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Strange bedfellows

IT'S not everyday that Israel gets to host a Muslim head of state. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Israel visit this week is therefore nothing short of extraordinary. Even though Turkey and Israel have diplomatic, economic and defence ties, the very fact that Turkey is a Muslim country makes Erdogan's visit to the Jewish state a highly significant affair.

Israel is only too conscious of the fact. Ahead of Erdogan's arrival, foreign minister Shalom went to great lengths to point out that Erdogan's visit was the proof of Israel's 'intimate relationship' with the Ottoman country and that Turkey is Israel's 'best friend' in the Muslim world. Rather, Turkey is the 'only' friend of Jewish state in the Muslim world.

That Israel has few friends in the Islamic world goes without saying and reasons are only too well known to be elaborated. Again, if Israel remains friends with Turkey, there are historical reasons to explain the unusual relationship. When the Jews were being hunted like animals across Asia and Europe, they were sheltered and protected by the Muslim Turkey under the Ottoman caliphate. Turkey was home to tens of thousands of Jews as late as 1930s and '40s before Israel was carved out of Arab land after the World War II. These extraordinary ties have lately come under strain after Ankara, ruled by the PM Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, started strongly protesting Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Last May, Erdogan held Israel's treatment of Palestinians responsible for the upsurge in anti-Semitism. Drawing parallels between Israeli actions against Palestinians and the Spanish Inquisition that led to the slaughter of Jews in 15th century, Erdogan argued that the Israelis are treating the Palestinians as they were treated 500 years ago.

Erdogan's visit this week is aimed at clearing the recent bitterness in the bilateral ties. Also, Turkey is keen on involving itself in the peace process. With its rare proximity to both the parties, Ankara can indeed play a more proactive role to push the roadmap. However, Israel so far has resisted Turkey's overtures although it's not against Ankara helping the Palestinians with development and financial assistance.