ISTANBUL — Meet Kadir. He is dynamic, Kurd, fluent in English and walks around with the Hebrew ‘‘Prayer of the Way’’ wherever he goes. Kadir and I had met before, but when I saw him displaying the prayer I was a little bit shocked. This was Turkey, after all, and while I had expected to be intrigued, I never anticipated anything quite like this.

The prayer had come from a journey this past August to Israel and the Palestinian territories. It was clear that Kadir had been moved by his experiences and was eager to talk. Once we started, it was difficult to stop.

‘‘You must understand,’’ he told me, ‘‘I am Kurdish and have hated the Turkish government all my life. But, when I went to Israel I appreciated it for the first time.’’ His change of heart came from the love both Israelis and Palestinians had for the Turkish people. No matter where he went, Kadir was greeted warmly. Wherever he was, he had full access to the inner hearts of both peoples — a perspective not granted to many with interest in the conflict.

Within ten days he spoke to many people and witnessed even more perspectives. The spectrum went from a Muslim cleric sympathetic to Hamas to a Jew who pointed to the Al Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and declared “We will collapse it.”

When it came to the prospects of peace, Kadir seemed optimistic at first. But after recalling his trip, he looked at me and said, “I was always hopeful for peace, but, after my visit I have lost all hope.” No hope. These words should hit hard. Let us learn from his interactions.

‘I went to Jerusalem,’’ said Kadir, “Visiting the Aqsa Mosque, Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall. In each place I prayed. I prayed for peace- at the wall I even prayed with Jewish people in the way a Jew would pray.’’ Then he relayed the story of the promise to collapse the Mosque.

He spoke of much needed social services being provided not by those responsible but by the religious members of Palestinian society. He then provided a simple arithmetic equation: religious plus anti-Israel = likely Hamas supporter. Extrapolate that a bit and you’ll have an easier time understanding why Hamas controls Gaza.

He saw Palestinian life inside the security fence and passed through checkpoints set up alongside it. He wandered the streets of Jerusalem, going through neighborhoods and shops devastated by terrorism during the intifada of recent past. He commuted with Israeli soldiers, often asking what someone so young was doing in the middle of a battle so nasty. He met those who had lost relatives to the conflict and found they could no longer look logically at what was taking place.

Kadir would also speak of the moderates he met. ‘‘If everyone involved would be like him’’ Kadir would say, ‘‘this conflict would be over.’’

But we’re losing the moderates. Just as Kadir lost hope, many are beginning to feel the same way. They have seen the finger-pointing and the inaction, the promises and the unfullfillment and, quite frankly, have little stomach left for it anymore.

Peace today hangs in the balance in a way unlike ever before. Hamas continues to strengthen itself in Gaza and will only work harder to win the West Bank as well. Settlements grow larger, both in size and in population. Every day they become harder to vacate.

If the two parties are really serious about peace, now is the time to make it. Serious and meaningful concessions must come from both sides. Implementation must begin immediately following assurances made to those affected that they will be taken care of by their respective governments. Finally, pressure must be applied to make sure that both sides of the bargain are kept.

Despite the protests of too many Jewish voters, the election of Barack Obama this upcoming Tuesday will help. The region will once again be presented with a leader commanding legitimacy on both sides. We understate the seriousness with which the new President Obama will approach this conflict. His administration will put itself to the grindstone to end it. If they fail, it will not be due to lack of effort.

The Israelis also have an important election coming up. They will be presented with two options. One will bring progress. The other can be counted on for the exact opposite. In the polls, progress is ahead, but it is close — too close. This decision is too important to get wrong.

When bidding goodbye to Kadir, a man he had met on his visit quoted Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet for a final thought. “If I do not burn,” Hikmet wrote, “How can I change darkness into light?”

Sacrifice is necessary on both sides, it will not be easy, but perhaps by making painful compromises these two battered peoples will finally see the ray of sunlight at the end of an incredibly long night.

Alex Kantrowitz is a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is writing from Istanbul, Turkey this semester. Check out his Smoked Turkey blog for further coverage. Smoked Turkey appears alternate Fridays this semester. Alex may be contacted at akantrowitz@cornellsun.com