The Blame Game — Middle East Edition
September 4, 2024
Since the Fall of Man, as told in the first chapters of Genesis, people have been blaming one another for all the consequences for their own misdeeds and all personal problems, and all of the evils in the world. The “Original Sin,” as I have expressed before, was not simply disobedience to God, but it was what other harm precipitated that disobedience.
Yet, it was kind of expected, I think, and God did not give them brutal punishment. He slew an animal and made them clothing to protect them from the world they were now about to enter. “What about the cursing of the ground?” one might query. That was part of the new reality, and they might as well know about it ahead of time. By the way, they were going to be meeting a whole lot of people they never even realized existed, having been living in the cloistered Garden of Eden from the very beginning of their existence.
Now, without spending a bundle of time going through the entire Bible, what is happening in the Middle East lately? In fact, what has been going on there for thousands of years? Let me just simply answer in one word, “conflict.”
Whether you give credence to the Bible story or not, can you see people all around you playing the Blame Game, and, for that matter, looking into the magic mirror, do you see yourself playing it, too?
A word about negotiation, because that is the ideal way to settle conflicts of all kinds, both great and small. An adult setting would be in Employer/Employee Union contract negotiations. That is what I am familiar with — both in techniques and in principles. In marriages, the same dynamic is used., or at least, should be used. Children use the techniques of negotiating all the time. Usually, the conflict is over what is “mine.” Also usually, at least until the child realizes the futility of his arguing, a child considers everything they see as “mine.”
Well, we adults take our claims of ownership to new heights, don’t we? As an example, the Middle East is a cauldron, boiling over with conflicts — everyone involved screaming, “Mine!”
Where have negotiations gotten to the point of solutions so far? I don’t see anything anywhere and doubt if I’ll see anything any time soon. Both sides continually keep “moving the goalposts.” Whatever their motives are, even though the opposing side will never score, neither side will ever score.
While they dither about, every day men, women, and children are dying and being maimed because of their foolishness.
Allow me to quote how MerriamWebster.com defines the process of negotiation: “to arrange for or bring about through conference, discussion, and compromise” … “to confer with another so as to arrive at the settlement of some matter.”
In this way, this definition introduces the nitty gritty of negotiations in ending the Blame Game: confer, discuss, and compromise.
There is an assumed principle, a dynamic in negotiations that is the essential foundation before any building blocks can be mortared into a solution. It’s called “good faith.” That means that both sides are earnestly seeking a compromise solution.
If either or both parties negotiating are not coming to the table with the sincere purpose of settling a matter, why bother?
That is called “bad faith bargaining.” It is just going to be an exercise in futility, and usually, it indicates some are playing to some different, outside audience, and when the audience is political, as in the case of this current Middle East “conflict” — and let us agree that this is not two children fighting over a toy, but a deadly war with much death and destruction — it is setting the stage for the next act of death and destruction — and I suppose continuing staging of acts leading to ultimate death and destruction, and total annihilation — nobody will be left to negotiate.
That would be that.
All the same, the opponents seem to maintain an obsession with the question of who to blame — who is to blame for each and every… the whole mess.
Look, this war started centuries ago and has been persistently rekindled ever since.
I think the major parties have come to the conclusion that they don’t even care about arriving at some concluding agreement.
Sometimes I think who to blame isn’t even what’s on their minds.
It has become an assumption: The other guy is to blame.
So, now it doesn’t even matter. It’s become a moot point.
Both parties are leaning into using war as the only solution.
So, let’s not kid ourselves. There is not going to be a political solution.
Nevertheless, this current war was started by the Hamas terrorists — a fact even the Israel population seems to have forgotten. The situation reminds me of being like a Union calling for a Strike, but all the Union Employees immediately go back to work, leaving the Union Negotiators scratching their heads.
Netanyahu is no King David, but he shouldn’t be left staring at the ceiling, while his citizens are demonstrating for surrendering to Hamas’ demands. So, try to remember that the Palestinians are no angelic beings. They are not about to give back all the hostages until they get all that they want — which I believe is the complete destruction of the State of Israel and the repossession of that land.
I mean, why else did they start the war and take hostages in the first place? Let’s stop acting naive and thinking with our emotions instead of our common sense. Hamas has stated their demands in writing in their constitution. They have no intention to bargain in good faith.
The terrorists were supported both directly and indirectly by the people. Both the Palestinians and Hamas — perhaps passively by the governed, but certainly demonstrated aggressively by the rulers — both would not at all mind seeing the complete destruction of Israel and the Israelis. The destruction of Israel is not just an essential component of their political platform, it is an essential part of their Religion. Look it up.
What I am saying is that the Palestinians have given, at the very least and without objection, tacit approval to Hamas who have been living with them as part of their government, and their neighborhoods, and in the public market, and, literally, right under their feet for decades.
In conclusion, various governments like the U.S. have been suggesting compromises like the “Two State Solution.” Unfortunately, neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis really want the Two State Solution. They want a One State Solution.
What I suggest is that the only solution to this whole mess comes down to, simply put, God.
God started the whole Middle East Civilization long, long ago. Mankind had a pretty good thing going but messed it up pretty much from the Beginning. Beyond that, we continually make things worse, to the point where we, all of Humankind, now exist in a state of perpetual War — and not just limited to the nations of the Middle East today, neither to people in any future Century.
Until Mankind stops trying to find out who to point the finger at — please, don’t point your nasty little fingers at God for crying out loud — until Mankind begins taking a good look in the mirror…
When will there be Peace in the Middle East? When will there be Peace in the world?
I am convinced only when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, returns…
Until then, let Peace begin with you and me…
We all have been playing the Blame Game… Let’s just stop doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results… and if you reject God, who do you propose to negotiate your peace as well as your ideas for future world peace?
Please, at the very least, stop playing the Blame Game.
Accept personal responsibility.
There is a great imposter of peace coming, according to the Bible. Will you submit your lives to that negotiator? There will be a promise of peace, but not the kind you are thinking about. Let me warn you, whoever it may be won’t be on your behalf, negotiating for your best interests, but imposing and exacting moral levies on everyone — a subjugation of people with an iron hand… not offering a choice.
So. in the meantime, let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me…
Wintley Phipps — Let There Be Peace on Earth
