Terror in the Seminary

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, March 14, 2008

The recent assault upon Israeli Jewish citizens within the classrooms of a Zionist Seminary during preparations for an upcoming religious observance is especially disturbing and revealing.

It is disturbing for many reasons, not the least of which is the disturbing manner chosen by the evil assailant. While we in the United States of America have seen so many similar shooting tragedies in our own classrooms and dormitories, perhaps even to the point where we have come to expect them, it is a rather rare method in the current conflict between the radical Islamists and the sovereign State of Israel. The target and the method used is unique in that the evil terrorist chose to attack a symbol of Jewish Zionism and the method of personally chasing down his victims and confirming his kills, rather than the “accepted” method of suicide bombing.

The target of the attack, the seminary, Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, represents the heart of the religious Zionist movement and as such, this assault upon the security of Israel strikes at the heart of the founding of the Jewish national home upon the land promised to them by Jehovah. Obviously, the motive behind this deed, as was the motive behind the assault upon our soil on September 11, 2001, was to shed blood and to instill fear and rage.

The nature of this attack then warrants a more careful examination, not of the relationship between the United States and Israel, as my fellow columnist contends, but of this particular terrorist and, by extension, the radical Islamic movement as a whole.

If we were to perform a spiritual autopsy upon this terrorist, what do you suppose we would find? If we were to peel back the epidermis and probe deep into the tissues of his soul, what pathogens would we discover? Would we see an infection caused by an oppressive Israeli government bent upon the destruction of the Palestinian people? Or would we find a virus borne on the wind from the United States’ apparent support of the Jewish nation? Or would we instead find a genetic cause?

I contend that a thorough examination of this and other Islamic terrorists would reveal an innate predisposition for hatred toward the Jewish nation. This stems from a Biblical proclamation and prophecy. We may try to explain it away with contemporary analyses that would affix blame upon Anglo-Zionist principles and prosperity, but reality would soon sneak up behind us and tap us on the shoulder. As much as we would like reality to be different, the tapping upon our shoulders will grow more intense until we can ignore it no longer.

The root of this conflict lies in the Biblical book of Genesis, just as the root of all conflicts between good and evil ultimately rests, however, in this particular battle, one can trace its origin to a conflict between two mothers. A careful reading of the story of Sarah and Hagar and their respective sons, Isaac and Ishmael will reveal the only acceptable explanation for the deep divide between this small nation of Israel and her Arab neighbors.

A further study of the prophetic books will also show us that this conflict will not be solved by Israel surrendering more land or independence to the Palestinians. And it would not have been prevented by American neutrality in the region.

According to an article in The Jerusalem Post , the talk on religious Zionist radio stations has echoed with talk of this latest attack being a signal to the Israeli government. Many see this as the epic battle between good and evil and proof that one cannot negotiate a settlement that will allow these two forces to co-exist.

The fact that this shooter was an Israeli Arab - meaning he was an Arab living freely among the Israeli citizenry, enjoying the freedom of travel, the freedom of speech and the right to prosperity that is denied many of his brethren in Palestine - shows us that appeasement and satisfaction of basic needs does not quench hatred.

More land will not stop the terrorism. Less involvement by the U.S. will not stop the hatred. There is only one person and only one event that will finally bring this conflict to an end. Sadly that person is not Condoleeza Rice or any future Secretary of State, nor is it any Security Council from the UN. The only person who can bring peace to this region – or any region of human conflict – is the Prince of Peace and the only event that will bring unity between these two warring half-brothers is His return to this earth.

The fact that Israel has agreed to continue peace talks even in the face of daily rocket attacks shows their willingness to seek alternatives to gunpowder and bloodshed. However, the continued assault upon innocent civilians by homicidal terrorists who then hide behind the markets and playgrounds of the Palestinians makes it difficult to carry on civilized dialogue. In spite of my fellow columnist’s belief that the Palestinians just need to “be understood”, the reaction from the citizenry to the attack upon the seminary was dancing and celebration. This is hardly the response one would expect from those who seek peace.