Opinion
The Kurdish connection
Guy Bechor
Published: 03.08.11, 21:08
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86 Talkbacks for this article
1. Brilliant, brilliant piece!
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (08.03.11)
Turkey is going to get bounced from NATO, and can then sink back into the seventh century. Good riddance!
2. most kurds are moslem and they detest and deplore
zetzky   (08.03.11)
jews and israel. i really don't know who is your audience because if you are talking about pkk you might get in serious trouble
3. Great article, except that Palestinians already have a state
Jake ,   USA   (08.03.11)
It's called Jordan. Remove King Abdullah's autocratic regime and Jordan is indeed Palestine, ruled by its 80% majority of Palestinians.
4. To: No. 2
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (08.03.11)
I have had the pleasure of meeting a great many Kurds, and I have not encountered a single anti-Semite. I have had the severe displeasure of meeting a great many Turks; most have been extraordinary haters of Jews and Israel. Stop spouting nonsense.
5. Yes. Jordan is the Palestinian state.
nero ,   nyc   (08.03.11)
Jordanians are Palestinians and Palestinians are Jordanians by history, culture, religion, and language. The Palestinians are far from stateless. The Kurds are great friends of Israel.
6. Kurdish state in Turkey
Istvan Kellner ,   BUDAPEST HUNGARY   (08.03.11)
Finally, there is a genious who has discovered the problem. After calling the UN for establishing a kurdish state, Israel must act to form an independent maori, tamil, naga, beludsh, berber, basque, katalan, flamish, friz and lapp state as well.Not to speak about the great Dakota Nation.
7. IF CORRECT,ISRAEL IS IN A STRONG POSITION
Ian ,   Newcastle upon Tyne   (08.03.11)
It looks to me that the Turkish government has to look for friends,not enemies.Neither the Arab countries nor the EU have any appetite to be dominated by Turkey and no reason to do so. Erdogan,bluster as much as he will,is in no position to demand anything from Israel,least of all an undeserved apology to get him off the hook for his own folly. Mr Lieberman is absolutely right and,far from groveling to the Turkish government,Israel should demand a high price for renewed cooperation. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!
8. Isn't the reverse also true?
Gabriel ,   Tel Aviv   (08.03.11)
The support for the Palestinians but not the Kurds to have a state shows hypocrisy but so does the opposite.
9. Growing # of hardliners in Mid East
Zack ,   U.S.A   (08.03.11)
Both Turkey and Israel should stand down. Governments are escalating the differences out of proportion. The meaningless chatter is not helping these two fairly democratic nations.
10. Diyarbakir is Armenian City, not Kurdish
Carol ,   US   (08.03.11)
If we are dividing Turkey, the Armenian region of eastern Anatolia should be returned to Armenia.
11. To No. 2
Ceng ,   Be'er Sheva, Israel   (08.03.11)
Kurds have never been anti-semitic and/or against Israel and its right of living in peace. Several surveys conducted by many activists in all parts of Kurdistan indicated that a great majority of Kurds are willing to have good relations with Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. I came across one on-going survey among Kurdish youth on Facebook last night, more %90 percent of young Kurdish respondents clicked on "Yes to have relations with Israel." I Kurdish, living in Eretz Israel and encouraging you to have short look at the Kurdish media. Even the PKK's leader stated to Channel 2 of Israel that the Jews are the only nation that can understand the tragedy happened to the Kurds. For being a Muslim: Kurds are Muslims but please keep in mind that they never joined the Jihad club, instead they have been the target of Jihaders hitherto.
12. Really!.. Amusing piece
Matt ,   Los Angeles, US   (08.03.11)
The only thing that is largely disconnected from reality is the author himself, which clearly has an agenda writing this piece.. I am sure the right wing Israelis will have to think again before supporting policies that would further isolate Israel in the region
13. Kurdish State
GAMET ,   Andorra   (08.04.11)
A Kurdish national revival will make Iran, and Syria fall apart, and the birth of a strategic ally of the USA and the Israel. But... it will not happen without USA strong backing and Obama can´t even begin to dare be ay odds with Turkey or do something serious about Assad´s murdering his people, let alone antagonizing Russia and angering Iran. Because a Kurdish state will not be born peacefully
14. 18 million Kurds?
Zaniar ,   Brussels/Belgium   (08.04.11)
Only our population in Iran+Iraq+Syria amounts to 18 millions. In Turkey we have slightly(?) more than the same sum. So based on most conservative estimates, a Kurdish state in Media will have roughly 40 Million inhabitants! And thank you for your support for our people's struggle towards freedom.
15. KURDS AND ISRAEL
BENJAMIN YAFET ,   ORO VALLEY, AZ USA   (08.04.11)
Excellent article. Israel must re-orient her foreign policy to support a free Kurdistan that will take territories from both Turkey, Syria, Irak and Iran !
16. Most of us never did actually support a Kurdish state
Vlad   (08.04.11)
We just want to show the hypocrisy of Turkey. They have no right to criticize Israel's "occupation" while they rule the Kurds and Northern Cypriots. .
17. @ No. 6
Vlad   (08.04.11)
And how is a Palestinian state any different. Oh, I know! The Maoris, Naga, Beludsh, Berbers, Basques, and others are legitimate peoples who have more right to a state than, as Sarah B. would say, the "ersatz Palestinians" do.
18. Kurdistan
David ,   Israel   (08.04.11)
What's good for the goose is good for the gander, if Turkey believes that the breakaway state of north Cyprus should be recognised and that the Turks living there have political equality with the rest of Cyprus - then why not the same for the Kurds of Turkey. The Kurds also wish for a seperate state, they also wish for international recognition. Why not help them achieve this? After all, Turkey believes it's a good thing for Turks in Cyprus, who are they to say it's not good for any other group?
19. The kurds have the right to vote for the Turkish government
Jacob   (08.04.11)
While there may well be strong arguments for a Turkish state, it's in no way analogous to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The Turkish government wants the Kurds to be Turkish citizens, with full equal rights. This at least potentially means that they can justify ruling over Kurdistan. The Israeli government does not want to let the Palestinians vote for the government of Israel. This means that Israel *must* allow the formation of a self-governing Palestinian state. All people *must* have the right to vote for the government of their homeland. If you don't want the people, you can't have the land.
20. Kurds do not hate Israel or Jews. You do not know anything
rachel ,   tel aviv israel   (08.04.11)
about our shared history. Kurds are predominantly secular muslims or Zaradosht (Zoroastrian) and Christian and also Jewish and many grew up with Jewish neighbors who they looked upon as fellow sufferers of whichever country's rule they were under. This is why Israel helped Massoud Barzani's father obtain weapons in the early 1960s and we have maintained strong relationships with the Iraqi Kurds ever since. It is well-known that our friendship extends to protection of all Kurdish politicians in Kurdistan. They hate Palestinians, as well and do not look upon them as "fellow Muslims. There are approximately 200,000 Kurdish Jews here in Israel. Yes, there are at lest 16 million Kurds in the world today. Ancient Kurdistan stretched for over 35million acres and it was this land that was stolen by the world powers at the end of World War I to give to the losers such as Turkey creating the states of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran and modern Turkey.
21. Great article, thanks
the doctor ,   new york   (08.04.11)
we need to mobilize an effort to help the Kurds form an independent state...to free it from Turkish occupation. I think this can and likely will happen in a similar manner as the rest of the middle east- through Facebook
22. The Turkish GOVERNMENT has always oppressed the kurds. The
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (08.04.11)
individual citizens don't represent the government and having lived there for part of my life I don't put the blame on them that I do the corrupt government who put the screws to the kurds and kept them from speaking their language and having their own schools.
23. Israel recognize Kurdistan ?
Hector ,   usa   (08.04.11)
And also recognize Jordan as Palestine?
24. The Kurdish connection
Andre Daie ,   Gladstone MO USA   (08.04.11)
What a terrible bargain. Support the aspiration of kurds for a homeland and have the wrath of four important countries of great importance upon you. Forget it.
25. Yep
Matt   (08.04.11)
It has been spoken about autonomous, Kurdish regions in Iraq, Syria and Iran. Then finally Turkey, forming a version of the GCC for defense and trade etc. While still taking part in domestic politics in their countries, balance of power in Parliament. First thing first Iraqi Kurdistan is a land locked so they need access to the ocean. That will come via Syria to the Med and then Iran to the Arabian Gulf, which ever comes first. For stability the Kurdish issue is rated as high as the Palestinian question. Iraq is stable because of the Kurds and a Kurdish GCC will bring stability to the whole of the Mid East. It is the repression of the Kurds that has created instability. For starters if Kurdish sovereignty was respected there could not have been an Iran/Iraq war. Kurdistan is a buffer zone that separates the majority of Sunni from Shia. It also creates a buffer zone from land invasion for Israel. Iran wants the axis Iraq, Syria, Lebanon as a pan Shiite state allowing passage right up to the borders of Israel, that is the counter to the Iranian design.
26. to nr. 1.
sjoerd ruurd ,   world(-wide)   (08.04.11)
it is a good thing if turkey goes out of nato and that nato will be abolished. nato (western domination,hegemony, imperialism) is one of the greatest threats/dangers to world-peace, humanity and mankind in this case/form. or it has to come fully under/as a part of un- policy/responsibility, just as for example: the world-bank, the international monetary fund etc.
27. to nr. 5.
sjoerd ruurd ,   world(-wide)   (08.04.11)
no, jordan is the jordan state, as syria is the syrian state, as germany is the germanian state etc.
28. Ancient history
jerri i ,   USA   (08.04.11)
Sulaiman the magnificent who defeated the Christian forces in Palestine was a Kurd. After conquering the Holy Land he recruited from Egypt 5000 Jews to man and defend the Walls of Jerusalem. From that point there was a continuous presense of Jews in Jerusalem. There was no Kurdish antisemitism.
29. European and Russian Jews are not indigenous
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (08.04.11)
...to the Middle East, like the Kurds, and the Palestinians.
30. VIVA KURDISTAN!!! Many believe the origins of the Kurds/Loca
Erdogant ,   ConstantinopleGreece   (08.04.11)
Location of the Kurds is from some of the lost tribes of Israel. I would love to see an independent Kurdish nation of 18-20 million in northern iraq, northwest iran, north east syria, and eastern turkey. Long live our Brothers and Sisters, the Kurds! Arabs dont like it they can learn to do something productive for humanity with the massive territory they were given by Great Britain, France, and Italy. 23 states and only oil is their boon.
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