Bismillah, alhamdulillah.

President Obama of the USA in an effort to win over the muslims of the world made the following statement as part of his recent speech in Cairo:

America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.

The question that popped into my mind was ‘why is the bond unbreakable’. The reasons advanced by Mr Obama are as follows:

1. The bond is strong.
2. It is based on cultural and historical ties.
3. It recognises the aspiration for a Jewish homeland.
4. Jewish history is rooted in a tragic history

None of these are ethical justifications for an unbreakable tie. They may justify an illogical tie, a biased tie or a blind tie but are not valid reasons for an unbreakable tie.

The USA shared such a tie with the United Kingdom prior to independence. The tie was strong, based on a higher order of cultural and historical ties yet was broken when the USA declared independence from the UK. The same applies to the tie with Israel.

If someone aspires for a homeland that does not make a tie unbreakable, it may make you pity them or give them a favourable hearing but not at the expense of someone else’s rights. If the Native American Indian population were to rediscover and ancient scriptural book or text stating the whole of the USA was given to them by God … you don’t have to think very hard to see what response that would meet with. So why is it different with Israel?

While a history may be tragic and a cause of collective depression. It does not justify depressing others and inflicting a tragic history on them. You can imagine the following conversation between a ‘psychiatrist’ and a patient:

‘Having listened to your story carefully, I have come to the conclusion that you are suffering from depression.’ the psychiatrist pauses for a moment and then continues, ‘unlike my colleagues I recommend that your treatment should be to inflict depression on your partner. When they feel equally depressed and bleak that will make you naturally feel better.’

The patient, if normal, would be naturally speechless.