April 12, 2011

Eternal War

VT includes many posts regarding Israeli/Arab/Palestinian conflict. The venom expressed in some of the posts struck me as worth time and effort devoted to research on what motivates people – to take a position on Middle Eastern warfare. Of course this topic could and does fill libraries. I’ve included some of the more interesting facts concerning the beginnings of the eternal war in the Middle East. *

“If those who will wish to study the clear record of what happened in the past and what will, in due course, tend to be repeated with some degree of similarity (as is the way of human events) judge this work to be of help to them, it will content me. Thucydides, Peloponnesian wars, 1:22. (Note 1)

Christian Bible:

A. “Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah … gave Abraham a baby… when Sarah noticed Ishmael-the son of Abraham and the Egyptian girl Hagar … she (Sarah) demanded, “Get rid of that slave girl and her son. He is not going to share your property with my son… God told Abraham “Don’t be upset over the boy … do as Sarah says, for Isaac is the son through whom my promise will be fulfilled. And I will make a nation of the descendants of the slave-girl’s son…” (Note 2)

One source gives the conflict between Judaism and Islam back to the Old Testament. The enmity between these people is very old. This issue of Palestine and Israel is not a mid-20th century issue. (Note 3) The Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Cairo, Tehran, Damascus haven’t moved. These geographical features and cities are in the same locations today they were eons ago. From an archaeological view – an argument can be made the many of the people living in the Middle East today date their lineage back to Sarah, Hagar and Abraham. The point folks are the peoples of the Middle East have been butchering each other for a few milleniums!

As Quoted from the Qur’an:

B. “And when We made the House (at Makka) a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray). And We imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael, (saying): Purify My house for those who go around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship). (Note 3)

Abraham and Ishmael again. See the continuing thread between the religious texts?

Torah

C. 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport. 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham: ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this 21:13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.’ 25:9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre…(Note 4)

Abraham, Isaac – son of Abraham and Sara – and Ishmael son of Abraham and Hagar. See the continuing religious connection from Abraham to Ishmael to Isaac?

Since Abraham, Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael and Isaac were together lots of wars have happened in the Middle East. Religious texts provide invasions and wars with Assyrians, Babylonians, Alexander the Great (Greeks), Romans, Byzantine, Persia, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamluk Rule, Ottoman and British. (Note 5)

Four or five major wars since 1948 and who can count the numbers of armed clashes in the Middle East?

The Dome of the Rock is holy to Islam. A look inside it reveals a rock floor with chucks of rock dug out of it. (Not the entire floor, of course.) Crusaders – long ago did the damage. They wanted souvenirs to take back to Europe with them. (Note 6)

Rockets, mortars, air-strikes go on between Gaza and Israel all the time. On the border with Lebanon and armed, frequently violated truce exists. War upon war upon war. All between people that trace their lineage back to a common ancestor! Not going to change folks. My view is there is no agreement between the State of Israel and Gaza and other Islamic interests that will satisfy the parties involved. Too bad! Once source says Isaac and Ishmael buried their father together in peace. (Note 7)

Very unfortunate their common descendants can not live up to the example set by their common ancestors.

Look forward to a state of continual warfare folks in the Middle East. Anyone got a solution to this tragedy of the ages?

Dale R. Suiter
Atlanta Michigan

Notes:

1. From: Israel and Palestine: A brief History – Part 1 (None copyrighted material)
2. The Living Bible. © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. (pp.22-23) Genesis 21 (6-13) and a lecture series attended by the author. The topic included historical sources of conflict in the Middle East. Specific lecture date – source withheld. (It is not copyrighted.)
3. From: Biblical Stories in the Qur’an; Abraham. (Not copyrighted material)
4. From: English Translation of the Holy Torah. (Note copyrighted material)
5. From: Historical Timeline of Israel. (Not copyrighted material)
6. Ibid.
7. Loc. cit

* In the words of Lt. Carl Riechow, (Michigan Department of Corrections – ret) many people on the issue of Middle East conflict follow the “Don’t confuse me with the facts my mind is made up” school of intellectual pursuit. Take care Carl. You’re one of the good guys.

Dale R. Suiter

Dale R. Suiter served in the United States Marine Corps June 1966 – February – 1970. He served with Ammo Company First FSR, 2nd CAG Q-6 and Q-3, H&S 81’s 3/9 and 1/3. His service “On the Rock” was with Ordanance Schools, Camp Hansen. Following the Marine Corp, he completed a career in public service – prison and jail operations. In addition, he completed a career as a reserve officer with the Michigan Army National Guard. His two sons and two sons-in-law are veterans of the war on terror. The family continues in service to the United States of America.