Tonight, after a long day of classes, we were able to have a guest speaker for all of the students in the center. Our speaker was from the Israel Foreign Affairs and he was able to talk to us about the political situations going on right now in the Middle East and Near East. It was interesting to find out more about the conflicts that are underlying in the area that I am studying in. It is true that we get to see the people and places in Jerusalem and in other places throughout Israel, but even though we are here we don't always understand some of the political struggles. Our speaker was able to shed some light on what may happen with the Palestinians and their request for recognition by the UN and some basic resulting senarios. Among other things, he talked about the threats to the Middle East and around the world and also on the deteriorating relationship with Israel and Turkey and why that is happening.
For me, I am grateful to have listened to this address because I feel more informed on what is going on here. Just from being here for a week, I have a better grasp on the culture of the people and the locations of these places that we hear so much about in the news in the US. Knowing what I know now about the Holy Land and the people who love it, I have a better understanding of why it is so hard for both sides to come to an agreement on boundaries. As for Israel's relationship with Turkey now, I'm sad to see a good and long standing relationship dissolve so quickly, especially since our group is traveling there in about a week and a half.
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