Khaled Desouki | APF | Getty Images
Egyptian opposition activists clash with riot police during a demonstration in front of the Shura Council in Cairo on June 1, 2010 to condemn Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla the day before.
It did so in a dramatic way this past weekend by maneuvering Israel into a no-win position.
With the aggressive Israeli reaction to a flotillatrying to gain access to Gaza, breaking with Israel was not only easy, but probably required by the internal politics of Turkey. With one action, Turkey now appears to be the defender of the Palestinians in Gaza, usurping the role that Iran has been trying to claim. Israel was trying to keep control of Gaza and will claim they were provoked and attacked first.
It won't matter.
As in 1947 with the Exodus plan (thanks to Stratfor Intelligence for the reminder) when Israel maneuvered world opinion to make the British look like brutes and child murderers, world opinion will condemn Israel for the loss of life.
Desire to learn the complexities of a situation go out the window when there is a powerful image at hand.
A dozen or more dead protesters cannot be overcome by Israeli claims their action was justified.
Turkey has vaulted itself onto the world stage like few before it. Reaching across the ocean to form an alliance with Brazil, thumbing its nose at the US with an Iranian deal just before the US, Russia, and China were to announce their own (very weak) accord, and now outflanking Israel to jump to the head of the class claiming the mantle of protecting the Islamic world from Israel, Turkey has arrived and is the new tough guy on the street.
