Israel

The free state of Israel has long held a pivotal point in the prophecies outlined in the book of Revelations in the Bible. Should the United States treatment of a country, or the countries surrounding a particular country, be based on their religious affiliation? Should the  narcissistic world-view of those who would be vindicated in their beliefs by creating Armageddon be given preference over peace loving people? Let’s hope not.

This week has been another round of bomb lobbing in the Middle East with civilians bearing the brunt of the mayhem. We all know the leaders are secure in their bunkers plotting future mischief while the ordinary citizens are just trying to make it through the day. Go to work, buy groceries, worry about catching Covid without the threat of watching their children being blown up. Do Israeli and Arab parents want anything less than a peaceful day for their children? Why this behavior is acceptable because of the religious overtones defies logic.

Imagine if Mississippi, the least Catholic state launched an attack on Massachusetts, one of the more Catholic states, “just because”. There would have to be some provocation of course, perhaps the Governor of Massachusetts made a public statement that Mississippi hangs at the bottom of literacy in the United States. The Governor of Massachusetts might pontificate that Baptists want their kids to grow up ignorant, while the enlightened Catholics of Massachusetts educate their children. The next thing you know minivans with “My Kid Is An Honor Roll Student At Milton Elementary” are catching incoming rounds launched from Biloxi.  Sounds crazy?

Crazy is the Dahiya doctrine, which Israel has employed since 2006 to justify retaliating against transgressions with hundred fold force. The Goldstone Report concluding that the Israeli strategy was “designed to punish, humiliate and terrorize a civilian population”. Princeton professor Richard Falk wrote that under the doctrine, “The civilian infrastructure of adversaries such as Hamas or Hezbollah are treated as permissible military targets, which is not only an overt violation of the most elementary norms of the law of war and of universal morality, but an avowal of a doctrine of violence that needs to be called by its proper name: state terrorism.”

Meanwhile, we here in the United States allow our representatives to keep propping up Israel because of some arcane idea that we’re only going to get to meet Jesus if we help make the book of Revelations come true. Are there any other possible solutions that don’t involve world destruction?

How about the merging of Israel and its neighbors into a Middle East Union, like the members of the European Union? Like the Middle East, the nations of Europe have been at war almost since they could fling rocks at each other.  In the interest of peace and a shared prosperity, couldn’t the religious factions of the Middle East put down their swords? Would the concept of a Middle East Union be fostered as an idea to promote peace in the area, or would it be viewed by the religious wackadoodles as a threat to the prophesies?

If our representatives are truly representing we the people, and not following the dictates of a special interest group, they will choose science over belief, reality over prophesy. We have the power to make sure they make the right choice. The elections are coming up again in 2022. Let’s put peace in the Middle East with dignity for all religious groups on the ballot.