Essays in Idleness

Every media cliché about Israel and the Middle East — including those which are presented as neutral — is built upon lies. The biggest is perhaps that which was satirized in the Book of Jeremiah — the call for “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” It is that kind of peace that is achieved by negotiations and compromise. Both sides must agree to something less than total victory.

This is the tactical peace, the hudna, or tahidya, recognized by Islam: the ceasefire obtained when you are losing, for the recovery of tactical advantage. War resumes only when your advantage resumes. In the meanwhile, your enemy is suckered by your lies.

Compare this with the peace that followed the destruction of Nazi Germany. Peace was achieved through “Victory Europe”; it consisted of the complete physical annihilation of the Wehrmacht.

To be fair, Islam recognizes something like this principle, too: in the Dar al-Islam that will be imposed when every alternative to Islam is vanquished, so that nothing is left but submission. The world will then enjoy the “perfect peace” of a single Caliphate with comprehensive, absolute power. The Muslim law, that holds apostates must be executed, will assure that it will be a lasting peace, as well. Obey, or die.

To the Catholic, even Protestant Christian, or the Jewish mind, this would be absolute tyranny. Rather than allow this sort of peace to be accomplished, we who are faithful — faithful to God — are committed to war. We are not pacifists: we are not that stupid.

I notice the radical difference in practice between the Muslim way of war, as exemplified by Iran and its proxies, such as Hamas; and our own. Missiles are gratuitously lobbed at the Jewish civilian population, although allowing for collateral damage when their Muslim neighbours are hit, too. Presumably, these latter will qualify as Muslim “martyrs.” Contrast this with the Christian view, enunciated by Saint Augustine: “It is not the punishment but the cause that makes the martyr.”

Israel’s targets are all military, and there are a lot of them. Unnecessary civilian casualties are avoided.

Of course, we want a singular peace. Everyone does, except those who long for death, which is not the Christian or Jewish desire. And peace can be achieved, however transitorily in this world. In this case, it requires the complete, permanent destruction of the Shia Iranian regime.