A Lover’s Tiff or Something Worse!
The On-Again, Off-Again U.S. Israel relationship begs the question: Are we witnessing the end of an era and the beginning of a messy divorce? Respected voices from within Israel and the United States would have you believe the current upheaval in the alliance is nothing more than a lovers’ tiff. Behind closed doors, a very different assessment of the relationship is taking shape.
One of the consequences is Trump’s newfound liking for Turkish delight. He sees Erdogan’s Turkey as a way out of America’s reliance on the Jewish State in Middle Eastern affairs. For Erdogan, the possibility of coordinating his Syria policies with Washington’s is a gift from heaven. Turkey’s involvement in Syria is designed to make Turkey a standalone power; for this to become a reality, Erdogan needs a close relationship with the current incumbent in the Oval Office. It appears that President Trump now believes Turkey can get things done without compromising American interests in the region while disentangling the United States from the political maze that the Middle East is, a maze America has never fully understood.
Trump’s overtures towards Syria’s new strongman and his willingness to consider selling the advanced F35 fighter aircraft to Turkey are another slap in the face for the State of Israel and a potential threat to its Northern border; if not Trump, then a J.D. Vance would certainly provide the dagger aimed at the heart of Israel. Washington’s failure to grasp what an unleashed Turkey would mean to the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond, threatening Europe and compromising the security of the Jewish State, is all too evident in their approach to the greater Middle East.
First and foremost, Erdogan’s expansionist policy must evolve by securing long-term support from the U.S. and NATO necessary for pushing Israel to the brink. All this rests on the outcome of negotiations currently taking place between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In terms of geopolitics, Turkey is potentially very special for the West, as it encroaches on its southern neighbours.
A lovers’ tiff or something worse would come at a devastating price, leaving one to face a monumental Turkish delight!
