Israel Steals Scene Out of It's a Wonderful Life; Turkey Calls It a Bush Play

Remember that scene in It's a Wonderful Life? Mr. Potter (Did he ever have a first name?) calls George Bailey in for a sit-down, trying to bribe him with a job, and seats him in a side chair that would be more appropriate in a kindergarten. The move was designed to set Mr. Potter up in a superior position over Bailey, who had to sit on the other side of the desk, his knees pinned behind his ears and listen to Potter drone on.

I thought of that this morning when I read about the international crisis du jour. According to Stratfor, the global intelligence report, the Israeli foreign ministry called the Turkish ambassador in for a chat because of a Turkish soap opera that depicted Israelis kidnapping Palestinian children. When the ambassador arrived at the ministry he was seated in a shorter sofa than the minister, making it look like he was assuming an inferior position to the Israeli diplomat. It seemed relatively childish, until the Turks claimed that the Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon told a cameraman, in Hebrew, to make sure his shot showed the Turkish ambassador down low, "while (the Israelis are) up high."

Wars have been fought for less, I suppose, but in the volatile and insane world of Mideast politics, this could have implications, says Stratfor. Turkey is Israel's major ally in the Muslim world, although in the Mideast "ally" is a relative term. With a growing economy it teams with Israel to create vibrant, non-petroleum-based commerce. The "sofagate" episode must be seen in its context, says the global intelligence report, since Israel just announced a new policy of expelling ambassadors from Jerusalem that it feels have unjustly criticized it.

The act of expelling ambassadors isn't the same glove-slap-across-the-face challenge it was in the 1800s, but it does show the determination of Israel to set boundaries on how much abuse it will take from Muslim countries. Egypt and Jordan get a pass on playing to their anti-Israeli domestic audiences, provided they take no overt steps to challenge Israel. But Turkey is an important partner for Israel right now, and a row could upset the delicate balance of Mideast politics.

And when Mideast politics roil, the U.S. usually ends up getting involved. With our hands full in Iraq, Afghanistan and Haiti right now, might make sense to buy the Israeli foreign ministry a new sofa.

Just thought you might like to know.