In this mailing:
by Khaled Abu Toameh
• February 11, 2016 at 5:00 am
- During the past
two decades, some of the Israeli Arab community's elected
representatives and leaders have worked harder for Palestinians in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip than for their own Israeli
constituents.
- These
parliamentarians ran in elections on the promise of working to
improve the living conditions of Israeli Arabs and achieving full
equality in all fields. However, they devote precious time and
energy on Palestinians who are not citizens of Israel. They vie for
the distinction of being the most vitriolic provocateur against
their country.
- Such
provocations make it more difficult for Arab university graduates to
find jobs in both the Israeli private and public sectors.
- The big losers
are the Arab citizens of Israel, who have once again been reminded
that their elected representatives care far more about non-Israeli
Palestinians than they care about them.
Israeli Arab Members of Knesset Jamal Zahalka, Haneen
Zoabi and Basel Ghattas (at the head of the table, facing the camera)
recently met with families of terrorists who attacked and murdered
Israelis. The meeting opened with a moment of silence for the dead
attackers. (Image source: Palestinian Media Watch)
The uproar surrounding a recent meeting held by three Israeli Arab
Members of Knesset (parliament) with families of Palestinians who carried
out attacks against Israelis is not only about the betrayal of their
country, Israel. It is also about the betrayal of their own constituents:
the 1.5 million Arab citizens of Israel.
Knesset members Haneen Zoabi, Basel Ghattas and Jamal Zahalka
managed to accomplish several things at once with this controversial
meeting. They certainly seem to have provoked the ire of many Jewish Israelis.
Perhaps they violated the oath they made when they were sworn into
parliament: "I pledge to bear allegiance to the State of Israel and
faithfully to discharge my mandate in the Knesset."
One thing, however, they have accomplished without question is
acting against the interests of Israeli Arabs.
by Burak Bekdil
• February 11, 2016 at 4:00 am
- Erdogan and his
prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, are now paying the price for their
miscalculated Islamist aspirations to install a Muslim Brotherhood
type of Sunni regime in Syria in place of the non-Sunni Assad
regime. Assad, with Russia's help, has become somewhat untouchable,
and has never been so safe and secure since the outbreak of the
Syrian civil war in 2011. By contrast, the Turks now face a
multitude of threats on both sides of an apocalyptic border.
- "With the
Middle East ravaged by religious radicalism and sectarianism, the
European Union and the United States can't afford the Turkish
government's brutal military efforts against the Kurds or its
undemocratic war on academics and journalists. Only a secular,
democratic Turkey that can provide a regional bulwark against
radical groups will bring stability to both the Middle East and
Europe. As Mr. Erdogan seeks to eliminate all opposition and create
a single-party regime, the European Union and the United States must
cease their policy of appeasement and ineffectual disapproval and
frankly inform him that this is a dead end." — Behlul Ozkan,
assistant professor at Istanbul's Marmara University, writing in the
New York Times.
Left: A Russian Su-24 bomber explodes as it is hit by
a missile fired from a Turkish F-16 fighter, on Nov. 24, 2015. Right: A
Russian Su-34 fighter jet. On Jan. 29, 2016, a Russian Su-34 violated
Turkish airspace and was not shot down, despite earlier pledges that
"all foreign aircraft violating Turkish airspace would be shot
down."
Six years ago, Turkey's official narrative over its leaders'
Kodak-moment exchanges of pleasantries with Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad's regime in Damascus promised the creation of a Muslim bloc
resembling the European Union. Border controls would disappear, trade
would flourish, armies would carry out joint exercises, and Turks and
Syrians on both sides of the border would live happily ever after.
Instead, six years later, blood is flowing on both sides of the 900
kilometer border.
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