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Friday, July 31, 2020

Is There a Thaw in Sight for Turkey and Israel, or Is It Just a Mirage?

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Nikhita Gautam
Nikhita Gautam
MENA

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Article Contributor(s)

Nikhita Gautam

Article Title

Is There a Thaw in Sight for Turkey and Israel, or Is It Just a Mirage?

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Global Views 360

Publication Date

July 31, 2020

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Mavi Marmara on the way to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza

Mavi Marmara on the way to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza | Source: Hevesli via Wikimedia

The Gaza Attack soured the relationship so much that Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Israeli former President Shimon Peres had a showdown during the World Economic Summit 2009 in Devos, Switzerland.

The relationship reached its nadir when 10 Turkish social activists were killed aboard a ship  Mavi Marmara by the Israili commandos in the international waters. Mavi Marmara was part of the flotilla which was going to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Palestinian enclave barricaded by Israel.

As a reaction to this action Turkey recalled its Ambassador from Israel and downgraded the diplomatic status. The relationship was restored after a lot of back channel meetings and the ambassadors were reappointed by both the countries in Sept 2016.

However after another deadly attack in May 2018 by Israeli forces in Gaza ,Turkey recalled its ambassador and expelled Israel’s ambassador from Turkey. In July 2018 there was a report that Israel and Turkey were holding backchannel talks in a bid to restore the fragile diplomatic relations between the two nations. However nothing came out of these discussions and these countries have still not restored full diplomatic status.

In mid-May 2020, there was some unverified news on a delimitation deal between Turkey and Israel, something these countries could not achieve in the 1990s when the relationship was excellent. However, the joy could not last for long and the news was denied by an Israeli official who called the claim a “complete nonsense” but at the same time said that Israel is looking to establish full-fledged diplomatic relations.

There were continuous backchannel efforts by the USA, EU, NATO and international bodies for the normalisation of Turkey and Israel relationship. A large segment of citizens in both the countries also want the relationship to improve.

According to the survey entitled “The 2019 Israeli Foreign Policy Index of the Mitvim Institute,” the number of Israelis seeking improved ties with Turkey increased to 53% in 2019 from 42% in 2018. It included 50% of Jewish Israelis and 68% of Arab Israelis.

Turkish media which was so critical of Israel has also been discussing a possibility of better relations, and both these point to a desire for reconciliation.

However all the positive news so far have turned out to be false starts. The key hurdle which time and again has put a spanner in any effort to bring the relationship back to normal is the Palestine issue in general and Israeli blockade of Gaza in particular.

As far as the possibility of an early thaw is concerned, a report of “The Middle East Eye” is a rude jolt of reality. As per this report, the Turkish officials who were asked about a thaw responded that it would be impossible as long as Benjamin Netanyahu is the prime Minister under whom oppression of Palestinians has increased manifold.

As Turkey under President Recep Erdogan and Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to play to their respective bases and keep the rhetoric high, any thaw in the frigid relationship between these two countries is likely to remain just a mirage.

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February 4, 2021 4:50 PM

What is at stake when an Arctic town hit record high temperature

The Russian Arctic region of Siberia has front row tickets to an approaching climate change rollercoaster ride as it experiences soaring temperatures.

The mercury climbed to 38⁰C (100.4F) in Verkhoyansk, Siberia in June 2020 creating the new record of highest temperature in the arctic region and beating Fort Yukon, Alaska, which recorded 37.8⁰C in June 1915. The forecast for the coming weeks was also a whopping 10⁰C higher than last year. This region is also known for experiencing the coldest temperatures, reaching as low as minus 60⁰C during winters.

Concerned scientists claim that the Arctic is heating with double the speed of global average. “Such heat-waves aren't necessarily new to Siberia, but that climate change is increasing their severity and length,” says Sergei Semyonov of the Yu. A. Izrael Institute of Global Climate and Ecology in Moscow.

The heat waves are occurring due to a ‘heat dome’ effect in the Arctic region. This phenomenon happens when the Air is pushed and compressed, creating a very high mass of air into one location. This heavy air prevents clouds from forming, keeping the weather sunny, and pushes warm temperatures down to the surface which creates a virtual dome in which heat is trapped for a long duration.

This has led to devastating consequences for the environment of the arctic region. The forest areas of Sakha Republic, Russian Federation are witnessing rampant Wildfires. In Siberia, a major diesel oil spill incident happened due to the melting of Permafrost and caused contamination in the Ambarnaya River.

Permafrost serves as a foundation for almost the entire Northern Hemisphere’s landmass and is also responsible for trapping twice the amount of carbon found in the atmosphere. This is a cause of concern, not only for the Arctic, but for the entire globe as it would amount to release of more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Global warming is further fuelling the increase in temperatures of the frigid regions. May 2020 was reportedly the warmest month, according to the climate report of Copernicus Climate Change Service. As a result, snow in these areas melted earlier than it was supposed to. In 2012 as well, around 97% of the ice sheets in Greenland turned to slush due to extensive warming and in 2016, the warm climate in Norway resulted in rainfall instead of snowfall.

From these observations, it would be fitting to state that our planet is undergoing ‘Polar Amplification’, meaning, quicker warming of the poles. Snow cover helps in reflecting the sunlight back in the atmosphere. However, with the gradual warming of Earth, the amount of snow is declining and more heat is being captured instead of being reflected. Melting of snow and icy bodies contributes to sea level rise, increasing the probability of floods in low lying coastal areas.

These events are indicative of the degrading health of our planet which to a large extent are caused by our reckless actions. If we persist with business as usual, the survival of the human race may be as endangered as that of the Siberian tigers.

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