Israel Moves on From Muslim Turkey to new stategic partner Greece.

[Christians4LessGvt]

Israel loses Turkey, gains Greece as strategic partner

DEBKAfile July 4, 2010, 11:09 PM   


Greek FM George Panadreou shows interest

Israel has finally moved on from its fractured relationship with Turkey - notwithstanding the impression
conveyed by some US and Israeli circles that the damage is not beyond repair. This week, the Israeli
Minister of Trade and Labor Minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer made last-ditch bid to save the relationship
by initiating a meeting in Zurich with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutolu. It went badly and was
hotly debated at the Israeli cabinet meeting Sunday, July 4. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said
he thought it was worth a try, but most ministers said that given Ankara's harsh hostility, it should
never have taken place.

Meanwhile, as Western and Turkish media outlets harped on Israel's loss of its only Muslim ally in the
Middle East, Jerusalem was busy acquiring a new strategic partner: Greece, a NATO member like
Turkey with plenty of Middle East interests, has shown interest in stepping into Turkey's shoes
and investing in stronger military and intelligence ties.

DEBKA  reported on June 25 from sources in Athens and Jerusalem that this development was not
so much planned in Jerusalem as initiated by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, who boasts
many Jewish and Israeli friends and business contacts, some of whom hold high political and intelligence
positions in Israel. He saw Athens' chance to slot into Ankara's place in Jerusalem and transform their
present diplomatic, economic, military and intelligence ties into a thriving strategic alliance,
that would carry the same advantages to both sides as did Israel's former relations with Turkey.

According to some sources, Papandreou also hopes this alliance will help ease some of his country's
financial woes. But most of all, he is looking to Israel for help in speeding the upgrade of his armed
forces and helping transform them into the Christian mainstay of NATO in the Balkans and southern
Europe - in place of the Muslim Turkish army.

This notion was not the direct outcome of Israel's break with Turkey or the clash aboard the Turkish
Mavi Marmara on May 31 between Israeli commandos and pro-Palestinian Turkish activists. It has been
evolving for some time, first broached in the summer of 2008 when Papandreou allowed 100 Israeli F-15
and F-16 fighter-bombers to pass through Greek Mediterranean air space for practicing long flights and
in-flight fueling.

The distance between Israel and Greece there and back is 1,900 kilometers, identical to the distance
between Israel and Iran.

The Greek prime minister went out of his way to be of assistance, making available to the Israeli Air Force
the crews and advanced S-300 PMU1interceptor missile batteries Athens purchased from Russia back in 2000.
They were allowed to practice bombing sorties against these batteries, in case Moscow decided to sell them to
Iran and Syria.

The severe financial crisis besetting Greece this year enhanced the friendly ties between Athens and Jerusalem.
While European Union countries spent long months discussing whether to bail Greece out and save it from collapse
(eventually granting a ?110 billion package), Papandreou turned to Jewish financial titans in Europe and the
United States for help to keep the Greek economy afloat.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I can tell, you are all for the US bailing out Greece, so long as it does it by giving the money to Israel first.

Greece has no allies in the Muslim world as Turkey did, and a fraction of the population and territory. Turkey shares a border with Iran, Greece does not.

Greece is a poor substitute. Israel blew it bigtime for killing those Turks. Now what gets into Gaza depends on the Egyptians, and it is all because of the failure of Netanyahu's crappy leadership.
 

[Plane]

Greece is a poor substitute. Israel blew it bigtime for killing those Turks. 

What was their alternative?

Turkey is blowing it big time, giveing up an ally that employs thousands of Turks and has usefull technology to share. Joining with new allies that have less to offer and are more intreated in exerciseing controll inside Turkey.

[Xavier_Onassis]

The alternative was to prevent the ship from landing with items supposedly forbidden to the Gazans. Sending commandos was hardly the only alternative. It is pretty easy to prevent an unarmed cargo ship from docking in a harbor if you have even a minimal navy, and no, there were no serious weapons on board that ship.

No one had to die to prevent the ship from unloading. Netanyahu wanted the Israelis to pull off another damned Entebbe,and they blew it. The goal was to take over the control of the ship with no casualties, but it was unnecessary to take the helm of the ship to do this.

It was a failure, admit it. Now the Egyptians can let anything in they wish, and Israel has lost control. Their goal was squelched.

Banning lumber and cement is dumb, but banning spices and candy was extremely dumb. Netanyahu is either an idiot or he needs to remove the idiots that advised him on this.

[Plane]

The alternative was to prevent the ship from landing with items supposedly forbidden to the Gazans. Sending commandos was hardly the only alternative. It is pretty easy to prevent an unarmed cargo ship from docking in a harbor if you have even a minimal navy, and no, there were no serious weapons on board that ship.

No one had to die to prevent the ship from unloading. Netanyahu wanted the Israelis to pull off another damned Entebbe,and they blew it. The goal was to take over the control of the ship with no casualties, but it was unnecessary to take the helm of the ship to do this.

It was a failure, admit it. Now the Egyptians can let anything in they wish, and Israel has lost control. Their goal was squelched.

Banning lumber and cement is dumb, but banning spices and candy was extremely dumb. Netanyahu is either an idiot or he needs to remove the idiots that advised him on this.

From the martyrs point of view it was a success.

Why was there hundreds of people armed with clubs on that ship?

I think the choreography was stepped through without missing a step.

Yes you are right, the IDF could have shot it with a naval canon , and as it turns out in hindsight , this might have been a better alternative.

[Xavier_Onassis]

If I were on that ship (highly unlikely, as I think it would be too risky) I would have brought a club. Who wouldn't?

I would say they should have
(1) ordered the ship to stop.
(2) fired a salvo across the bow if it did not.
(3) waited.

That is how the FBI dealt with the rebellious tax protesters in Montana after the Waco ruckus. They just surrounded them and waited. They probably would not have had to wait more than a week. After all, there was nothing on that ship that presented any threat if it had been imported into Gaza. Nothing that you or I could not buy within 20 miles of home, and no weapons.

The Gaza blockage is an outrage to human decency. The Israelis are not really threatened by Hamas. Those silly rockets have killed 23 people total. NOTHING like the number of Gazans killed. 

The biggest advantage of the Palestinians is that justice is on their side when it comes to that blockade.

[Kramer]

With the advantage of hind-site XO snipes at decision makers yet before hand he wouldn't know the correct move to make because all he's good at is agitation, division, and ruination. It must be a liberal thing because Obama did it to Bush for 8 years. Then when faced with tough decisions Obama always does the wrong thing because 1. he has no experience 2. he isn't a leader 3. he has no character 4. he was put in office with affirmative action. Obama and XO just shoot off their mouths like little yappy chihuahua's barking and barking but there is nothing behind their words but hot air.

They were all for the Stimulus from the gitgo, but what did it get us? In debt. They were for health care and right out the gate that is another disaster and failure. Liberals can't get it right because they are flawed, foolish, and small-minded.

[Plane]

If I were on that ship (highly unlikely, as I think it would be too risky) I would have brought a club. Who wouldn't?

I would say they should have
(1) ordered the ship to stop.
(2) fired a salvo across the bow if it did not.
(3) waited.

That is how the FBI dealt with the rebellious tax protesters in Montana after the Waco ruckus. They just surrounded them and waited. They probably would not have had to wait more than a week. After all, there was nothing on that ship that presented any threat if it had been imported into Gaza. Nothing that you or I could not buy within 20 miles of home, and no weapons.

The Gaza blockage is an outrage to human decency. The Israelis are not really threatened by Hamas. Those silly rockets have killed 23 people total. NOTHING like the number of Gazans killed. 

The biggest advantage of the Palestinians is that justice is on their side when it comes to that blockade.

You are somewhat intelligent and also lacking all desire to become a martyer , so I also imagine that you would not buy a ticket to ride on one of those ships. But if you were, why on earth arm yourself with a club?
If the ship had no wepons on board they could have peacefully submitted to search and the supplys would have been in Gaza with minimal delay.

Gazans most desprately need better rockets so that they can better justify their imprisonment, if Jews were more into Myrterdom they might let more uninspected cargo into Gaza, with a few better rockets a reinvasion of Gaza can happen sooner rather than later.

[Kramer]

If I were on that ship (highly unlikely, as I think it would be too risky) I would have brought a club. Who wouldn't?

I would say they should have
(1) ordered the ship to stop.
(2) fired a salvo across the bow if it did not.
(3) waited.

That is how the FBI dealt with the rebellious tax protesters in Montana after the Waco ruckus. They just surrounded them and waited. They probably would not have had to wait more than a week. After all, there was nothing on that ship that presented any threat if it had been imported into Gaza. Nothing that you or I could not buy within 20 miles of home, and no weapons.

The Gaza blockage is an outrage to human decency. The Israelis are not really threatened by Hamas. Those silly rockets have killed 23 people total. NOTHING like the number of Gazans killed.  

The biggest advantage of the Palestinians is that justice is on their side when it comes to that blockade.

typical moronic statement. under Bush, forget about obama, but under a real leader if mexico were firing rockets into downtown san diego Bush or any real leader would take care of the problem, not sit there and wish the situation would go away. and he would NOT beg mexico to stop. what in the hell is HAMAS firing rockets into Israel for?

[Xavier_Onassis]

Kramer, when Stupid puts on his  "I'm with stupid" shirt, he makes sure the arrow points to you.

The Israelis can move people out of range of those rockets, and the people in range can move themselves.

It is every bit as stupid to fire the rockets as it is to live within range of them.

[Plane]

Kramer, when Stupid puts on his  "I'm with stupid" shirt, he makes sure the arrow points to you.

The Israelis can move people out of range of those rockets, and the people in range can move themselves.

It is every bit as stupid to fire the rockets as it is to live within range of them.

You want a six mile no mans land?

even if the rockets were smaller rather than bigger ,
Why shouldn't Israel raze the trees and homes half the rockets range back from the border?

These are indeed stupid rockets.

[Kramer]

Kramer, when Stupid puts on his  "I'm with stupid" shirt, he makes sure the arrow points to you.

The Israelis can move people out of range of those rockets, and the people in range can move themselves.

It is every bit as stupid to fire the rockets as it is to live within range of them.

Bozo, no country let's another country fire rockets at them, period. that invites more of the same because it shows weakness. this is Arab 101 stuff here - crush them! if anything Israel has shown way too much leniency and patience with these barbarians.

[Kramer]

Kramer, when Stupid puts on his  "I'm with stupid" shirt, he makes sure the arrow points to you.

The Israelis can move people out of range of those rockets, and the people in range can move themselves.

It is every bit as stupid to fire the rockets as it is to live within range of them.

You want a six mile no mans land?

even if the rockets were smaller rather than bigger ,
Why shouldn't Israel raze the trees and homes half the rockets range back from the border?

These are indeed stupid rockets.

for every mile of land israel has to push back then the arabs should have to lose the same. its all silly, israel should just kick ass and get rid of the problem.

[Christians4LessGvt]

XO doesn't get it.
XO buys into the sham being sold
XO buys the sham that this is about one ship breaking a blockade
The Turkish PM has been cozying up to Iran for some time before this latest sham incident.
The ship incident was just the first public move in the IslamoNazi chess game that now includes Turkey.
Once Iran is hit big...Turkey will crawl back in it's hole with it's tail between it's legs.

It was somewhat successful convincing fools like XO that it was about taking baby bottles
to babies not about what it's really all about which is Iranian missles at Israel's door and
an Iranian port at Israel's door. Of course the sham didn't work in real terms...but it did
work in further fooling fools like XO. Israel is the bad guy for not wanting Iranian missles
in it's back door.


But that is no surprise....XO is vehemently anti-Israel.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Israel IS the bad guy for HAVING the Goddamned missiles.

The US is not going to bomb Iran, and neither is the US. Dream on.

Like I said, Israel is as important to the US as Trandenestria or South Ossetia or perhaps Kashmir, but I resent paying for Israel's "defense".

Turkey is a worthy ally of the US: they joined the UN in Korea. Israel is a parasitic beggar nation that depends on my taxes.