One step closer

Hamas is reaching out to Turkey. This is a much more blatant overture to Israel than the statements I was just talking about. Turkey has a history of friendly relations with Israel, although recent harsh comments by its president against Israel's Gaza operation -- combined with a turning tide of popular sentiment that I briefly explored yesterday -- are taking their toll on the relationship.

Still, Turkey remains one of Israel's best friends in the Arab world. Although it has lately been exploring further integration of Islamic law into its government, it remains one of the most secular Muslim countries in the region, to the extent that it has often been considered for membership to the EU. Turkey was also the mediator between Israel and Syria in the now-derailed negotiations over the Golan. And while its recent statements have hurt Israelis, who expected a more moderate response, the fact remains that those very statements may be the only reason that Hamas feels comfortable reaching out to the sometime-ally of Israel.

I think Israel ought to take this deal, integrating as many of the other proposals I mentioned as it can. It's true that Turkey isn't 100% trustworthy, but it's equally true that any Arab force in the region would be guilty of the same. The best Israel could hope for is this kind of presence -- a moderate Arab country made up of Sunni Muslims, with an interest in preserving its reputation in Europe. In many ways, Turkey is a better option even than Egypt, as any further negotiations with Syria are going to require Turkish pressure and assistance. Accepting a deal with Turkey would be a show of goodwill from Israel. It would ease some tension and maybe contribute toward getting the Syrian track restarted.