It's good to see an article from a mainstream media outlet focusing on the plight of Christians in the Middle East. I like what Russel Mead had to say but unfortunately I don't think it goes far enough. Firstly, he outlines 3 scenarios but doesn't express any support for any. I don't expect him to say " we should let the Christians wither away and die on their own device" but at the same time he didn't express great support to the idea of providing any military assistance to them. He did give examples of successful efforts by groups, like the Jews, Druze and Kurds, who as a result of being armed are able to defend themselves. Again, this is all good, and honestly, I believe it has to go beyond "arming" and a "enclave" but a fully accepted state that will be a safe haven for all Christians in that region. The problem is Christian Arab identity. If all Christians were to unite - abandon their national identity and see themselves as a "people" - the Arab Christian People", not unlike what Jews did in manufacturing a "Jewish people", Christians should manufacture a Christian identity and forge ahead towards creating a state of their own.
Obviously, that is easier said than done. Try telling a Coptic Egyptian Christian to leave Egypt to go fight for a state in Lebanon? Try to get the Lebanese Christians to accept Egyptian migration in the millions? What will it take to get them to unite? Unfortunately, we saw with the Jews, it took a horrific tragedy with the Holocaust that forced many to strip away their nationalist identity and embrace their Jewish roots - want it or not - Zionism and Israel was the life boat for many.
It should be noted, while I believe Israel was born as a result of the Holocaust, I didn't believe Palestine was the right choice for these European Jews who suffered greatly by the hands of Germans - and Europeans in general over the years, to be more accurate. Therefore, the solution should have been found in Europe for them - land should have been taken from Germany to create a state for all the Jews in Europe.
That would seem fair, you punish the criminals and not punish innocent bystanders a thousand miles away from the scene of the crime, The Palestinians had nothing to do with the Holocaust.
In any case, this view is no longer valid as we watch Arab Islamic fanatics slaughter people of different religions.What is a remarkable twist in my way of thinking, I believe today's events justify a Jewish state in the Middle East. I would argue even more so than events back in the 1930's. The truth is, the scourge that threatens Christians in the Middle East today would undoubtedly be threatening Jews of the Middle East as well. Therefore, Israel, as much as I hate to say it, and this has been a painful metamorphoses of sorts for me - has proven it's claims to be legitimate. It needs to exist to be a safe haven for Jews. Jews of Arabia, in my view, have a legitimate claim to land in the Middle East - and therefore, since Israel today comprises more than 50% of Jews from parts of the Arab world - a safe haven for them has proven to be a wise course of preventive action. Israel today spared these people - Mizrahi Jews - an ungodly fate as we watch the Islamic fanatics ethnically cleanse and murder religious minorities in unbridled fashion all across the Middle East.
Obviously, that is easier said than done. Try telling a Coptic Egyptian Christian to leave Egypt to go fight for a state in Lebanon? Try to get the Lebanese Christians to accept Egyptian migration in the millions? What will it take to get them to unite? Unfortunately, we saw with the Jews, it took a horrific tragedy with the Holocaust that forced many to strip away their nationalist identity and embrace their Jewish roots - want it or not - Zionism and Israel was the life boat for many.
It should be noted, while I believe Israel was born as a result of the Holocaust, I didn't believe Palestine was the right choice for these European Jews who suffered greatly by the hands of Germans - and Europeans in general over the years, to be more accurate. Therefore, the solution should have been found in Europe for them - land should have been taken from Germany to create a state for all the Jews in Europe.
That would seem fair, you punish the criminals and not punish innocent bystanders a thousand miles away from the scene of the crime, The Palestinians had nothing to do with the Holocaust.
In any case, this view is no longer valid as we watch Arab Islamic fanatics slaughter people of different religions.What is a remarkable twist in my way of thinking, I believe today's events justify a Jewish state in the Middle East. I would argue even more so than events back in the 1930's. The truth is, the scourge that threatens Christians in the Middle East today would undoubtedly be threatening Jews of the Middle East as well. Therefore, Israel, as much as I hate to say it, and this has been a painful metamorphoses of sorts for me - has proven it's claims to be legitimate. It needs to exist to be a safe haven for Jews. Jews of Arabia, in my view, have a legitimate claim to land in the Middle East - and therefore, since Israel today comprises more than 50% of Jews from parts of the Arab world - a safe haven for them has proven to be a wise course of preventive action. Israel today spared these people - Mizrahi Jews - an ungodly fate as we watch the Islamic fanatics ethnically cleanse and murder religious minorities in unbridled fashion all across the Middle East.
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