Quote:US says Turkish rhetoric on Israel is 'unhelpful'

By MATTHEW LEE
Nov. 20 2:01 PM EST


WASHINGTON (AP) The Obama administration is criticizing its NATO ally Turkey for "extremely harsh" rhetoric in accusing Israel of terrorism in its current military operations in Gaza.

The State Department said Tuesday that such language is "not helpful" to efforts to end the conflict there. Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that message had been delivered to Turkish officials within the past 24 hours.

Turkey's prime minister has accused Israel's leaders of trying to eliminate the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip through ethnic cleansing and terrorism. Israel says its actions are aimed at halting rocket attacks into Israeli territory from Gaza by Hamas militants and other groups.

Nuland spoke as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was heading to the Mideast while violence raged even as cease-fire talks were under way in Egypt.

Quote:UPDATED: Fiery AP Reporter Battles State Dept. Spokeswoman Over White House's Silence on Anti-Israel Rhetoric

Posted on November 19, 2012 at 7:35pm by Becket Adams

Associated Press Reporter Matt Lee Takes Victoria Nuland to Task for Remaining Silent on Anti Israel Comment

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday referred to Israel as "a terrorist state," a remark that the Obama administration has yet to challenge.

"Israel is a terrorist state," Erdogan said at an Islamic conference in Istanbul. He also accused Western nations of ignoring the "sufferings of Muslims in Palestine, Syria and Myanmar because of lack of oil."

For its part, the White House has chosen silence as its response to Erdogan's intensely anti-Israel rhetoric, a policy that the Associated Press' Matt Lee seems to think does more harm than good.

"How do you this whole thing of saying nothing, I'm not sure I understand why you think that that's helpful to the situation. You say that it would not be helpful for you to discuss any of your conversations, that quiet diplomacy is the way to de-escalate that. Well, you've been doing your quiet diplomacy now for almost a week. How's it going so far?" Lee asked State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland during Monday's press briefing.

"We are working hard with the parties. We're working hard with " she began to reply.

"Hasn't it occurred to anybody that maybe being less quiet might get more results, though? Squeaky wheel gets grease, that kind of thing?"

"I'll let the "

"You're being silent while people are dying left and right."

"Matt, we are being far from silent. The President has "

"You're not telling us anything about what you're when the Turks come out when the leaders of Turkey come out and say that Israel is engaged in acts of terrorism and you refuse to say that you don't agree with that or maybe you do agree with it that's being silent."