The Trump administration is attempting to mediate between Israel and Turkey in an effort to restore normalized relations, a senior official involved in the Gaza Board of Peace initiative said.
“As there is quiet and success on the Palestinian front, the barometer of relations with Turkey will improve,” the senior council official said. “It could go very far. We may be naïve, but we are not imagining things.”
The official said Washington believes ties between Israel and Turkey can be rehabilitated despite years of strained relations.
“There was a good history with Turkey, and the goal is to restore that past. It is not lost,” the official said. “What most disturbs the Turks — what frightens and angers them — is the Palestinian issue and Gaza. The calmer the situation, the greater the chance of restoring relations to normal, bringing back trade, returning ambassadors and reviving tourism.”
“The Americans are trying to mediate, and there is a chance it will succeed,” the official added.
Broader regional effort
According to the official, U.S. mediation efforts extend beyond Turkey. Behind the scenes, Washington is also working to warm relations between Israel and Egypt and Jordan.
“Peace with Egypt could move onto a very positive track and warm in a historic way,” the official said, pointing to what was described as goodwill from Egypt’s representative on the council, intelligence chief Hassan Rashad. “He is really helping.”
Senior figures involved in the initiative referred to what they called the “Gaza effect,” arguing that stabilization and success in Gaza could generate wider diplomatic gains.
“The indirect benefit is warming what can be done with Egypt, including the gas agreement, which is a small example of the potential,” the official said, also citing “potential with Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”
“All of these things are tied to success in Gaza. I speak with heads of state,” the official said.
The official described the potential impact as a “butterfly effect.”
“Success in Gaza is a ‘butterfly effect’ that is hard to grasp,” the official said. “It can affect the entire Palestinian issue and the international damage to Israel. There was diplomatic spiraling in many places. That spiral has been halted and improved. The entire trend can be turned in a positive direction.”
Conditions and additional outreach
Officials involved in the initiative said there is also potential to improve relations with Indonesia, which they noted has deployed 8,000 troops to the International Stabilization Force in Gaza and could send more if needed.
“There is great potential with Kazakhstan, which wants to significantly elevate relations with Israel,” one official said.
The official added that there is one clear condition for broader diplomatic progress: the dismantling of Hamas.
“If Hamas disbands voluntarily, it will be very difficult to stop this speeding train,” the official said.
Diplomatic interactions in Washington
At the reception marking the first convening of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington, officials described positive interactions between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Sa'ar spoke with everyone in a substantive and positive manner. There were handshakes. It looked natural,” an official said.