| September 27, 2007 Lesson Five: For the best information go straight to the source Within the first two weeks of class, I realized how sensitive the subject of war is for many Turkish students. On Tuesday, a huge gust of anti-Americanism blew through the classroom when the topic of war arose. I did all I could to sit and listen. I'm beginning to realize that much of what I learn this semester will not be from textbooks, but from the absorption of the opinions of those around me. After all, I came to Turkey to gain insight to culture and politics far different from my own. State and Society of Israel will be equally as educational but for different reasons. This class is much more lecture dominated, but Professor Ayturk is an expert on Judaic studies. He began the first class with the creation of the Israel: nation in Biblical times. He stressed that studying the religious facet of Israel is imperative for understanding the modern state. Learning the complex history of Israel will better equip me to understand the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has plagued the Middle East for more than a millennium.
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