Hello, my name is Inat Wilf. I'm Israeli. I used to be a member of the Israeli parliament with the Labour Party.
Ever since leaving parliament and politics, I write, I speak on issues relating to Israel, the region and our future here.
In order to have a better relationship, I think a lot has to do with Turkey's own sense of its role in the region.
Historically, Turkey and Israel were natural allies. Both were countries that basically emerged from the end of the Ottoman Empire.
Both were established by strong founders as secular republics, countries that both combined being in the region in the Middle East,
but also facing West, countries that wanted to emphasize liberal values, such as the equality of men and women, the openness of society.
It's true that the Ottoman Empire has a history of pluralism, of many peoples living together.
But I think what's really necessary is, in the modern context, for Turkey to lead a model of Islam,
and I think Turkey is very well placed to do it, if it chooses to, to lead a model of Islam that continues to be tolerant,
that is willing to look at other people, such as Jews, such as Christians, as equals.
The idea, which exists in all religions, but certainly exists in Islam historically,
that Jews and Christians are somehow inferior people who are to be tolerated in society,
that cannot continue into the modern era.
And there has to be an understanding that the Jewish people are the equals of Muslims,
the Christians are the equals, no one is superior to anyone, everyone is equal,
and that means that everyone has the same basic rights.
For the Jewish people, that means our right to have a state, to be sovereign, to govern ourselves, no more, no less.
And I think that's the kind of leadership we would like to see from a major Islamic country like Turkey.
Absolutely. I mean, I think a lot of people do not understand how deep this is,
in terms of defining relationships and defining the conflict in this region.
The conflict in this region is still very much deeply the outcome of the fact
that for the Muslims and Arabs who lived in this region,
the idea that the Jewish people will not only come back home after 2,000 years,
which I admit, it's a crazy idea, right?
Who comes home after 2,000 years? It's a crazy idea.
But not only did a people come home after 2,000 years,
this is a people that the Muslim world used to think of as inferior,
as people who should have been headed to the dustbin of history.
So I think one of the things to understand in this conflict is if we're ever to resolve it,
the Arab world, the Islamic world, needs to accept the Jewish people as its equals here.
It needs to accept that the Jewish people have come home, that this is their home.
It's not a foreign land. They've not taken a foreign land.
And there's room for everyone here.
And we are not going to be sent anywhere because this is our home.
I think it's absolutely critical.
I think this is at the core of everything.
I even have a belief that one day, hopefully, it's kind of a belief or a wish,
that one day we'll see the rise of something that I call Islamic Zionism.
You know, there's Christian Zionism.
Maybe one day we'll see Islamic Zionism.
The notion that the return of the Jewish people to their homeland is not incompatible with Islam,
that it's actually part of Islam, that the idea that the Jewish people have returned,
have a state, are powerful, that's not something that's against Muslims.
It's not against Arabs.
It should actually be part of what they believe in.
One day I hope to see that as a view that is common to many Muslims around the region.
And also, we criticize deeply this UNESCO's decision, ignoring the tie of the Jews,
connection of the Jews into the Temple Mount.
This is crazy.
You cannot ban somebody to pray or go freely to worship, which is a sacred place,
both for Judaism, Muslims, and Christians also, of course.
But it is in the 21st century that kind of things happen.
I completely agree with you that this is precisely what's necessary.
I'm very happy to hear that this is what you're doing.
I must say it takes a lot of courage.
So I commend you for what you're doing.
It's not obvious.
But that's what we need.
We need courageous people like you who bring forth the basic idea that there's no reason for Islam to look at anyone else's inferior.
We're all equals, and it means that the Jewish people have a right to a sovereign state here.
It's not an exclusive right.
It's not a superior right.
But it's very much a right that the Jewish people have.
And it's rooted, like you said, in Islam and in the Koran.
Thank you.
I do think that Israel has an amazing story of bringing people from all around the world, creating one country, one nation, living several religions, several sects together.
We have a lot of problems.
We face a lot of challenges.
But all in all, I do think there's a lot to admire and look to in Israel.
Look, it was like that under the Ottoman Empire.
So hopefully, maybe one day again, people will just move freely across the region.
One thing that Israel has, and now a lot of countries are looking to, is it has expertise in fighting terrorism and radicalism while still maintaining an open democratic society.
You know, it's no big deal to fight terrorism when you are a close society or a totalitarian state.
But when you're trying to keep an open society so that people can come in and out through your airports, people can speak freely, people can just enjoy their lives, walk freely, that's more difficult.
So how do you battle terrorism while keeping a free society?
Over the years, Israel has developed expertise in that.
A lot of it has to do with massive intelligence gathering, really focusing specifically on the people and their intentions rather than broad elements.
And Israel has been sharing that with every country in the world that has wanted to.
The force of the movement.
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