holy site especially for the month of Ramadan, the Israeli foreign minister clarified that Israel has no intention of changing the status quo there and that it is committed to maintaining the freedom of worship in all holy places.
The re-normalization of relations between Israel and Turkey is progressing well at the moment, but there is still a heavy cloud covering the relations between the two countries, and that is the continued activity of the Hamas military branch from Istanbul.
From its offices, Palestinian terrorists who were released in the prisoner exchange deal in 2011 direct the terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria and within Israel itself.
Turkey refuses Israel’s demand to close these offices and claims that the activity in them is purely political.
Israel provided Turkey with intelligence evidence of Hamas’s terrorist activity in Istanbul, but the Turks insist on not closing the offices, they asked Hamas to lower its profile and not launch attacks that are directed from Turkish territory, they also fear the reaction of the Biden administration.
Palestinian concern
Israeli aid to Turkey with regard to the earthquake will undoubtedly strengthen the strategic relationship between the two countries, but this is of great concern to the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas movement, especially in light of the fact that Israel receives praises from President Erdogan while the Netanyahu government takes decisions on the expansion of settlements in Judea and Samaria.
PA officials expressed surprise that President Erdogan especially praised Israel, even though there were dozens of countries that provided humanitarian aid to Turkey.
The Palestinian Authority fears that Israel will take advantage of the humanitarian aid to Turkey to improve its image in the world and present itself as a country that provides humanitarian aid to any country caught in a disaster.
A senior official in the PA estimates that the Israeli move was very calculated to push aside the Palestinian problem that the Palestinians are trying to bring back to the top of the international agenda through acts of resistance, he added that Prime Minister Netanyahu made the decision to help Turkey in order to advance the normalization process with other Arab and Muslim countries and to show them that Israel has a lot to contribute to them if they sign normalization agreements with it.
Despite the renewed rapprochement between Israel and Turkey, Israel needs to be cautious in everything related to Turkey. President Erdogan is known as someone who quickly turns around and changes his views on Israel, especially with regard to the Palestinians, the month of Ramadan is approaching and it is estimated that a major security escalation is expected in East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, this will be one of the most important tests for Turkey in everything related to its relations with Israel.
