At the end of a panel discussion on the recent Gaza conflict at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 29, a heated exchange between Turkish Prime Minsiter Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israel President Shimon Peres ended when Erdogan stormed off the stage.
Erdogan, protesting that he did not have time to rebut Peres’s comments, angrily protested the time restrictions of the conference. He aimed his anger at Peres with the verbal accusation: “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.”
Such an outrageous comment has placed unnecessary strain on what has been a longstanding and positive relationship between Turkey and Israel. Peres has been among the most ardent supporters of Turkish-Israeli relations and we are therefore puzzled by the vehemence of the Turkish prime minister’s remarks.
In recent interviews with the Turkish media, B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin has stressed the long relationship that has existed between Turkey and Israel. He called on Turkish leaders to take responsibility in stemming the tide of anti-Semitism that has rocked Turkey since the beginning of the Gaza crisis. Erdogan’s words are part of a problematic pattern that has emerged since the crisis began in December.
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