… Because the Bible Tells Me So … ♫

The United Nations Security Council has condemned the building of Israeli settlements on territory captured by Israel in its 1967 war with its Arab neighbors (including the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem). This is quite an unusual occurrence because the U.S., a permanent member of that Council, has traditionally vetoed any such criticisms of Israel but did not this time. Israel, in response, is “re-evaluating its relationship to the U.N.” including a few million dollars it pays to support U.N. activities. That support made possible, we presume, by the hundreds of millions of dollars given to Israeli annually by the U.S.

One news report stated “Most countries view Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel disagrees, citing a biblical connection to the land.”

WTF? “… a biblical connection to the land”?

The Israelis are still playing the Bible card? After all Jewish scholars have basically conceded that the Pentateuch and other early “history” books of the Bible are basically fiction and “biblical archaeologists” have found no evidence for the conquest of the “Holy Land” described therein. Without that “conquest” then Israelis have an argument that they have been inhabitants of that region for a long time, but not an argument for being the sole inhabitant or ruling faction in order to support a sole right to possession of that land.

My guess is that the “Bible card,” like the “race card” in this country, will continue to be played as long as it has the desired affect, regardless of whether there is any merit to it. For those who ask “What’s the harm in believing the Bible?” you can add Israel’s intransigence in making peace with their fellow men because they are “special.” Hmm, I wonder if Israelis describe themselves using the term “Israeli exceptionalism?”