Welcome back, Erdogan
Eyal Megged wonders whether we won’t be wise to again live under Turkish rule
Ultimately, the Gaza flotilla may end up being a blessing in disguise. As the days pass and we see the grave implications of the brilliant decision to stop, at any price, the maritime infiltration that threatened our existence, and as more time passes without any decision-maker resigning (yes, resigning – such thing exists,) I hear around me more and more despaired voices regarding the Jews’ ability to manage their own affairs wisely, as sovereigns.
I must admit that it’s an old dream taking shape. For a long while now, I’ve been thinking about the idea of helping re-establish that glorious empire, and willingly coming under its jurisdiction. If you closely examine the history of the Ottoman rule in our country, you will discover that it was the lesser evil. Of all the regimes we’ve known here, it was the most moderate and balanced.
Turks know region well
With the exception of the stormy days of World War I, which were a harbinger of its collapse, things were not as bad as it seemed. Arabs and Jews lived in peace with each other under Turkish auspices. To this day, when I convert my shekels to Turkish currency on the eve of a trip to Istanbul, the east Jerusalem money changer’s eyes shine with glee, and he sees fit to note: “Oh, those Turks, those Turks. They were the best, for us and for you.”
In fact, what have we got to lose except for the shame we feel in the face of the horrors provided by our proud and independent government day in and day out? We have just seen Turkish sophistication teaching the weakening Jewish mind a lesson.
They know the region well, they have plenty of experience in allaying tensions here, and they proved on more than one occasion that their regime does not hate Jews; rather, the opposite is true – they have shown mercy to us, and when the need aroused they did not hesitate to firmly restrain the Arabs.
In short, instead of becoming overly zealous and turning the latest Turkish leader into another Ahmadinejad who needs to be eliminated, we should welcome his creative initiative and the historic revolution he aspires to lead around here. We should say it out loud: “Welcome, Mr. Erdogan!”
