Pan-Turkism and Zionism
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Summary
Israel, once a beacon of strategic ingenuity and persistence, is now facing a confluence of crises in the Middle East. On the home front, its people are deeply divided, its economy is faltering, and its military is trying to deal with the ongoing issues caused by the Gaza conflict. When viewed from the outside, the possibility of more regional conflicts threatens to worsen an already precarious situation. The so-called Gaza war, which began in October of last year in response to Hamas strikes, has lasted more than ten months. It was a contentious event that resulted in a significant loss of life and raised numerous questions about how such a large-scale and coordinated assault could occur. The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 resulted in a considerable number of casualties. Some commentators believe that Israel's intelligence and military failed to identify critical warning signs. Other observers, on the other hand, have proposed explanations based on willful neglect, which are more likely. The alleged surprise attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has been compared to other key historical events in which governments were caught off guard despite prior information or warning signs. This is despite Israel's advanced intelligence and military capabilities. (A pause) Notable examples include Turkey's attempted coup on July 15, 2016, and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In each case, governments failed to act decisively in a timely manner, despite prior information or warning signs. What began as Western sympathy for Israel's so-called right to self-defense has now developed into international condemnation of what many perceive as a brutal and genocidal assault on the Palestinian people. Israel's international standing has suffered significant damage. International legal agencies have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli military officers of war crimes and crimes against humanity. These claims have been leveled against several Israeli military personnel. Both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice have ruled that Israel's acts violate international law, and their decisions are immensely significant. Although it is easy to criticize Netanyahu, the decrease in Israel's strategic wisdom can be traced back to decisions made over the last fifty years, following Israel's miraculous victory in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967.The battle is often regarded as a miraculous victory, but it actually marked a watershed moment in Israel's strategy. Instead of abandoning occupied regions for the sake of peace, Israel chose to maintain the West Bank and Gaza and gradually colonize those territories. One of the long-term repercussions of this choice was the formation of a paradox: Israel's commitment to be a Jewish state contradicted the democratic rights of millions of Palestinians living under occupation. Along with the deliberate expansion of settlements, the continued occupation has resulted in accusations of apartheid against the government. Others say that Israel's tactics undermine its claim to democracy by restricting Palestinians' political and civic rights in Israeli-occupied territories. However, Israel's actions, which include the continuous development of settlements and the undermining of Palestinian authority, have essentially eliminated the possibility of this happening.As a result, peace remains elusive, and the prospect of a two-state solution grows increasingly unlikely with each passing year. Additionally, Israel's military strategy has been called into question. Israel launched its invasion of Lebanon in 1982, with the goal of creating a pro-Israeli administration in Beirut and eliminating the Palestine Liberation Organization. The next event was the foundation of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization run and funded by Iran, Israel's fraternal twin brother. The invasion did not protect its northern border, but instead resulted in decades of instability and strife between the two countries. Israel's objection to the nuclear agreement with Iran, signed in 2015, demonstrates the country's declining strategic understanding. Israel's actions unwittingly created the conditions for Iran to pursue nuclear capability, resulting in a more hazardous regional situation. Other variables, in addition to human leadership, have contributed to the strategy's demise. Despite rising worldwide censure, the United States has consistently supported Israel, allowing Israel to behave with impunity on the international stage. Many people believe that Israel's leadership has been able to make decisions that have jeopardized the country's long-term security due to a lack of accountability. Furthermore, the growing dominance of Israel's religious right has caused a shift in the country's governmental and military objectives. Religious concepts based on predictions of the end of the world and the messianic age have begun to have a considerable impact on Israeli policy making. As a result, decisions have been taken primarily on ideology rather than strategic rationale, exacerbating the country's internal and external challenges. These strategic mistakes have already had significant consequences. Israel's previously strong international ties, particularly those with the United States, are beginning to show signs of strain. A considerable number of younger generations, including many Jewish Americans, are growing increasingly critical of Israel's actions, resulting in a major drop in support across key demographics. Israel's current course of conduct endangers not only the country's own future, but also the United States, Israel's most vital partner. It is likely that continuous alignment with Israel, which is viewed as a violation of international norms, may be detrimental to the United States' global position, hurt its relations with other countries, and possibly lead to the breakdown of American hegemony. Israel is going down this risky path, and the question remains whether it will be able to shift its strategy to one that is more logical and long-term before it is too late. Alternatively, will its current track lead to international isolation, economic hardship, and perpetual conflict? There is a lot of doubt about Israel's future and its most important ally. The striking parallel between Pan-Turkism, a nationalist movement that emerged in the late Ottoman Empire, and Zionism suggests that both ideologies have played, or may play, a critical role in determining the fate of their respective states and global powers. Pan-Turkism evolved as the Ottoman Empire declined. During the later half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a nationalist ideology known as Pan-Turkism emerged with the goal of uniting all Turkic-speaking peoples under a single administrative and cultural structure. Pan-Islamism eventually gave way to Pan-Turkism. Despite the fact that it was designed to strengthen Ottoman unity by appealing to its Turkic majority, the ideology alienated non-Turkic ethnic groups within the empire. These groups comprised Arabs, Armenians, Kurds, and Greeks. The empire's integrity was undermined as a result of this internal schism, which was especially crucial during a period when external influences and World War I expedited its decline. The emphasis on Turkic identity, which resulted in internal conflicts, was one of the elements that contributed to the weakening and eventual destruction of the multicultural empire following the war. In 1948, the Jewish nationalist movement known as Zionism succeeded in establishing the state of Israel. Zionism began as a movement seeking to establish a Jewish homeland. However, given that Israel remains a focal point of geopolitical tension in the Middle East, others argue that Zionism is the primary cause of Israel's ongoing conflict with its Arab neighbors. The reason for this is that Zionism aims to expand Israel. If Zionism, particularly its more expansionist or military impulses, is allowed to flourish unabated, it has the potential to have far-reaching consequences not only for Israel but also for the greater geopolitical balance. The United States of America, Israel's most powerful ally, has provided significant military, diplomatic, and economic support. This has prompted in outrage from around the world, particularly from Muslim-majority countries and Arab people. This dynamic has the potential to reduce the United States' strength, particularly in the Middle East, while also weakening the Anglo-Saxon global order. Similar to Pan-Turkism, which sought to consolidate power but ultimately alienated non-Turkic populations, particularly Muslim Arabs, some argue that Zionism's pursuit of a larger Israel or policies perceived as exclusive may alienate important global partners and exacerbate tensions with Muslim and Arab populations, as well as with other non-Muslim nations in general. This might lead to increased regional instability, which could lead to further violence and possibly damage Israel's and the United States' positions in the global community. A broader discussion about the changing geopolitical situation is taking place, with one of the subjects being the potential loss of Anglo-Saxon predominance on a global scale. Given the rise of China, Russia, and regional powers such as Turkey, Western primacy is under increasing challenge as the global power structure changes toward multipolarity. If Zionism continues to drive policies that isolate Israel and its Western supporters in the international arena, the United States and its allies may lose influence in critical regions such as the Middle East. In essence, just as Pan-Turkism contributed to the Ottoman Empire's demise, Zionism, if not carefully controlled, has the potential to bring Israel down and weaken the strength of the United States, which may be regarded Israel's most important ally. This, in turn, could expedite the disintegration of the global order dominated by the Anglo-Saxon power structure.
Quotes
References
- Stephen Walt, GEOPOLIST ISTANBUL CENTER FOR GEOPOLITICS.
- Pan-Turkism and Zionism: Parallel Paths to the Decline of Empires and Global Hegemony, GEOPOLIST ISTANBUL CENTER FOR GEOPOLITICS.
