"Greek media singled out Israel for criticism, omitting references to the other partner country in the exercise, the US. Eleftheros headlined its report "Israel questions our sovereignty over the Aegean" while Vradyni said: "Israelis ‘baptise’ Kastellorizo as ‘Turkish’".
The Israeli embassy in Athens has responded to criticism in the Greek media that Israel was taking Ankara’s part in the Greek-Turkish airspace dispute by saying that a reference in an online statement about a joint military exercise taking place in "Turkish" territory was an error.
Israel said that it had no role in the Greek-Turkish airspace dispute, according to the embassy statement, quoted by Greek daily Kathimerini. The controversy arose after an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) website statement referred to a joint military exercise by the United States, Israel and Turkey as to take place off the Dodecanese island of Kastellorizo in Turkish territory. The island is Greek territory. The incident happened amid a massive upsurge of Turkish air force aircraft entering airspace claimed by Greece.
The Israeli embassy said that it regarded Greece and Turkey both "as significant partners and allies... in the region."
Greece has claimed hundreds of incursions by Turkish aircraft into its airspace since the beginning of June 2009, with the Turkish air force jets in some cases flying low over Greek territory and, Athens alleges, endangering flight paths.
Earlier, after the initial IDF statement, Greek media singled out Israel for criticism, omitting references to the other partner country in the exercise, the US. Eleftheros headlined its report "Israel questions our sovereignty over the Aegean" while Vradyni said: "Israelis ‘baptise’ Kastellorizo as ‘Turkish’".
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2 comments:
How many European nations will end up on Israel's blacklist this week? No, this is not a game show. This is either the reality of a rogue state that doesn't seem to play nice with others, or the handiwork of a former bar-room bouncer from Moldavia. Either way, Israel needs to learn to conduct its diplomacy behind mahogany panels, over cognac and cigars, and not in its right-wing press.
David,
I read your comment three times, trying to understand what is it precisely you are trying to say.
Sentence 1: "How many European nations will end up on Israel's blacklist this week?" Whom is Israel blacklisting in this case? Or what was the other one?
Sentence 2: "No, this is not a game show." What precisely is not a game show?
Sentence 3: "This is either the reality of a rogue state that doesn't seem to play nice with others, or the handiwork of a former bar-room bouncer from Moldavia." Again the use of "this", I guess you suppose that that bar-room bouncer issues press-releases on IDF site too. Oy vey...
Sentence 4: "Either way, Israel needs to learn to conduct its diplomacy behind mahogany panels, over cognac and cigars, and not in its right-wing press." What does diplomacy have to do with a poor underpaid IDF press-officer with poor underpaid knowledge of geography and/or regional realpolitik?
David, I cannot help to notice your overflow of bile when you write about Israel. This is a personal and fully legitimate allergy and I wish you all the luck with it.
However, it is as legitimate for me to point out that your state of generic irritation when writing about Israel tends to interfere with your logical thinking. Four sentences totally missing the point(s) of what has happened and as a result, some generic rumbling about something you dislike.
For a professor of computer science and a software developer it's a poor show.
(Apologies to Philosemite for responding to other commenter, usually I don't do it, but this is a bit too much too miss).
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