ANALYSIS: Netanyahu and Erdogan’s Shared Interests

Commentator Ron Ben-Yishai posited:

The normalization of relations between Israel and Turkey is a welcome occurrence in nearly everyone’s minds. The Turkish willingness to import gas from Israel is also a positive development. That’s why the breakthrough in the negotiations which have been going on for five years now, which was announced by an “Israeli source” and confirmed later by Turkish sources, is good news. But it seems celebrations are premature, and definitely exaggerated – and that the announcement of this progress was publicized mainly because of the interests shared by Netanyahu and Erdogan.

The celebrations are exaggerated because there is yet no agreement between Turkey and Israel regarding the normalization of relations. Turkey is still demanding that Israel remove its naval blockade of Gaza, a blockade which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls a “siege”. Israel is claiming that there is no siege of Gaza, and rightfully so, and for the time being it doesn’t seem like the PM or Defense Minister are even considering removing the naval blockade.

Read the full analysis at Ynetnews.com.