By Daphne Anson
Few lovers of Israel can be unaware of Peter Beinart’s advocacy of the replacement of Israel with a One State Solution encompassing both Jews and Palestinians.
Recently the self-promoting Mr Beinart has been discussing his vision with, among others, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic, as heard here. That’s the same Shadi Hamid, author of the book Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle over Islam is Reshaping the World, who has reminded us that
‘Islam, in both theory and practice, is “exceptional” in how it relates to politics. Because of its outsize role in law and governance, Islam has been—and will continue to be—resistant to secularization….
Two factors worth emphasizing: First, the “founding moment” of Islam looms large. Unlike Jesus Christ, the Prophet Muhammad was a theologian, a preacher, a warrior and a politician, all at once. He was also the leader and builder of a new state, capturing, holding and governing new territory. Religious and political functions, at least for the believer, were no accident. They were meant to be intertwined in the leadership of one man.
Second, more than merely the word of God, for Muslims, the Quran is God’s direct and literal speech. It is difficult to overstate the centrality of divine authorship. This does not mean Muslims are literalists; most are not. But it does mean the text cannot easily be dismissed as irrelevant….
If Islam is fundamentally different than Christianity, then there is little reason to think it will (or even should) follow a similar path of a reformation then enlightenment.
…. It means Western observers need to do something uncomfortable and difficult. They will need to accept Islam’s vital and varied role in politics and formulate policies with that in mind, rather than hoping for secularizing outcomes that are unlikely anytime soon, if ever.’
For his attitude to Beinart’s proposals go here
As Professor Alan Dershowitz says (see below) Beinart’s Solution would lead to a demographic war, which the Jews would lose, and which would result in a Muslim state governed by Sharia Law.
Beinart has now removed the mask of a “Zionist”, enabling all but the most Quislingesque or the most wilfully blind to drop the blinkers from their eyes. To quote one succinct critic of his on social media:
‘We know that the real aim of people like Peter Beinart is the destruction of Israel, and its inevitable transformation into another Islamic hellhole state. After securing the safety of himself and his family from Hamas and Hizbollah terrorists lurking in Manhattan where he lives, he is now able to tell Israel to commit national suicide—something which will fall on deaf ears… According to his entry in Wikipedia, he also wants to hand Taiwan, a democracy, to Communist China. Sadly, he was born too late to have moved the Vote of Thanks to Neville Chamberlain for handing the Sudetenland to Hitler, or for spitting at Winston Churchill for opposing it.”
Well said!
And for a passionate no-holds-barred 30-minute demolition of Beinart, here’s Professor Alan Dershowitz, talking to Rabbi Mark Golub:
Leave a Reply