The Turkish government is in yet another row with Israel, complaining that the Israeli deputy foreign minister disrespected Turkey’s ambassador by chiding him for the Turkish government’s incitement and for not having a Turkish flag present at the meeting.

This is silly. At the last conference of the Turkish General Staff’s Strategic Research and Study Center, the flags of all ambassadors present were flying with the exception of the Israeli flag. Parity, anyone? The Israeli diplomat did not respond with a temper tantrum.

Nor is the Turkish state broadcast’s of a film depicting blood libel simply the maneuverings of a free press. The film was endorsed by the prime minister’s wife, and members of the prime minister’s entourage financed it.

The Turkish government also embraces not only Hamas, but its most militant, Damacus-based factions, yet acts with righteous indignation when anyone draws moral equivalency between Hamas and PKK terrorists. Given that such behavior is only the tip of the iceberg, it is hard to see Turkey as an ally. Perhaps David Schenker was right to question the future of Turkey’s involvement in NATO.

As the AKP loses ground, it seems increasingly as if Prime Minister Erdogan’s strategy is to whip up anti-Semitic sentiment. What a stupid, weak, and dishonest man.