Freedom of Speech and Religion

 

Bezalel Smotrich started a firestorm after he spoke with a receptive audience, “We all want the State of Israel to follow the law of the Torah,” Let’s be honest, if this had been the entirety of his statement, it still should not have elicited any rebuke nor should it have started what can only be decried as sheer panic while instigating what we can only describe as a vile and venomous hatred. His audience was largely, if not totally, in favor and accepting of what Bezalel Smotrich had stated before he added a little caveat, which, we are willing to bet, was seldom reported with anything near the hyperventilating hysteria as the introductory statement. The remainder of the critical section reads, “we just can’t because there are people who think differently and we need to get along with them.” Now that sounds like adding the honest assessment where the opposition to such a move is currently too strong and opposed to such a state. All Smotrich had consciously stated was his desire and the reason that such a desire need be checked before one enters the halls of power, the Knesset, simply because Israel, as she is currently populated with almost half the Jews not being particularly religious or not at all religious and along with the mainstream media make a loud cry of lament and agony merely at the mention of the Torah becoming the law of the land, are not to this point in their slowly evolving evolution moving inexorably towards a more religious nation. But Bezalel Smotrich did not claim that he was planning on introducing something which not only called for Torah observance but recognized that there exists far too much resistance to such an idea for such legislation to pass becoming law. But Smotrich could have stated something so benign such as, ‘the Torah has lessons from which we could all take benefit.’ There would have been those who would have yelled and screamed to an even higher level with the media making sure to use all their stored and ready hyperbole to drive the hysteria.

 

The insinuation that should Israel decide as an overwhelming majority that the time has arrived to prepare and work to establish the Messianic Age and hopefully make Israel prepared and deserving of the Messiach, that Israel would become a theocracy similar in its visions as Iran and is actually more preposterous than if one would claim that Israel, due to her relatively sizable population who favor socialism are taking Israel towards becoming an Atheist Communist nation similar to the USSR. What is amazing about most of the media in Israel is that were somebody to announce their desire to make Israel a socialist nation where the rich are burdened with exorbitant taxation in order to eliminate poverty, they would treat this news as an inspirational vision for the Israeli future and a step towards their desired goal. The media had a similar outbreak of hyperventilation when retired General Rafi Peretz made a favorable statement favoring religious Zionism when speaking to a Yeshiva. The leftist media is so vehemently against any and everything which has even the slightest taint of religiosity as if it is bringing on the End of Days. Their view of religion is that it no longer has any place in this modern world. What is beyond irony is that their Secular Humanist-Socialist world view is so solidly entrenched in their minds that religion is treated as an ancient set of rituals which have absolutely no place in their views of the modern world. What makes their anti-religious attitude is that even many physicists are approaching the view of whether or not there was (is) a creator is leading them to believe that there had to be an intelligence behind the evolution of the universe. Some physicists have found one means of proving that a creator is unnecessary by claiming that the reality is a Multiverse where every possible combination of properties possible all exist in at least one of the infinite universes which exist. This allows them to claim that we exist in this universe simply because the right formulae exist describing the forces and dimensions necessary to support our kind of life-form. They would need to accept that there exist infinite universes where life itself, as we know it, even including Tardigrades, is completely impossible. That implies a great waste of dimensions as in their models the vast majority of universes collapse in upon themselves or simply fly apart expanding faster than matter can be permitted to form still becoming a wisp of nothingness. Their model claims that our universe is special in that it has permitted not only life, but intelligent life, assuming that Homo Sapien is actually intelligent. All this theory is, is a means of eliminating the need for a creator and some intelligence behind the formation of our place in our universe. By the way, the media love these physicists as they give erudite backing to their idea that there is no Supreme Being or intelligence behind the formation of our universe. They, and the physicists who back them, will take any theory which removes Hashem from the equation. One could always postulate that Hashem created all of the universes of the Multiverse simply as a means to forming one which was special, our universe.

 

Is the Multiverse Real

 

This brings us to the crux of the situation in which we reside. Academia and the mainstream media along with most of the entertainment media and much of the society have decided that religion is something which was possibly necessary thousands of years ago, but in this modern and so sophisticated society, the most primary intelligence and the control of what is to come in our future comes from the efforts of man himself. They believe that humans are the supreme intelligence and are the means of all which is to come. They are adamantly entrenched in Secular Humanism and insist that socialist governance is the greatest means by which everybody receives that which they might need. When anybody suggests that capitalism or religion have a place in our future, the media and academia unite in denouncing the person who made the offending comments. The media will castigate anyone who deviates one iota from their ideas of a perfect world where mankind is the driving force and there is no higher entity and religion is simply a set of rituals from an era from which humanity has progressed beyond. These beliefs actually have a place out of history. The Hellenistic Greeks also believed that mankind was at the absolute pinnacle of evolution and there could be nothing more advanced or perfect than the human being. They worshiped the human form and believed that upon birth a person was deemed to be the coming of perfection. In ancient Greek society, were a child born with any defect physically, such a child was permitted the graces of death as they were not the perfect human form, the ultimate form in all of creation. This idea that humans are the ultimate form of creation and there is nothing beyond the human being is far from a new idea as the Greeks expounded such a belief and the Romans were close behind. Yes, sure they had their gods, as we are merely human and despite the almost unlimited abilities any human might have where they were considered almost equal to the gods, they still knew that a human was not omnipotent. The Jews at that time also believed that the human being was at the pinnacle of creation. The difference is that in Judaism there is a creator, Hashem, and we are but his chosen creation and everything around us is credited to Hashem. The Greeks and Romans had their gods for everything from fire to lightning to the sustenance they consumed but their gods were more human than noble. Judaism is different in that people, unless chosen as were the prophets, are nowhere near the level of Hashem, the creator of all that is. The Greeks, in particular, believed that many of the best amongst them were on such a level as to argue with their gods where in Judaism, with the possible exception of Moses during the Exodus, nobody was of sufficient power or ability to argue with Hashem. In Judaism, we look to Hashem to provide when we are unable and pray that we are worthy of his favor. Hashem reacted to the Jewish people in a manner directly connected to the ability and actual enactment of following Hashem’s commandments as expounded in Torah.

 

The Torah has been the foundation stone for the Jewish People for over three thousand years. But that is far from the end of the story of the Torah and that which it teaches. All of Judeo-Christianity is based entirely upon the commandments written in the Torah and upon many of the teachings of the prophets. Modern Western society had been based on the Judeo-Christian ethos for much of the last few thousand years. It remains the cornerstone of all that is the developed modern world. The problem which much of the developed world is currently facing is the lack of planning for the future. Those who have developed the concepts and defining ethos of the latest human belief system, Secular Humanism, is that the one, themselves, are the center and most important set of desires which need to be fulfilled. This egocentric set of values has had some serious consequences. The concept of the individual being the most important individual and that they should serve their own needs, desires and wants before they worry about other items. This view has the consequence in that there are no concerns, regards or obligations for the forming of the next generation. As a matter of fact, they see children as something unwanted and an undesirable imposition which would deny them of using all of their efforts and resources for their own pleasures and betterment. This has led to the situation where the people residing in these developed societies and whom are very often well-off not having any children. This is evidenced by the evidence of the swelling numbers of women having abortions. Between 1970 and 2015, the Center for Disease Control reports nearly 45.7 million legal induced abortions decreasing the numbers of births per woman to fall well below the required amount for replacement levels. This has led to the depopulating of Europe to such an extent that they are willing to import any and every potential immigrant as they require far more workers than they have produced through reproduction in order to support the otherwise aging population. This will be the epithet for Secular Humanity as a healthy option for a society proceeding into the future.

 

Offspring and a dedication to the following generations being a central pillar of Judeo-Christian society made for a far healthier society where the future was guaranteed. Some people have equated abortion with the idolatrous sacrifice of their children, often newborns, to Baal. That may be slightly overt but the reference is well understood. Certainly, late term abortions could easily be equated as such. One of the misconceptions when it comes to Judaism is that all abortions are forbidden. This is not true as Judaism does permit abortive procedures when the life of the mother is endangered. This makes sense when one remembers that half of the children birthed did not survive to age five, thus an adult woman was far more viable than any unborn fetus and thus the life of main concern. This is definitive threat to the life of the mother, not her mental health believing that a child would be an imposition to their life of seeking pleasure for themselves as is often the health condition used in the developed world. That is the main difference between modern atheist Secular Humanism and the traditional religions of Judeo-Christian religions where in Judeo-Christian beliefs are the desires, needs and requirements that children and future generations have the utmost importance while in Secular Humanism children are seen as an imposition interfering with the social lives of those who would otherwise be responsible for the establishing of the next generations. Secular Humanism is based on the now while Judeo-Christian belief is more focused on the future generations as well as a high standard of expectation on the individual to work to assist in the establishing of future generations.

 

In this little fact is the solution which is inevitable. Leftist Secular Humanism, and likely all forms of Secular Humanism regardless of their underpinnings, has one serious problem, they are dependent upon individuals who are disgruntled with religious life to repopulate their ranks as their reproductive rates across the Secular Humanist societies of less than one and a half children per woman, well below the necessary two to two and a quarter children per woman. On the other hand, the religious populations have reproductive rates well above necessary rates and thus they have growing populations. In time, the Secular Humanist population will dwindle while the religious population continues to increase. This sets the framing for the future in that religious populations and societies are at an advantage over those choosing the latest fads, namely Secular Humanism. In the interim, there will be a secular media and academia, but with time these too will be corrected and slowly become more religious and open to the religious dogma. For Europe this means that they will slowly fall under the influence of Islamic doctrine as the religious Muslims will reproduce while the indigenous European population which has largely adopted the Secular Humanist attitude and are not reproducing will be overrun by Islam as the Muslims reproduce at a far higher rate. The United States will fall to the Hispanic populations coming across the southern borders who are religious and have healthy reproductive rates while the former population which had fallen prey to Secular Humanism and lost their religious underpinnings and left the idea that having children is a healthy and necessary requirement of any society behind when they decided to follow the new age Secular Humanist philosophy and stopped having children. The religious, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim or virtually any similar religion will become the fore of future societies while the new ideas which place the individual as the foremost individual whom one is to serve slowly become extinct. As Torah taught, the main responsibility for one to live a complete and proper life takes more than their obedience to Torah but also their responsibility to the society and its health is reproduction and the care of those youths born as they are your future and the continuation of the principles of the faith. Once again, this is a problem which will be self-repairing with religious thought continuing into the future as it has since years gone by while Secular Humanist self-centered viewpoint will lead to the end of their numbers over time. In the end, Bezalel Smotrich will be able to witness that Torah observant Israel providing he lives long enough for the future to unfold before him, as will the rest of us who are part of the religious Zionist movements.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Roller Coaster Pre-Election Ride Begins

 

Where to start, why not with the good, the bad and the beautiful. The good is easy but also will prove difficult to mediate. The good comes from the United Right’s current number two, Bezalel Smotrich, who has spoken the truth which the vast majority of the religious right pray for at services every day, that Israel live and keep the Torah and its commandments throughout the land. This does not mean what the media paints it to mean, as it does not demand anything from anyone who is not Jewish. They are only requested to follow the Noahic Code with seven laws. The Jews, on the other hand, have a mere six-hundred-thirteen laws in Torah. Somewhere over one-third of these refer to the service of the Cohanim and the Levites and their duties and expectations serving in the Temple. We do not currently have a Temple nor has any government Minister really pursued such a venture in the Knesset, thus it is not on the drawing boards, not in the planning stage and likely nowhere on the horizon. This means that these laws will have to await the people of Israel demanding the Temple be built, something prayed for every morning, afternoon and evening but not expected any time too soon. The rest of the laws are largely basic decency, common sense and the dietary laws of Kashrut. The majority of grocery stores sell only kosher food and are certified to have taken out the appropriate tithes and everything meets the high standards of the law. Restaurants are a separate issue but there are sufficient kosher restaurants even including some fast food establishments. What may amaze many people is that it may be likely, unless your favorite lunch location is not kosher, that the vast majority of people, Jews and non-Jews alike, probably lead lives that, outside of prayers they may ignore saying, are close to or within the demands of Torah. So, when Bezalel Smotrich spoke of his desire for Israel to become a nation whose laws and people kept to the Torah, he was speaking of a desire held by many and not transgressed by more than most might believe. He could just as easily spoken of the desire for the coming of the Mashiach, and we bet that would have drawn just as much scorn from any in the left-wing media, unfortunately that is the majority of the media. Their scare mongering will dredge up more hatred and mistrust between the people which is their intent. But speaking of such desire for Israel to become a Torah observant society is a very nice though and natural desire for the religious Zionist as well as other observant groups such as the Haredi. Nobody would even think twice had a Haredi leader made the same statement as that is acceptable from them as their voters mostly do not include the secular community. The entire flap over this was due to the attempt by the media to frighten the secular community, specifically the secular Zionists, into fearing the religious right parties over an event which was far more innocent than portrayed. Hopefully, the media feeding frenzy will be seen for what it was, an attempt at voter manipulation. It is really sad that the media here in Israel resorts to such tactics, but they will do whatever it takes to try and push the voting public into electing a left-leaning government.

 

 

The bad is an internal desire which was expressed largely within the Blue White Party but which did receive some mention by the media. This was a request, perhaps a demand, for Yair Lapid to lay low and quiet over his otherwise normal denunciation of the Haredi community. Are some of the views expressed by Yair Lapid accurate and in need of a solution? The answer is of course some of these complaints necessary, but his solutions would actually be detrimental to the desires he expresses. The Haredi community are people, believe it or not, people just like all other people. As a normal community, they will adapt to changing needs and other factors at their own speed. On the other hand, if such a community believes they are being pressured, pushed and manipulated to change, they will resist such change just because people resent being pushed into change. What Yair Lapid is ignoring is simply because his vision is clouded by his personal apparent dislike for the Haredi community and their favored treatment due them legally under laws and appropriations made by the Knesset. Part of their favored treatment comes due to their guaranteed number of Ministerial positions they receive in every election from a devoted and unified community. The thing is some Haredi are already voting outside their dedicated voting bloc. This makes them what are called king makers as their bloc is necessary to reach the sixty-one mandates to form a coalition whether that coalition is left-wing or right-wing. Due to their crucial voting bloc, the Haredi will receive an identical set of concessions from either side, over the tantrum which would likely be thrown (in private) by Yair Lapid. The demand that his Blue White Party run with part of their platform for the forcing of the Haredi to allow more of their youth to be drafted for IDF service and their being coerced into joining the workforce in larger numbers would be a guarantee to never have the Haredi join them in a coalition. Their insistence that Yair Lapid tone down his Haredi rants is a purely political measure as they know that if they would ever be chosen to form a coalition, they would absolutely be required to include the Haredi parties.

 

Ayelet Shaked

 

The beautiful is easy as former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (pictured above) has made a semi-official announcement that she will be running for a position in the Knesset in the coming September elections. This semi-announcement about her return left out one important item; she forgot to mention exactly which party she intended to make her run with and what position she wished to take in their list. There have been those claiming she will be part of the Likud Party and others have called for her to replace Rafi Peretz at the top of the United Right Party list. Which one is the most likely? Well, I have doubts that she will replace Rafi Peretz at the top of the list with the United Right and Bibi Netanyahu has stated that he is not considering inviting Ayelet Shaked into the fold with Likud. So, where does this leave Ms. Shaked now as the leader of one list is not expecting to be replaced and the head of the other party simply is not interested in having her join the party. Perhaps we can find a small hint from her statements at the small ceremony given when she left the Justice Ministry. One of her comments was that she expects to return to the Justice Ministry. The interesting thing about her desire to return to the Justice Ministry does not require that she head any party’s list. She was not the leader of Jewish Home when she received the Justice Minister posting. She was number two behind Naftali Bennett. She was the number two behind Naftali Bennett on the list for the New Right Party which she and Naftali Bennett founded right before the last elections where that party did not quite pass threshold to make it into the Knesset. When Bibi Netanyahu was unable to reach an amicable agreement with Avigdor Lieberman who was making the same demands which he had pressed leading to the call for new elections in the first place, that situation is most likely not going to change with Avigdor Lieberman which means that should Bibi Netanyahu be tapped again, he will be relying on the right-wing, religious and, of course, religious Zionist parties. The good news for these elections is that such is very probably what will happen as long as the Haredi Parties also join the government coalition, something which is largely expected. So, the situation with Ayelet Shaked will depend on which party’s list she lands within. We can probably safely bet that she will not be placed atop of either Likud or United Right. There is still the possibility that she will remain with Naftali Bennett if the New Right is reformed for another attempt to pass the threshold this time around.

 

We can provide some free advice for Naftali Bennett, if he reforms the New Right, he should place Ayelet Shaked in the number one slot and take the second slot himself which would be more probable to put them over the threshold. There is one item which is the biggest guarantor of failure in politics such as in other professions, that is an overly inflated ego believing that they are the answer that the people are craving and if only you present yourself then they will flock to your banner. When you are Bibi Netanyahu and have been Prime Minister for the past decade and lead the strongest party, or at worst the second leading party, and may become the longest serving Prime Minister by the time of the coming elections, then you can have such an ego. No, we are not claiming that Bibi has an over-inflated ego. This is about all the actual excitement we have seen over the coming elections in Israel. More over the weeks to come and perhaps things will heat up. We can tell that the Blue White Party is confident that they should receive the nod from President Reuven Rivlin to form the next coalition. They are confident that with the Haredi Parties they will be able to form a coalition. There may be some questions as to this confidence. The Labor Party is in a tailspin and hoping primary elections for what they hope, and as Avi Gabay has decided that he will resign from leading the party and dropped from the primary list, will be a new leader as the latest polls showed that the Labor Party, the party which led Israeli politics for decades until 1979 when they lost the coalition making position, was not polling sufficient to pass threshold. Labor has also sought to join another party as a joint list, either Blue White, Meretz or another left-wing party but they have not had any takers as of yet. As the elections grow closer, they will have a better chance for this alternative. But with the left polling lower and lower, there may be doubts about the optimism of the Blue White Party. We will try and find more fun things concerning the September 17th elections in future articles.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Poway California Synagogue Shooting and Other Hot Topics

 

Here we are once more with a Synagogue being attacked with the shooting taking at least one life. The media will play this horrific episodic hate the full coverage as the perpetrator is apparently an alt-right White Supremacist. The condemnations will come from all corners with much of the media attempting to link this shooting with Trump. The logic is that those on the right are all exactly identical in their beliefs, politics and thoughts. To the leftist media, President Trump is conservative and nationalist and these alt-right hatemongers are presumed to be conservative and are nationalist, thus they are identical. This breaks down exceedingly quickly once people take the time to think. Many on the alt-right favor a fascist dictatorial government while President Trump supports a Constitutional Democratic Republic. These are definitive and separate ends that these groups seek and there can be no overlap between them. The White Supremacists desire doing away with the Constitution and its guarantees and giving out selective citizenship excluding most, if not all, minorities, this would definitely include Jews, and allowing only those who agreed with them completely any real rights under the law. Should the government ever be taken over by these groups, the United States would be over. If these White Supremacists are such a great problem, why are most of the public comfortable in that they hold no power. Perhaps this is due to their percentages of the population are in the single digits and in some states near to nonexistent. The alt-right have no political power throughout most of the United States and the majority are already known to law enforcement officials at multiple levels. But, so very unfortunately, one or two of these crazies perpetrate horrific crimes such as the Squirrel Hill Synagogue shooting of October 27, 2018, and now, a mere six months later, the Poway California Synagogue shooting. The only fortunate thing from this latest criminal attack upon Jews at worship was that the congregation reacted to prevent further casualties. Their threat of force against the shooter sent him cowering and fleeing as soon as he realized there was going to be resistance. According to officials, the suspect is a nineteen-year-old adult white male from San Diego. Initially, he fled the scene, but later surrendered to police.

 

Chabad of Poway Synagogue

 

But if it is as the facts point out, that the numbers of white supremacists, Nazis in particular along with other anti-Semites on the alt-right, have been steadily decreasing, how can it be the anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic acts have been steadily rising? The most obvious answer is that there must be another source of anti-Semitism which is rising precipitously. One of the first hints as to the source of this growing anti-Semitism is that it is found to be quite prevalent on the nation’s college campuses. Some have even struck into the mainstream media. Our first example was from before the armed assault on the Poway synagogue, the international edition of the New York Times ran a cartoon depicting a blind Trump wearing a yarmulke being taken for a walk by a dog sporting a Star of David. If this cartoon does not reek of the anti-Semitic trope that the Jews or Israel controls the United States, in this case the American President. But what about biases from other angles which refuse to report news which would favor Israel as it would depict a Palestinian as wanting to commit terrorism within the United States.

 

There was a report in American newspapers this week, where you saw headlines such as, “Wisconsin Mom Accused of Spreading Support for ISIS” to “Wisconsin Mother of Seven Charged with Trying to Recruit for ISIS” and “Wisconsin Woman Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges.” We found these reports and more which we will allude to from an Israeli editorial titled, “Just don’t call her a Palestinian Arab! US media plays a game” by Stephen M. Flatow. There was a secret the media did not see fit to share with the American public and the world about this energetic mother, Waheba Issa Dai. For example, NBC News.com didn’t even mention that she was born in Jerusalem while the New York Times and the British Daily Mail went so far as to transpose this Palestinian Arab born in Jerusalem into being born in Israel. Could this mean that the media has realized that Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel and not contested lands? Not a chance as they will be declaring that eastern Jerusalem must be made Jew free and become the capital of historic Palestine which is a KGB invention by which the Arabs would be better able to victimize the Jews. Why would the media go so far around the truth when an Arab Palestinian was recruiting for the Islamic State while planning for a high casualty attack in the United States for which she was reportedly manufacturing biological weapons in her home. Perhaps they figured that the average American or citizen of the world would automatically know from her name, Waheba Issa Dai, everything about her origins, nationality (claimed and actual), along with virtually every other particular which they decided was not necessary to report. Imagine if it was someone who actually was an Israeli and not a Palestinian Arab who was doing such activities. You would know everything including interviews with neighbors from the old community down to whether they served in the IDF and every other extraneous fact they could glean.

 

The new anti-Semitism has nothing similar with the historic, classic anti-Semitism of generations ago; today anti-Semitism is most often expressed as anti-Zionism and anti-Israelism and these slurs are used to incorporate all Jews who are unwilling to expressly denigrate and condemn everything about Israel and to become their Jew vanguard behind which they crouch ready to devour any Israel supporter, Jewish or otherwise. For a Jew to be innocent of being part of the Israel conspiracy, which is defined as the Jews of the world having their dual-loyalty and working undercover to control the world and every nation where they reside, they must accept the BDS Movement and support SJP. Jews are providing organizations which Jews are able to join with other Jews for the expressed purpose of supporting every anti-Israel protest, sign every anti-Israel petition, produce their own versions of anti-Israel literature, editorials, letters to the editor and comments on social media. These Jews have lavished praise showered upon them by most of the media, the Arab driven anti-Israel often terror-tied groups, anti-Semites everywhere pointing to them as the good Jews and even the alt-right use them for cover for their hatred of Israel because of its Jewish nature. All of these are very active on the American college scene and are influencing the future leaders of America and Europe. You do not have to scour the news for examples as three were recently elected to the House of Representatives and two of them have been quite vocal and quotable, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

 

All of this hatred against Israel and its infection of the colleges and universities where the future leadership arises is troubling to say the least. Many claim that the main place which will face a troubling future due to these changes is Israel. Unfortunately for many nations of the world, Israel will be affected largely by having the vast majority of world Jewry coming home to a warm and gratifying welcome. Israel, people claim, is too small to accommodate a doubling of the population from a mass emigration of the world’s Jews making Aliyah. There are two problems with their claims, one is that we are probably at best talking half or possibly as high as three-fifths of the world’s Jews coming home as the remainder will remain blind to what is happening and believe that they are amongst the good Jews who are safe. In the end, there are no good Jews and their safety will dissipate in an instant and they will be shocked by the ensuing events; and two, Israel has one third of the country sparsely populated just waiting for Jews to come and transform the southern regions of the Negev Dessert into something unimaginable until it has been completed. Some see a new high-tech center where every form of advanced research and production will take place and lead Israel into the brightest of futures along with those nations who are not taken over by an anti-Semitic rage. It will be the nations where these anti-Semitic haters of Israel and Jews become the ruling elite as once they have the power to execute a transformation to a new system of governance and laws by enacting Sharia instead of the Constitution, Magna Carta, the latest French Republic (currently on number five but who knows when six will be required) and the governing laws and jurisprudence and laws of the land of others as well.

 

As we reported yesterday, there may be an inevitable clash brewing in the Middle East which will be largely about, you guessed it, oil. The United States, more accurately President Trump, is poised to end the waivers granted to numerous Asian states which imported a fair amount of their oil from Iran. The United States and the Gulf Nations are stepping up production to meet these nations’ needs but Iran receives forty-percent of their annual revenue from their oil sales. Preventing the sale of Iranian oil has always been a red line with Iran though President Trump will likely point out he is not banning their selling their oil, just warning that doing so comes at a cost. If the world prefers doing business with the United States over buying Iranian oil, then that is their choice. Such will not sit well with the Mullahs of Iran, many of which have been itching for a fight with both the United States and Israel. Yes, should a shooting war erupt over the Strait of Hormuz and potentially the Bab-el-Mandeb where the Red Sea exits past Yemen at this choke-point, perhaps that is the reason for having one aircraft carrier stationed on the Mediterranean side of that waterway. Such an outbreak will be sold by many on the left as President Trump fighting this war for Israel claiming that Iran has never done anything to America. Well, perhaps the validity of that claim needs some inspection.

 

We will start this review looking at the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings in which caused the deaths of three-hundred-five victims constituting two-hundred-forty-one United States military personnel, fifty-eight French military personnel and six civilians while destroying United States Marine Corps barracks at the Beirut Airport along with the Ramlet al Baida in Beirut where the French troops were billeted. The 1998 United States Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania have also been linked and attributed to sources within the Iranian government. Both Iran and Sudan have been found to be complicit in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole docked in Yemen for refueling at the time of the attack. Iran has been supporting the revolution by the Houthis in Yemen as part of their efforts to surround Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States with the intent of eventual conquest. It has been brought to light that the 2003 United States Riyadh Compound bombings were planned and trained in Iran and received Iranian assistance as well as protection. Iran is thought to have provided aid for the Taliban against American forces. Please allow us one last mention, the 2011–12 Strait of Hormuz dispute which included at least one American vessel being struck by a mine and the ensuing naval battle between American naval forces and Iranian naval forces. This one-day battle was dubbed Operation Praying Mantis by the United States launched in retaliation for the mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts resulted in American units sinking one Islamic Republic of Iran Naval frigate, one gunboat, and as many as six armed speedboats and seriously damaging a second frigate. These are just some of the altercations between the two nations since the 1979 takeover of Iran by the Grand Ayatollah and new Supreme Leader of Iran Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini.

 

The only reason that Israel could become involved in such an altercation simply rides on the fact that the Iranian leadership has stated emphatically that any attack by any forces from the Western world will result in Iran immediately loosing attacks upon Israel. Their logic is that the only reason any nation would take up arms against Iran would be due to the Israeli and Jewish ability to have other nations fight her wars. Israel has never threatened to enter into armed conflict with Iran. The reason Iran makes this threat is because they believe it would make a difference in the plans by the United States or other Western nation as they would be concerned for Israel. That is not of any real importance to the United States or others as they would leave any attacks upon Israel up to Israel to defend against and take whatever required steps may be deemed necessary. If the past is any way of measuring the future, Israel was specifically ordered to stand down during the two Iraq wars as a means of not forcing the Arab allies from removing their support. Israel was attacked by Saddam Hussein’s forces as they launched a series of Scud missiles in the direction of Israel. Israeli sources reported that eight Scud missiles had landed within Israeli territory, three in Tel Aviv, one in Haifa, three in largely unpopulated areas in remote regions and one in an unknown location. What any future Middle East conflict will take is anybody’s guess but one thing will probably be true in such a conflict, the Americans and any European allies will insist Israel do their best to intercept incoming missiles but to leave all military actions to the allies, especially if they have Arab allies. The one Arab ally which America can depend upon other than Israel is Saudi Arabia. The problem with any altercations breaking out between Iran and the United States is that Iran currently commands the areas not only of Iran but of Iraq, Lebanon, most of Syria as well as good relations with the rebel forces in Yemen who control much of that nation and with the Sudan. This is an area almost equal in size to the United States and does not include the Hezballah camps such as the one in the South American three borders region. These truths in the world and the media will continue to stress the story-line that all anti-Semitism comes from the alt-right which they link to President Trump despite all evidence to the contrary even to include the alt-right denouncing virtually everything President Trump has done which benefits Israel.

 

Beyond the Cusp