The Longest War

When I feel the hand of power lie heavy on my brow, I care but little to know who oppresses me; and I am not the more disposed to pass beneath the yoke because it is held out to me by the arms of a million men. Alexis de Tocqueville

The Israeli conflict in the middle east is entering the its seventh decade or more, depending on where on starts to count, and still no peaceful or military solution is in sight. It may end up surpassing the Hundred Years War between England and France, starting in 1337. Since the Israel theocracy was founded in 1948, Israel has been at war or in a defensive state. I expect it will continue as long as both sides fight over dogma. Most of my adult life I have been forced to support this religious war.

You may say the fight is not over dogma. Pretend all Jews are Muslims, or all Muslims are Jews, or pretend all people in the Middle East are Buddhists, and the fight would be over. Then you say the Muslims kill each other. True, but they kill over dogma because of their different interpretation of the Koran. Religions always have their splinter groups fighting for power based on a belief.
If Jewish babies were exchanged with Muslim babies at birth and raised in the religion opposite the one they were born in, the Jewish babies could become a terrorists suicide bomber who would blow up their own families, all because of the beliefs and opinions others formed for him, not the beliefs he formed for himself based on reason.

For years many Jews immigrated to Israel. This immigration has diminished in recent years. The Jewish birthrate has declined. Many Jews are starting to ask if religion is worth dying for. Jews are asking why one Israeli soldier's life is more valuable than the lives of a hundred Lebanese women and children. Many will choose the safety of another country over dogma.

Jews have a history of intellectual and moral thought. They have discussed moral philosophy for centuries. This has created a conscience in the Jewish mind which is now starting to dissent from what many see as an excessive use of force.

The many choices available to Jews may be the demise of the Jewish state. Some Jews will say the elimination of the PLO led to Hezbollah and the elimination of Hezbollah will only lead to another guerilla group, so why should I keep fighting for the Rabbis and the Zionists State when I can live peacefully in New York or Los Angeles. The Jews who once saw their race as weak and vulnerable now see themselves as the most powerful military in the Middle East who has enough weapons of mass destruction to wipe out millions of Arabs. The hunted have become the hunters. The story is one that has been told over and over. Power corrupts. The moral dogma of Zionism is becoming the political dogma of the State.

Even without religious dogma, humans will go on killing each other. Humans ignore the reason they enjoy killing each other, they just make up excuses for their killings. Humans, unlike other animals kill over mythical beliefs. Humans, also unlike other animals, kill for revenge.

The war profiteers will continue to exploit the human weakness for war. Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor has seen its profits increase significantly in the past few years. Most all congressional districts have a defense contractor or sub contractor. The labor groups and even liberals make a profit from their labor. They call it patriotism, but, if they were truly patriots and the war was just and moral the war profiteers would work for nothing. Washington's senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Democrats representing Washington, often vote for more war weapons because of the Boeing employees in Washington state.

I have the greatest respect and admiration for the Jewish people. They have brought the world great art and scientific discoveries. But science is not dogma, and art has its own soul.

When Israel was founded the Jews did not feel safe in any place so they said why not create a state based on their history. The Jewish people should have their own homeland for their security. I think their homeland should be in a place that does not create conflict for so much of the world. I would support a constitutional amendment that would give the Jewish people a country in the United States with an equal amount of land area as they have in Israel. Yellowstone National Park is almost the same size as Israel. If the Jewish homeland was in North America the conflict in the middle east would be mitigated. Islam would continue to foster hatred of those who do not practice Islam. I would support a constitutional amendment that would prohibit any religion that was not tolerant of other religions.

People have a right to form alliances with each other. If any Jew has legal title to their land which they received in exchange for goods or services, they have a right to be left alone. I also have a right to decide whose disputes I will get involved with. There are too many conflicts between states, groups, and individuals for me to choose sides based on one side's view over the other side. If I take sides with one, the other will become my enemy. I have too many enemies in the world today because my government forced me to support one side over another.

Charles Tolleson