Israel, the Palestinians, and the Quartet = Futility

Tony Blair in his role as the Middle East Quartet spokesperson, backed up by a presumptuous delegation to act as his echo chamber, is in Jerusalem meeting with the Israelis and Palestinian Authority representatives in separate meetings in order to finesse their resumption of direct negotiations. This is one of the best of examples of a fool on a fool’s errand. Now, to set things straight, I believe that Tony Blair is most likely a relatively intelligent and dedicated man who is very capable in the political arena. The problem he faces is beyond the ability of those skills. This is the simple oversight that virtually everybody in the rest of the world refuse to admit when dealing with anything concerning Israel and the Muslim World; this is not a political problem and cannot be solved through political methods; it is a cultural and religious problem based in a historic struggle that is literally of Biblical proportions and implications. What the rest of the world needs to come to terms with is that the problems in the Middle East, starting but not ending with those concerning Israel, are not political problems. This is also why the media and Western Governments were so wrong about the outcome of the Arab Winter, aka Arab Spring. The overthrow of the dictators may have initially arose from economic hardships, hunger, and other economic and politically based situations, like everything else in the Middle East it had been transformed into a religiously inspired revolution to establish Islamic purity as only Allah and his words from the Koran as interpreted by the religious hierarchy will bring solutions to all of life’s problems. I can hear some of you who are probably saying, yea, so what should we do, Mr. Smarty Pants?

The answer as to what the whole of the world should do about the problems in the Middle East is, as expected, both simple and complex. The simple part is to realize that the rest of the outside world is, by definition, part of the problem, and unless the whole world desires to convert to Islam, live under Sharia, and bow down and pray to Mecca five times a day, there is nothing they have to offer or can do to help solve any of the problems. They do not want any outside help and will only allow us to aid them in attaining power, then will politely demand that we leave, permit us to send them any money or aid as long as we do not expect anything in return other than a deceiving smile while they take our gifts, and then they will go on their own way and implement whatever their hearts’ desire, which will usually be Sharia based, and ignore any and everything we say, ask, or do. This has been the way in the Middle East for times immemorial and the situation is not going to change now simply because some outsiders wish that there be changes. As far as many in the Muslim World and the Middle East have histories that precede the times of Western Civilizational roots, they regard them as insignificant and civilizationally immature and primitive. If you understand Islam and the Islamic view of the history of humankind, then you would understand that nothing predates Islam as Islam has been the sole religion and followers of Allah since the beginning of time. Islam honestly claims that Moses was a Muslim; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were Muslims; Noah was a Muslim (and even Jews will admit that Noah predates Judaism and was neither an Israelite or a Jew); Adam and Eve were Muslim; everybody who was a true believer had to be a Muslim; and Mohammed simply wrote the final form for the Bible which replaced the bastardized version used by Jews and Christians. So, what does this imply about the Israel and Palestinian negotiation and situation in general?

That is also simple to say but near impossible to expect those in power to be able to accept. There is nothing anybody from outside the Middle East will be able to contribute or force any solution to the problem and should just go home. Where, should we leave the Middle East to their own solution solving and only show an interest in trade, then both we and they would benefit and be happier with each other. Unfortunately, most of our leaders are unable to grasp the idea that there exist such things over which they cannot have their persuasion and are beyond their power to affect desired changes peaceably. Just walk away from the situation is not in the vocabulary of those who hold and crave power. Recognizing limitations is virtually impossible and recognizing an unsolvable situation is completely unacceptable, thus we have the never ending ineffectual, hammer on a nail attempts to force some form of recognizable progress in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. So, once again the powers that be, this time the Quartet, have sent another envoy replete with supporting experts in order to move mountains and rearrange the realities of intransigence who will but end up simply butting their heads into an immovable stone wall. So, make some popcorn and grab a soda and prepare to read of the noble futility of Tony Blair in Jerusalem; it promises to be as unamusing as it will be unproductive.

Beyond the Cusp