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Barın Kayaoğlu
Barin Kayaoglu
JTW Columnist
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Saturday, 24 January 2009
The Mission
The Israeli invasion of Gaza and its horrific toll on Palestinian civilians demonstrate that, so long as this self-destructive conflict goes on, the innocent people of Israel and Palestine will wallow in their suffering.
It is time to stop this bloodbath. And the creation of a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza is the only way to reach that goal.
The question of Palestine remains the biggest chasm between Israel, the Arabs, and non-Arab Muslims. Since the first war between Arab states and Israel in 1948-49, there has been no end in sight to the conflict. For sure, Israel managed to sign peace treaties with, and gain recognition from, two of its neighbors (Egypt and Jordan). But because Israel does not take the bold steps necessary to create the Palestinian state, most Arab and Muslim countries refuse to recognize it. Israel, without recognition and security, refrains from normalizing relations with the Palestinians. And without the prospects of a viable Palestinian state, groups like HAMAS gain prestige in the eyes of Arabs in general and Palestinians in particular.
(Tragically, HAMAS’s rocket attacks had prompted Israel to attack Gaza over three weeks ago. And this deadlock has played out disastrously: more than 1,200 Palestinians – many of them innocent civilians – lie dead. Over 5,000 are wounded.)
So, how do we create a Palestinian state; convince Israel that it is in its interest to do so; and move forward to a new order in the Middle East?
How, in other words, do we accomplish mission impossible?
The Task
The trick to creating a viable Palestinian state can come about by addressing the “people problem.”
At the moment, of the West Bank’s population of 2.5 million, nearly 200,000 are Israeli settlers. An additional 175,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem, the venue that Palestinians hope will become the capital of their state. Resettling unwilling Israeli civilians into Israel’s pre-1967 lands will be a troublesome task (just as it was in 2005 when Israel withdrew from Gaza).
An even larger problem will be to accommodate the return of Palestinian refugees, a large body of 5 million. Truth be told, since the State of Israel would not allow the return of former residents of Mandate Palestine into its territories, probably not all Palestinian refugees would come into what would become the Republic of Palestine; at least not immediately.
The third hurdle is the status of Jerusalem. Jerusalem houses the Western Wall of Solomon’s Temple, the Church of Sepulcher, and the Masjid al-Aqsa/Qubbat as-Sahra, the holiest sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, respectively. Israelis and Palestinians contest this city fiercely for its great symbolic value. Currently, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the Palestinians will never accept statehood without Jerusalem as their own capital.
The Possible and the Necessary Mission
Aside from Jerusalem, the “people problem” is one that can be solved by careful planning and a price tag. Building decent housing for the nearly 5.5 million people in question (5 million Palestinians and a total of 375,000 Israeli settlers) will be a gargantuan task but it is not an impossible one. (A feasibility study commissioned by the World Bank would probably be the best way to start this project.)
For years, the major players of the Middle East conflict – indigenous and foreign – have wasted their resources on warfare – clandestine and open. In its stead, if the wealthy countries – oil-rich Arab states, the United States, and the European Union – can channel their energies to relocate Israelis and Palestinians, peace can be within reach.
As for Jerusalem, two alternatives – neither of which will be pleasant, it must be said – exist. The city can be divided into Israeli and Palestinian sectors and United Nations (UN) peacekeepers can monitor the holy sites. Alternatively, Jerusalem (old and new) can be administered as a single unit by a UN commission, although experience with “free cities” (Danzig/Gdansk had given Hitler the pretext to start a world war in 1939) does not bode well for this option.
The Substitute
“There is no substitute for victory” said General Douglas MacArthur upon Japan’s capitulation in 1945. In the case of Israel and Palestine in 2009, the only substitute for solution is the current situation: HAMAS gains political strength (for merely surviving the latest Israeli onslaught); Israel fails to succeed in its political objective (annihilating HAMAS and keeping moderate Palestinians on its side); and radical Islamists everywhere have another excuse to engage in anti-Western propaganda (Western support for Israel and distance to Palestine).
This is the mission, should you choose to accept.—
Barın Kayaoğlu is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the University of Virginia and a regular contributor to the Journal of Turkish Weekly.
These are my first steps of writing at Technorati. Imagine yourself in a boat. You don’t know how to swim.
Your elder brother have told you right after when away from the beach that; ‘he was going to throw you into the water’. He’s aim was to have you chopping for dear life. That was the way he learned to swim he said.
When this happened, I was at age of six. Did I succeed? Yes ı did. That day, for dear life, I chopped as hard as I could, and manage to stay on the water.
Today I’m 60+3 in age. It seems that, this time I’ve put in water myself to the ‘Deep Oceans of Technorati’.
Am I capable, or will I be having enough effort to stay on the surface of Technorati? Or will I sink, and drown?
The ones who has the experience of swimming in different waters, — fresh or salt — wavy, streamy, windy etc., or swimming in a pool, in a river, a lake, and sea, can also be added to this classification, should and must keep in mind, that each of these different waters have their own formats, their unique characteristics.
To be successful in the mission of ’swimming’, it needs applying the necessary basics, but in different rules, compatible with each one of the waters concerned.
Probably, all of these waters have been experienced by most of us. But ‘ocean’ is the superb of all waters. Deepest, biggest, widest, finest, and the most spectacular.
Ocean is also known and named as; cruelest, merciless, and above all the feared most.
Despite all the positive, but heavily negative mentioned appellations of ‘Oceans’, she is least known, still the most famous, most mysterious, the such a thing is that, she is still the most curious, and most fabulous.
After all these chit-chats of ocean, let me mention about how I feel of stepping into the unfamiliar ‘giant’ oceans of Technorati.
For long years of educational official work, I was accustom to writing formal, scientific etc. notes, texts, and articles. But I’m retired now. I am eager to write what’s really inside of me. The work, happily but painly busyness with the family, and finally rushy traffic of all kinds within the natural flow of life, kept me static all those years.
As if I was automatically programmed to do all that without complaine. After my retirement, I no more could control the feelings in my soul, and the ‘file’ of heavy traffic consisting of words, phrases, ideas in my brain.
It’s time now for them to come out, to take a role, and step into the stage of life itself.
Simply, plainly, sincerely, within the rules of life and the new era, I feel I’m obliged to keep pace with this.
So I started dealing with building up web sites, first was built exactly at 29 April, 2009.
Working hard, I manage to come to this phase in five months, a level that brought me to the shores of Technorati.
For many years writing formal texts,articles,then writing freely in my sites/blogs — which decreased my eagerness, and tension a little bit — I’ve suddenly found myself in the very deep waters of Technorati’s Oceans.
To be honest, with a wish, and hard work, I knew I was going to end up on some Web Site address. Of course, joining as the ‘Author’, a contributor for Technorati, I couldn’t have imagined and expected in very short time like this.
Now I’m in. Being experienced in writing, will be my advantage. But being not familiar to the tendencies, obligations to follow the written/un-written general rules, preferences of the ‘ readers, members, fans, authors, management ‘ etc. are going be my disadvantages at Technorati in the preliminary stages.
Nevertheless, I’m certain, being in the Technorati Family, will bring me enormous credits. Advantage of sharing my writings with a very big, large and elite community, plus I’ll be having a chance of exchanging valuable knowledge with them. In short
I will gain a lot…
For hard workers, ones who have capacity and will for writing, must never give up, they should always be in challenge with themselves to reach to a higher level.
Why not to try yourselves. Knock the doors of Technorati. Apply to write there, ‘Login’ and start. The rest will come…
Finally, a gentlemen from Technorati Editorial, who kindly helped me in some of my difficulties, have said in it’s mail; “It is not always easy to write from the heart and open up to complete strangers what one feels about a transition.”
These expression have motivated my feelings. I appreciate it.
He also pointed out about the line in the beginning of this article and said: “Imagine yourself in a boat. You don’t know how to swim.” is a perfect metaphor.
Thanking him so much again, I feel obliged to respond to this as: If ”Imagining oneself in a boat with fear,cause of not knowing to swim ” is considered a ‘Perfect Metaphor’, Then me being in The Technorati should be considered as ” MegaMetaphor ”.
Thank you again…
I’m afraid. Afraid of the responsibilities that I will come upon Technorati. Afraid of unexpected happenings that might kept me out of my goal.
Time is the best solution for the one’s who are afraid. Afraid of being inadequate. The way to overcome this negative feeling is to ‘do the best that can be done’.
Not to rush, slowly, patiently, and fearlessly move on the right path.
”It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
It’s about time to end this article. Then here comes the conclusion part.
In Turkish, the word ‘dede’ is ‘grandpa’. My granddaughter’s first call to me was ‘dedegi’, not ‘dede’.
I fall into astonishment, because I didn’t know the meaning of it. The word’s meaning was not known by major dictionaries also.
I founded the meaning myself. The suffix ‘gi’ was ‘dear’. She ment ‘dear grandpa‘.
Finally, I will end my first article by calling upon ‘The Big Community of Technorati’, that they have a ‘dedegi‘ among them now.
Technoratiansgi, ‘dede’ whose aim is to run slowly but continiously on these tracks is very happy for joining your community.
Five Germans in an Audi Quattro arrive at the Italian border.
An Italian police officer stops them and says, “Itsa illegala to putta five-a people in a Quattro”
“Votz do you mean, it’s illegal ?” the German drivers asks.
“Quattro means four!” the policeman answers.
“Quattro iz just ze name of ze fokken automobile”the German shouts … “Look at ze dam paperz: Ze car is dezigned to carry 5
people !”
“You canta pulla thata one on me !” says the Italian policeman. “Quattro meansa four. You havea five-a people ina your carre and you
are therefore breakinge the lawe!”
The German driver gets mad and shouts “You ideeiot ! Call ze zupervizor over! Schnell! I vant to spik to zum vun viz more intelligence!!!”
“Sorry” the Italian says, “He cantta comea. He’s a buzy with a two guys ina FIAT UNO.”
NOTE: My thanks to a dear friend T.Eralp who send me the joke
via mail…
WordPress ile bu ikinci çalışmam olacak.Yönetimi oldukça kolay bir uygulama gibi görünüyor. Benim gibi 60+4 yaştakiler için nasıl gelişecek göreceğiz.
Lafı fazla uzatmayacağım. Bu blog’daki ilk yazımda , kısaca kendimi tanıtmayı, blogda neler yapmayı düşündüğümü belirteceğim.
****************
Hakkımda:
”Emekli Öğretim Üyesiyim.Evliyim. Diplomat olan büyük oğlum evli ve 2 yaşında bir kız torunum var.İkinci Torunum (Erkek)yolda,Aralık 2009 ‘da doğacak.
Küçük oğlum ABD’de Doktora eğitimini sürdürüyor.
Ege Denizi Kuşadası Körfezinde yer alan Güzelçamlı Beldesi’nde oturuyorum.
İnternet,web site/blog’ları oluşturma,okuma,yürüyüş,balığa çıkma,sahilde gezinti, dostlar ve yöre halkı ile kafelerde sohbet günlük aktivitelerim içinde.”
***************
Bu blogda; başımdan geçenleri,yaşamın güncel gelişmelerinden kesitleri, mizah, eğlence konularını işlemeyi, ehh,arada ciddi karalamalar da yapmayı düşünüyorum tabii !
Ne diyorlar; ‘az sonra!’ ,’birazdan’ ,’pek yakında’ ,’sadece burada’ lagada-lugada…
Ben de; ”izleyin ,bakın ,yazarsam okursunuz , yazmazsam mahvolursunuz”, diyerek gaz verir, hatta kendi ”Açılımımı da” (Piyasada rant’ı yüksek,gündeme uygun veya tam tersi ‘absürt’ bir konu bulabilirsem) yapabilir, birlikte kendi işlerimize bakarız…
Lafın özü , fazla kuralcı olmadan , amaç üzüm yemek, bağcıyla ilgilenmemek…
NOT: Bu yazı yeni oluşturduğum bir ”WordPress” Blog’unda ‘ilk yazı’ olarak yer almıştır. http://dedegi.wordpress.com/
Hurting the feelings of our loved one’s hurts you more.Whatever the execuses are,it doesn’t change the fact, ‘that their hearts are broken’.
Being together for 40 years, should give them ‘Bonus Credits’ for making mistakes. For some reason,couples are not attentive to one others ideas,feelings.
I wonder,is it because he/she is in spouse status!.Could one act the same with their dates,their flirts etc… ?
I don’t think they can.They always show their ‘polished’ sides,giving the impression that they are unique,hard to find…
Spouses? I guess they are considered on the same category within the ”Belongings” or the laborer of the house…
Sacrificess are valuable if it’s shared by both sides.Otherwise it is nothing but selfishness,and offhandedness…
NOTE:
-This is an excerpt from ‘Tecnorati’s Reader Reviews” .
While visiting the site, with a sudden thought that came to my mind, I wrote the above text.
Roma’da dünyaca ünlü San Pietro Kilisesi’nde büyük bir
pazar ayini…Görkemli bir dinsel tören. Papa bile
katılıyor. Koskoca meydan mahşer yeri gibi.. Kilisenin
içi de dışı da tıklım tıklım…
Bu arada kilise kapısında iki adam özellikle dikkati
çekiyor…İkisinin de boynunda kocaman birer levha
asılı..Birinde ” Ben koyu bir Hristiyanim ,Lütfen bana
yardım ediniz ” yazılı. Ötekisinde ise sadece ” Ben koyu bir Yahudiyim ” yazıyor.
Tabii ki kiliseden çıkanlar Hıristiyan olduğunu ifade eden adama yanaşıyorlar ve ellerini ceplerine atıp cömertçe bir şeyler veriyorlar.Yahudi olduğunu ifade eden adamda ise siftah yok.
Bu arada kiliseden çıkan iyi niyetli biri “Yahudiyim ” yazısı taşıyana sokuluyor.
” Bana bak kardeş ” diyor, “..dürüstlük iyi bir şey , ama binlerce Hıristiyan kiliseden çıkarken , senin Yahudi
olduğunu böyle aleni olarak ifade etmen kanımca hiç de
akıllıca bir hareket değil. Bak kimse sana para da
vermiyor zaten. Bence çıkar o yazıyı boynundan sen de
su Hıristiyan gibi…” deyince ,
Boynunda ” Yahudiyim ” yazılı adam ” Hıristiyanım ” yazılı olana dönüp
sesleniyor :
- Heey !. Salamon !. Herife bak be !. gelmiş bize
ticareti öğretiyor.
NOT:Fıkrayı bana maille gönderen sayın arkadaşıma teşekkürler.
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