MidEast Debrief - Understanding al-Aqsa Flood & Operation Iron Swords - Part 1

By T Gunnar Balstad, Esq.

To understand the Arab/Palestine-Israel Conflict one must have an appreciation for a simple childhood game - King of the Hill.

A quick Bible lesson reveals that 2 Jewish Temples have sat on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem - But what sits on top of the Temple Mount today? A 1500-year-old mosque! The Temple Mount is huge, and at the other end of the mosque is the Dome of the Rock, which is another Muslim holy site that is literally built over the holiest site in Judaism, the Rock of Creation. The Rock, as the story goes, is the single point in which the Earth expanded AND where Abraham was tested to sacrifice his own son Isaac. Jews have a deep reverence for the Temple Mount and many think the Muslim sites are blasphemous.

Muslims are holding on to the site due to its significance - In a dream, Muhammed ascended up to heaven from the Temple Mount where thereafter a Mosque was erected over the Rock of Creation and is now the 3rd holiest site in Islam.

Judaism is practiced with a Temple, indeed Synagogues are often referred to as 'Temple' - but it's not THE Temple, which can only be located in one place, above the Rock of Creation and sitting on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Jesus himself prophesied that the Second Temple would be destroyed and not one stone would sit on another - that happened around 2,000 years ago. For historical reference one can view the Arch of Titus containing depictions of Temple priests forced to carry Temple implements/treasures back to Rome, some of which may still be hidden in the Vatican.  Since that time, Jews have been without a Temple, and in practice, out of a functioning religion.

Jews want the Temple Mount back - but there's a huge problem, demographics. There are currently 2.2 billion Muslims in the world and only 16 million Jews, a 138:1 ratio. Who can Israelis recruit for support in the region? Well, there are about 1.8 billion practicing Christians who are awaiting the return of Jesus as the Messiah (Notable: Islam also thinks Jesus was Messiah AND that he will come again BUT that he is not God) and would like to see the Third Temple built to usher in the end of days. As such, many Christians today provide unwavering support for Israel in hopes of fulfilling religious prophecy. What does that include? A religious war which ends in fire and 2/3 or more of the population wiped out.

As a Deist who firmly understands that God exists, and having the utmost respect for this beautiful creation, these wars sadden me. Indeed, these holy wars remind me of my own children playing King of the Hill during a wretched argument, void of any reasoning or rational thought, they seek revenge at all costs and scorch the Earth. 

What do you do when your children are in hysterics over a land dispute? Separate them and talk it out calmly - or arm both sides with nukes? Are adults who call for bloodshed of innocents acting rationally? Do they represent our collective interests to perpetuate death and destruction; evil?

As a secular state, WHY are we fueling religious wars?

Gaza is currently under siege, the world is under threat from the Jihadi 'Day of Rage', and misinformation and propaganda lead the headlines - thousands will die in the immediate conflict and the spill over is anticipated to be global, no one would be surprised at this point if WW3 started.

To understand these geo-political events one must understand Third Temple politics.

We want Truth and we want PEACE.

More to come on the MidEast Debrief series…

T Gunnar Balstad, Esq.