Israel uses media leaks to influence negotiations with Turkey

Experts in Israeli affairs believe that senior officials are trying to influence the course of negotiations with Turkey by means of media leaks that include strict conditions. This is at a time when an Israeli newspaper reported on Wednesday that Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon is demanding that any reconciliation agreement with Turkey must include the return of the bodies of fallen Israeli soldiers currently held by Hamas since the last Israeli offensive against Gaza in 2014. Hamas has not announced their fate and whether they are dead or alive.

“It is clear that the report contains an intentional leak aiming to influence the Israeli-Turkish negotiations,” said ‘Ata Al-Qaimari, an analyst specialising in Israeli affairs. “It is also a form of PR for Ya’alon who is dealing with the defence portfolio, and is therefore responsible for the Israeli soldiers and their fate.” The East Jerusalem resident told Anadolu that he believes that it is an attempt on Ya’alon’s part to let the Israeli public know that he has not forgotten the issue of the soldiers who are missing in Gaza.

According to Wadie Abu Nassar, Director of the International Centre for Consultations in Haifa, the leak was either a manoeuvre in order to influence the Israel-Turkey negotiations, or an attempt by Ya’alon to test the waters regarding the potential to recover the bodies of the two soldiers (in the event that their death is confirmed) by means of pressure on Hamas. “Personally,” he added, “I think the purpose of this leak fulfils both purposes. Publishing deliberate leaks about challenges and obstacles are a kind of pressure on negotiations, and we are all familiar with this type of manoeuvre and negotiating tactics.”

He ruled out the possibility of Hamas accepting this Israeli condition. “I doubt that Hamas will agree to this demand; I am certain that any Israeli-Turkish agreement will not include the missing soldiers unless there is a prisoner exchange deal.”

A report in Haaretz quoted an unnamed Israeli official, who insisted that any reconciliation with Turkey would have to include the return of the bodies of all soldiers still held in Gaza as per Ya’alon’s demand. Two soldiers named by the newspaper as Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul are said by the Israeli army to have been killed during the 2014 attack. “Ya’alon,” said Haaretz, “made his demand for the return of the bodies during recent internal discussions in Jerusalem about the normalisation of relations between Israel and Turkey. The rift was caused by the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla which was attempting to break the siege of Gaza in 2010.

“The defence minister is practically the only minister who has expressed doubts about an agreement with Turkey,” said one Israeli official believed to be close to the discussions. “He has set a string of conditions over the past year, none of which were part of the initial negotiations. Those conditions have been presented to Turkey by Israel.”

The report in Haaretz claims that Ya’alon has opposed any Israeli willingness to accede to the Turkish demand that the maritime blockade of Gaza should eased so that Turkey has direct access to the enclave by ship. He maintains that the issue of the bodies has to be clarified before any easing of the Israeli-led blockade.

Although Israel has issued an apology for the flotilla attack, which killed 9 Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara — a 10th has since died of the injuries sustained during the assault by Israeli commandos — two more of Turkey’s demands remain outstanding. For normal relations to resume, insists Ankara, Israel must pay compensation to the families of the victims of the attack and the siege of Gaza must be lifted.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.