Netanyahu Slams Erdogan's Scandalous Incitement-Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu slammed his Turkish counterpart Monday evening for scandalous remarks during the UN General Assembly.By Chana Ya'ar First Publish: 9/27/2011, 2:40 AM
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu slammed his Turkish counterpart Monday evening for scandalous remarks during the United Nations General Assembly.Netanyahu accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of outright incitement for statements made to CNN regarding the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews and accusing Israel of killing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.Erdogan claimed in the broadcast interview Sunday, They [Israel] say that Palestine is bombing and disturbing the people of Israel, and many Israelis have been killed. I would like to see accurate statistics of how many Israelis have been killed by the bombs thrown by Palestinians or with the rockets that were launched by them, 10, 20, 100, 200 … how many? Please document it. Let us know.But on the other hand, he continued,we know that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were killed. Only as a result of the Gaza attack, thousands of people were killed. These are very clear remarks. The Israeli people are only resorting back to the issue of genocide in history.Erdogan attacked Israel during his speech to the international body last Thursday as well, urging the United Nations to act quickly and heal this wound.He advocated for agreeing to the demands of the Palestinian Authority to recognize it as a new country in all areas restored to Israel in the 1967 Six Day War, including much of the Israeli capital – and including Judaism's holiest sites, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.
The Israeli prime minister said bluntly that the incitement voiced by the Turkish prime minister was mendacious and scandalous, adding, These are outrageous charges against Israel that have nothing to do with the facts.The Holocaust was the worst crime in history perpetrated against our people. The prime minister added that Israel has lost thousands of its citizens to Palestinian terrorism.Although Erdogan's ire began several years ago with Israel's counter terrorism mini-war against the Hamas rulers of Gaza, he recently downgraded the country's long-standing diplomatic ties with the Jewish State to their lowest level in decades.
Erdogan Slams Israel in UN: Israel’s Leaders Bury Peace-Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan takes advantage of his speech at the UN General Assembly to once again attack Israel.By Elad Benari First Publish: 9/23/2011, 1:11 AM
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took advantage of his speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday to attack Israel, something he has made a habit of doing in recent months.Israel did not comply with 89 UN resolutions and the UN is not helping to put an end to tragedy of the Palestinians, Channel 10 News quoted Erdogan as saying.We cannot leave this issue unresolved - the international community must act quickly and heal this wound, Erdogan added, stressing that the international community must put pressure on Israel and agree to the Palestinian Authority’s request for recognition of an independent state.He blamed the Netanyahu government for the current political deadlock, saying, Those who are in power in Israel do not build peace but bury peace. Those who are in power in Israel must understand that true security comes with a genuine peace. There is nothing that can replace peace.Erdogan referred to his country’s diplomatic row with Israel over the 2010 flotilla and once again demanded that Israel apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish nationals on the Mavi Marmara.Israel must apologize, pay compensation, and remove the blockade on Gaza, Erodgan was quoted as saying, making it clear once again that these are his terms for normalizing relations with Israel.He emphasized, however, that Turkey has no problem with the Israeli people.
Turkey downgraded its relations with Israel earlier this month, after the UN’s Palmer Report on the flotilla concluded that Israel faces a real threat to its security from militant groups in Gaza and determined that Israel’s naval blockade on the region was imposed as a legitimate security measure.Israel has reiterated that it has no intention of apologizing for the deaths of the nine IHH terrorists who died when IDF soldiers boarded the Mavi Marmara and were attacked by the so-called peace activists on board.
Turkey Denies Ordering List of IDF Navy Commandos-Turkey has officially denied ordering a list of the IDF personnel and officials involved in the May 2010 flotilla clash on the Mavi Marmara.By Chana Ya'ar First Publish: 9/26/2011, 9:45 PM
Turkey has officially denied involvement in gathering a list of 174 names of Israeli personnel – mostly navy commandos – involved in the May 2010 clash on the Mavi Marmara flotilla vessel.Istanbul Deputy Public Prosecutor Ates Hasan Sozen denied in a statement to the Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman asking the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) to identify IDF soldiers and commanders involved in the raid. Sozen said the list was prepared by the IHH organization that owned the Mavi Marmara, and had been allegedly prepared using a Facebook search.No state institution had such a request, nor does it have any information on this, he said. The prosecutor conducting the investigation has given no such order. He added that IHH lawyer Ugur Yildirim submitted the list Monday morning, the same day the list was published in a Turkish daily.The report published earlier in the day in the Turkish Sabah daily newspaper said the MIT had gathered information on the identities of the IDF commandos involved in killing nine Turkish terror activists on the vessel.
According to the report, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office had written to Israel demanding the full names and residential addresses of the military and government officials who gave the orders to attack the Mavi Marmara, and those who carried out those orders. Israel refused to comply, the newspaper reported, hence the prosecutor's request to MIT.Almost all of the soldiers who took part in the killing of nine Turks and the wounding of 30 others have been identified, the paper claimed.Legal steps have already been taken to protect those who were involved in the operation, according to the IDF.The Mavi Marmara was one of six ships allegedly intent on bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Free Gaza movement used the sea for the operation as a means to breaking Israel's blockade of the region. It was later found that the Mavi Mamarma was carrying no humanitarian aid whatsoever, and many of its passengers were armed and looking to initiate a confrontation. The flotilla ignored repeated calls by Israel's navy to change course and head to Ashdod port, where their aid supplies would be debarked, inspected and transferred to Gaza through an overland route. Instead, IDF commandos were forced to board the vessels to ensure they did not reach Gaza -- and on the Mavi Marmara, the soldiers were viciously attacked by terror activists with deadly weapons.The United Nations' Palmer Report concluded in its findings earlier this month that Israel's blockade of Gaza is legal and appropriate given the constant efforts by the region's ruling Hamas terrorist organization, and others, to smuggle in arms and ordnance with which to attack Israeli citizens.
EUCOM Commander Concludes Two-Day Visit to Israel-EUCOM Commander conducts work visit to Israel as part of the annual schedule of joint training and learning between EUCOM and the IDF.By Elad Benari First Publish: 9/27/2011, 4:09 AM
The commander of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM), Admiral James Stavridis, departed Israel on Monday following a two-day work visit as a guest of the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz.During the course of his visit, Admiral Stavridis conducted work meetings with senior officers and toured a number of facilities throughout the country, including a site of an Iron Dome battery which protects Israeli citizens from rockets and missiles fired by the enemy.EUCOM, the United States Combatant Command responsible for nearly all of Europe, parts of Asia and the Middle East, and the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, also heads many aspects of the military cooperation between Israel and the United States. One specific example of this cooperation is active missile defense.Israel and the United States plan to hold a joint large scale missile defense exercise next year to improve operational coordination of their defense systems.The exercise is scheduled to take place in early 2012 and will be one of the most extensive and complex drills ever conducted.
This was Admiral Stavridis’ third visit to Israel and his first in the current year. The visit took place as part of the annual schedule of joint training and learning between EUCOM and the IDF.
Akunis to Present Anti Tibi Bill-MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) to submit a bill that would prohibit MKs to give consultation to foreign entities.By Elad Benari First Publish: 9/27/2011, 3:09 AM
MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) said on Monday that he intends to submit a bill to the Knesset that would prohibit MKs to give consultation to foreign entities.Akunis decided to submit the bill following the participation of MK Ahmed Tibi in the Palestinian Authority’s delegation to the United Nations, where it submitted its unilateral statehood bid last week.Akunis, who has already filed a complaint about Tibi with the Knesset’s Ethics Committee, told Arutz Sheva, Tibi announced he had been invited to lecture at Columbia University, but joined Abbas’ flight and it wasn’t just to receive a ride to New York. He had pictures on his Facebook that showed him reading PA documents. His loyalty to the PA must stop.Akunis said the bill he intends to submit is essentially a correction to the Basic Law of the Knesset that will forbid Knesset members to advise a foreign entity or country.
Akunis added that it would have been appropriate to take measures against Tibi in the past, since he is notorious for his statements against Israel despite being a part of its parliament. Akunis said that the fact that no measures have been taken against Tibi yet will not prevent him from acting for that to happen now.He added that he also intends to work towards having MK Hanin Zoabi disqualified from running in the next election, due to her participation in the 2010 flotilla to Gaza with IHH terrorists. He cited an existing law which says that anyone expressing support for an armed struggle against Israel will be unable to run for the Knesset. This section of the law, said Akunis, prevents Zoabi from running.Akunis said that he believes there will be a majority in the Knesset to pass his proposals. He spoke of the possibility that some MKs might argue against his motions by saying that Tibi and Zoabi were simply taking advantage of their democratic right and said: If Israel does not turn into a defensive democracy it could possibly not exist at all. I am a disciple of Jabotinsky but we cannot let the Arab Knesset members sabotage democracy. Zoabi and Tibi are trying to undermine Jewish democracy. I was elected to the Knesset in order to stand against such attempts.He added, I’m not telling Tibi what to think or say, but we need to distinguish between expressing opinions and proactively trying to undermine Israeli democracy. Tibi, who read Abbas’ UN speech, supported a speech of hate which spoke about an occupation that has lasted 63 years. That means their view is that the ‘occupation’ is in Haifa and Tel Aviv and not in Judea and Samaria. We need to unite in the Knesset to stop them.
