Just Another Mass Murder of Innocents in Syria

The forces loyal to Assad utilized an airstrike to slaughter people who were simply lining up at a bakery to purchase bread and pastries. The toll has already reached close to one-hundred with expectations that the final count of dead might exceed two-hundred. The result was bodies stacked and slung all over the entire block of the street in front of the bakery with dead and wounded lying together as others searched to find the living and separate them from the dead. The scene is captured in this <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIfdO7yzKeM&feature=player_embedded target=blank>explicitly graphic video</a> showing a scene of trauma expectant in the aftermath of such a horrific and senseless slaughter of innocent noncombatants. This attack comes on top of the revelation that Assad’s forces have begun to use scud missiles against rebel forces and civilians with no discrimination between the innocent civilians and those who have taken up arms against his rule. This has to lead one to believe that Assad is but a decision away from the use of his chemical weapons on these scud missiles and the horrors and havoc such will render on the remaining Syrian population in addition to the rebel forces. Meanwhile, the world leaders decry these attacks and invest great numbers of words and promises that they are monitoring the situation in Syria and will take serious and decided action should Assad introduce chemical weapons to the conflict. Judging by the lack of serious response to the over 40,000 civilian deaths estimated to have resulted from the civil war thus far, one has to wonder if such threats are empty bluster more than resolutions to take the actions threatened.

On the other side of the coin, news continues to enforce the existence of two distinct and separate groups which comprise the rebel forces. One group is a cobbled union of secularists, disparate minority groups, and Muslims who wish to establish some form of democratic governance with universal rights while the other group consists of Islamists belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, Salafists, and other Sunnis who favor establishing a Sharia State. Many fear that once Assad is taken down from power the fighting will simply turn with these separate rebel groups beginning yet a second civil war for the future of Syria. The parallels between the situation in Syria and the history of the French Revolution is frightening and if the conflict in Syria should come to a similar end, the future for Syria is bleak and dark at best. This bifurcation of the rebel forces has also made supporting the rebels a more difficult proposition fraught with possible mistakes and weapons and aid falling into the hands of terrorists instead of the intended secular forces. Much has been speculated as to how much of the weapons and aid has already fallen into presumably unintended hands and this has clouded the plans to send further such assistance. This is definitely not an instance where one can simply make decisions using the old system of the enemy of my enemy is my friend as some of those who are enemies of Assad are also enemies of the West and a threat to the Western way of life. Decisions, decisions, all I can say is I am glad these are not decisions that will rest on my shoulders.

Then there is the last threat, the stores of chemical weapons. There are serious concerns as to into whose hands these deadly weapons of mass destruction will end up falling. There are many who claim that there are some who we can trust to receive these stores and some we must avoid allowing to come into possession of Assad’s vast stores of chemical weapons. My vote is that there is nobody who we should allow to come into possession of these weapons and possess such a threat. Assuming that the forces of the world continue with their hand-wringing and making bold statements while taking no actions, then these diabolical weapons are going to fall into somebody’s hands and the only safe solution would be to make sure that at the end of the fighting these weapons are destroyed and not left for anybody to possess, or even worse, to use. That is the one action which needs to be planned for and executed preferably with great stealth and assurances that all of these chemical weapons are destroyed. These weapons should not be allowed to continue to exist even if it is in the hands of a Western country, the Russians, the Israelis, or anybody else. The destruction of these chemical weapons stores has to be the one result of this conflict that must be made a primary goal. Any other path would be pure folly and could only end, sooner or later, in catastrophe.

Beyond the Cusp

Will Egypt be the Next Syria?

There is a rumbling starting in Egypt and it is centered on Egyptian President Morsi and his declaration making himself the all-powerful leader standing above the courts, the parliament, the constitutional committee as well as the sole judge, jury and executioner over any who may choose to oppose his vestment of supreme power in himself. This has sparked demonstrations on three separate fronts across Egypt. The pro-democracy forces are rising up with a unified voice claiming the high moral ground and the right to claim they had predicted such would be the end result should the Muslim Brotherhood be allowed to rise to power in Egypt. Then there are the Muslim Brotherhood and those who fully support Morsi and see a theocracy based on the principles of the Koran as interpreted through the Muslim Brotherhood as a government sent and approved by Allah to lead Egypt into its glorious future. And finally there are the Salafists who still believe that they should have won, some even claim they were robbed of victory through voting fraud and other election irregularities, and that their piety makes them not only uniquely suited to lead Egypt, but destined to rule Egypt and the World. These are but the most obvious of groups as there are likely numerous smaller factions as well as the non-Muslim groups which include the Coptic Christians among other groups. The demonstrations that have broken out in Egypt from time to time since the end of the elections are about to rise to a new and more active level as the Muslim Brotherhood attempts to cement their control for all time going forward and every other interest and political group reacts adversely and opposes every step taken by Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Where we may see many strange and awkward mergers between groups that previously were seen as opposed to each other, there will likely be one central division between the groups putting them into two distinct groups, the secular and non-Muslim who will push for a separation between the government and any religion, especially Islam; and the Salafists and other extremist Muslims who honestly believe that Sharia Law should be the law of the land in Egypt with absolutely no separation between the religious leadership and the government. This sector of the Egyptian public are seeking an Iranian style theocracy with the rights of Dhimmitude applied to all non-Muslims and heresy laws invoked against any born Muslims who have left the faith and everything else one has heard about inside Iran or discussed theoretically about an Islamic Sharia State. Should these groups continue in the upcoming weeks to strengthen and increase in numbers that participate in the demonstrations, we can expect some rough times ahead as the Muslim Brotherhood controlled government attempts to enforce their will and blunt the demonstrators’ influences. One might advise the Muslim Brotherhood and their Peace and Justice Party and President Morsi and his government to attempt to keep a lid on the demonstrations and to go to any lengths to avoid allowing any demonstration to become violent. Should demonstration turn violent, then it is possible that the military will overstep as Morsi and his advisors have replaced much of the hierarchy in the military with their own people despite their not having the experience and knowledge base to make sensitive and possibly delicate military decisions. These deficiencies could backfire and lead to a new open revolution and turn Egypt into another multi-facetted civil war resembling the gnarled mess in Syria or the diffused tribal rivalries which are tearing at Libya. The truth is that the revolutionary period in Egypt may not be complete and may have simply experienced a lull and has now been retriggered by President Morsi’s overreaching power grab.

What this would mean for the rest of the world will depend on which group emerges as the final victor. If we had to predict a winner, we would place our bets on the Muslim Brotherhood holding on to power and defeating any challenges that may spring up at this time. The Muslim Brotherhood will easily defeat the secular democracy youth whose vision’s time has not yet arrived. On the other end, the Salafists might be able to be co-opted to supporting the Muslim Brotherhood rule for a period of time but will eventually hit a bump in the road where the Muslim Brotherhood will be perceived as being insufficiently Muslim and they will once again be at odds. The one promise is that eventually human rights and the democratic norms of the West will win out in the end. The Muslim World has already experienced being part of empire under the Ottoman Empire which eventually dissolved as the empire became outdated and became too weak to resist the forces of modernity. Much of the Muslim World went through a period of colonialism where they were colonized by the Europeans. This too was less than satisfactory and also collapsed. Many then experienced secular national socialist dictatorships. These governances were either aligned initially with Nazi Germany or with the Soviet Union. These were torn asunder by corruption and left much to be desired by the vast majority of the people. The Muslim World has almost run the entire gauntlet of governmental options other than a democratic republic and has just a few more options to go. We expect that the Muslim World will try any and every option before finally surrendering to a government based on individual rights, mutual respect, freedoms and liberty. The next step though, is to attempt religiously based governance, a theocracy as is ruling in Iran and rapidly taking the fore in Turkey and Egypt. We will likely also witness such governance be the next stable governance in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Yemen, to name the countries currently in flux. What we need to watch for is the next series of governments which will likely be targeted to be replaced with strict theocratic governance. The next likely country, which is already showing signs of distress, is Jordan. Once the Jordanian Monarchy has been toppled, then the rest of the dominoes will start to teeter and trip, one into the next leading to the final and most prized domino, Saudi Arabia. The intermediary dominoes are Bahrain, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Oman, Qatar, and last but not least, Kuwait. The real question is whether or not the world can hold together throughout the entire length of these transformations. Despite how much control the major powers will try to impose on this process, they will actually be rather helpless observers holding on for the ride. The main aim of the rest of the world will hopefully be to assist in making these transformations go as quickly as possible while also containing them within the Muslim World. Should they break out into the world in general, as they appear to be attempting to accomplish currently, then the process will slow and the end result could be in question if the process comes to a premature halt. The halting of the progression towards governance of freedom, equality and liberty will result in dire consequences and likely end in an unparalleled world-wide conflagration. If only holding one’s breath would help, you might see many who are observing the current ebbs and flows in our current place in time turning very bluish purple as they try to make a difference.

Beyond the Cusp

Will Room for Torah Remain in Israel?

The idea that Zionism is no longer a part of the ideals within Israel has been discussed with the split defined as the Zionists and the Post Zionists. The Post Zionists claim that once Israel was founded Zionism had realized its goal and was no longer necessary. The Zionists answer that until all of the Biblical lands of the Hebrews are reclaimed and peace and security rule over the land, Zionism has not accomplished its goals. Then there are those, myself included, who simply define Zionism as those who love Zion and Yerushalayim, Israel, all of her even to include the areas held by the original twelve tribes where two and a half had lands east of the Jordan River, and Jerusalem, again all of her unshared with an imposter people. This disagreement is one that can be bartered politically and settled by elections and the will of the people.

There is another divergence of the Jews in Israel that is far more sinister and damaging. That divide is between those who believe that Israel is the land of the Jewish people and that Judaism is an integral part of Eretz Yisroel and those who are secularists and believe Israel should be a modern multiethnic country and that Judaism has no place in the governing of the country. This divide cannot be debated as a political issue as it is an issue over the definition of the nation and her people, not a disagreement over whether a goal has been attained or is still incomplete. This is an issue which will tear Israel asunder. This is the issue at the heart of the overturning of the Tal Law and the bitter and viscous debate being waged against Torah study and demanding that all Hareidim must serve in the IDF or do public service without exception and if Torah study must be compromised and rationed, then so be it. The battle lines for this have been drawn between the secularists and the religious communities with the rest of Israel now being drawn into choosing a side. This is a defining moment for all Israel and for Judaism as well. How it is resolved will have effect far into the future with ramifications which are unable to be discerned by even the wisest among us. This issue may very well be the decision that determines whether Judaism will have a future place in the world or become a memory that a small nucleus of people will struggle to keep lit the flame of Torah.

Before anybody decides that this is just another Haredi calling for special treatment for all Hareidim replete with exemptions from service beyond Torah study, let me dispel that illusion. I am spiritually religious but my life is secular in nature and I have great difficulties with most of organized religious institutions I have dealt with. Most of the problem has been my lack of a solid Jewish upbringing along with a political outlook which has me at odds with the vast numbers of Jews in Synagogues here in the American Diaspora. I hope the fact that I have yet to return home will not eliminate my right to an opinion on this issue in Eretz Yisroel as well as outside in the Diaspora. I have had some serious and disturbing thoughts which I am at a loss to know from whence they came, but they are what are driving this article. It is almost as if I have no choice and simply must.

The debate over Hareidim serving either in the IDF or in Public service is a valid discussion as the vast majority of the great Torah Sages agrees that life must be more than solely Torah study. They all say that study of Torah is a requirement for all Jews but that complete and total dedication to exclusively study Torah should be held for a select few who show the brilliance that both makes them worthy of such a blessing and that they will be of greater service through their Torah study to all the house of Israel. For the remaining students who wish to dedicate themselves to Torah, they may do so but not at the expense of Israel and her people. I seem to remember that even Maimonides declared that a man should also be able to support his family while also studying Torah. Torah study was not to be the sole life work but instead one should spend one third of the day in Torah Study, one third in pursuit of a living and one third with rest and family. One thing such a life would provide little time to stray from a righteous life. Even if this division of time is likely impossible for any normal human, still it gives the impression that even a Torah Sage should have an occupation beyond study of Torah. So, with all this in mind, where is the path of moderation with which both camps can agree and move forward, that is if either camp desires a compromise and not simply insisting that their way must be enacted to the letter which I suspect is true of the most strident proponents in this debate.

One item that seems to have escaped notice in the sound and fury of the ongoing debate, the fact that many Hareidim are already volunteering to join the IDF and mostly choosing combat arms units as well as the arrangement between the IDF and a number of Yeshivoth, known as the Hesder Yeshiva. This debate also appears to be taking place without anybody having ascertained whether or not the IDF either needs or desires the enlistment of additional Hareidim as they require certain arrangements from the IDF which might limit the numbers that could be easily accommodated. These are all factors which are completely aside from the possible damages to the fabric of Jewish learning should those who advocate the forced enlistment of every service age Hareidim with absolutely no exceptions or accommodations for even a minimal number of Torah students permitted. One would hope that some middle ground can be found and that neither side’s absolutists rule the day.

Where I agree that a complete blanket of deferments should not be automatically granted to every single individual who expresses a desire for a Torah study deferment as every segment of Israeli society must contribute to the safeguarding of Israel. On the other hand, not every Hareidim is necessary in the name of equality, justice or defense of the land. Furthermore, there is merit in the claim that Israel is protected by the study of Torah and such people are necessary in order to provide those who will fill the ranks of Torah sages in the future as well as giving us adjudicators who sit on Rabbinical Courts. What needs to be determined is where Israeli society draws the line between those whose study of Torah is so enlightened and desirable for the benefit of Israel and of Judaism. The Jewishness of Israel cannot be denied no matter how much the secular socialite elites strive to deny the importance of Torah study in the modern society they envision as Israel’s future. Such a view is no more valid or realistic than the Haredi view that every student of Torah must be supported and given complete deference by the remainder of Israeli society. Where to delineate a balance where the Torah and the study of Torah remains as an important and revered part of the institutions in Israel while assuring that all the many and varied segments of Israeli society contribute to the common defense and those support institutions which make up the public service, I am glad that I will not need to decide where this division is to be placed.

There is another problem hidden within this issue that poses a greater threat to both Israel and the continuation of Judaic customs, philosophies, and Judaism itself. The Diaspora is slowly losing its numbers and has but a few generations where the only remainder of the Diaspora will likely be the anti-Zionist Orthodox. The synagogues only fill the seats on the high holidays and for occasional Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Religious education is almost impossible to locate outside the major cities and even more so outside the United States. Israel will soon become the last refuge of Torah study and as such, Torah study must be preserved. Israel cannot fall to those who are Jews only in name and not practice. That is what is at the heart of this challenge. Those who are fighting to defend the need for Torah study must prevail in establishing the importance of Torah and the study of Torah to the future of Israel. Those who claim that Torah study is secondary to technology, missiles, guns, and a strong IDF forget that without G0d the IDF will prove insufficient. There is a recognizable reason the Six Day War results are called a miracle, because it very much appeared that the hand of G0d went before the IDF units. And if you only credit the expertise and superiority of training and personnel for that victory, that argument becomes more difficult to believe when you look at 1948 and 1949 with the wars for independence. If ever the hand of our L0rd was evident, it was then. If the long history of the Jewish people has proven anything, it is that without the L0rd our G0d there will be no Israel. Put in a slogan we might be able to remember, simply stated it is; Know G0d and Know Israel, No G0d and No Israel. That is the history we were taught and I, for one, would prefer not to test that theorem as the consequences are unthinkable to me. Torah study is essential to Israel, and that is a truism we forget at our own peril.

Beyond the Cusp