NATO still considering Israeli participation in op

Announcement comes in response to 'Post' report that Turkey opposed Israeli missile ship's participation in navy mission.

By YAAKOV KATZ
Israeli Navy Ship 311 (photo credit: Jorge Guerra Moreno)
Israeli Navy Ship 311
(photo credit: Jorge Guerra Moreno)
NATO said on Friday that it is still considering an Israeli request to contribute missile ships to a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea, despite opposition by Turkey.
NATO’s announcement came in response to an exclusive Jerusalem Post report that Turkish opposition had torpedoed an Israeli plan to contribute a missile ship to Active Endeavor, an operation launched after 9/11 to patrol the Mediterranean and share information concerning terrorism and suspicious ships.
The Post revealed that Turkey decided to oppose Israel’s participation in the operation following the Israel Navy raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010 during which nine Turkish nationals were killed.
According to Today’s Zaman, NATO said that Israel’s offer was still being evaluated. The paper also quoted a Turkish Foreign Ministry official who confirmed that Turkey had succeeded in preventing Israel from participating in the mission.