Thursday June 23, 2016

I've Been Thinking:

Israel and Turkey will normalize relations this weekend. The information was leaked yesterday. This will bring a final conclusion to six full years of diplomatic conflict between the two nations.

There will be an official announcement at a joint meeting between Israel and Turkey and then ambassadors will once again be dispatched.

Israel had earlier agreed to compensate the families of the ten Turks killed in the Israeli operation that stopped the flotilla of Turkish ships from breaking the sea barricade against Gaza.

Israel announced that they "regretted what happened." At the time, that was not enough for Turkey - they wanted an apology. Israel did not want to issue an apology. That would have meant that Israel's actions were wrong and unjustified. And of course Israel does not think they were wrong or unjustified.

Six years later Israel issued an "apology". There are two reasons for the change in terminology. One is that Israel wants Turkey back on board. The second reason is that six years is enough time for the people of Israel not to be upset and may not even see the difference in meaning between regret and apology.

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