After reading the three articles, there is so much history behind Jerusalem that I wouldn't even know where to begin. I know that Israel has only been a state for 55 years, but to realize how this all came to be is quite fascinating. I am not the one to say history is my first, second, or even eighth favorite thing to learn about, but the fact that so many countries have had control of Jerusalem over so many years is astonishing. Now I know most countries have similar history in that matter, but with Jerusalem being such a spiritual city, I would have figured that it would have been kept in the same hands for longer periods of time.
With that being said, the history of Jerusalem is out of control. I had trouble getting through it all because of all of the different reigns of control. The more I know about the major points in history, the more I can tie it to what is going on in the Middle East today. I will be the first person to say that I really do not know a lot of details regarding what is going on in Israel right now but I know there has been uproar in the last few months. However, I feel as though Israel has always had something major to deal with in and out of the country. History has played its part and I think it will continue to be this way.
Who knows what will happen in the next month, year, and decade. History continues to amaze us and we never know what is coming next. Will the Palestinians and Jews make peace with each other forever? Will there be war in Israel? Will Israel be attacked for no reason? How long will Israel stand on its own? In my opinion, nobody knows. History is one thing in the world that plays itself out and is extremely difficult to determine.
Hi Max,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I found your description of Jerusalem's history as "out of control" humorous. I think the history is complex as well. Especially since the history is so long. It makes me wonder... how far back does one have to go to still find relevance in history to solving some of Jerusalem's current day problems. As for your question about Israel being attacked for no reason... I would venture to say that a brief history of war would show you no aggressor has attacked for no reason.
Max-
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up some very important questions at the end of your response. I want to offer a few points of reference and also some opinions. First, I will go deeper into your first question and ask if Palestinians and Jews ever make peace at all? As you now see, the history of conflict is a very deep rooted and complex one, so what would it take to get past that? We have hundreds, if not thousands, of years of conflict to resolve... could we possibly put the past behind us and work only with the present day?
Second, your question of Israel standing on it's own. Yes, Israel has passed great hurdles in establishing itself as a successful country on the world level. Yes, the Zionist agendas (Which we will learn about soon, but you can also peruse the internet on the topic. Focus on key types such as political, religious, cultural, and revisionist, to start) that essentially built Israel from the ground up also had much help. This world support continues today, and is a huge element of success. As an example, "for FY(Fiscal Year)2013, the Obama Administration is requesting $3.1 billion in FMF to
Israel."(1)
The aid that Israel recieves annually from the US and other countries is huge, so while Israel is standing on their own, they are also very much standing with the help of others. I'm not taking an opinion on this at this point, just pointing it out.
(1) http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf
I too can relate to how the history seems to be "out of control". Ultimately, it seems that because the area is finite, that conflict has a way of becoming more pronounced than it would be in an area with a greater geographic area. Then again, I suppose the whole reason for the conflict is largely because there is only so much space for so many people. I think Israel will be able to stand on it's own for the foreseeable future, but I believe this position is improved if they were to recognize Palestine as a state/help facilitate peaceful dialogue.
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