Wednesday, March 16, 2016

What's At Stake In Safeguarding an "Undivided Jerusalem"

As Daniel Johnson sees it, what's at stake is nothing less than the survival of Western civilization (my bolds):
Jerusalem, as the prophet’s words remind us, has been through more vicissitudes than any other city on earth. The modern State of Israel was right to insist that undivided Jerusalem must be its capital, but in coming to the widow’s rescue and making her a bride again, Israel has focused the world’s attention upon itself — not to mention the insane jealousy of the other suitors. The Palestinians and their supporters won’t accept the status quo, however fairly Israel administers it, because what is really at stake here is much more than a holy city: it is the symbol of our Judaeo-Christian civilisation. The loss of Israel’s control over Jerusalem would signify the impending collapse, not just of the Jewish state but of that civilisation. Why? Not for reasons of political theology, but because Jerusalem, undivided and open to those of all religions and none, is a bastion of the free world. Israel, at once the most ancient and the most modern nation state, has become the front line of Western civilisation, whether or not the West chooses to acknowledge that fact.
The West declines to acknowledge that fact, and is therefore in decline. It also declines to acknowledge what's behind the Muslims' desire to end the Jews' sovereignty over Israel--the fact that, according to Islamic doctrine, once a piece of land has been conquered for Allah, there is no going back.

Period.

End of story.

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