Burning Books And Witches In       America, And The Jewish Problem.

Strange days in the New World, with the cross-currents of history leaving tracks on the American psyche difficult for observers to comprehend. On the Right we see and hear with talk of “woke”, fostering a denial of history and the removal of books and teachings, as well as an inherent misogyny, the Right’s modern version of burning witches. On the Left, in Congress and in policy, a discourse promoting the denial of the merits of free enterprise appears to be the program.

Turning their back on any offer of policies that might touch on bread and butter issues, the economic welfare of their constituents, like health care, immigration, jobs, infrastructure repair and inflation, the Right is focusing on denying American women the right to control what happens to their bodies, and removing elements of what is being taught in the nation’s schools, and which may be available in its libraries, to which they might object.

Meanwhile, on the Left, a liberationist philosophy seeks to damn anything that smacks of the exercise of the economic power inherent in America’s strength, its corporations, as something evil, and seeks the transfer of power to a proletariat. This occurs at a time when working people have more power as individuals to define their work environments than ever before in history.  Additionally, there is an antipathy by some on the Left to the reality of a successfully functioning Jewish state. Ignoring terrorism by elements of the territory’s population, they are harshly critical of Israel’s effort to protect itself. Some object to its very existence.

The existence of the sole Jewish state has become an issue with many on the US Left, (suddenly Jews are despots and conquerors, ignoring the history of genocide, of Islamic conquest and solidarity,) despite continuing U.S support for the country. There is a continuing effort to re-write history by some in ways similar to what is being attempted on Right.

After World War I, the victors attempted to wipe away the historic hegemony of the Ottomans (Turkey), by dividing the spoils among the Arab nations, with a small area allocated to the Zionists to solve Europe’s “Jewish problem”.

The administration of this latter problem was awarded to Great Britain under a mandate to establish a Jewish National Home. Britain’s first act was to hive off 90% of the territory, transferring it to an Arab ally. Actual administration of the Mandate, thereafter, appeared to comprise of efforts by those in charge to encourage the influx of Arabs into what had been an empty land held by absentee landlords, and to discourage Jewish immigration in any way they could. The area had been an economic dead zone for a century. Jewish settlement, and investment activity on purchased land, attracted foreign Arabs who were permitted entry in their thousands. The Mandate attempted to drown the “National Home” effort.

When the Mandate ended in May 1948, the Jews were allocated  shreds of the territory in discontinuous form, but persisted in declaring statehood, putting in place planned governmental infrastructure. Seven Arab countries immediately attacked to support an internal insurgency. Jews in Old City Jerusalem, and elsewhere, were murdered by armed gangs. Israel mobilized its population to defend itself. Hostilities continued over a number of years until Israel wrested control of the entire mandated territory. Israel annexed a Syrian height of land to end attacks from there, and eventually withdrew from the Gaza strip.

Under the Oslo Agreement (not signed by the P.A.) negotiated by Israel with international bodies, the Palestinian Authority was established and was granted jurisdiction over the Arab heavily populated areas (including Gaza,) with some shared land jurisdiction. Israel remained responsible for the borders and overall security.

The Palestinian Authority still refuses to recognize the existence of the Jewish state. Israel no longer accepts the U.S.-favored principle of a two-state solution, given the P.A.’s failure to prepare for statehood, failure to recognize Israel after so many years, and its encouragement of continuing terrorism against Jewish citizens. The P.A. is almost totally reliant on the external contribution of funds for its functioning. Having lost the support of its inhabitants, it has not had an election for many years for fear of losing political power to HAMAS, an organization ruling Gaza by force of arms. HAMAS is recognized internationally as a terrorist organization.

Israel, its population increased ten-fold, is now celebrating its 75^th anniversary. It now has peace treaties with adjoining Egypt and Jordan, a state of war with Syria, the Abraham Accords with four Arab countries and counting, and some economic ties with Saudi Arabia. It is recognized by the world as the source of the latest technology in health, agriculture, computer science and defense. People in many countries are benefitting from its research findings, no citizens more than those of the United States of America.