The fruits of peace are already ripening for Israel, even before formal peace agreements have been signed.
One such fruit was plucked in late December, when Israel and the Vatican established full diplomatic ties. With that step, the two states forged a new relationship replete with historical and religious significance that has powerfully impressed itself on world opinion.
Israel’s willingness to negotiate with the Palestinians bore a second fruit this week, when Israeli President Ezer Weizman visited Turkey. It was the first state visit to Turkey by an Israeli president.
Turkey has a population approaching 60 million. Its army numbers more than 1 million – the largest in NATO. With its vast size straddling the seam between Europe and Asia, Turkey is a major player in the Middle East region and a force to be reckoned with on the world scene.
The fact that the bulk of its people are Muslim – even though the state itself is secular – gives added meaning to the Weizman visit.
Along with Iran and Ethiopia, Turkey is one of three non-Arab powers that bring considerable weight to bear on Middle East politics.
Over the past decades, Israel’s relations with each of these three countries has followed a roller-coaster course.
The highs and lows were shaped at times by events within each of the three countries – revolutions, coups, Soviet influence and so forth – and at other times by the intensity of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
All three have their own long-standing feuds with various elements in the Arab world. But all three have been loath to risk exacerbating those problems by focusing too much attention on their ties to Israel.
For instance, Iran under Reza Shah Pahlevi maintained very deep military, political and economic relations with Israel. Yet it never agreed to establish formal diplomatic ties.
Ethiopia under Emperor Haile Selassie did have diplomatic relations with Israel for much of the period, but it was wary of publicizing the extent of its friendship with the Jewish state. More recently, too, the regime in Addis Ababa has preferred a low-key relationship with Israel.
Turkey and Israel always had diplomatic ties, although not until recently did they upgrade them to full relations. And in the early 1980s, their ties plunged – at Turkey’s insistence – to the exchange of low-ranking diplomats.
Similarly, Turkish President Suleiman Demirel, who went out of his way this week to demonstrate the warmth of his welcome for Weizman, showed a markedly cooler attitude during his terms as prime minister during the 1970s and 1980s.
Nevertheless, beneath the generally cool surface of the relationship, both sides have quietly recognized the confluence of interests that exist between them, whether in strategic terms of in terms of combatting terrorism.
Now, in the wake of the self-rule accord signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and with the ongoing negotiations between Israel and its neighboring states, Turkey is shaking off its previous inhibitions.
The Ankara-Jerusalem relationship is warming – and Ankara is going public with the news.
The new atmosphere was signified not only by the red carpets, gun salutes, toasts and other trappings of a state visit that greeted Weizman this week, including the posting of Israeli flags at major intersections in the capital. There was substance to the president’s visit as well.
Weizman traveled to Turkey with a delegation of key figures from Israel’s military industries, who met openly with their Turkish counterparts with potential Turkish clients from the armed services.
Reports reaching Jerusalem spoke of a possible military deal worth in excess of $500 million under which Israel Aircraft Industries and allied companies would upgrade Turkey’s fleet of F-4 Phantoms and F-5 fighter-bombers.
On Tuesday, Weizman himself was the guest of the Turkish air force and aviation industry – a clear signal that the defense-related links between the two countries can now be openly proclaimed.
Weizman’s visit and its significance will not have been lost on the country positioned between Israel and Turkey: Syria.
Indeed, as if to make sure that his visit was not missed by Damascus, the Israeli president took the opportunity of a formal toast at a state dinner in Ankara on Monday night to send his condolences to President Hafez Assad on the death of his son Bassel, who was killed last week in a car accident.
The condolences were doubtless sincere. And as such, they had a significance of their own in the context of the ongoing, infinitely delicate Israeli-Syrian dialogue.
But, because of the venue Weizman chose, his remarks carried additional meaning. He was signaling to Assad that with Turkey as Israel’s openly avowed friend, Damascus should be that much more willing to conclude a deal with Jerusalem.
If Syria did not get his first message, Weizman tried again on Tuesday.
“I see the key to furthering peace in the Middle East in finding a solution to Syria,” Weizman told reporters. “And I still see Assad as a leader through whom peace could be achieved.”
His messages were sounded load and clear. The question remaining is whether Assad was listening.
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