Israeli minister’s bizarre analogy on Türkiye halting trade stirs debate

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s controversial remarks about Türkiye severing trade ties with Tel Aviv during a recent Israeli government cabinet meeting sparked tensions.

He likened the diplomatic situation to a scenario where “a man tells a woman to leave a relationship, but she insists on staying.” He was referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent decision to sever ties with Israel amid Tel Aviv’s relentless atrocities in Gaza.

According to Israeli journalist Michael Shemesh, who reported on the meeting, Smotrich argued against maintaining close relations with Türkiye despite the economic ramifications.

מתוך ישיבת הממשלה היום 16.6.2024 בדיון על יוזמת שר האוצר להטיל מכס על ייבוא מטורקיה:

סמוטריץ׳: היחסים שלנו עם טורקיה זה כמו גבר שאומר לבחורה לכי והיא מתעקשת להישאר.
ארדואן אמר לנו ללכת ואנחנו מתעקשים.
נתניהו: למה דווקא אתה אומר על גבר. תגיד על בחורה גם בחורה יכולה להגיד לגבר…

— מיכאל שמש Michael Shemesh (@shemeshmicha) June 16, 2024

His analogy sparked a response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who voiced discomfort with the gendered analogy, questioning, “Why frame it as if it’s always a man telling a woman? A woman can just as well tell a man to leave, and he might insist on staying.”

The discussion unfolded against the backdrop of Türkiye’s recent decision to cease trade relations with Israel, prompting Israeli policymakers to consider retaliatory measures such as imposing customs tariffs on Turkish imports.

Türkiye halts $9.5B trade with Israel

First, the Turkish Trade Ministry announced restrictions on the export of specific products to Israel until Israel implements a cease-fire and allows for a consistent flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

“Israel is openly violating international law and disregarding numerous calls from the international community for a cease-fire and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance,” the ministry stated. 

In May, Erdogan announced cease exports to Israel during the duration of the Israel-Hamas war, citing “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in the Palestinian territories.

In response, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Israel intends to terminate its free trade agreement with Türkiye and impose a 100% tariff on all imports from Türkiye.

“If at the end of Erdogan’s term the citizens of Türkiye elect a leader who is sane and not a hater of Israel, it would be possible to return the trade route with Türkiye,” Smotrich said.