How to help an old ally by turning --temporarily-- against it

I've been reading the Israeli and Jewish (the distinction here is that the latter refers to those outside Israel) media (in English) much more intensely for the past couple of years.

The more I read, the more the similarities I find what there is in Israel with what I (and everyone else) criticize about Turkey --except that it's much more dense and worse in Israel; it's mind blowing to see how much fanaticism they have managed to fit into such a small piece of land and population.

For example, yes, we in Turkey do have religious fundamentalism, but what I see in Israel is worse, much worse --frankly, worse still than in Iran.

In Iran, at least they manage to coexist sufficiently peacefully with other religions. Plus, they don't consider religion as a defining element of a race.

We, in Turkey, do not have the ideal conditions either. We do, for example, have Alevi-Sunni (or, religious/secular) division; but it's nowhere near the Jewish-Muslim division you see in Israel.

Don't get me wrong. I am not out to advertise Turkey --we all know it has problems it's struggling with. And, I am definitely not an evangelist for (any kind of supporter of) AKP either.

But at least major components of society does find sufficient representation (not without problems, though) both in the administration of the country and in the General Assembly (TBMM) as well as in the government/cabinet. You don't see that in Israel.

And, before anyone asks me to name a non-Muslim, non-Alevi member of parliament or minister of government, here is one for you: Egemen Bagis. He is Jewish. He is the Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator. He is doing a fine job of it too :) We find these things unworthy to keep pointing out; but if you want it very indirectly mentioned, you can read (in Turkish) here.

I could go on about ethnic/race division comparison too. Except that, thank [insert your personal favorite deity here], we have nothing similar to what they have over there. In Israel, it has developed/reached into a fully fledged apartheid.

I do know that there are quite number of Israelis (by that they I mean Jewish only) that oppose to all these wrongs, yet their voices just don't get heard at all or are largely ignored.

IOW, and in short, in the case of solving problems in/of Israel, the Jewish wisdom and intellect that we have all come to cherish has gone bankrupt.

All they have, so far, come up is something called 'Hasbara' [see Wikipedia entry here] and looking at the way it is run nowadays, it is the worst possible 'solution' in my opinion.

Instead of addressing the underlying real issues, they have decided to set up an organization (initially voluntary, now with volunteers steered by a government office) to reshape both the domestic and international public opinion.

IOW, they produced a very effective a propaganda machine. But, as we all know, all a 'propaganda machine' does is buy you time; and Israel has generously wasted this valuable time all in the name of electoral populism.

They could have used it to shorten the distance between the Jews and Palestinians (Arabs and/or Muslims); but, instead, they managed to turn their own public into militants against anything Palestinian or Muslim.

It doesn't take a genius to know that forcefully suppressing a population always bears the risk of biting you in the back side at a moment you least expect --especially if that population is growing faster than 'your own'.

Hence, it was not a good idea to build those walls around whole regions [see Israeli West Bank barrier]; no amount of 'Hasbara' can explain it away.

It was not very wise, either, to expect an internal population forced into unconditional submission also to stick to it voluntarily.

All these are definitely not how you solve your insecurity worries.

But, so far, all Israel has been implementing is precisely these unsustainable and palliative 'solution's.

I am hoping to [insert your personal favorite deity here] that this 'flotilla affair' (killings and all) was a stage-managed operation (in the 'deep'est sense of the word) between TR and IL so that it would align the Arab public with TR while TR helps covertly to find some middle ground between the Arabs and Jews.

This is the only way I see out for Israel and everyone else.

And, it could really happen. [Especially since we know that the AKP administration isn't at all distant to Jewish Diaspora, especially the one in USA --which is the one that matters.]

Here is why I am hoping this might work:

When Turkey appears publicly to be siding with the Muslims/Arabs, it (TR) naturally becomes the darling of the streets in those Muslim/Arab countries.

At the same time, naturally, it will appear --publicly-- to be not so close to Israel anymore.

And, this will be a good thing: Coupled with 60+ years of deep down trust between IL and TR, it should no more be an insurmountable task to bring both sides together --behind closed doors, of course.

If this process is given a chance, I am sure it will have much greater likelihood of being sustainable than Oslo process or others --all of which, in the eyes of Palestinians and Arabs/Muslims, were seen to be one-sided in the sense that on the one side were IL and its allies (USA and European countries) and on the other the 'poor Palestinians'.

And, it is understandable: If you think you are the weakest party left alone against strong people across the table, you'll feel cheated whatever the deal. This time it would not be perceived as such --for reasons that TR is an 'Islamic' country and has a newly-acquired popularity among Arab/Muslim grass roots.

But, IMO, for this process to have the slightest chance, Israel must contain its 'Hasbara Machine'; TR must not be depicted as --to the Israeli public as well to the Diaspora-- an enemy out to destroy their holy dreams.

Obviously, I am not suggesting that Hasbara opposition should be stopped altogether. That would draw suspicion too. But, it must be kept to 'an old ally confused by recent events and its cultural roots'; no more no less. Otherwise, we will lose the Israeli public.

In the mean time, though, TR will continue (by necessity of its role) to be a loudmouth with its empty yet noisy salvos like the (in)famous "one minutes!".. This sort of thing will make sure that the Arab/Muslim streets stay around being a fan.

This is my recipe --or rather hope-- to find a way out for Israel and the whole region out of this stupid deadlock that --unless solved-- has potential to blow up a major chunk of the world.