Shalom, Salaam, blessings be upon our friends the Turkish people.
We in Israel are sorry for what occurred in regard to the episode of the Free Gaza Flotilla.
We are sorry that lives were lost because militants on board attacked the Israeli soldiers whom they knew would board and whom they meticulously planned to attack.
We are sorry that soldiers were forced to defend their comrades who were being attacked by supposed peace activists and that some people died.
We are sorry that militants bent on violence were allowed by the Turkish government to board ships which the Turkish government knew aimed to violate Israel’s legal blockade of Gaza, endangering the lives of the hundreds of innocents on board the vessels as well as the soldiers who boarded the vessels legally and expected to meet little resistance from peace activists.
We are sorry that the Turkish government in an act of brinkmanship based in machismo has decided to jeopardize the future security and prosperity of the Turkish people, whose concerns are not well represented by this government, by refusing to admit any fault on the part of the participants in the flotilla, nor of the Turkish government for allowing it to sail, nor of the Turkish government from supporting aggressive action against its long-time ally Israel.
We are sorry that the honorable and freedom loving Turkish people are being manipulated into believing that Israelis–who have long worked in cooperation with Turks in defense of freedom and would love to do so going forward–as opposed to radical Islamists who seek to take their freedom away are the enemies of the Turkish people.
We are sorry that the Turkish government has decided to jeopardize not only its relationship with Israel, but its relationship with NATO, America specifically, and the West in general in support of opening supply routes to Hamas and other terrorist organizations located in Gaza for use against the civilian population in Israel and potentially against the Palestinian Authority.
We are indeed sorry to have to make this apology; these events should never have been allowed to happen.
Channeling Captain Sheridan from Babylon 5?
Actually maybe. I remember that episode. Haven’t seen it for a long time. Could have indeed been in my thoughts. I looked up the quote and it is VERY appropriate:
I apologize… I’m sorry. I’m sorry we had to defend ourselves against an unwarranted attack. I’m sorry that your crew was stupid enough to fire on a station filled with a quarter million civilians, including your own people. And I’m sorry I waited as long as I did before I blew them all straight to Hell!… As with everything else, it’s the thought that counts.
Capt. Sheridan – Babylon 5 (“The Fall of Night” 1995)