Reading news feeds on what is happening in Gaza, I often wonder what it will take for us to understand the folly of our ways. It’s then I realize the foolishness of my statement. We are creatures of our destiny and, for unknown reasons, will continue to move in a harmful direction until we feel the pain of a severely stubbed toe and dare to ask, ‘Who put that damn rock there?’ And be surprised that, ‘We did it to ourselves.’ If, at this point, you’re asking what I’m talking about. Good. Allow me to explain.
I’m sure you’ve seen or read about the situation on many college and university campuses regarding the situation in Israel and Palestine. Students are protesting the horrendous events that took place on Oct 7 last year and Israel’s response. To date, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 34,000, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. And it seems Netanyahu has plans to keep going.
What took place in Israel on Oct 7, 2023, was an act of the utmost cowardice by those who planned and executed this horrendous crime on innocents who were just out to enjoy an annual event. Israel has the right to defend itself and has a staunch representation in doing precisely that. But if the reports are halfway accurate, some of the actions taken under Netanyahu’s orders are now being seen as potential war crimes, which places the United States in a difficult position. Comparatively speaking, Netanyahu’s response is going beyond reasonability and boarding on war crimes.
The Times of Israel reported 1400 killed on Oct 7, but are now reporting it to be 1200. Since that horrific event, Israel has extracted its retribution in a way that borders on war crimes. The current death toll in Gaza is at 34,200 people and sure to climb if he goes through with his planned attack on Rafah, as being reported by the Associated Press:
Israel is determined to launch a ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town. This plan has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there.—The Associated Press.
Understanding the convoluted and complicated politics of the Middle East, especially when the State of Israel is involved, requires the combined skills of Solomen, Socrates, and Marcus Aurelius. The actions Israel has taken in response to that horrendous attack had a profound impact on the world. It seems the measures To date Israel’s actions are delivering mixed results. Most people agree Israel has the right to respond to the senseless and willful brutality of the attack. But the blood lust Netanyahu has put forth seems disproportionate to a level where many are equating his response to the commission of war crimes.
I will not pretend to understand the existential dynamics or political machinations of Netanyahu’s politics when dealing with the Palestinians. Instead, I will say what he is doing now is beyond a reasonable response. He is losing support for his actions, resulting in a significant divide in the US, as we see it played out on various college and university campuses, and discord in both the House and Senate.
What I’m attempting may be a foolhardy mission on my part as the distrust and supposedly goals of both parties (the Israelis and Palestinians) seem diametrically different. But the underlying question is, are they? Trust me when I say I do not pretend to be an authority on Israelis and Palestinians, and what I know about the politics would fit on a pinhead. I also recognize saying anything about it may seem troublesome to others presumptuous. But innocent men, women, and children are dying from the bombings and starving from the lack of food because of what appears to be religious differences and racial hatred or a modern-day dispute between Ishmael and Isaac.
Take a look at the following map:
The map is of ancient Israel, which consists of the twelve tribes mentioned in the Bible. Israel, in its own right, was once a powerful kingdom under the leadership of David and Solomon and, for years, enjoyed peace and prosperity. According to scripture, Solomon started drifting away from the Hebrew teachings, taking foreign wives and following their ways. Solomon’s death brought about the split of the Kingdom of Israel, with ten tribes following Jeroboam and the remaining two Southern tribes (Judah and Israel) under Solomon’s son Rehoboam. As they say, the rest is history. Here is a present-day map of Israel:
The differentiation is noticeable as one realizes the lack of tribal identification in the previous map is clear. The first map represents the whole of the twelve tribes of Israel. The more modern map lacks such delineation as all records of the ten tribes that split Israel into two kingdoms were lost. Some believe Palestinians are descendants of the Ten Lost tribes of Israel. Research has shown some genetic connections; some may feel they are descendants of the ten lost tribes. If true, that would mean Bibi ordered the death of thousands of his relatives, men, women, and children. But, at the moment, it doesn’t have to be accurate, the fact his current blood lust is blinding him and those supporting him on the path of committing war crimes. For the record, I’m no fan of Netanyahu. I consider him a racist sonofabitch.
What Hamas did was unconscionable. As I have said, Israel has the right to respond, but what Netanyahu has done and is doing is becoming overtly immoral in the way he has slow-walked needed food and medical supplies to the bombed-out and homeless Palestinians. The Palestinian people are starving, and according to the World Food Programme, there is a total famine in Northern Gaza, and Bibi’s actions are those of an individual who doesn’t give a damn.
Bibi’s attempted thaumaturge approach in dealing with this attack is not working, and he is losing support here in the US. His cabinet views are not those of reconciliation and amiability toward the Palestinians. But attitudes of disdain, disrelish, and denouncement toward the Palestinians. It is no secret members of his cabinet wouldn’t shed a tear if the earth opened up and swallowed all of the residents of the bombed-out area of Palestine, thus allowing them to reclaim the land and achieve their dream of restoring Israel to its once-former glory. As much as he and his cabinet would love to see their Palestinian cousins become someone else problem, it’s not going to happen. The world is watching Netanyahu, and those countries who support Israel will not allow Bibi and his radical cabinet to take genocidal action against the Palestinians the way Hitler did against Netanyahu’s ancestors.
Perhaps Bibi should consider the following,
“Therefore, to see beyond boundaries to the subtle heart of things, dispense with names, with concepts, with expectations and ambitions and differences.”—The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu, Translated by Brian Browne Walker.
It’s time for Netanyahu to realize that his days as Israel’s prime minister are ending. He should do the right thing and put in motion a two-state solution, step down, submit himself for trial, and accept whatever the punishment is for his crimes. But, he is like someone we know who refuses to take responsibility for their wrongdoings; his false pride, ill-founded bravado, and outright narcissistic egotism cause him to think he is above the law and can find a way out. But not this time.
Can Bibi see beyond the boundaries of hate, discrimination, and religious intolerance? Can he see past his belief in the superiority of his people? Would he be able to reconcile himself with the possibility Jews and Palestinians share a similar lineage heritage? Can he comprehend what he is doing to the Palestinians is being compared to what the Nazis did to his ancestors? Based on how he has responded to date, I would say not.
He has become the evil he has warned the world about, and it is time for him to go before he makes it far worse than it is already. Others can see beyond the boundaries. Bibi Netanyahu is just too damn stubborn, and his desire for power and pride won’t let him, and that is why he has to go.
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