By Meghan Gray
Israel was not invited to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization‘s two-day summit in Chicago, following the collapse of diplomatic relations with other Middle Eastern nations.
The relations between Israel and Turkey have become increasingly hostile following the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident, where pro-Palestinian activists, sailing from Turkey, attempted to reach Gaza. Israeli forces halted them at sea.
The conflict resulted in the death of nine Turks, including one American citizen, when Israeli military commandos attempted to prevent terrorists from breaching Israel’s borders.
While Israel is an ally in the war against terrorism, the state did not participate in NATO’s military missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, according to NATO officials.
Flag of Israel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)While the Jewish State did not participate in the NATO summit, representatives from more than 60 countries and international organizations took part.
Members of Chicago’s Jewish community have voiced concern about the conference and worked to implement additional security measures for the duration of the summit.
“We have off-duty Chicago police officers working security for us and we have met with our local Precinct Commander,” said Temple SholomExecutive Director Boni Fine.
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