Hamas changes their demands constantly, thinking (or hoping) that they caught Israel on the hip. Both sides look firm, though both of them calculate what they can compromise.
The meeting of President Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan with EJC (European Jewish Congress) delegation took place, though a little late than normal, in the Israeli press. We’ve heard that Iran and Syria were talked about most in this meeting between the European Jewish Committee and the Turkish governmental dignitaries. EJC asked Turkey on her new role in the UN Security Council to take action to be more active on nuclear activities of Iran and thanked Gül and Erdoğan for their efforts to bring peace in to the Middle East. They highlighted on the irreplaceable role of Turkey on peace over Middle East and the dialogue between the different faiths. There are two more issues in addition to these issues stated above, one uttered by the Turkish side, the other by EJC.
Most probably the name Gilad Shalit doesn’t mean anything at all, to most of us. But it means a great deal to the majority of the Israeli people since 2006. But he has such an importance for Israeli governmental authorities who threatened that the “sky will fall” if Shalit is harmed. Shalit is an Israeli soldier who was captured in a cross border raid on the crossing Kerem Shalom from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants on 25 June 2006. Diplomatic efforts are being held not only in Israel but all over the world to free Shalit who is being kept as a “prisoner-of-war” by Hamas. Different speculations are set forth about his health bur every other time contrary evidence was presented by Hamas who states that he is being kept according to Islamic Law. Hamas demanded a list of Palestinian prisoners being released including women and children younger than 18, as well as people from the administrative levels of the organization. Although Israel stated that they won’t be negotiating at all, at the beginning, they yielded from their solid course of conduct recently. It’s reflected in the world media that the negotiations are still going on with Hamas about the list of prisoners to be released. Hamas changes their demands constantly, thinking (or hoping) that they caught Israel on the hip. Both sides look firm, though both of them calculate what they can compromise.
Although a number of countries wanted to act as intermediaries to free Gilad, it is obvious that none of those efforts were successful so far as the captivity has been going on for 858 days straight. Negotiations are generally being carried out by the help of Egypt, but occasional high tension between Egypt and Hamas results in delays on the negotiations. Gilad, at the same time, holds a French citizenship, a fact that encouraged France and the European Union to be involved to some extent in the efforts, to release him, no need to say, fruitless.
One of the biggest strategic mistakes Israel did, is not getting Turkey involved in the matter yet. A “really ambitious to free Gilad” Israel would sought help from Turkey, without the Prime Minister offering help.
This issue came up in the meeting between Erdoğan and EJC, and the Prime Minister stated that Turkey may help (if asked) on the issue of captive soldier Gilad. In fact, one of the biggest strategic mistakes Israel did is not getting Turkey involved in the matter yet. A “really ambitious to free Gilad” Israel would sought help from Turkey, without the Prime Minister offering help. But as I mentioned in my essay named “Arabuluculuk:Cezayir ve Turkiye”, Israel insists on not to implicate Turkey in to Palestinian-Israel issues. They found Turkey closer to the Palestinian arguments and can not stay neutral to the facts. All right, is Egypt, whom for various reasons has been asked for help by Israel, neutral? A country, though not neutral but weighs less than Turkey in the diplomatic scale, had lost several wars against Israel, easier to manipulate and most important of all has on-and-off relations with Hamas.
Israel is so much dedicated to keep Turkey out of Palestinian – Israel relations, that they still haven’t got involved Turkey in this captivity issue which is after all an international human rights violation. It is not a nationalist debate to tell that, not “one of the best”, but probably “the best” country as a negotiator to free Gilad, is Turkey. How many countries are there on earth who has close diplomatic relations with Israel, who has an adviser who is greatly respected in the Middle East as Ahmet Davutoglu (remember his meeting with Meshal), and who would approach the problem on a basis of human rights and international law, and would keep equal diplomatic distance to both sides? I know only one country and it’s obvious that Israel ruled out that one, that’s why Gilad Shalit is still captive for 858 days.
PS : I’ll touch base on the second subject that came up in the meeting with EJC in my upcoming essay.
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