From the University Agenda

"Israel's ground offensive drags the Middle East to war"

The 8th International Middle East Symposium brought together scholars and researchers from around 40 nations to study social, political, and economic instability in the Middle East. Organized by Istanbul Gelisim University Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Department of Political Science and International Relations, IGUSAM, TUBITAK, TASCA, MOKHA, ODAP and Diplomacy Foundation, the symposium is held on October 24-25-26.

The symposium will conclude with the publication of a final report that attempts to provide some insight into the reasons behind the Middle East's political expectation-uncertainty spiral. The results will also be made into a booklet. Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali Semin, who evaluated the Israel-Gaza conflict at the Middle East Symposium, said, "The current conflicts are seen in the Islamic and Arab world and even in the international community between Hamas and Israel. But there is a good chance that these disputes would escalate into a full-scale ground offensive, which would lead to a war between Israel and the Palestinians. This implies a full-scale conflict in the Middle East.”

The beginning of the 4th Arab-Israeli conflict

Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali Semin, who evaluated the Israel-Hamas conflicts at the symposium, interpreted October 7 as a turning point in terms of Middle East and Palestinian-Israeli problems. Stating that he sees the attacks as the beginning of the 4th Arab-Israeli conflict if they continue in the medium and long term, Semin said, "Israel has a psychological advantage over the world. This is based on whether or not it initiated the ground offensive. This is the only focus of the world in this regard.”

"An attempt should be made for a ceasefire"

Stating that the humanitarian corridor shows that the war will continue, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali Semin said, "The humanitarian corridor means that the war is far from over. Because if you attempt for a ceasefire, this corridor is not needed. The world has three focal points. The humanitarian corridor, the ground offensive and the hostages in the hands of Hamas. However, these do not include stopping the massacre of Gazan civilians as soon as possible. In fact, 34 aid trucks have crossed the Humanitarian corridor so far. However, the number of trucks that the population of Gaza needs per day is one hundred. 22 Arab countries and 57 countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation declare the humanitarian corridor a victory. What needs to be done is to make an attempt for a ceasefire. But what is done is only condemnation.”

“The United Nations has completely lost its function”

Stating that Israel has violated all the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and international law since 1947, Semin said, “Israel does not need any justification to attack Gaza. This is the fifth attack on Gaza from 2005 to 2023. Therefore, the international community, the United Nations, the Arab world, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation were dysfunctional in these conflicts. The United Nations has lost its application function in inspection. It needs a serious reform now.''

"The result of the Israeli ground offensive means a full-scale Middle East war"

Noting that the ground offensive will drag the entire Middle East region into war, Semin said, "If the ground offensive takes place, Israel will not only go to war with Gaza, but will also have to fight on three fronts: Gaza in the south, Hezbollah in the north, and Syria in the northeast. If Iran is directly involved, our region will be dragged into a full-scale Middle East war. The current conflicts are seen between Hamas and Israel in the Islamic and Arab world. But there is a good chance that these disputes would escalate into a full-scale ground offensive, which would lead to a war between Israel and the Palestinians. This implies a full-scale conflict in the Middle East.”

One of Israel's fears is Gaza tunnels

Stating that the US has put serious pressure on Israel to prevent the ground offensive, Semin said, "Everyone is on the alert in the Middle East, but no one can predict the outcome of the war. When I look at it from this point of view, I see the possibility of Israel organizing a ground offensive as a distant possibility. But it can be conducted locally. Israel is destroying Gaza with airstrikes. But that's not enough for Israel. Because there are tunnels under Gaza. It is said that there are 500 km of tunnels. One of Israel's fears is these tunnels. It is difficult to control the tunnels even if they control the land.”

"There is a genocide in front of the civilized world"

Stating that they are happy to host the symposium with many participants from the Middle East and western countries, Istanbul Gelisim University Rector Prof. Dr. Bahri Sahin said, "The Palestinian people are experiencing a persecution that the world has not seen. This genocide is happening in front of the civilized world. Humanity is undergoing a great test. Human rights, the rules set by the UN, the law of war have been overlooked. Civilians get bombed and slaughtered every four minutes. The Greater Middle East Project is being practiced with these attacks. Our geography is being reshaped. At this point, we reveal our reaction and condemn those who remain silent. I wish the symposium to be successful and hope for a world order where peace and tranquility prevail."