President Trump has been playing friends with the Arab Middle East. Although some economic advantages for the USA seem to be coming from this latest visit, this writer is uncomfortable with so much flattery of the Arabs whose commitments are foundationally and inherently unacceptable.
For me, they can keep their trillions of oil money. We should not want to have anything to do with them. They have been nothing but a scourge on the planet for more than 1400 years. Sure, there are some "nice" Arabs (non-murderous, non-terroristic), but the historical momentum of that culture, whether it be Shi'ite or Sunni, is a murderous intention towards Jews and at the very least open contempt/hatred towards non-believers of any ethnicity.
Trump's speeches focus on the positive and on building up profitable markets that will benefit everybody. But you can't buy truth, joy, salvation, hope, love, righteousness, holiness, or salvation with money or even intentional cooperation with others. Violence and undemocratic institutions are part of the Muslim Arab mindset. Although the Iranians are technically not Arab, I am including them as being part of the unstable, intentionally murderous mindset that has marked the Muslim world since the beginning.
Jeremiah, the great 6th century B.C.E. prophet, spoke clearly and incessantly the words "Peace peace when there is no peace." He understood that shoveling tons of bribes to Egypt to protect Judea and Benjamin from the Babylonians was a waste of time and money. God had reigned judgment upon the people, and no amount of deal making would change the outcomes. In short, the last remaining governance by Jew in the land at that time was about to be destroyed, and that destruction could not be avoided or stopped.
The ten northern tribes had already been defeated by the Assyrians and marched away to northern lands where they would disappear forever. A few of those "ten lost tribes" managed to escape to the remaining two tribes of Israel in the South, but Jeremiah made it very clear that the time of destruction had come for those two tribes as well.
Jeremiah faced tremendous resistance to his prophecies even though they were true. Hananiah, who also held an official office of "prophet" in the Jewish Temple priestly order, totally repudiated Jeremiah to his face, and had Jeremiah lowered by his armpits into a filthy pit. He repudiated Jeremiah's "negativity" and grim assessment of the outcome of the challenge posed by Babylonia towards Judah. Finally, Hananiah released Jeremiah who was humbled and shaken by the rough treatment he endured, and Jeremiah without further argument went back home.
Once home, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah and told him to go back and confront Hananiah and firmly tell him that no matter what Hananiah thought, they would be invaded and that Hananiah would himself die. Jeremiah said, "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also....then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, 'Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore, thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord'." (Jeremiah 28: 14-16)
Of course, as we know, Jeremiah's prophecy proved to be correct, and those who survived the Babylonian onslaught were led away to Babylonia, until -- also as prophesied -- after seventy years, a migration back to the homeland by over 40,000 of the Judeans was allowed by the Persian King Cyrus who had defeated the Babylonians.
This is one of many historical examples intended to show the reader that one cannot negotiate or "make deals" to deflect or sideline enemies of one's society or culture.
Islamic enmity towards Western Civilization pre-dates the State of Israel, pre-dates the Barbary pirates of the Presidencies of Samuel Adams or Thomas Jefferson. It has been in effect since the end of the seventh century when Islamic hordes swept across North Africa and then took over Spain and even crossed the Pyrenees into France where they were finally stopped at the Battle of Tours in 732 A.D. by Charles Martel. Although they were stopped and pushed back into Spain, it was not until 1492 that Grenada, the last Spanish stronghold in Spain, fell. However, Spain still felt so threatened that there was Muslim expulsion as late as 1609.
Even as recently as WWI, the Ottoman Empire sided with Austria-Hungary and Germany against the French, British, and Americans, hoping thereby to reinstate Islamic influence or control in the West.
President Trump's words about prosperity and cooperation are so much pap, flattery, and silliness. Western civilization -- meaning Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and our Asian allies should do business with the Middle East to the extent needed, but a co-prosperity doctrine of friendship is just another type of bloviating, "full ofsound and fury signifying nothing." Despite this writer’s generally strong support for Pres. Trump’s policies and innovations, given the Biblical and historical context, these recent overtures by him to the Muslim Arab world are not wise.
Jack Wisdomis the pen name of the author. He has taught at Harvard, Penn State, City University of New York, Juniata College, and Boston State College, and was Editor of the International Trade Alert, a leading weekly publication in the export-import business community. He also served on the Editorial Board of the Harvard Educational Review.