by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi*

With the official end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, what bodes for Iraq’s future in terms of its relations to other nations in the Middle East? One useful way to examine this question is through the lens of what Daniel Pipes describes as the present “Middle Eastern Cold War.”

This new Cold War represents the current ideological division in the Middle East between the “revolutionary bloc,” led chiefly by Iran, Syria, and more recently Turkey, and the “status-quo bloc,” led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. While most Sunni Arab states align themselves with the “status-quo bloc,” there are notable exceptions in that Qatar and Oman back the “revolutionary bloc,” while Libya simply sits on the sidelines.

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by Phyllis Chesler

Imperfect, tiny Israel is truly a “light unto the nations.” If only “the nations” would see it this way!

Israel is attacked by Turkey — and Israel, not Turkey, launches an investigation into the role its military played in defending their country. Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu took “overall responsibility” for what happened. He said that although professional mistakes were made at intelligence and operational levels, the killings were justified.

Turkey has yet to admit its genocidal massacre of the Armenians; we are still waiting for Turkey to launch its own internal investigation — and for the United Nations to demand that they do. … Continue reading…

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By Barry Rubin

This article is based on one commissioned and published by PajamasMedia. I have added additional material to this more extensive version. Turkish readers: see a special note to you at the end.

Why have Israel-Turkey relations gone from alliance to what seems to be the verge of war?

The foolish think that the breakdown is due to the recent Gaza flotilla crisis. The merely naive attribute the collapse to the December 2008-January 2009 Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

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From Aish.com:

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By Andrew Whitehead

The modern State of Israel recently attempted to peacefully dissuade a flotilla of ships from landing “humanitarian” supplies at the blockaded Gaza Strip. The flotilla was invited several times by the Israeli government to offload the supplies in Israel proper where the supplies would be delivered once they had been inspected for contraband. The flotilla was determined to run the blockade and was boarded by elements of the IDF.

There is indisputable video evidence of how murderous the Jihadist occupants of the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara planned to become as they attacked an IDF boarding party. As they were boarding the ship, the leading element of IDF Commandos who were carrying non-lethal paintball guns were immediately and viscously attacked and beaten by men wielding clubs, steel rods, knives, wrist-rocket slingshots and other instruments meant to maim and kill. The IDF soldiers were given permission to use their sidearms only after one of them was thrown 30 feet from the upper to lower deck.

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by Phyllis Chesler

The Wall Street Journal has it right today; the New York Times does not. Ronen Bergman understands more about military strategy than Amos Oz does. Bergman suggests that an understandable form of battle “fatigue” may have accounted for Israel’s decision to send soldiers in as opposed to disabling the ships before they left port — or even allowing them through. In the past, Israel has exercised both options. Bergman goes further. He suggests that Israel may now understand that it cannot reverse its pariah status: “the war over world opinion is over — and Israel has lost.” Thus, Israel will now do what it must do to do to protect its citizens. … Continue reading…

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By Barry Rubin

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game.

–The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”

Is it so hard to guess the name? Is it so difficult to understand the nature of the game? Apparently so.

“Israeli assault complicates efforts to improve relationship with U.S.,” says the Washington Post. “Israeli Raid Exacerbates Regional Tensions and Threatens Peace Process,” claims a report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The Scotsman, not interested in the details, called it a “massacre.”

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By Fern Sidman

As the world continues to demonize Israel for her role in defending her citizens in the Gaza flotilla debacle, livid Jewish demonstrators pushed back against the onslaught of invectives being hurled at the Jewish state in a rally that was staged on Tuesday evening, June 1st in front of the Turkish Consulate on E 46th Street and 1st Avenue, outside of the United Nations. Organized by the organization called RAJE, the Russian American Jewish Experience, over 300 rally attendees took to the streets in defense of Israel. Holding aloft such signs that read “Israel: We Stand With You”, “Gaza Peace Activists Don’t Use Clubs or Knives” and “Peace Activists Should Not Support Hamas”, the demonstrators held both Israeli and American flags and called for an end to Hamas terrorism.

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By Barry Rubin

I’m not going to bash or rant about a Newsweek article about Turkey by Owen Matthews–shocking and dangerous as it is–but rather talk about what is wrong and inaccurate about it. That article is part of a new wave of defeatism sweeping the West, though it still remains subordinate to the more ostensibly attractive idea that there is no real conflict or at least one easy to fix by Western concessions.

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By Barry Rubin

The story of the U.S. engagement with Syria and the sanctions issue regarding Iran’s nuclear program are fascinating. Each day there’s some new development showing how the Obama Administration is acting like a deer standing in the middle of a busy highway admiring the pretty automobile headlights.

Or to put it a different way, it is like watching the monster sneak up behind someone. Even though you know he’s not going to turn around, you can’t help but watch in fascinated horror and yelling out: “Look out!” But he pays no attention.

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by Daniel Pipes*

The arrest and indictment of top military figures in Turkey last week precipitated potentially the most severe crisis since Atatürk founded the republic in 1923. The weeks ahead will probably indicate whether the country continues its slide toward Islamism or reverts to its traditional secularism. The denouement has major implications for Muslims everywhere.

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By Barry Rubin

After more than 30 years of watching people write dumb things about the Middle East, I believe that in the last month I’ve seen more nonsense than at any previous time. The problem arises from ignorance, lack of understanding of the region by those presented as experts; plus arrogance, treating the region and the lives of people as a game (Hey, let’s try this and see what happens!), fostered by the failure of such control mechanisms as a balanced debate and editing that rejects simplistic bias or stupidity; as well as a simple lack of logic.

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by Phyllis Chesler

In Turkey — a country which was nearly accepted as a member by the European Union — a father and grandfather recently buried Medine Memi, a sixteen-year-old girl, alive — and all because she was seen talking to boys. Medine was repeatedly beaten. The police did not help her. When the men buried her she was “alive and fully conscious.”

This savage, heartless, primitive act is the ultimate, logical consequence of burying women alive — shrouding them — while they still roam the earth. One becomes claustrophobic under the burqa, until one gets used to being seen as a ghost, invisible, non-human, dead.

All this past week, I received news of this atrocity in Turkey. I refrained from writing about it. What can one say? There is nothing to say. There is everything to do. No one is doing anything. Continue reading…

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By Barry Rubin

Turkey used to be a secular state striving for modernization and a place in the Western world. That dream is turning into a nightmare. The AKP regime, despite its pretense of being a center-right, family values, good government party, is moving Turkey toward Islamism. Washington and the West in general doesn’t seem to notice though horrified Turkish secularists and liberals are yelling for help.

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By Barry Rubin

The Turkey-Israel alliance is over. After two decades plus of close cooperation, the Turkish government is no longer interested in maintaining close cooperation with Israel nor is it–for all practical purposes–willing to do anything much to maintain its good relations with Israel.

The U.S.-Turkish alliance, which goes back about six decades, is also over but much less visibly so, though the two relationships are interlinked.

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