June 30, 2006--Fanaticism XLI--Location, Location, Location, With a Capital "L"

Steven Erlanger’s article in today’s NY Times about the Israeli government rounding up 64 “moderates,” including a third of the Palestinian cabinet, caused both him and me to wonder—to what purpose? (See article liked below.) Yes, there is a kidnapped Israeli soldier, yes Hamas recently won a majority in the Palestinian parliament in the kind of election we have been calling for in the Middle East, yes, yes, and yes. So what else is new? Still, I ask, what is the current government trying to accomplish by detaining Hamas leaders with whom there might be some possibility of talking?

I haven’t a clue. In fact, no one does. I suspect even the Israeli government doesn’t really know what it is trying to accomplish much less what will be the ramifications of this latest action.

But here’s what I do know—the Old Testament folks were fortunate to have a King Solomon around who was renowned both for his wisdom and power. The combination of the two was essential to accomplishing things in that part of the world. Even then. But wisdom without the power to carry out what was thought to be wise doesn’t solve any problems. And power without the guidance of wisdom gets you current day Iraq.

Is there any evidence of wisdom now in that region? Does anyone there, here, or anywhere have a plan that has any chance whatsoever of working? And if there were such a plan, forget “roadmaps,” how would it get carried out? We may think we are the most powerful force in the world, but there’s a word for that too—hubris. And certainly there isn’t anyone in the Middle East who could compel even a Solomaic solution. I try to be optimistic, even in the face of the inevitable, but this situation has got me stumped.

Here’s the heart of the problem—as with so much else, it’s about real estate. Have you been to Jerusalem? If so you know that it is a short walk between some of the holiest shrines of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Dome of the Rock, the rock from which Mohammed ascended to heaven, sits right atop the site of the Jew’s Third temple, and just down the street, which happens to be the Via Dolorosa, the route Christ walked, carrying his cross, to get to Calvary, where nearby today sits the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where Jesus was entombed. All these holy places are contained within a very small piece of real estate--less than one square mile.

Even Donald Trump couldn’t figure out how to close this real estate deal.