Turkey Is Not Israel's Friend; Never Has Been

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

WWI  ruined the Ottoman Empire in that they lost all their holdings to the Allies because they had taken the Axis side of the war in their picking sides to fight with.  That meant they lost Palestine which the Romans had given the name for the Jewish enemy, the Philistines.

 In 1516, the Ottoman Empire —founded by Turkic tribesmen in Anatolia , who then established their capital on the ruins of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople —moved against the Mamluk rule in the Levant . The Ottoman forces defeated the Mamluk armies and conquered Bilad al-Sham, including Palestine. The Ottoman Empire officially ended in 1922 when the title of Ottoman Sultan was abolished, marking the end of the empire and the rise of the modern Republic of Turkey.  They had held it for 406 years.  

I recommend reading The Settlers by Meyer Levin at this time.  

Or, start reading THE SOURCE, by James A. Michener.  Acclaimed as the Jewish War and Peace, The Settlers, along with its sequel The Harvest, marks the crowning achievement of the author Norman Mailer hailed as "one of the best American writers working in the realistic tradition."  The Settlers is a fabulous novel about a family who settles in Israel before World War I. There are far too few books written about early Aliyot to Israel. This book gives a fabulous insight to the struggle and hard work that it took to build Israel. You'll meet some Ottoman Turks in this story that the settlers must deal with.  

 On the other hand, The Source tells Israel's story through the discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor. Michener vividly re-creates life in an ancient city and traces the profound history of the Jewish people—from the persecution of the early Hebrews, the rise of Christianity, and the Crusades to the founding of Israel and the modern conflict in the Middle East.    In his signature style of grand storytelling, James A. Michener transports us back thousands of years to the Holy Land. Through the discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor, Michener vividly re-creates life in an ancient city.   An epic tale of love, strength, and faith, The Source is a richly written saga that encompasses the history of Western civilization and the great religious and cultural ideas that have shaped our world. 

During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Palestine from 1516 to 1917, the end of WWI, the region was part of the larger Ottoman Syria, and the Ottomans acknowledged the religious significance of Jerusalem, allowing Christians and Jews access to holy sites. 

It was during this period that many eastern European Jews fled the countries due to anti-Semitism that led to pogroms against their villages. Jews wentto England and had meetings about gaining their homeland back in Palestinesince the British held the 30 year mandate over it.   

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, March 18, 2020. © AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici.  

Erdogan’s comments of Israel wanting claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin’s Netanyahu government harbored ambitions that include the capture of Anatolia as part of “Greater Israel,” warned of a war between the two states. 

This comes shortly after Jerusalem responded to a year of near-daily rocket and drone attacks from Hezbollah against northern Israel by launching a ground offensive into Lebanon and successfully killing the terrorist group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. 

Iran fired 181 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation. The Israeli government has vowed to respond to the Iranian attack.    

Turkey happens to be a member of NATO.  Yes, Turkey has been a member of NATO since February 18, 1952. Turkey joined NATO alongside Greece. Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952, has its second largest army and is the host of the Allied Land Command headquarters. The Incirlik and Konya Airbases have both been involved in several NATO military operations since their establishment. The current ambassador to NATO is Zeki Levent Gümrükçü.                                                    

I think it's egotistical of Erdogen to think that Israel is about to attack Turkey.  Hasn't Israel got enough on her plate to deal with that the world can already see?  Erdogen is just poking Israel to get attention so he can go in and attack her.  What a terrible man, he is! Netanyahu is balancing Trump on one hand while dealing with Hamas and Hezbollah on the other hand and his own goverment's demands with his left foot all at the same time.      

Resource:

israelAM

History of Palestine, Wikipedia

https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/10/07/erdogan-accuses-israel-of-intending

-to-invade-turkey/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_in_NATO