Right or wrong, history is the story told by the victorious. So it’s no surprise that in the post-World War 2 world that the epitome of “appeasement” is former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. His “appeasement” of Hitler is seen as enabling the Nazi regime to commit the horrors that they did. And just as it has become a pastime to make Nazi or Hitler comparisons in order to bloody the noses of our adversaries (i.e. Saddam Hussein was, according to the Americans, the Hitler of the Middle East), so too is Chamberlain used to give a black eye to those who don’t side with those standing up to tyranny. Sometimes the comparisons fit, though often times they don’t, and are used for propaganda purposes (i.e. Saddam being the Hitler of the Middle East).
But there is one example where the Chamberlain comparison is apt: Israel.
Turks protest Israel’s attack on Gaza in 2008-2009 |
Lately, Turkey has been moving away from Israel because the latter refuses to apologize for its illegal raid on a Turkish ship in international waters . . . which resulted in the brutal murders of innocent people—human rights activists who were trying to break an illegal siege on Gaza by bringing in food, medicine, toys, and supplies to rebuild their communities following the massive aggression known as The Gaza War (where nearly 1,500 Palestinians were killed—2/3 of them civilians, or a fifth being children—with high-tech weaponry). Turkey is right to ask for an apology from Israel, and in light of their refusal to do so, to end relations with them.
However, some powerful countries are encouraging Turkey to end the rift—not pressure Israel to apologize, or be held accountable. President Obama was sent a letter by a bipartisan group of Senators who had the audacity to call Turkey “hostile.” Most recently it has been Germany. Turkey is not in the wrong. Israel is. By putting pressure on Turkey to end the rift, Chancellor Merkel is appeasing Israel.
I can’t imagine that the U.S. and Germany are unaware that:
It is not Turkey who illegally occupies Palestine.
It is not Turkey who illegally blockades Gaza.
It is not Turkey who routinely and illegally attacks Gaza and Lebanon.
It is not Turkey who rejects peace.
It was not Turkey who illegally assaulted the Mavi Marmara in international waters and carried out an extrajudicial killing of a young American.
It was not Turkey who ran an American bulldozer over Rachel Corrie.
And so on, and so on.
So, why is Turkey being called “hostile” and being pressured to “end the rift”? The answer is simple: Because the world is run by a bunch of fucking Chamberlain’s appeasing Israel’s crimes. That’s why.
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