‘Narratives’ about Middle East defy facts

Writer’s copy of 1949 yearbook cover for charity event for Israel (Source: Deane Berson).

Palestinian leader Haj Amin al-Husseini and Adolf Hitler meeting in Germany in 1941 (Source: Multiple)

ISRAEL, JEWS, AMERICA, CHRISTIANS, AND GOODNESS ARE AT STAKE

Discussing a controversial situation with a psychologist colleague in 1994, I concluded with, “These are the facts.” She responded, “Facts don’t count, Deane.”

Her “rebuttal” stunned me!—and became prophetic. The previously liberal but now speech-suppressing leftist/Marxist part of our American culture has stunned us, at first imperceptibly; recently however, by leaps that are frequently unconstitutional.

If facts–actual events–don’t count, what does? Answer: Whatever each person wants. We humans get to make things up; we often create false stories (aka lies/“narratives”) that ignore facts. In doing so, each of us can exalt ourself to be the one who decides what’s right and wrong.

Our Nature Is A Problem

To develop better people and thereby a better society, America’s Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence referred to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”. These moral laws apply to all of us.

Many today, however, believe the false narrative, “You are perfect as you are”; and/or the false narrative that up to half of their fellow Americans and America as a whole are “deplorable” and mockable, e.g., for “cling[ing] to guns or religion” and for being “systemically racist” and “white supremacists.”

These self-assumed elites and supportive media then promote hating such allegedly despicable people as the only moral and normal response. The former treat their falsehoods as so obviously true as to justify blocking any debate as “disinformation.” Any means, no matter how degenerate, is legitimized in order to get rid of the “basket of deplorables.”

“The ends justify the means” is boilerplate Marxism. When too many people substitute their versions of morality for God’s, each competing “god” has a competing version of what’s right and wrong. Chaos is the inevitable result. 

A Major Example

On October 7, 2023, many Palestinian Hamas Arabs said Islam’s “Allahu Akbar,” “God is most great,” while committing inconceivable acts of barbarism against Jews (and some non-Jews) in Israel. If any culture reduces Judeo-Christian values such as the Ten Commandments to mere facts-that-don’t-count–just another ”narrative”–barbarism prevails. When done October 7 in the name of the allegedly benign Highest Authority, Allah in Islam, not only were unconscionable acts of gratuitous cruelty permitted; they were treated by their perpetrators as worthy of being filmed and proudly publicized to the world.

Had perpetrators misinterpreted what Allah wants and replaced Him with themselves and their version? Or had they accurately followed what the Qur’an directs them to do? Which narrative is fact? Citing passages from the Qur’an, the Palestinian, Hamas, Arab, Muslim October 7 perpetrators passionately believe the latter.

Over half of Gazans, 72% of other Palestinians, and others worldwide support October 7. Yet, no response from the Muslim world condemning the Muslim perpetrators. Do their acts in the name of Allah not only desecrate their victims but also desecrate Allah and Islam?

Confusion reigns. We need clarity.

Middle East Facts: 1750 BCE–1897 CE

“Narratives” about Israel and Jews –invented to replace factual Middle East history–have been so effective in the longstanding propaganda war against Israel that Israel’s and Jews’ survival are now at stake. The “Big Lie” repeated often enough becomes “truth.” A fact-based history is in order.

About 3,750 years ago, Abraham, the first Hebrew/Israelite/Jew, left Ur in Mesopotamia to go to  Canaan, the land that would become Israel. “The Lord appeared to Abram [later named Abraham] and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’ [Genesis 12:6-7].”

Since then, there has been a nearly continual presence of the descendants of these indigenous Jews in Israel. The only native, autonomous governments there have been Jewish. At least nine colonial, foreign conquerors ruled in the interims, among them Rome,  Arab and Turkish Muslims, and Great Britain. In 1922, the League of Nations granted Britain a Mandate over Greater Palestine, i.e., both  Israel and Jordan

When the Romans defeated Jewish rebellions in 70 CE  and 135 CE, most–not all–Jews were dispersed.  Rome renamed the Jews’ country from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, “Palestine. ” This included Judea and Samaria, aka the “West Bank” (Since 1967, Arabs  describe the “West Bank” as “occupied” by Jews; many Jews view it as liberated, decolonized from the series of occupying colonizers).

In the seventh century CE, Islam arose in the Arabian Peninsula. Through offensive conquests, Muslims spread Islam to many countries, including colonizing Israel/”Palestine.” Jews there were among those referred to as “Palestinians,” even as recently as the 1950s. (See picture.) 

Middle East Facts: 1897 CE–October, 2024 CE

After 18 centuries of forced dispersion from Israel, the “Wandering Jews” began to return in large numbers. They had never stopped praying and yearning for a return to Jerusalem/Zion/ the Promised Land.

Understandably, tensions arose between the largely Muslim Arab residents and “the ingathering of the exiles.” As a millenniums-old dream was becoming real for Jews, they began to outnumber Muslims in Israel. The situation was ripe for strife. Palestinian Arab leader and Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, provoked lethal Arab riots against Jews. Between attacks, life included peaceful commerce and friendships between some Jews and Arabs.

Husseini was “delighted and pleased by the Nazi Final Solution of the Jewish Question” during his stay in Nazi Germany from 1941-1945.” [See picture.] In Nazi broadcasts he “shrieked, ‘Kill the Jews wherever you find them! This pleases God, history and religion.’”

On May14, 1948, Britain, left the area to Jews and Arabs to solve. Paraphrasing: Within hours, Israel declared its independence as a Jewish state with equal rights for all in the historic land of Israel. Armistices in 1949 with four Arab countries formally ended a war in which Israel had prevailed with a restoration of Jewish nationhood.

In response, eight Muslim Arab countries expelled Jews from their homes without their property, creating 850,000 destitute refugees (See picture.). Of these, at least 600,000 chose to go to a welcoming Israel, doubling Israel’s population. Though they were victimized refugees, neither they nor Israel made that their identity.

In contrast, Muslim Arab countries have kept 3-4 more generations of their brethren needlessly suffering, both in “refugee” camps and from the destructive false identity of victim (of Israel and Jews). What is the benefit to Palestinians of staying alleged victims and to their fellow Arabs for keeping them in that status?

Though little revealed to much of the world, two prominent Arab Muslim leaders explained their strategies and tactics regarding the elimination of Israel:

Yasser Arafat, major leader of the Palestinian cause: “Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we..take…every territory…we can of Palestine…and…use it as a springboard for the final blow against Israel.”

Zuhair Muhsin, member of the PLO Executive Council, said, “There are no differences between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese…the existence of a separate Palestinian identity serves only tactical purposes. The founding of a Palestinian state is a new tool in the continuing battle against Israel.”

Muhsin in 1977 Amsterdam-based newspaper Trouw: “The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel…the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.”

Roots of these goals: Under Islamic law, “Once Muslim land, always Muslim land” and lethal anti-Jewish passages in the Qur’an. No “place among the nations” for Jews and an Israel the size of New Jersey. Yet, according to the “narrative” used in the propaganda war against Israel, Israel is the foreign “settler,” “colonist,” “occupier,” and “oppressor.”  Much of the world now believes this. It has to a great degree replaced the above well-documented historical facts. The “Big Lie” lives.

 Using Lies To Justify Destroying Israel And Jews Is Contagious

The history of antisemitism, the world’s oldest persistent hatred, is that immoral forces in a society usually first attack Jews. However, these forces don’t stop there. The destructive results of “facts don’t count” are not confined to the Middle East or to just targeting Jews.

Libel against Jews, Judaism, and Israel on American college campuses goes on to infect other parts of America and the rest of the world. “Woke,” CRT, and DEI  are proving to be a War On Kind Existence, Crafty Racist Theory, and Destructive Exclusion of Inclusion. DEI seeks to exclude and destroy Western civilization and its Judeo-Christian moral foundation.

But three of American false narratives that do great harm:

Calling a male who identifies as a female “him” is “misgendering.” Fact: calling a person “her” whose genitalia at birth are male is “missexing.”

“The border is secure.”

More skin color, female sex, younger age, and being poor measure one’s character. Fact: Whatever one’s color, sex, age, and income, the entire range of character is found.

Such false narratives are now so pervasive in America that its soul, its Christians, and its goodness are all at stake. Paraphrasing an old U.S. election slogan, as Israel and Jews go, so goes the rest of humanity.

A Sensible, Just Solution

Britain’s 1917 “Balfour Declaration” stated: “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” Israel is the logical, natural location of the remaining 23% of the Palestine Mandate located west of Jordan.

The logical, natural location for a Palestinian nation would have been Jordan: Jordan’s native population was 70% Palestinian Arab and the land granted to create Jordan was the 77% of the British “Mandate for [Greater] Palestine” located east of the Jordan River.

A sensible, just way to achieve peace between Muslims and Jews would be for diplomats to seek a one or two state solution between Palestinians and Jordan. British commentator, Douglas Murray: Israel is a country for which the world has created an unsolvable problem and then given it to Israel to solve.

Diplomats looking only to Israel to solve the problem largely created by diplomats would culminate in replacing a peacemaking country with a never previously existing warmaking country. To achieve peace, diplomats would need to shed their own antisemitism and hold Palestinians responsible for their persistent eliminationist acts.

Israel has long been generous to its Arab Muslim neighbors and others throughout the world, e.g., drip irrigation leading to reduced worldwide starvation; desalinization of sea water; sending disaster rescue teams worldwide; healthcare to all in Israel: the Palestinian population since Israel’s rebirth in 1948 has more than quadrupled, negating “narratives” saying Israelis are Nazis committing genocide against Palestinians.

The Hope

In addition to facts, do intangibles also count?

Regarding Jews, Islam has long not observed its version of the Golden Rule: “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” Rather than ”Both of us,” Palestinian Arabs insist on “Only us.” They use the false narrative that Israel has victimized them as a main way to victimize and get the rest of the world to victimize Israel and Jews.

Despite ever-present reasons for good people to despair, Judaism considers losing hope a sin: without hope, none are left who are trying to make themselves and the world better. Thus, for 1878 years until Israel’s rebirth in 1948, we Jews ended our Passover Seders with, “Next year, let us be in the rebuilt Jerusalem!”

Without hope, God, and our faith in Him, we who are Jews would no longer be here. Helping us maintain hope and persevere are verses in the Torah that so far are facts: 1) “I will scatter you among the nations [Leviticus 26:33].” 2) “I will unsheathe the sword after you [Lev. 26:33].” 3) “You will be left few in number [Deuteronomy 28:62].” 4) “Yet, even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or spurn them so as to destroy them, annulling my covenant with them: for I the Lord am their God [Lev. 26:44].”

Just one of the first three has meant the death of many peoples. How can we rationally explain Jews’ survival without considering Jews’ relationship with God? At the Seder, we read, “in each generation, they arise to annihilate us. But the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hand.”

Given these facts, it would be irrational not to allow for the possibility of the non-rational, i.e., intangibles such as God.

The Torah invites all of us to do what we can to make a better self and thereby a better world. First century CE Talmudic Rabbi Tarfon: “You are not required to complete the work, but neither are you free to abstain from it.”

Each of our individual seemingly just “drops in the bucket” of goodness is a fact that counts. Believing this, we don’t lose hope for creating peace and a better world.

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Deane Berson, M. D. (Roots-wise, David Saranduk Cohan) retired  in 2024 after 50 years as a psychiatrist in Colorado Springs, CO. Contact him at: deaneberson@gmail.com. “This article is my ‘drop in the bucket.’ Please consider adding your drop by passing this article on. Thank you.”