ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Former Israeli president Shimon Peres has said Turkey needs to use its influence over Hamas to stop attacking Israel and instead help alleviate the humanitarian conditions of the Gaza Strip.
Peres made the remarks while speaking to Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper on Sunday. He told the daily that Israel does “not want anybody doing harm to the Gazans, including Hamas.”
“We do not want to see people in Gaza suffering or poor,” Peres stressed. “We wish them a happy life, we have nothing against them. That is the reason why we left Gaza willingly.”
Israel and Turkey recently normalized ties after they became strained six years ago when Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara flotilla in an incident which left ten Turks dead.
As part of its normalization process Israel has agreed to let Turkey deliver aid to Gaza through the southern Israeli port of Ashdod and to rebuild the enclave’s infrastructure.
“I understand that Turkey wants to help Hamas,” Peres said, “But if you want to help Hamas you must help us as well so there won’t be shooting. Now the solution is that ships will come through Ashdod.”
“We have nothing against Turkey helping Gaza. But if you want to help Gaza, you must tell Hamas to stop shooting. If they would not shoot, it [the aid] would directly go to Gaza,” Peres explained.
The former Israeli presidents’ comments came as a Turkish aid ship with 11,000 tons of humanitarian aid supplies arrived at Ashdod en route for Gaza as part of the agreed procedure.
The Israeli statesman argues that if the Turkish government wants to help it should do its utmost to stop Hamas from attacking Israel from the territory.
“If [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan wants to help, fine. But if he really wants to help, he has to convince Hamas to stop shooting. This is compromised because Hamas still arms itself. You cannot separate these things if you want peace. You can send aid but in a way that won’t harm out security. That is the minimum [requirement],” Peres argued.
He also said that both Israel and Turkey face a common threat, terrorism.
Calling the recent massacre of 45 civilians at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport “terrible” Peres said that Israel “would not like to see anybody harm Turkey.”
“We are fighting Daesh [ISIS] as well,” Peres added. “We are fighting Hamas. We are fighting Hezbollah. All those people who shoot forget that they are being shot because they have been shooting. I think Turkey has to fight terror in Turkey and we on our side. Turkey has to fight terror elsewhere because terror is dangerous to every human being. There is no religion in the world that calls for the cutting of the heads of innocent people.”
Putting aside past disagreements Peres said that reconciliation is the best course for the two countries to take.
“The past is dead and you cannot change it,” he reasoned.
“Forget it! But you have all the time to look into the future and for your children. There is no reason why Turkey, which has a long culture, a long history and Israel – also with a long culture and history – should not live in peace,” he insisted.
Peres and then Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had an infamous falling out at the 2009 World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland. During a discussion on Gaza a furious Erdogan stormed off after denouncing Peres, telling him that, “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.”
The aftermath of the Mavi Marmara incident the following year saw to another series of denunciations of Israel and its policy towards Gaza from Erdogan.
Peres made the remarks while speaking to Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper on Sunday. He told the daily that Israel does “not want anybody doing harm to the Gazans, including Hamas.”
“We do not want to see people in Gaza suffering or poor,” Peres stressed. “We wish them a happy life, we have nothing against them. That is the reason why we left Gaza willingly.”
Israel and Turkey recently normalized ties after they became strained six years ago when Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara flotilla in an incident which left ten Turks dead.
As part of its normalization process Israel has agreed to let Turkey deliver aid to Gaza through the southern Israeli port of Ashdod and to rebuild the enclave’s infrastructure.
“I understand that Turkey wants to help Hamas,” Peres said, “But if you want to help Hamas you must help us as well so there won’t be shooting. Now the solution is that ships will come through Ashdod.”
“We have nothing against Turkey helping Gaza. But if you want to help Gaza, you must tell Hamas to stop shooting. If they would not shoot, it [the aid] would directly go to Gaza,” Peres explained.
The former Israeli presidents’ comments came as a Turkish aid ship with 11,000 tons of humanitarian aid supplies arrived at Ashdod en route for Gaza as part of the agreed procedure.
The Israeli statesman argues that if the Turkish government wants to help it should do its utmost to stop Hamas from attacking Israel from the territory.
“If [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan wants to help, fine. But if he really wants to help, he has to convince Hamas to stop shooting. This is compromised because Hamas still arms itself. You cannot separate these things if you want peace. You can send aid but in a way that won’t harm out security. That is the minimum [requirement],” Peres argued.
He also said that both Israel and Turkey face a common threat, terrorism.
Calling the recent massacre of 45 civilians at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport “terrible” Peres said that Israel “would not like to see anybody harm Turkey.”
“We are fighting Daesh [ISIS] as well,” Peres added. “We are fighting Hamas. We are fighting Hezbollah. All those people who shoot forget that they are being shot because they have been shooting. I think Turkey has to fight terror in Turkey and we on our side. Turkey has to fight terror elsewhere because terror is dangerous to every human being. There is no religion in the world that calls for the cutting of the heads of innocent people.”
Putting aside past disagreements Peres said that reconciliation is the best course for the two countries to take.
“The past is dead and you cannot change it,” he reasoned.
“Forget it! But you have all the time to look into the future and for your children. There is no reason why Turkey, which has a long culture, a long history and Israel – also with a long culture and history – should not live in peace,” he insisted.
Peres and then Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had an infamous falling out at the 2009 World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland. During a discussion on Gaza a furious Erdogan stormed off after denouncing Peres, telling him that, “When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill.”
The aftermath of the Mavi Marmara incident the following year saw to another series of denunciations of Israel and its policy towards Gaza from Erdogan.
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