Soccer Dad

Diplomatic earthquake

Last week, while in Israel, I had the pleasure of meeting Snoopy the Goon. I hadn't had much internet access, so I hadn't paid too much attention to the news of Deputy FM Danny Ayalon's dressing down of the Turkish ambassador and I hadn't blogged about it. He, of course, had an opinion.

Barry Rubin explained why Israel needed to apologize:

Turkey's political leadership and its direction have changed in a way that can only be compared to a revolution. Moreover, the regime there does not have to worry at all about any negative reaction from the U.S. government in response to its hostility against Israel. The conditions that brought about close cooperation between the two countries have changed very much in the estimation of Turkey's current rulers, who view Iran, Syria, and Islamist revolutionary groups as friends, not threats.

Israel has no great alternative to this policy. It should be stressed that while pressure and tough policies are often the best option, there is nothing to be gained by such an approach in this specific case.

Since the earthquake in Haiti, another approach suggested itself.

What if a high ranking Israeli official (not necessarily from the Foreign Ministry) had expressed his disappointment with the Edrogan government by saying, "It's a shame that the Turkish government has acquiesced to the defamaton of the IDF, they and all of Turkey's people should remember that ten years ago when an earthquake struck their country, Israel and the IDF were at the forefront of those who aided and rescued the survivors."

Then if the Edrogan government chose to respond, it could not do so with reminding its people of the debt owed to Israel. Since the earthquake in Haiti occurred after the diplomatic snub, Ayalon - or any government official who made the comment - would have looked prescient and would necessarily have played a role in emphasizing Israel's role in aiding other countries.

Israely Cool, Seraphic Secret and others also noted that a Haitian boy - later named Israel - was born in an IDF field hospital. This recalled a similar incident nine years ago.

Parents of a premature baby born in the Israeli field hospital established by the Israel Defense Forces in the wake of last week's earthquake in India named their child Yisraela after the State of Israel, MA'ARIV reported. Yisraela's condition is improving daily.

Imagine that. If Deputy FM Danny Ayalon had taken a different approach, circumstances would have forced the world to acknowledge that whether the victims of natural disasters are Muslim, Hindu or black, Israel will help. That would have been better than being known as the diplomat who caused a diplomatic earthquake.