Ahval

Turkey’s attempts to fix its once strong ties with Israel have been sent back to square one following violence between Israeli security forces and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey loudly condemned the Israeli actions on May 9 when he described Israel as a “cruel terrorist state”. Outrage from Turkey intensified after Israel launched Operation Guardian of the Walls, an air campaign over the Gaza Strip that targeted Hamas militants but cost 256 Palestinian civilians their lives and left 13 Israeli citizens dead. After the harsh remarks from Turkey, prospects for reconciliation with Israel appear slim and it remains an open question if Ankara will continue making overtures. Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, said that she would not consider the process dead, but “seriously delayed” for now.