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Turkish official: Israel's lucky to have Peres
Roni Sofer
Published: 14.01.10, 00:50
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1. Peres and Turkey
Abarafi ,   Santa Cruz, CA, USA   (01.14.10)
What did Israel hope to prove by trying to shame Turkey? In Egypt they sell "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" without reservation but who would consider castigating Egypt's ambassador for that? Israel needs all the friends it can get. The only line should be drawn where it involves national security. Peres is right and Ayalon/Liberman are wrong!
2. HAHA! Barak selles Israel away for a kiss & an Arab League
Jae ,   lynn US   (01.14.10)
promise (the Arab League/world's promise and 42 cents will buy you a 42 cent stamp). and barak doesnt step down despite enabling enemies to get away with everything: 8000 missiles on Israeli civilians, not finishing the war with hamas terrorists; 300+ missiles since cast lead, improved weapons imported by hizbollah, hamas, kidnapping & brutalizing of Shalit, major damage to israel's deterence reputation. mocking of Israel 10 fold by players in the middle east and the world, goldstone, the list goes on... BARAK, LIVNI, Piece of bleep Now, Meretz should all retire and step down. The one guy with the cajones to have self respect is slammed. How ironic isnt it . while ben eliezer offers to give Erdogan a lap dance
3. israel 0 Turkey 3
Al ,   US   (01.14.10)
iz 0 Turkey 3
4. Nightclub Diplomacy
Canadian Dude ,   Montreal, Canada   (01.14.10)
Lieberman should write a textbook when he retires on how not to be a Foreign Minister. Learning how to beat people up because they're not sexy enough to get into your club is not the same as learning the intricacies of international relations.
5. Why
American ,   Los Angeles,US   (01.14.10)
Why Turkey became so powerfull and influential?Due to the support from Israel.Why Turks are uniting with Iran and Syria against Israel? Because Israel can't stop them.Who is responsible for this mess?
6. Problem is now Erdogan/Gul will make some complaint everyday
Alan ,   SA   (01.14.10)
7. #5- Turkey has been a giant for 600 years...
Ibrahim ,   Ankara Turkey   (01.14.10)
It knows when to shut up and keep a low profile and it also knows all too well when to flex its muscles.
8. Turkey snub
noel almeida ,   brisbane australia   (01.14.10)
Seriously, Israel does not need to isolate iteself any more than it is. Turkey is a ally and a Secular Muslim state. What was the Dy Foreign minister thinking?
9. apology
unapologetic   (01.14.10)
It is disgusting how Israel subjects herself to Turkey. This craven apology stinks to high heaven. Israel forgets how Turkey is turning against the Jewish state
10. double standard
Yitzhak OBrian ,   Washington DC   (01.14.10)
I had to look at the picture twice to see what anything wrong. Turkey can run anti-semetic programs on the tele and they have the nerve to complain because their representative is sitting on a sofa? The world is so biased!
11. Erdogan/Peres
Louis Fried ,   Woodbridge, Canada   (01.14.10)
I wonder if Erdogan is also of the opinion that Israel is lucky to have Peres "the wise man of the middle east" given Erdogan's boorish and insulting behaviour towards Peres in Davos.
12. #3. Telling some historical truths might even the score
Jake   (01.14.10)
Is 'memory lane' a route you really want to go down: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D00E4DD163EE433A25754C1A9639C946996D6CF
13. Moral Perfedy
Samuel ,   Jerusalem   (01.14.10)
the whole issue arose becasue Ayalon summoned turky's embassador to explain why its country had allowed a grossly anti-semtic and anti israel tv drama to be aired on their tv network. This drama portray's jews the same way jew were portrayed during the middle ages and yet israel finds its elf haveing to appologise to them????? where was turky's appology for its disgusting portrail of us? not one country in EU would have aired such a tv program and Peres is only the wise man of the middle east because he appeases the arabs and causes israel to crawl on its knees. again we have shown we have no back bone and we are diplomatic cowards. Turky should offer an appology over this not the other way round, i am ashamed to be even a part of this moral perfedy that our gouverment behaves by.
14. Peres: turning the other cheek
avraham ,   nyc   (01.14.10)
15. Coward & emasculated Ben Eliezer offers Erdogan a lap dance,
Je ,   lynn US   (01.14.10)
while the one guy who stands up against Turkish and Muslim anti semitisim rivaling 1930's nazi party...is heckled. Israels left must go. keep the Arabs, expel the left.
16. ISRAEL ,YOU BREAK US , YOU SELL OUR FACE
Benjamin ,   SINGAPORE   (01.14.10)
IN MALAYSIA THEY DID TEH SAME THING TO ME, WHEN I WAS STYING THERE IN MY EARLY DAYS. i HAD TO PLEAD FOR WATER SUPPLY, ELECTRICITY SUPPLY UN IVERSITY ADMISSION.....THEY SET FIRE TO MY HOUSE...THEY STOP MY PROGRESS..BECACUSE I AM A JEW....THE TEASED ME YEHUDI... THE BEAT ME UP.....THEY FORCE ME TO CIONVERT TO ISLAM....I RAN AWAY TO THE WOODS.....THEY TTY TO BREAK MY DIGNITY...DESTROY ME....HUMILIATE ME.....NOW I SEE THE SAME THING AHPPENING TO ISRAEL....BY THIS ISLAMIST TURKEY. I FEEL THIS INSIDE ME..BECAUS EI AM YISRAEL ! SHIMON PERES YOU EMBARASSED ME. YOU ARE SELLING ME PIECE BY YOUR IMAGINATIVE PEACE.... I BETTER STAY IN SINGAPORE, WHERE MY DIGNITY AS A JEW AND A HUMAN BEING IS PROTECTED ! THEY STOLE MANY THINGS THAT BELONG TO ME....AND NOW YOU SELL ME YISRAEL....YOU MAKE ME A SLAVE...WHEN I AM MENT TO BE FREE....I CHOOSE TO LIVE FREELY IN SINGAPORE...A FREEDOM THAT ISAREL CANT OR FAILED TO GIVE ! GO BE A SLAVE TO TURKEY ! GO BE A SLAVE TO EGYPT ! GO BE SLAVE TO THE AMERICANS ! GO BE A SLAVE TO THE RUSSAINS GO BE A SLAVE TO THE EU GO BE A SALVE TO THE ME. TODAY YOU HERT MY FEELING ALREADY ! YOU TAKE THE LAND AWAY FROM MY PEOPLE, JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPEN TO ME IN MALAYSIA. GO BE ASLAVE TO SYRIA GO BE A SLAVE BY YOU OWN STYLE OF DEMOCRACY THAT NO MUSLIM NATION THAT SURROUND US HAVE. THE ISLAMIST ARE USING ISAREL DEMOCRACY STANDARDS TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. YOU WANT TO FREE TERRORIST FROM THE PRISON. YOU are silent when it come to GILAT SHALIT YOU SOLD JONATHAN POLLARD ISRAEL YOU FORGOT ME ALSO ! BENJAMIN SINGAPORE
17.  thank u, mr president peres!
OZ   (01.14.10)
the only one who thinks with hishead, not his penis.... ayalon is an idiot, and must step down. the turkish pm is an idiot and need to step down as well. both israeli and turkish preisdents need to get together and smooth things in person.
18. stop making this about israel vs. turkey
dani   (01.14.10)
this should be about ERDOGAN. he is taking turkey towards islamic fundamentalism, which is completely the opposite of the secular state turkey was founded to be. instead of responding to erdogan's drivel with israeli drivel, israel should be pointing out to the world that Turkey is busy making economic deals and even military cooperation with syria and iran, Turkey, a NATO ally! while Iran is busy spitting in the face of the EU and the US. This should not only be worrying to israel, it should be worrying to the EU and US, and Israel should make this clear to all and to the Turkish people, who are modern, well educated and literate people. its not about Turkey and Israel. Its about the dangerous drift of Turkey towards Iran.
19. Total Lack of Common Sense
leo ,   nyc   (01.14.10)
Ayalon should have been able to gauge for himself the ramifications of his acts---and his failure speaks volumes about his lack of foresight. For Israel's sake, he should step down...
20. OK, Israel apologized. Now what is Turkey doing for Haiti?
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (01.14.10)
All those selfish and mean Muslims would not help infidels in dire need who are Blacks on top of it. They care only about their fake honor
21. ankara and erdogan
(01.14.10)
saqy osrael is "lucky to have peres"?????? mr. erdogan, didn't you yourself, in davos, told peres that he is "a child killer". choose mr. erdogan, choose! and stop pandering to your totalitarian islamic despotic new friends who would not be fit to kiss israel's shoes in light of their abysmal human rights policies, their government annihilation and ,urder of their opposition, their prison rapes, their hangings in public squares and their totalitarian murderous oppresive leaders. choose who you want to be associated with. iy would be an honor to be associated with israel, a democratic and civil nation in the right to protect itself against those regimesw you support who reek havoc and instability, funnel monies to terror organizations, kill their own citizens and murder the opposition, excecution style. choose mr. erdogan! choose! you are seen internationally as a buffoon, the csame way your new friends are seen internationally. hameed aboughaze, iranian
22. israel is lucky to have peres??????
(01.14.10)
erdogan, last year you insulted peres and told him in his face at davos that "you know how to kill children". now, all of a sudden, you claim that this peres "murderer and killer" is considered by you a wonderful israeli leader and that israel is lucky to have peres??? are you not ashamed of yourself, mr. erdogan? are you that dense and stupid as to not see the negation in your two statements? so which is it, erdogan. is peres a killer or an upstanding israeli leader? you must choose. you can;t have it both ways. otherwise you look not only stupid, but insencere.
23. Israel just put itself in a weaker position vis a vis Turkey
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (01.14.10)
Sooner or later Israel will recognize that Turkey doesn't respect them and only relates to Israel for its own purposes - to get advanced weaponry, to raise their own status in the region, etc. Ayalon handled this badly - forgetting the Mishnaic lesson "hamalbin panav shel havero" - and Israel will now have to consider how they'll respond the next time Turkey insults them. Which should happen later this week. Will Israel resume the usual role as regional doormat? Will they recall their ambassador for consultations or finally reassess their strategic cooperation?
24. Steepest climbdown in recent diplomatic history...
BBSNews ,   Charlotte, NC   (01.14.10)
...Ayalon's "associates" believe that this was good for Israel and is "playing in Israel's favor"? Where? In their feeble ideology infused minds? Are there any adults in charge of Israel's foreign policy? Nope, wait, scratch that. My very favorite Israeli foreign minister of all time is in charge. Carry on Yvette. Are there any adults in charge of the nukes?
25. Another why...
LA Guy ,   Los Angeles, US   (01.14.10)
My question is, WHY does Israel seem unable to hold on to moral high ground? Since 1948, the years have continued to give them opportunity after opportunity to rightfully have the worlds' sympathy & support - and Israel has thrown each opportunity away with PR nightmares, atrocities, human rights violations, civilian genocide...then it wonders "Why did the French betray us?" . Truth is, DeGaulle saw the difference between the cabal of evil men running Tel Aviv, and its basically good citizens.
26. My educated guess is
David Israel ,   New York, USA   (01.14.10)
that Peres called Abdullah Gul and told him; When PM Erdogan unfairly and falcely scalded me at Davos last year I did not make it such a big issue as you are doing now. When you excluded Israel from the NATO exercise we acted with patience. During one year we kept our patience many times when PM Erdogan made his uncalled for undiplomatic false accusations. Now I will tell my people not to do this again and send an apology but you should also start to calm down your side. President Gul although an Islamist himself he is somehow more moderate then Erdogan. He used to live at the Asansor area of Izmir where some poor Jewish families lived.
27. Peres is a curse for Israel
(01.14.10)
This man has done more damage to Israel than any other person.
28. Ayalon Is A Fool
Joe Sefus ,   Detroit, USA   (01.14.10)
I will repeat; Ayalon is a fool. To the extent that his position involves diplomacy, he is incompetent and should be removed from his post.
29. Chess game
Karl ,   USA   (01.14.10)
Fact is Turkey and Israel want that security meeting. Israel has publicly rebuked Turkey in clear gesture making Ambassador sit lower making it clear Israel will not accept certain behavior and acts from Erdogan. Peres, who Erdogan most undiplomatically insulted at Davos 'fixed' the situation and gets publicly praised by Turkey. The two nations have shared interests. Turkey with it long history of sophisticated serpentine diplomacy is not done maneuvering into more regional power which may benefit the area including Israel. It has centuries old conflict with Iran . It is good for Turkey and Israel to be friends. Turkey's status may rise from this to the general good of region.Turkey has natural and ethnic affinity with Turkestan, and others state in area. Perhaps things are not all as look on surface. Most nations in that region want Iran contained
30. How much more damage would Peres cost us?
Tahl ,   Ashdod, Israel   (01.14.10)
After Erdogan insulted Peres in Switzerland, this chronic loser actually REWARDS Erdogan with this apology. Of course Peres never dreamed of asking Erdogan to apologize for his own antics. Yes, Ayalon was out of line. But Turkey as a whole was much more out of line with us, and this one-sided apology makes us look pathetically weak and spineless - especially in Muslim eyes, where it's all about respect. They look at us and laugh. Remember the Kuntar deal? The release of a savage baby-murderer, in exchange for two dead bodies? Guess who rubber-stamped it. You got it... And earlier, Mr. "New Middle East" was one of the chief engineers of the disastrous Oslo accords, he didn't stop believing in it even when buses were blowing all over the place. How much more damage would this man cost us?
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