Under the Ottoman Empire, diverse communities, including Jews, prospered in a multi-ethnic, multilingual system that granted significant religious and civil autonomy. Despite its flaws, the Empire’s pluralistic framework allowed open borders, enabling free movement and fostering peaceful coexistence. Each community governed itself, maintaining multiple loyalties—to their faith, their community, and the Sultan.

However, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire brought a new order imposed by colonial powers like Britain and France. This post-Ottoman system was riddled with illegitimacy. The rulers were handpicked by foreign powers, the political systems lacked democracy and freedom, and artificial borders disregarded social and cultural realities. These divisions sowed the seeds of ongoing conflict.

The resulting “post-Ottoman syndrome”—a legacy of illegitimacy and discord—has fueled perpetual strife, bloodshed, and war across the region. The devastating events unfolding today, including the crisis in Gaza, are echoes of this fractured order.

Professor Avi Schlaim