BICOM

Israel’s security cabinet has reportedly approved the reconciliation agreement with Turkey, which was announced earlier this week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the deal as being of “strategic importance,” for “security, for regional stability and for the Israeli economy”. However, the agreement faces some opposition. Jewish Home leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett described it as “a dangerous precedent,” explaining that “the State of Israel must not pay compensation to terrorists who tried to hurt the IDF” aboard the Mavi Marmara. Bennett and his Jewish Home colleague, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, intended to vote against the deal, with Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman thought likely to follow suit. Netanyahu, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and Construction Minister Yoav Galant made clear that they would approve the agreement. The positions of the remaining security cabinet members remain unknown.

Under the agreement, which was outlined by Netanyahu on Monday, Turkish aid will reach Gaza via Israel’s Ashdod port and Turkey will also help build a hospital, power plant and desalination plant in Gaza. Meanwhile, Turkey has agreed that terror groups such as Hamas will not be able to use the country as a base. Meanwhile, full diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation will be resumed and the two countries will also work together on developing the region’s natural gas reserves. Israel also agreed to pay compensation to the families of those killed while attempting to prevent Israeli commandos from boarding the Mavi Marmara protest ship in 2010.

In 2010, the previously warm relationship between Israel and Turkey deteriorated and diplomatic relations were ceded after the deaths of ten Turkish citizens who were killed on the Gaza-bound protest ship, the Mavi Marmara. It is thought that arrangements were already made in 2014 over a compensation deal. Subsequent talks resumed last year and have been ongoing, including a meeting in London in April.

The vote follows a terrorist attack on Turkey’s Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, the busiest airport in Turkey and the sixth major attack in Turkey this year alone. It is reported that three suicide bombings detonated their explosives in the entrance to the airport, killing up to 36 and injuring dozens more. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.