For the first time since the signing of the reconciliation agreement between Israel and Turkey June 27, and a day after its ratification by the parliament in Ankara Aug. 20, Israel once again struck in the Gaza Strip. In response to a rocket fired Aug. 21 from Gaza into the Israeli southern town of Sderot, the Israeli air force hit some 50 targets in the Palestinian territory over a two-hour period. Ankara announced that the Israeli attack was “not acceptable,” constitutes a breach of international law, disrupts the peace process with the Palestinians (it’s not clear to what process it was referring) and violates the relative calm in the region.

In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman suggested that Ankara “think twice before it criticizes the military actions of others,'' promising that ''Israel will continue to defend its innocent civilians from all rocket fire on our territory.”

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesman thought it apt to stress that “normalizing ties with Israel does not mean that we will keep silent in the face of attacks against the Palestinian people.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry, for its part, also referred to the reconciliation deal, noting that “the normalization of our relations with Turkey does not mean that we will remain silent in the face of its baseless condemnations.”

Thus, in August, a magic formula was found that enables Israel to continue eating the occupation cake and maintain intact its relations with an important Muslim state: The Palestinians will attack Sderot, the Israeli air force will attack Gaza, Turkey will condemn Israel and Israel will condemn Turkey. And what will become of Gaza’s besieged children? Who really cares?