Arab Spring, Flotilla Summer

By Adina Rosenthal ‘Tis the season. Flotilla season, that is. Summertime marks a new tradition of groups gathering in boats and sailing to the Gaza Strip, with the alleged aim of providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, though many think the main objective is to test Israel’s resolve by breaking its naval blockade. Last year, the flotilla made headlines when IDF commandos clashed with Turkish activists on board the Mavi Marmara, a ship sponsored by the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), a Turkish NGO accused of having links to Hamas and al-Qaida. With nine killed and several injured, including Israeli soldiers, the aftermath of the conflict resulted in an inquisition and finger pointing that has torn holes in the alliance between Israel and Turkey and has given the international community another...

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TLV→IST: Flying Solo

By Zoe Fox Last Monday, the Israeli Navy stopped a so-called “Freedom Flotilla” from breaking the Gaza blockade in a deadly encounter.  Four days later, I found myself on a nearly empty flight out of Ben Gurion International Airport headed for Istanbul.  When I booked the flight in January, I had no reason to expect a major change in Israeli-Turkish relations. Five months later, six decades of regional partnership were resting on thin ice.  Turkey has always been Israel’s best friend in the Middle East.  In 1948, Turkey became the first Muslim country to recognize Israel’s independence.  On Thursday, at the funeral for the activists killed aboard the Mavi Marmara, Turkish President Abdulluh Gul said the two countries relations had suffered irrevocable damage.  The Christian ...

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