To review: the flotilla participants were armed, and filmed participating in the genocidal chant, “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Muhammad will return.” They were spoiling for a fight, and attacked the Israelis, beating them with poles and chairs. Nevertheless, Turkey’s demands to enshrine the narrative of victim-hood as fact are an integral part of its proposal for normalized relations with Israel.
Islamic supremacists who are not in a position to demand material tribute have shown a pattern of seeking tribute in the form of demanding apologies. “Israeli ministers mull apology to Turkey over Gaza flotilla,” from Haaretz, July 24 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):
A forum of the senior-most Israeli eight ministers will meet today in Jerusalem to decide whether to accept the draft of an agreement for ending the diplomatic crisis with Turkey.
As part of the proposed deal, Israel will apologize for operational failures that led to the deaths of nine Turkish citizens during the stopping of a Gaza-bound flotilla in May 2010.
Ministers Avigdor Lieberman and Moshe Ya’alon are opposed to the apology, while their colleagues Ehud Barak and Dan Meridor support it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will risk a coalition crisis with Yisrael Beiteinu if he favors the apology.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated over the weekend his position that, in order for relations between Israel and Turkey to thaw, Israel will have to apologize, pay compensation to the families of the casualties and lift the siege on the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish leader hinted yesterday that if the efforts at reconciliation with Israel fail, he will visit the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
“Turkey is not interested in stirring tension by my visit to Gaza,” he said, during a press conference with the Jordanian prime minister, Marouf Bakhit. “It will be wrong to ask for an apology and at the same time visit Gaza. There are those in the Israeli government who support an apology and there are those who are opposed. I will wait for their decision and then I will carry out plan B [to visit Gaza].”…