We might as well weigh in here. This is a problem that hasn't gone away since it began, right after the end of the First World War. It will not be resolved by human intellect and reason, as long as there is the kind of failure to understand, and consider, history that seems to be at the root of many of the current problems.
Understand, as you read, the author's perspective. My way of looking at the world, "worldview," some like to call it, is heavily influenced by Quakerism, which rests on the values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. Valuing practice over doctrine, human life is a sacred gift and within humans is a spark or inner light which unites us all together and makes us equal. We believe that it is possible for human beings to coexist, and live in freedom, without fear of persecution, out of respect for each other as equals, when our values are aligned. And while that is extremely idealistic, it takes into account human flaws and develops a system of accountability.
The Current Middle East is a Product of Flawed Imperialism
Could a political state have been created in Palestine that would have allowed for the settlement of Jewish immigrants from all over the rest of the world, giving Jews a refuge and a homeland without displacing the existing Arabic population, creating a country that would be a constitutional democracy guaranteeing individual freedom and protecting human rights? We haven't really been completely successful at doing that in our own experiment with Democracy. In a part of the world where deep-seated religious beliefs fight against the whole concept of human equality and basic human rights, it might have been an impossible dream.
One thing is for sure, the redrawing of boundaries and recreation of provinces based on ethnic and language divisions, different nuances of Islamic tradition and most notably, for the benefit of the imperial economic development of the Europeans who came into power in the region after the First World War and collapse of the Ottoman Empire, did not contribute to either democracy or peace. So an independent state in which Jews and Arabs could live, side by side, in peace, had no chance at all of succeeding. It was never even part of the consideration, though the Balfour Declaration, from Britain's foreign secretary, hints at some of the idealism.
The expectation that the required military presence of the imperial power, and those who were sent there from the imperial government, would be responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law. And whatever they determined was the right thing to do would be done. It's not that no consideration was given to the self-determination of the people who lived in the land, whose land it was, but in an imperial system, the priorities always go to protecting the interests of the conquerors first.
So, from 1917 to the late 1930's, the British were almost as restrictive to Jewish immigration into Palestine as the Arabs were. Zionism grew in strength and support, increasing the pressure to open up Palestine as a Jewish homeland, based on ancient historical and religious tradition. It was the Holocaust, both before World War II and then especially in its aftermath, which greatly increased the pressure and caused significant increases in Jewish emigration to Palestine.
History Cannot be Reversed
The decision regarding allowing Jewish people scattered all over the world, but more specifically, from Jewish communities in the Middle Eastern provinces created after 1917, and from Europe, primarily Eastern Europe, involved multiple groups of people, including some of the Arab leaders in and around Palestine. But ultimately, the power to open the door rested with the British government which controlled the territory after 1917. No doubt, they were influenced by Zionists, but also by Christians, specifically those within a philosophy of Anglo-Israelism, the idea that English speaking peoples were, like the ancient Jews, chosen by God to achieve a specific purpose, using Christian evangelization as a reason to establish political power.
Maybe the British empire could have kept the lid on unrest, violence and war, as the population of Jews increased, but ultimately the circumstances of the Second World War and their less dominant position in the region as a result of the war, changed their military and political position. The uncovering of the horrors of the Holocaust, and the fact that hard core antisemitic populations still dominated Eastern Europe changed perceptions about the need for an independent Jewish homeland and ancient religious tradition made Palestine the only viable choice. When a two state solution was proposed in 1948, and the Arabs rejected it, war was the result, in which Israel declared its independence and then took land where they were predominant in settling. That's when the displacement of the remaining Arabic population began.
The history of the Jewish people following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. is unique. Jewish populations, including the Sephardim and Ashkenazim, representing different ethnicities and origins, are connected primarily by religion. The most prominent groups of Jews prior to the Second World War, were in Eastern Europe, mostly in Poland and Ukraine, remnants of the Hassidic dynasties and of a history in the middle ages that was one of persecution and isolation. The cultures that developed here, among Ashkenazi Jews, are quite different than those of the Sephardim in Southern Europe and the Middle East. And yet, they are now the dominant Jewish culture in Israel. And it is that unique history that has allowed them to maintain their identity in spite of having lost their homelands to Roman upheaval following the 70 A.D. war.
That may be the only example, in world history, of a people whose culture, held together by some racial and ethnic elements, but mainly by religious tradition, retained much of its identity in spite of not having a national, political state in existence for over 2,000 years. Zionism, which is the political push for creating and sustaining a modern Jewish state, was potent enough to use the circumstances of the two world wars to achieve their goal of establishing an independent Jewish state in Palestine.
A Violent Clash of Religious Traditions
My personal theology and Christian doctrine, developed out of a lifetime of studying the text of scripture and interpreting it in its historical context, reveals the existence of God whose character contrasts completely with the very dim and limited perception of humanity. Most Christians make the error of misjudging the character of God by failing to consider the words of Jesus, who claimed to be his divine Son, as their interpretive standard. But it was Jesus who, through a series of pronouncements in his Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the words, "You have heard that it was said..." but ending with the conclusion, "...but I say unto you..." which gave insight to previously difficult phrases to understand.
Throughout history, the application of human intellect to attempts to resolve humanity's problems most frequently led to violence and war. Among other perceptions, Jesus completely changed that one when it came to resolving the issues and problems which existed among human beings.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Matthew 5:9, NRSV
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissentions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against such things. Galatians 5:19-23, emphasis mine.
So, within the Christian tradition, as expressed by these two church apostles, Matthew and Paul, there is a belief that humanity can aspire to peace. Since religion is at the very core of the hatred that keeps perpetuating the violence, it is religion which must resolve the issues and bring the peace. Suggesting that abandoning religion is the answer is unrealistic and impossible. Humanity has not yet, with its vast wealth of knowledge, wisdom, experience and education, resolved the problems that lead to violence, inhumanity, death and genocide.
From a distance, our tendency is to look at conflict from our own perspective. Events of history in the 20th century, and a relatively provincial perspective of Christianity has made most Americans sympathetic to Israel and hostile to any Arabic people, with a nasty tendency to lump all Middle Eastern Islam together, when it is anything but a homogenous population. That's part of the problem, and part of the solution. Understanding what is really happening, and why, is the first step toward peace. We have not taken that step yet.
So we have a conflict, triggered by religious, racial and ethnic bigotry, resulting from an imperial system that has displaced a large portion of the Arabic population of Palestine on the grounds that they were racially inferior and religiously unworthy. That cannot be undone. Of course, those who have been displaced, and oppressed, are going to fight back, and that's why many of them have turned to Hamas or Hezbollah. Their position in the political negotiations that have taken place over the years has never put those who directly live in Palestine in any reasonable position. It's always others making decisions and calling shots.
How to put the power to resolve this in the hands of those who are there, and who think they've figured out a way to peaceful co-existence is the issue. As long as those who want to commit violence are able to do so, peace has no chance. And maybe, it never will have, given the history and the difficulties encountered. But then, no one ever though Egypt and Israel could live in peace, either. It can't all go one way. As several influential politicians and commentators have said, specifically Bernie Sanders, "Israel's security is tied to Palestinian justice.
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