Turkish PM Fights With Shimon Peres on Davos Stage

newsmax.com Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:53 PM

DAVOS, Switzerland – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stalked off the stage at the World Economic Forum red-faced after verbally sparring with Israeli President Shimon Peres over the fighting in Gaza. The episode came Thursday after a lengthy debate about the recent fighting in Gaza that claimed about 1,300 Palestinian lives. Erdogan was flustered after he tried to speak as the scheduled session was ending at the forum in Davos, Switzerland, asking the moderator, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, to let him speak once more. "Only a minute," Ignatius replied. Erdogan said that "I remember two former prime ministers in your country who said they felt very happy when they were able to enter Palestine on tanks," he said in Turkish. "I find it very sad that people applaud what you said. There have been many people killed. And I think that it is very wrong and it is not humanitarian," he said. Ignatius said "We can't start the debate again. We just don't have time." Erdogan said "Please let me finish." Ignatius responded "We really do need to get people to dinner." The Turkish premier then said, "Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I don't think I will come back to Davos after this." The confrontation saw Peres and Ergodan raise their voice shouting — highly unusual at the elite gathering of corporate and world leaders, which is usually marked by learned consensus seeking and polite dialogue. It showed how emotions remain frayed over Israel's offensive against Hamas that ended less than two weeks ago. The packed audience at the Ergodan and Peres session, which included President Obama's close adviser Valerie Jarrett, appeared stunned. Afterward, forum founder Klaus Schwab huddled with Erdogan in a corner of the Congress Center. A press conference with both men was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) "I have know Shimon Peres for many years and I also know Erdogan. I have never seen Shimon Peres so passionate as he was today. I think he felt Israel was being attacked by so many in the international community. He felt isolated," said former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said. "I was very sad that Ergodan left. This was an expression of how difficult this situation is." Amr Moussa, the former Egyptian foreign minister who now leads the Arab League, said Ergodan's action was understandable. "Mr. Ergodan said what he wanted to say and then he left. That's all. He was right." Of Israel, he said, "They don't listen." Ergodan brushed past reporters outside the hall. His wife appeared upset. "All Peres said was a lie. It was unacceptable," she said, eyes glistening. Earlier in the day, the leader of Israel's conservative Likud Party lambasted Iran for allegedly seeking nuclear weapons and supporting Hamas. Iran denies it has plans to obtain nuclear weapons, but Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that it is in a race to make nuclear weapons, and that poses a greater danger to the world than the current economic crisis.

UN seeks $613 million in urgent aid for Gaza war victims

Alexander G. Higgins , The Associated Press , Davos | Thu, 01/29/2009 8:12 PM | World

The United Nations on Thursday launched an emergency appeal for $613 million to help Palestinians recover from Israel's attack on Gaza.

"Help is indeed needed urgently," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Donations will enable the U.N. and other aid orgnizations to "jump into action to help the 1.4 million citizens of the Gaza Strip to recover," meeting their critical needs for food, clean water, shelter, medicine and restoration of basic services, Ban said.

"The civilian population suffered greatly during three weeks of military operations," he tol reporters at the World Economic Forum. "More than one-third of the 6,600 deaths and injured were children and women. As a father of three I was especially troubled by the suffering and trauma that so many families went through."

Ban - the first world leader to enter Gaza since an Israeli blockade of the territory in June 2007 - said failure to act urgently will lead to even greater humanitarian calamity.

"People have lost their families, they have lost their homes, belongings, and livelihoods. Schools, clinics, factories and businesses have been destroyed," he said.

Many people are living amid raw sewage, he said.

Ban said he was encouraged that the United States and some European countries had agreed to try to prevent the smuggling of illicit arms and weapons from the wider region into Gaza again, which otherwise would allow Hamas to use the cease-fire to strengthen itself.

"That's a very serious issue," Ban said.

U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said some $92 million of the aid would be delivered in the form of either cash for work or cash assistance.

"We need to deliver the aid very quickly in a way that will actually help to restart the economy and support local markets," Holmes said.

He said the U.N. also needs Israel to keep open all the important crossings into Gaza so that sufficient supplies can be brought in.

"We don't want to go back to the position we had before the fighting started where effectively normal economic and other life in Gaza was being strangled by the restrictions on goods an�9movement" Holmes said. "For example, no construction materials were able to get through or other key equipment and spare parts.

"Clearly we understand Israel's security concerns, but we believe they can be addressed without sacrificing the basic needs of the population," he said.