US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told The Jerusalem Post in an interview on Monday that he was hopeful that Turkey would decide to become a stabilizing force in the Middle East.
“I don't think we know the full extent of it – whether they are helpful or not,” the ambassador told the Post. “Let's hope that they will decide to be helpful.”
The ambassador's comments come weeks after an Israeli air strike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase earlier this month, shortly before Turkish troops and air defense systems were deployed to the base. Following the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Israel will continue to act forcefully against any attempts by Turkey to undermine stability in the region and against any threat to its security.”
Huckabee’s comments were made as part of a special interview that will be published in The Jerusalem Post’s Frontlines section on Friday, ahead of the US Embassy in Israel’s 250th Independence Day event set to take place at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance.
The ambassador described the strike as a warning attack.
"For those who are familiar with American baseball, I'll give you an analogy: When the batter steps up to the plate and he crowds it, which means he gets a little closer than he really should be, a pitcher, particularly in the major leagues who knows how to control the ball, will throw one that'll come right across his chest and sometimes touch his jersey… The point he's making is, back away from the plate. You've proven your point, but I'm about to prove mine. If you don't step back from the plate, the next one is going to hit you hard.”
Huckabee explained that, in his view, the fact that Israel did not take any lives or destroy significant infrastructure – with only the airport's runway being hit – was similar to a baseball pitcher brushing a batter back and sending a warning shot.
“It's sort of like the pitcher in baseball brushing the batter back and saying, ‘Okay, you're moving into an area you're not supposed to be in, and we don't think it's a good idea for you to encroach closer and closer to us. So here's a warning.’ And like in baseball, the message is: ‘Now back up and let's continue the game.’”
Turkey's criticism of Israel on the rise
In recent months, senior Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have sharply criticized Israel. Among other statements, Turkey's foreign minister said that Israel is “a problem for all of humanity” and that it has become “a burden and a weight that humanity can no longer bear.”
“Certainly, we have concerns when we hear some of the comments that come out of Turkish officials,” the US ambassador told the Post.
He added, “There's also genuine concern about the avenue of financing that comes through Turkey to Hamas in Gaza. That's a serious issue that we monitor and care deeply about. The last thing anyone in the Middle East needs is anything to give it a greater level of destabilization.”
The ambassador stressed that President Donald Trump is attempting to bridge the differences between the two countries.
“He has good relations with President Erdoğan; they seem to have a good rapport. But President Trump has an excellent relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He bridges that gap somehow.”
US working to open dialogue between Israel, Turkey, and Syria
Since the airport strike, the US administration, led by its envoy to Turkey and Syria, Ambassador Tom Barrack, has been working to establish a mechanism aimed at easing tensions between Israel, Turkey, and Syria.
Last week, a meeting was held between Mossad chief Roman Gofman and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in an effort to prevent further tensions and resume dialogue between the two countries.
"The last thing anyone in the Middle East needs is anything to give it a greater level of destabilization, so everyone is working hard to try to keep people talking to each other,” the ambassador told the Post.
Huckabee added that when tensions arise, de-escalation requires the establishment of a mechanism “which now we've done, so that there's communication between Israel, Turkey, the United States, Syria, and Lebanon, making sure that before things spin out of control, there are conversations that hopefully bring the temperature down.”