Haaretz: "Israel must salvage its last refuge in the middle"

An article written by Gideon Levy and published on the Israeli daily Haaretz stressed that Turkish leaders quickly apologized for the killings of 35 smugglers near the Iraqi border last week and offered compensation to the victims' families, writing, "In any case, Israel should have acted as Turkey did and apologized long ago for the killings on the Mavi Marmara. It's still not too late. The alternative is much worse for Israel: losing Turkey, her last ally in the region, a rising economic and political power. The economic data published this week say it all: A country that in 2002 exported goods worth $36 billion increased the figure to $135 billion last year, its economy growing 8 percent as neighboring Europe falls apart. Israel, by the way, still appears on the list of 20 countries to whom Turkey's exports grew in 2011 - a sign that maybe not all is lost." The article also says, "It's hard to understand how Israel can allow itself to lose Turkey, how the Israelis can forgive their politicians and generals - the seekers of "national pride" and destroyers of Israel's status - for bringing relations with this rising, fascinating local power to such a dangerous low over nearly nothing."