On Israel
Since we nuked Iran the other month
It’s May now. In my last post on world affairs, I said I’d cover Iran again Operation Epic Fury was still ongoing by the end of April. But it’s not… Frankly, I’m uncertain how to qualify what’s going on with Iran right now. We’re not bombing it anymore; we’re just blockading it. So … the war’s over? We’re just doing economic warfare now, and no one has ever classified that as “real warfare.”
Let’s see what things look like after Trump’s China visit. It should have some impact on the situation.
On the flip side of the Iran issue is, well, Israel. That seems to be a topic of interest as well.
What do I think?
Why is there an Israel?
Let’s begin at the beginning. Israel exists today largely because of the Holocaust.
And yes, the Holocaust happened. Millions died in concentration camps. Six million were Jews. About two million victims were Catholic Poles. And the demographic breakdown afterwards confuses me, because I remember 12 million being the total Holocaust number, but I’m getting 17 million in search results. Grok insists that “the Holocaust” proper is Jewish only—which is not how my history degree covered it—then it nitpicks me. Oy.
After 1945, where are the survivors going to go? How many really want to stay in Europe?
There is a ready made solution in a country that … is really just in the concept phase.
Since the late 1800s, Zionism was a Jewish “Back to Israel” movement. It was a political movement / philosophy that has some theological roots. Some Orthodox and Hasidic Jews still argue that a man-made state conflicts with the belief that God Himself will deliver the Third Temple from Heaven (and probably squash the mosque on the Temple Mount). If you’ve ever seen guys who could pass for Rabbis at anti-Israel rallies, that could be part of it.
As for theology … Keep in mind, Zionists were no saints, they were political animals. For example, David Ben-Gurion, the first Israeli PM, after Kristallnacht in 1938, he said,
“If I knew it was possible to save all [Jewish] children of Germany by their transfer to England and only half of them by transferring them to Eretz-Yisrael, I would choose the latter— because we are faced not only with the accounting of these [Jewish] children but also with the historical accounting of the Jewish People.
I figure you must be a political animal to think that way. I’m trying to remember if I originally got that quote from Rabbi David Dalin, Israeli Ambassador Pichas Lapide, or Ronald Rychlak.
There had been early negotiations in 1937 between Adolf Eichmann and certain Zionist groups1 about solving “the Jewish question” as more of a logistics problem than an extermination program.2 Eichmann was in charge of getting rid of Jews from Germany, so putting them on a boat to Israel would have done the job just as well as camps. But, his good friend, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, urged that the extermination route was best.3 But that route also came with free slave labor. And if the Nazis could pick the most evil option, they did.
Now, in 1917, Zionist movements had led to a British white paper supporting a “national home for the Jewish people” where the Israel of antiquity used to be. It’s generally referred to as “The Balfour Declaration.”
From 1919-1945, there is the “Mandate of Palestine,” which is a remnant of the Ottoman Empire, at the time being (poorly) administered by the British after World War One. It wasn’t not really a colony, because the inmates were running this asylum—the locals would riot at the drop of a hat, especially if they didn’t get their way. That should sound familiar to anyone reading the news since 9/11.
But wait, you ask: If the British supported the creation of Israel in 1917, and the British were in charge of the real estate after World War ended in 1919, why wasn’t there an Israel by 1945?
Good question, you. The answer: The British promised the same piece of land to Jews and Arabs. British bastards promised Arabs the same land during World War One. The Balfour Declaration white paper was just a policy paper, a glorified thought piece. It wasn’t legally binding, or even really a promise.
In 1939, Neville Chamberlain released a White Paper to Arabs that rejected a Jewish state, if Arabs didn’t want one.
This we call “international politics.” Lie to everyone.
But it’s the British. Look how they treat their own people sometime. Start with today, and go just backwards.
After World War Two, Zionism was very popular among everyone who wanted to get the ever-living Hell away from the schmucks who tried to exterminate them.
As I noted last time, Israel is fortunate in their enemies. Islam had allied with the Germans in both World Wars.4 By 1948, the newly established United Nations had no problem dividing up the land between the Muslim and Jewish populations. Immediately after that, Eichmann’s friend the Grand Mufti tells every Muslim to get out of the Jewish areas, because every available Muslim army is coming in to “push the Jews into the sea.”
That particular plan backfired. Israel expanded its original territory by nearly 40%. About 700,000 Arabs fled; 850,000 Jews were driven out of Arabs countries—so everyone has refugees! Yay! Arab refugees mostly stayed refugees, because “we’ll get those Jews one day, honest we will.” They’re mostly the canon fodder known as “Palestinians.”
Are there other factors? Oh Hell yes. But this is a Substack, not a book. I recommend Michael Oren’s Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. That book was so good. And the first half was basically just 1948 to 1967.
So, in short (too late): Israel exists today largely because of the Holocaust.
Why was Israel a bad idea?
Israel was a bad idea because of the Holocaust.
Hey, I know, let’s give a homeland to a culture / race / religion5—putting them in one place, making them a nice, easy target. Who thought that was a good idea?
No, I’m not looking back with 20/20 hindsight. Hajj Amin al-Husseini was appointed the Grand Mufti BECAUSE HE LED RIOTS AGAINST JEWS.6
So far, Israel survives by the grace of God, the American taxpayer, Israeli intelligence, and Arab ineptitude. It isn’t because Israelis are all geniuses. Don’t get me wrong: seven million Jews have more Nobel Prizes in science and technology (14) than the entire Middle East combined … or a billion Indians (13) or a billion Chinese (8).
But good God, some Israelis are so bone stupid…How stupid?
Come with me now to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Prime Minister Golda Meir is in charge. All intelligence assessments say that, yeah, Israel’s Arab neighbors are gearing up their armies at the same time; their Soviet embassies are all closing up and their personnel are flying back home. But those are just military exercises! The Arabs aren’t going to be a threat anytime soon! We kicked their ass so badly in 1967, they won’t come after us for another five years!
This we call “Hubris.”
October 1973: Egypt and Syria—joined by expeditionary forces from Jordan, Iraq, and several other Arab states—launch a surprise attack. Unlike the Six Day War, simply throwing Israeli air power at the problem doesn’t work; the Soviets had supplied dense anti-aircraft defenses that exacted a heavy toll early on. The largest, post World War II tank battle happens here in the Golan Heights (Valley of Tears, Oct 6–9), where about 200 Israeli tanks faced an initial Syrian assault of 1,200–1,400 tanks.
After nearly three weeks of fighting, and a United States airlift that dropped over 22,000 tons of supplies to Israel, Israel won. Why did the US resupply them? Depends on who you ask. It could be Cold War Politics: Soviets gave Arabs all their toys, so we had to arm Israel. There’s the potential nuclear aspect: it’s an open secret that Israel has nukes, and the assessment is that, if it looks like Israel may lose a war, they will take everyone else with them.
Again, it depends on who you ask.
To my original point: there are about 15 million Jews on the planet. Half of them are in Israel.7 WHY MAKE IT EASY TO EXTERMINATE A GLOBAL MINORITY? And this was just 1973, and conventional warfare. None of my conversation thus far has touched on the fact THAT NUKES EXIST.
So, do you see why I have an issue with putting so many eggs in one basket?
“Because of the Holocaust, we were almost wiped out in Europe. We need a nation of our own. Let’s pick the most hostile region on the planet.”
No. Really. Was Arizona not available?8
Yes, I know why Israel is where it is, but you do see my point, right? I’m not just talking to myself here?
Israel’s Right to Exist
Israel exists. Pretending it isn’t there won’t change facts. Like any country, Israel has a right to exist as long as it can defend that existence. The United States has its own problem in that regard with immigration.9 If you want to argue Israel’s right to exist, you better have an army to dispute the matter.
Am I the only one who thinks the very question is stupid?
Was there a certain level of dishonesty in the creation of Israel? From the British, absolutely. From the UN … probably, because UN was corrupt to start with.10
Frankly the Arabs and founding Israelis were all very straightforward.
Israel: We can all in in peace, right?
Arabs: No, die.
Israel: No, we won’t. This land is ours now.
See? Very straightforward.
Was randomly giving the land to Israel itself dishonest? No. Frankly, after backing the wrong horse in two world wars—the same horse, both times—taking a track of land the size of New Jersey is the minimum penalty.
Yes, if the Middle East were the continental United states, Israel would be New Jersey, and the rest would be the other 47 states.
“Oh, what about the poor Palestinians?” What about them? The “Palestinian Authority” is the size of Delaware. Gaza is 10% the size of Vermont. If the Middle East wanted to absorb the Muslims in Gaza, they could do it tomorrow. They don’t want to.
My Opinion
Do I have an opinion on Israel? Kind of.
Augustine’s Ordo Amoris gives us the proper hierarchical prioritization of love. You love God, you love yourself, you love your neighbor as yourself, etc. In that order. I love my country and want the best for it. Ginning up enough energy about other countries is a stretch most days.
I like Israel better than most foreign countries these days. I think Israel makes for an interesting United States … accomplice in the region.
“Accomplice” is probably the wrong word. As much as I joked last time that Israel was our Forward Operating Base, they aren’t. They aren’t even an ally, technically. We have no treaty. There are no “friends” between nations, only between people, and people change or they rotate out. I don’t like the term “client state” because that suggests a level of submission that neither side has.
Israel does stuff for the United States. Israel buys our weapons. Israel gives us intelligence. I’m pretty certain they will occasionally assassinate people on our behalf.
In 1981, Israel prevented Saddam Hussein from getting nukes from the French—first by sabotaging the supply ship from France, then by bombing the crap out of Saddam’s Osirak reactor.
So Israel isn’t an ally. Or an FOB. Hence, “accomplice.” Maybe “De facto ally”?
And how can you argue with a nation that is actively involved in developing terraforming?11 Yes. The Wrath of Kahn Genesis Device probably has a “made in Israel” label somewhere. Israel took desert and made it bloom, after a thousand years of Arab erosion, overfarming the land and turning everything to desert.
Israel created USB Flash Drives, the PillCam,12 Drip Irrigation, the literal “Israeli Bandage,” ReWalk Exoskeleton,13 Waze (ruined by Google), ICQ.14
So, Israel is a great innovator. In part because they’re in a hostile environment, and for once, I don’t mean their neighbors.
And you have to like their style.
The Six Day War: “Egypt has the largest fleet of Soviet MiGs on the planet Earth. What we’re going to do is hit them first, bomb their runways, and blow up all their planes while they’re still on the ground, all in the first three hours. Then we’ll enjoy 100% air dominance.”
There’s Operation Wrath of God. After Black September Terrorists massacred Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Europe let them go, Israel sent out Mossad assassination squads to hunt down every last one of the bastards. (It’s been dramatized twice, in movies so bad that both sides of the conflict say they’re wrong. Can’t make that up.)
There’s Operation Grim Beeper, where Israel created a pager company, and then had Hamas and Hezbollah pay for them, so Israel could fit each terrorist leader with a personal explosive. With a final message of “Shalom” before they explode. That’s just … 10/10 for style points. No notes.
So do I “support Israel”? I guess. As much as a random civilian can.
On the other hand…
“They are allowed to differ with the Israeli government. Half of Israel disagrees with the Israeli government.” ~Rabbi Dennis Prager.
Do I have genuine problems with Israel? Sure. I have problems with my own country, why wouldn’t I have problems with a foreign country?
Start with some of the stupid crap Israel does.
How stupid?
During the October 7th attacks,15 did you ever wonder how a country like Israel—with a universal draft— had so many people killed on the ground? Doesn’t everyone have military training?
If author Yakov Merkin is anyone to go by,16 draftee training isn’t even that good. And Israel has draconian gun laws that make California and Chicago green with envy.
I try to wrap my head around the logic. Israel has a universal draft, because everyone around them has a history of trying to kill them. You’d think that, at bare minimum, everyone would have, I don’t know, a level two training in Krav Maga,17 basic marksmanship proficiency with a sidearm, and a rifle. You know, like Switzerland.
No, really. WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE A DRAFT?
I hate that the US gives Israel billions of dollars in foreign aid…. But I hate that the US gives foreign aid. According to Yakov, the “real right wing” in Israel hates accepting money from the US, because it comes with strings. I concur.
AIPAC…. the American Israeli Political Action Committee. I hate these guys mainly because they’re lobbyists. PACs in general are amoral parasites who will give money to anybody of any political party. AIPAC supported Tony Gonzales (R, TX-23) who just resigned for sexual extortion of his staffers—one of whom set herself on fire. And if they’re giving money to Corey Booker, TemUbama (Jeffries), and other Lefties, I’m not really sure how much they’re serving Israel, considering the antisemitic strain in the Democrat party these days.
Do I think they have any disproportionate impact? No, I think they’re lobbyists.
“Oh, but AIPAC is American, not Israeli.” 100% American? Really? Mossad will screw with Israel’s internal politics, but won’t try to influence ours? I’m not fond of America covertly screwing around in the affairs of our de facto (or de jurie) allies. Why should I be fond of any of them18 screwing around in ours?
As I assume AIPAC is at least influenced by forces in Israel (and they have their own internal strife), I also assume that some of the billions we send to Israel is also funneled into AIPAC, back to congress critters. After all, US Government money goes to Planned Parenthood and Teachers Unions, who give to Democrat politicians. US Government money goes to foreign governments and … does not, at all, come back to any US politician? It’s how every other PAC works, why should this be any different?
Yes, that spiraled to every lobbyist group. The only lobbyists I “like” are pro-gun lobbyists—assuming they’re doing their job, like the Firearms Policy Coalition, and not spending contributor money on themselves, like the last NRA President.
Of course, the biggest freaking problem I have with Israel… isn’t even Israel. It’s the Israel First Americans. You’ve seen them. When an Israel tank shot a Catholic church and killed several people, Joel W Berry of the Babylon Bee dismissed it by saying not to worry, no real Christians were harmed. Most recently, Ted Cruz shared a twenty page X-article that said that if you didn’t support Israel, and / or didn’t support sola scriptura, you weren’t a real Christian, and you were probably a Russian Agent. (If that’s the case, Teddy, things are going to get very strange in 2028, with a Vance-Rubio ticket.)
Of course, Ted Cruz isn’t the only one who goes into that. I get flack from “Christian Zionists” all the time, who tie their support for Israel into their theology, and if you disagree with them, you’re not a real Christian… This makes my head hurt. Seriously, there are (ultra)Orthodox Jews who have theological disagreements about Israel’s existence, but Christians are supposed to be in lockstep? What?
Theologically, the nation of Israel was never integral to the people of Israel. The Twelve Tribes of Israel predated the nation by how long? Four hundred years? The nation was wiped out a few times, so I don’t see how integral it is to my theology.
Hell, as a Roman Catholic, Rome could probably be nuked tomorrow and the lack of red tape would probably make life easier. So I don’t see how I my theology needs to support anyone’s nation.
Any support for Israel I have is based purely on international political concerns, which in the Middle East, include civilization versus barbarism.19
Anyway, I think I’ve beaten this topic to death, and I’ve given myself a headache on top of everything else.
Again, feel free to ask me anything in the comments. If you get an email, you can ping me through the comment button at the top.
And please, feel free to buy a book, or leave a book review. Either would be greatly appreciated.
Specifically, Haganah representative Feivel Polkes, as well as some Kibbutzim on the ground in Israel.
Yes, Eichmann insisted that “had I been a Jew, I would have been a fanatical Zionist” … at his trial … in 1961… in Israel. That play to the jury did not work.
Yes, there were other factors. But no one wants to talk about Grand Mufti al-Husseini, and I will until someone listens, damn it.
I’m sure they’ll choose just as poorly in all 11 World Wars. Heh.
Depending on who you ask. There’s a reason “Jewish Atheist” isn’t considered a contradiction.
To the British mindset, that meant he was a leader with great sway, and appointed him as Grand Mufti. Yes. Really.
Want to know where a lot of them are right now? “The broader New York metropolitan area is home to roughly 1.3 million to 1.9 million Jews…. making it the second-largest metropolitan Jewish community globally after Tel Aviv.” Because New York City is just SO MUCH BETTER.
Yes, I know about Michael Chabon’s Alaska novel. I couldn’t get through it.
See: The Camp of the Saints.
See: Alger Hiss.
Specifically: “AgriTech and Water Management: Leader in drip/micro-irrigation, desalination (drinking water), wastewater recycling (over 90% rate, among the world’s highest), precision farming with sensors/AI, hydroponics, and desert agriculture. Innovations help combat global food insecurity.”
Endoscopy in a pill. A swallowable camera by for GI tract imaging
You saw it on Codey Rhodes at the end of Captain America: Civil War.
My wife is in tech.
Yes, it happened. No, you don’t want my opinion on that unless you like talk of genocidal reciprocity.
Seriously, even I have that.
Yakov lives there.
I’m looking at you, Keir Starmer
Do I trust the Abraham Accords? Maybe short term. 1400 years of Muslim history has taught me better than to trust them in the long term.