Israeli minister: We should not have apologised to Turkey

A former Israeli Minster said that it was a mistake to have apologised and paid compensation to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara incident, when nine aid workers were killed by Israeli forces in 2010.

Reacting to yesterday’s comments by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Likud minister Gideon Saar said:

We made a mistake when we paid compensation and apologised for the Marmara incident.

Saar, who announced in recent weeks that he intends to return to political life, also said in other interviews that close relations with Turkey could not be expected as long as Erdogan, “an ally of Hamas and Al-Nusra Front,” remained the leader of Turkey.

Read: Palestinian PM meets with Turkish president in Istanbul

During Erdogan’s meeting with Hamdallah in Istanbul yesterday, the Turkish president launched a scathing attack on Israel. He called to prevent the Judaisation of Jerusalem and appealed to Muslims to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque.

It is impossible to find a solution and peace in the region without finding a fair solution for the Palestinian cause first

Erdogan said, adding that “no country should be allowed to act above the law,” referring to Israel’s constant violations of international law through continued settlement expansion and the occupation of Palestinian territory.