An interesting perspective on the Middle East

Question

It's easy to say (with accuracy) that the situation in the Middle East is a hot mess. We all know that. Lots of people have become emotionally involved, and we are careening from one emotional story to the next.

I try to sort things out. That's just how my mind works. When I hear accusations, I listen, and I consider, and I try to hold those things in the light of all the facts I can glean about the situation.

I have to tell you up front, here is what MY emotions have been telling me, in no particular order of importance: I support the nation of Israel and long for an end to the antisemitism that has ramped up, world-wide, over the past ten years, to a point where you can't swing a dead cat around without hitting some anti-semitic troglodyte. What happened on October 7 was an atrocity of the most horrific magnitude, enacted by heartless, evil, cruel terrorists. Period. There is NO justification for slaughtering and/or kidnaping innocent civilians.

The situation in Gaza is and has been one of extreme hardship for the Palestinian residents who are just trying to live their lives, work their jobs, raise their families, and make their way through life. What has happened to them since October 7 is heartbreaking, particularly the loss of so many children's lives.

Let me also say this: I have NO idea how this situation can best be resolved. I, along with the rest of the world, will have to watch and find out what is going to happen. We can offer our opinions and suggestions and protests and contributions, but we cannot dictate a course of action that will be adhered to by either side.

On Sunday night, John Oliver, in his Last Week Tonight program on HBO, took on the Herculean task of presenting a clear, concise, non-partisan view of the FOUR players in this turmoil: The Israeli people, the Palestinian people, Hamas, and Netenyahu's governing. I found myself nodding my head through nearly all of it.

I emerged with a better understanding of what is going on and why. I didn't emerge with a way to solve this problem. But I feel much more confident about my level of "informed knowledge" of what the situation is. Prior to the program, I was pretty much bouncing around from one commentator and analyst to the next.

I highly recommend watching this if you are interested in getting a pretty solid understanding of the four sides of this puzzle.

Answer 1

Sometimes there is no solution.

Comments

The “solution” will be when Christ returns!

There is a “solution” just not an earthly one!

Answer 2

There are merely 2 sides … Good and Evil!

Comments

There are two sides to every story.  And for many stories, there are more sides to consider as the story becomes more complicated.

 "GOOD" or "EVIL" may be the ultimate pronouncement.  However, I'm not the one who can make such a pronouncement.  I rely on Matthew 7: 1-2...

Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."

And to say there is no solution on earth, only in the hereafter, doesn't help us when we wrestle with the very real problems that demand at the very least an attempt at solving them.

For example, there is a very real problem in the United States with gun violence.  It is a far greater  problem in the United States than in other civilized countries around the world.  It is one which demands at the very least an attempt to find a way to reduce the severity of the problem.  The "we can't do anything here; we have to wait for the hereafter" crowd tends to be big on saying that the answer is "thoughts and prayers."  Unfortunately, there has been no visible reduction of said problem; only a significant exacerbation of the problem.