Abandoning All Hope in the Middle East

Since the Balfour Declaration of 1917 (which endorsed the idea of a Jewish state within Palestine) the British government had been struggling to reconcile the conflicting aspirations of Jews and Arabs in Palestine, which Britain administered under a League of Nations mandate. Those who still believed in the possibility of a peaceful coexistence between the two groups got a grim comeuppance in July, 1937 when the Peel Commission, headed by Lord Robert Peel, issued its report. Basically the commission concluded that the mandate in Palestine was unworkable: There was no hope of any cooperative national entity there that included both Arabs and Jews.

The impetus for the commission's formation had been the most recent spate of Palestinian violence. Riots and Arab protests against the Jews in Palestine had been escalating throughout the 1920s and ‘30s. In the mid-1930s, in response to the thousands of Jews who'd arrived from Europe, Palestinian Arabs formed the Arab High Committee to defend themselves against what they perceived as a Jewish takeover. A general strike exploded into a revolt. Desperate for a solution, the British appointed Lord Peel to study the situation. The Arab leadership boycotted the study.

After dismissing the possibility of Arab-Jewish amity, the commission went on to recommend the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and a neutral "sacred-site" state to be administered by Britain. Within two years, Britain found itself in a no-win situation, and on the eve of World War II issued the infamous "White Paper" severely curtailing Jewish immigration to Palestine.

You will note that the foregoing encompasses the period of 1917-39. Now, some 63 years later, this conflict continues unabated, with the added elements of rampant terrorism and increased Israeli military strength. The basic conflict—that of the "inbred" hatred of the Arabs and Jews for each other—remains, and is likely to do so into eternity, precluding any hope for a meaningful, peaceful settlement within our lifetimes. Yet the United States continues its efforts to reach a settlement, one which eluded Britain for decades. One has reason to wonder whether these warring parties really want peace. Our efforts are only leading to an increasing hatred of the United States amongst the Arab countries in the Middle East, due to their perceived or realistic feelings of our leaning in Israel’s direction.

Our leadership, past and present, has disregarded the teachings of history, which is well known to repeat itself. The Arabs and Jews have been fighting and killing each other for the better part of the 20th century, and as we now enter the 21st century, it continues. Yet our leaders seem to feel they are smarter than the teachings of history, and will somehow accomplish a peaceful settlement between these bitter enemies. It's not going to happen! The United States should stop wasting our money, our resources and our time on a "no-win" situation (so described by Britain way back in 1939).

The time for "isolationism" should truly be on the horizon for the United States. We must stop attempting to be the police force of the world. It's not working! Our objectives should be to stay out of all Middle East conflicts; stop all foreign aid (including to Israel); spend our dollars protecting our own shores; cut off foreign imports; re-establish our lost industrial base (we will need it in the event of a major conflict); get our workers back into meaningful, well-paying jobs (not service industry minimum-wage jobs); cut immigration back to a minimum to give jobs to our citizens; establish a workable energy policy; etc.

Sound harsh? Yes, it does. But in today's world, it's "dog eat dog" and "survival of the fittest." We have enemies in this world who are insanely jealous of our freedom, our success, our culture, et al. and who will kill us without a second thought, as evidenced by the events of September 11, 2001. We should remain eternally vigilant and "walk softly, but carry a big stick." We have our government continually "picking our pockets." Let's stop ungrateful foreign nations who are interested only in our foreign aid dollars from doing likewise.

These are my thoughts and comments, and I’m interested in your thoughts and reactions (pro or con) in response. Many great ideas come forth and many problems are solved through honest and lively dialogue (except perhaps in the Middle East).