by David Meiselman
It’s vitally important to understand what’s really going on in the Middle East because what we see there today will be here tomorrow.
Here is what it’s NOT about. The Palestinians (actually Hamas, actually Iran) say it’s about land. Really? Israel, one of 17 countries that comprise the Middle East occupies 1/6th of 1% of the Middle East landmass. That’s 1/6th of 1%. And unlike so many other Middle East countries, its soil has neither oil nor valuable metals. Thus, the land itself has no intrinsic value as it does in Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Middle East countries. So obviously, this dispute has nothing to do with land. In fact, Israel has already given away land, including Gaza, and nothing came of it but war.
The other claim is supposedly one of “independence.” Not only does Israel not oppose Palestinian independence but it has on numerous documented occasions offered to support such independence. Yet, each time it’s on the table, Hamas has rejected it. Why? Because an independent Palestinian state could have elections that would vote Hamas out. Additionally, it would be harder for Hamas to steal the money given to Palestinians for humanitarian aid. The truth is that the enemy of the Palestinians is Hamas, not Israel. Any knowledgeable Palestinian not afraid to speak will tell you how badly Hamas treats the people of Gaza.
So if it’s not about land or independence, what is the fight really about? If you listen to Iranian mullahs and their followers in the Middle East, this is a religious war. We have been told repeatedly that the radical Islamic world has declared Jihad which by definition is a war against the “enemies” of Islam. In other words, Jews and Christians. Their goal is very simple. It’s to convert the rest of the world to Islam or kill those unwilling to convert. You either understand and resist this threat or you live in a dream world of unicorns and rainbows.
Predictably, they start with the easiest target, the Jews. Jews are the low hanging fruit for those filled with hate and violence. A state of 9 million people surrounded by 16 enemy countries, consisting of nearly 500 million people. With 1/6th of 1% of the land and less than 2% of the population of the Middle East, Israel is called an “oppressor” and an “occupier.” Go figure.
Much of the world including the United States didn’t see Hitler coming despite years of warning. Most of our newspapers barely covered his threats and pronounced objectives. It was not a secret. And neither is Jihad. The threat to the world is now radical Islam and yet we’re still giving them billions of our taxpayer money in the hope of appeasing them. In reality all we are doing is funding our own destruction and demise.
Every crisis is an opportunity. This moment is America’s opportunity to assert its moral, economic and, if necessary, military strength while it is still capable of making a difference. The enemy in the Middle East is Iran. Without Iran, there is no Hamas, no Hezbollah. Just peace.
We must not be afraid to identify evil, call it out for what it is and do our best to eradicate it before it eradicates us.