Israel Warned of ‘Arab Sea of Anger’

Turkey's president has warned Israel about the emergence of democracies in the Middle East, which will not tolerate Tel Aviv's oppression against Palestinians.

“Sooner or later, the Middle East will become democratic,” wrote Turkish President Abdullah Gul in an opinion piece published in The New York Times on Wednesday, referring to the potential outcome of the ongoing anti-government demonstrations across the Arab world.

Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan have been witnessing anti-regime protests heartened by the recent successful revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

“The peoples of the region, without exception, revolted not only in the name of universal values but also to regain their long-suppressed national pride and dignity,” Gul noted.

“In the coming 50 years, Arabs will constitute the overwhelming majority of people between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. The new generation of Arabs is much more conscious of democracy, freedom and national dignity,” he said.

Gul said the prospective democracies would not adopt pro-Israeli stances.

“By definition a democratic government should reflect the true wishes of its people. Such a government cannot afford to pursue foreign policies that are perceived as unjust, undignified and humiliating by the public,” the Turkish president stated.

“In such a context, Israel cannot afford to be perceived as an apartheid island surrounded by an Arab sea of anger,” he added.

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