Why There is No Peace in the Middle East

The latest round of war between Israel and Hamas rages on with the whole

world expressing great concern over casualties, particularly on the Gazan

side and demanding an immediate cease fire. Mobs are rioting throughout

Europe and in many American cities, and many Representatives and

Senators, all of the Democratic party, demand President Biden’s

immediate intercession. It is hard to remember if there was ever such

demands placed on a sovereign nation at war with a terrorist group

pledged to its annihilation. But strange things happen when Israel, the

Jewish nation, is involved. Morals, ethics, equity, proportionality, the “laws

of war” suddenly are front and center. No one, not even France, which led

the efforts in the United Nations against the United States after the

infamous Al Qaeda attacks of 9/11, which killed thousands of innocents,

ever demanded that a recognized nation negotiate with a terror group. No

one, not even the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is carrying on about

the People’s Republic of China and its genocidal policy against Muslim

Uighurs. No one cares about the Russian seizure of the Crimean

peninsula, and no one is losing sleep over the war in the Eastern Ukraine

directed by the puppet masters in the Kremlin. Only Sheik Jarrah worries

the Europeans and Muslims. The Indian seizure of Kashmir is not a big

deal. Yes, it heats up every now and then but don’t worry. The “shitty little

country that causes Europe to suffer" (as the French Ambassador to the

Court of St. James said on an open microphone) isn’t involved, so its hard

for the world to coalesce about a single unifying issue.

Let’s understand a number of things about the Middle East conflict. Some

of the points I will make are not politically correct, but nevertheless, they

are true and must be faced if one wishes to deal with reality. The

continuing war between Israel and its Arab neighbors, despite peace

treaties with a number of Arab states, is a religious war. Religion is not very

important in many parts of the world but in the middle East it is. it is a war

between Muslims and Jews. That is the heart of the conflict. It is what

unites Shia and Sunni and gives them a break from fighting over

Muhammed’s successor. Looking at the world, it seems that wherever

Islam interfaces with another religion there’s a problem. Cyprus, a member

of the European Union has been split between Christian (Greek) and

Muslim (Turkish) sections for almost fifty years. No one seems to mind that

Turkish troops are stationed, uninvited, on a sovereign United Nations and

EU member’s territory. Christian-Muslim inter-communal violence is

common in Egypt. Ethiopia and Somalia have religious differences. India

and Pakistan, Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia, the Southern Philippines all are

or have been trouble spots. Muslim discrimination against Chinese and

Hindus led to Singapore’s leaving the Federation of Malaysia, and to this

day, Malaysia discriminates against its minorities in favor of Bumiputras. So

maybe, just maybe, Islam is the problem , not Judaism, not Israel.

Another reason peace hasn’t occurred after so many years in the Middle

East is the open collusion on the part of the European Union and the

United Nations with the Muslim world. During World War II, the United

States, United Kingdom and USSR demanded unconditional surrender by

Nazi Germany. There would be no negotiations with the Third Reich.

Woodrow Wilson’s noble idea of peace without victors was dead.

Wilsonianism which has been the hallmark of American foreign policy for a

century was put in cold storage. The same goes for the believers of the so

called “Democratic Peace Theory”. This is applicable when one wishes to

apply it and non existent when it is inconvenient. The EU, the UN, another

artificial entity called the Quartet (EU, UN, U.S. and Russia) will, in the

name of peace, not allow peace to happen. They will not allow Israel to

win the war against terror as it is inconvenient with their relationship with

the Muslim world. True, the U.S. is energy independent, but the EU isn’t.

Europeans have a multi century disdain for Jews and certainly find the

price of oil more important than peace in another part of the world. To

paraphrase William Jennings Bryan, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a

cross of gold- nor drown him in a barrel of oil”.

Riots in Europe and in America with associated anti-Jewish acts of

violence make it very clear that there is little difference between so called

anti Zionism and anti-Judaism. The fact that extreme leftist Jews may be

anti-Israel does not provide cover for the anti-Judaism mob.

All wars must end and do end. Some last a hundred years, some even

longer, most shorter, but they end. The struggles must have a

denouement. The world has never allowed this to happen in the Middle

East as it has placed its economic interests over peace. When the world

and its well meaning useful idiots butt out, perhaps the issues in the

Middle East can be settled, peacefully or on the battlefield, but with the

result of a true peace.

Garry S. Sklar

Las Vegas, Nevada

May 19, 2021