High Crimes on the High Seas Part II

There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.

Winston Churchill

The Israeli-Palestinian question, as portrayed by the American Media, grossly understates the potential consequences to the world community generally, and the Middle East in particular. This flawed portrayal is either a deliberate attempt by the media to mislead the public, or the result of a gross lack of understanding of the historical, [regional] political, ethnic, and geographic underpinnings of the conflict. Consequently, American news consumers are, for the most part, misled as to the true nature of this conflict as they only have the benefit of a single side of the story. Case in point, recent coverage of the attempted breech of the Gaza Blockade was one-sided and grossly lacking in mitigating facts. If this flawed portrayal is indeed a deliberate attempt to mislead, it perverts the historical record and assures that there are only losers in the end.

In order to understand fully, the nuances of the Gaza Blockade vis-á-vis Israel’s reasons for implementing the blockade, and its reasons for continued military vigilance, a basic understanding of the historiography of the conflict is required.

It is important to note that there are myriad disputes in the region that date back for millennia. Much of what is needed to achieve a full understanding of the true nature of the Middle East conflict overall, was likely covered in the typical High School history class. What is lacking; however, are an appreciation for the past, and its significance for man’s future. Voltaire put it best when he proclaimed: “he, who does not learn from the past, is doomed to repeat it.” Simply, the mere regurgitation of historical facts is meaningless if it is not accompanied by a passionate appreciation for its predictive value, and a willingness to act accordingly. To be clear, the social and political history of the Middle East is vast and complex—any treatment here is cursory at best, and intended only to highlight the relevant strategic players and locales.

The depth of anti-Jewish sentiment in the Middle East dates back to the time before Christ at the height of the Roman Empire where Jews were more feared than hated. The best historical evidence points to the Jew’s role of banker/financier to many of the nation states in what we now know as the Middle East. Then, as now, bankers were hated, and in the case of the Jews, even feared. Hatred for the Jews grew from a fear of their potential to become financially powerful thus threatening already fragile leadership structures. In his book “Israel is Real,” Author Rich Cohen lays out a revealing history of the Jewish people and their struggles with bigotry and anti-Semitism through the ages. Cohen also chronicles the Jew’s lust for survival and his willingness to die for his beliefs. The Jew existed then, much as he does today—faced daily with a chorus of enemies plotting his demise. It could be said that conditions in the Middle East today are a mere replay of history; circumstances for Jews and Arabs alike, have not changed much since the reign of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire suffered a lack of tertiary leadership, which hastened its downfall.

In the broad view of the world community, it is not difficult to identify nations that serve the role of regional leaders. For example, the United States provides broad leadership insight for the Western Hemisphere, the United Kingdom does likewise for Western Europe, and Japan for Asia, to name a few. While the accuracy of this list is debatable, it should put into perspective the concept of Regional Leader, and serve also to highlight the significance of such a leader for the Middle East.

When compared with its past, the Middle east lacks a strong leader—such as a nation to whom others in the region can turn for moral and financial guidance on the one hand, and to arbitrate disputes on the other.

more to follow...