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Blood Money in Davos - Gaza, Erdogan and Peres

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  • Blood Money in Davos - Gaza, Erdogan and Peres

    Wall Street Greek
    Feb 1 2009


    Blood Money in Davos - Gaza, Erdogan and Peres

    By Markos N. Kaminis


    After the dust settles, despite the powerful corporate news that moved
    the market this week, and regardless of the record setting lows seen
    in nearly all the period's economic data-points, what I will remember
    most about the week just passed will be the fiery exchange of words
    between an Israeli President and a Turkish Prime Minister.

    (Article interests: Nasdaq: XISLX, Nasdaq: AMDAX, Nasdaq: AMDCX,
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    AMEX: IWM, AMEX: TWM, AMEX: IWD, AMEX: SDK)

    The mysterious annual meetings that occur in Davos, Switzerland among
    the world's elite of power and wealth offered the perfect platform for
    an affluent discussion of a geopolitical powder keg. As a panel that
    included Shimon Peres, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ban Ki-Moon and the
    Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, erupted into a
    devastating, yet contained explosion, I wondered how many who viewed
    it understood its future significance.

    The United Nations' Secretary General blankly called for peace and
    ceasefire, as would be expected from his position, and he noted the
    UN's kind direction of $613 million in aid to Gaza. Arab League boss
    and influential Egyptian political head Amr Moussa noted the sum would
    not be nearly enough to undo the destruction caused by the
    "unbalanced" reaction of Israel. However, the most interesting point
    made by the ember-filled Moussa was an implication of ultimatum. His
    face withholding knowledge, his voice echoed that if the current
    situation stood unchanged a year from now, there were other options
    for the Arab League, including those involving "guns."

    Erdogan held back nothing in his defense of the Palestinians, while
    Shimon made an equally compelling case for Israel's right to ensure
    the security of its people. Erdogan recalled the fallen children,
    while Shimon reminded him of the nightly terror of those Israeli
    citizens who live within range of Gaza's regular rocket fire. The
    futility of the ageless argument was as clear as day. What makes this
    problem so difficult to resolve is that both sides are right in the
    basis of their complaints, and what destroys hope is the muddle of
    their actions. The true solution can only come through tolerance,
    generosity and love, not to mention amnesia.

    However futile the pandering panel's purpose, the administrators of it
    in Davos committed a dangerous mistake in my opinion. Being a Greek, I
    know my Turkish cousins intimately, and I realized quickly the
    development of scorn before me. Mr. Shimon was given opportunity at
    the end of the discussion to make Israel's case. Sitting awkwardly to
    his right, Erdogan seemed to take Shimon's words as sharp personal
    dagger to his side, and he clearly felt a sincere passion for his
    Palestinian brethren.

    Perhaps equally compelling him to wage his crusade was an awareness of
    the group before him, men and woman of power and might, wealth and
    insight, a group he sought acceptance from. So he nervously took notes
    to rebut Shimon, but the administrators were more interested in
    keeping to their schedule than in allowing these two influential and
    powerful individuals to air grievances that might lead to some mutual
    understanding. Instead, the naive administrators who feared the
    oysters in the hall might sink into a mush of ice and water, failed to
    note Mr. Erdogan's Turkish pride.

    When Shimon finished, Erdogan swiftly spoke up and steadfastly held
    his ground. He was insistent for the opportunity to stand up to
    Shimon's judgments against his wisdom. Shimon had challenged Erdogan,
    his intelligence and his comprehension of global affairs, and like
    every Greek knows, when you engage a Turk or Greek, you had better be
    prepared for his full acceptance of that challenge and his response to
    it.

    As the annoying mediator from the Washington Post, David Ignatius,
    kept at interrupting, perhaps never aware of how precariously close he
    was to the Turkish blade, Erdogan attempted to shorten his response,
    as a civilized man might. Still, it took all the composure he could
    muster to withhold the demon within himself. His rebuttal to Peres
    included recollection of past Israeli strikes and Muslim deaths, which
    the hypocrite labeled as barbarism. God perhaps saved the ears of that
    congregation by not inviting me to Davos, lest I had reminded the Turk
    of the barbaric murders of more than a million Armenians, some one
    million Greeks and thousands upon thousands of Kurds and Georgians in
    the ethnic cleansing that rid Asia Minor of Christians. No Turk can
    ever credibly use the word "barbaric" until those crimes are
    acknowledged, and reconciliation attempted.

    So ironically, the Turk who still fails to recognize those past
    atrocities as crimes against humanity, who attempts to keep the voices
    of the slaughtered silenced even to this day, was himself
    silenced. Erdogan offered last rights in passing, warning the crowd he
    might never return to the unjust gathering. Groups of sympathizers
    walked out of the meeting in concert as a mediator attempted to read
    the united words of religious leaders.

    Take note, Prime Minister Erdogan's pride was badly scathed, and he
    will forever relate the painful injury to Israel and the West, and its
    cause to the defense of his holy brother. Scorn was born before the
    world in Davos, a scorn that might one day place Turkish troops
    alongside those of Iran. No matter how off-plan or even unfair the
    concession might have been to allow the Prime Minister an extra word,
    that's a scenario worth missing a meal to avoid.

    Besides Erdogan's angered tantrum, the world might take careful note
    of the quiet warning of the Arab League Secretary General, and of the
    hero's reception the Turk received upon his return home. A stew is
    brewing in the Middle East, already cooked and served over decades,
    but coming to a boil once again with new ingredients and spices. The
    polished palettes of Davos got an early tasting, and the world awaits
    its indigestion.

    http://wallstreetgreek.blogspot.com/ 2009/01/blood-money-in-davos-gaza-erdogan-and.html
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