‘TIME
TO HELP THEM’: ISRAELI JUSTICE MINISTER CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT KURDISH STATE
ISRAELI Justice Minister AYELET
SHAKED has spoken out in favor of an independent KURDISH state. She also urged
increased cooperation between ISRAEL and the KURDISH people. SHAKED sees this
as an opportunity to weaken ISRAEL’S rivals in the region.
“We must openly call for the
establishment of a KURDISH state that separates IRAN from TURKEY, one which will be friendly towards ISRAEL,”
SHAKED told the annual INSS security conference in TEL AVIV, as cited by the TIMES
OF ISRAEL.
More precisely, SHAKED proposed
the new state be founded between TURKEY, ISRAEL and IRAQ.
KURDS,
BIGGEST NATION WITHOUT A STATE
The minister stressed that ISRAEL
should “promote steps that would correct the injustice that [made KURDS] the
biggest nation without a state,” BasNews reported. She also emphasized that
“the KURDS are an ancient people with thousands of years of history, and a
democratic nation” – one that has “never attacked any other nation.”
 |
| Kurdistan - strategic advantage for Israel |
For SHAKED, this isn’t just about
driving a regional wedge between all the countries that could not accommodate a
separate KURDISH state.
“The KURDISH people are a partner for the ISRAELI
people,” she continued, adding that ISLAMIST extremism in the region is
something both the KURDS and ISRAELIS can work together on combatting. “We KURDS
and JEWS have a long history. We have common interests in trying to stop DAESH
[ISLAMIC STATE/IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL] and the KURDS are fighting ISIS with all
their might.”
BUSINESS
AND MILITARY COOPERATION EXISTS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE SEMI-AUTONOMOUS KURDISH
REGION IN IRAQ
Also speaking at the INSS was its
current director and former major general AMOS YADLIN. He stressed that the “20
million KURDS who didn’t get a state, and nobody takes care of” are the only
ones who are serious about defeating ISIS. “[The] KURDS are the only ones
fighting ISIS as their highest priority.”
Although there was always
implicit support from the ISRAELIS for a free KURDISH state, there are no
official diplomatic ties between the two peoples. However, reports claim that
visible business and military cooperation exists between ISRAEL and the
semi-autonomous KURDISH region in IRAQ.
In 2014, Prime Minister BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU also advocated the creation of an independent KURDISTAN.
IRAQI KURDS continue to call for
freedom, and KURDS also make up 10 percent of SYRIA’S population. They are the
largest ethnic minority in TURKEY, where
they have been immersed in bloody confrontation with the government of RECEP
TAYYIP ERDOGAN.
No comments:
Post a Comment