Turkey's prime minister on Wednesday branded Israel the "principal threat to peace" in the Middle East, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say he regretted his counterpart's "attack."
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks to reporters at a breakfast meeting in Paris marked a new low in rapidly deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey, which once had close military and political ties.
"If a country uses disproportionate force in Palestine, in Gaza — uses phosphorous shells — we're not going to say 'bravo,'" he said, referring to Israel January 2009 offensive against Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Operation Cast Lead, which was aimed at preventing rocket attacks by Gaza-based militants on civilian targets within Israel, left around 1,400 Palestinians dead and destroyed thousands of homes.
"We are interested in good relations with Turkey and regret that (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan chooses time after time to attack Israel," Netanyahu said at a news conference held to review his first year in office.
Erdoğan said Israel's justification for the offensive was based on "lies" and cited a report by United Nations investigator Richard Goldstone, a South African judge who accused both Israel and Palestinians of war crimes.
"Goldstone is a Jew and his report is clear," the Turkish leader told reporters invited to meet him at the Paris Ritz. "It's not because we are Muslims that we take this position. Our position is humanitarian.
"It's Israel that is the principal threat to regional peace."
Erdoğan was speaking in Turkish, through a French interpreter.
Gaddafi comparison
Erdoğan's statements came a day after Ankara condemned remarks attributed to Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman likening the prime minister to controversial leaders Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.
"We vehemently condemn and reject the baseless, deplorable and over-the-top statements ... by Avigdor Lieberman (that) were carried on Israeli media about our prime minister," a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said.
"The statement in question shows that Lieberman continues to disregard the rules of diplomacy governing international relations," the statement said.
"We call on Israel to give up this incomprehensible and unacceptable approach as soon as possible and to act with good sense."
Israeli news Web site Ynet said Lieberman had told it on Monday evening that Erdoğan is "slowly turning into Gaddafi or Hugo Chavez.
Lieberman added: "It's his choice. The problem is not Turkey, the problem is Erdoğan."
Turkish-Israeli relations are already strained since Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, gave Turkey's ambassador a public dressing down in January to protest a Turkish television series that showed Israel in bad light.
After having kept the diplomat Oğuz Çelikkol waiting, the envoy was made to sit on a low couch and the Turkish flag was removed from their table. Ayalon had pictures taken of the scene.
Turkey promptly threatened to recall the ambassador. Bowing to pressure from a furious Ankara, Ayalon apologized, but according to Turkish media reports, Çelikkol is set to be posted back to Ankara.
Turkey has been Israel's main regional ally since the two signed a military cooperation pact in 1996, but relations were poisoned by Ankara's severe criticism of Israel's Gaza offensive in December 2008 and January 2009.
