Israel's Policy, Policy On Israel

Israel's ongoing military operation against Gaza is being widely covered in the international media. The tone of the coverage is not the same everywhere, however, as the reactions of the states involved are not uniform.

It appears that the US is trying to calm both the Israelis and the Palestinians, while Russia prefers to remain relatively silent. European leaders seem to be worried about the humanitarian aspects of the crisis in particular. We don't know much about what the leaders of the BRIC countries -- namely Brazil, India and China -- think about the crises in the Middle East. The lack of reaction from the Gulf emirates and Saudi Arabia is also noteworthy.

We are talking, of course, about official reactions from the decision-makers in these countries. The peoples' reactions are a different matter. Many people, from India to Chile -- and not just the general public, but well-known artists, writers, opinion leaders and others -- are protesting Israel's methods and condemning the civilian deaths in Gaza.

Millions demonstrate and condemn it all over the world, but their governments don't do anything concrete at the international level, such as at the United Nations, to stop the Israeli government. So there is no reason for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change its policy. Israel has always used the inertness of the international community efficiently. Perhaps most decision-makers around the world are not at all disturbed that Israel is shelling Hamas-controlled areas. After all, Israel says it is only targeting Hamas, which is a radical Islamist organization. At a time when Egypt is governed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Bashar al-Assad has officially begun the new term of his presidency in Syria, who would side with Hamas anyway? Maybe the great powers' decision-makers believe that if "unwanted" groups seize power in countries like Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, or even in Iraq or Syria, there is still the option of a coup d'état or a provoked civil war to overthrow these groups. One can't foment a coup d'état in Palestine, however, and Palestinians already live in a state of constant war.

One may say, of course, that Turkey is loudly protesting Israel's actions at both the popular and the government level. The problem is that because Turkey's relations with Israel are already bad, Ankara has no leverage to use with the Israeli government. Turkey's condemnation of Israel and sympathy for the Gazans and Hamas have a meaning, though.

Turkey has always defended the Palestinian people's rights, but now it is watching over Hamas for a particular reason: Turkey wants a "normalized" Hamas in order to reduce the influence that radical forces and Iran have in the region. Israel, however, seems to deny Hamas's normalization for some reason.

There is also a domestic policy dimension: In many countries, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a sensitive domestic policy matter, and in Turkey, presidential elections are approaching as well. What is worrying is that anti-Semitic rhetoric is frequently used by some people who criticize the Israeli government's actions. This includes many people in Turkey. There is also an ambiance that is as if some people in Turkey defend Muslims and/or Sunni people's rights, while some others support those who kill those Muslims and/or Sunnis.

The government is, of course, considered to be in the first group, and the opposition in the second. There is almost no one in Turkey, however, who would support Israel's policies, even if some people try to say that the opposition sides with Israel, as they allegedly sided with Assad.

I don't know if voters will be influenced by this propaganda, as most voters only care about Turkey's political and economic stability and their voting behavior is not influenced by foreign policy matters. However, because of this tense atmosphere, people often forget to look where we should be looking, at the neo-conservatives in the US, who are inching toward the White House, for example.

BERİL DEDEOĞLU (Cihan/Today's Zaman)