Israeli minister Gantz says Turkey opposed to regional peace

Defence Minister Benny Gantz said Turkey and Iran are 'denying promotion of peace and supporting regional aggression'

Israeli Defence Minister and alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz speaks to Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi as both wear masks during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on May 31, 2020. Reuters

Israel’s defence minister has accused Turkey of destabilising the region and working against peacemaking efforts, and called for international pressure to bring about a change in the Nato member’s conduct.

Israel generally shies from public censure of Turkey, with which it maintains trade and diplomatic relations despite the pro-Palestinian stance of Ankara’s government for more than a decade.

Briefing Gulf Arab reporters on Sunday as a follow-up to Israel’s founding of ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Defence Minister Benny Gantz described Turkey and Iran as “denying promotion of peace and supporting regional aggression”.

Iran – Israel’s chief enemy – and Turkey have criticised the US-brokered September 15 normalisation deal between Israel and the Gulf states.

Citing Turkey’s actions in northern Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as its Libya intervention and contacts with Palestinian Hamas militants, Mr Gantz said: “All of this pushes away from stability."

“Definitely the question of Turkey is a very complicated one, because Turkey is part of Nato,” Mr Gantz told the Zoom conference, which was organised by the Arab Council for Regional Integration, a group that encourages Israeli-Arab outreach.

“So we must take all the options that we have in our hands and try to influence it through international pressure to make sure that they are pulling their hands from direct terrorism.”

Israel, like the United States, has said the deals with the UAE and Bahrain could usher in a Palestine deal too. The UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed told the UN General Assembly last month that the country's decision to normalise ties had halted Israel's planned annexation of Palestinian lands and created an opportunity to achieve a comprehensive peace in the region.

“We just want to make sure that we find the right balance between maintaining our security and enabling Palestinian sovereignty,” Mr Gantz said.