Zionism - the Crusades continue

During the Middle Ages, European Christians invaded the Middle East and waged war against Muslims in the name of God. Christian support of the modern state of Israel is a continuation of the Crusades as Palestine is ethnically cleansed.

The modern state of Israel was created when European Jews relocated to the Holy Land through the 20th century, particularly following its official creation by the UN in 1948. Following the passing of resolution 181 on 29 November 1947, Israel immediately began expelling and massacring Palestinians. It amounted to genocide and ethnic cleansing ... and it continues to this day with the blessing of most Christians who believe that the creation of Israel is fulfillment of biblical scripture and enough to justify crimes against humanity.

For centuries, Jews and Muslims lived in the Middle East in relative harmony. During the Middle Ages, Christians waged crusades by invading the Holy Land and attacking Muslims in an attempt to claim Jerusalem for Christianity. Most of the violence in the Middle East has been the result of European invasion.

In Europe, Jews suffered persecution and pogroms. Most of the violence in Europe has been the result of European racism and lust for power and territory. It's Europe that has been hell-bent on death and destruction, not the Middle East.

The support of modern Zionism by much of Christianity is a continuation of the Crusades as militant and fascist Christianity attempts to purge the Holy Land of Muslims and claim the land for God. Ironically, Jews, Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

Since 1948, Israel has aggressively expanded its borders beyond those established by the United Nations. Israel is continuing to breach the Fourth Geneva Convention through its illegal occupation of Palestine, resulting in dozens of UN resolutions being issued against its genocidal and ethnic cleansing activities. Yet, Israel continues to belligerently ignore the resolutions while Christians justify or ignore the atrocious human rights violations.

Israel claims that other nations have had fewer, if any, UN resolutions passed against them. However, this is to distract from the human rights abuses perpetrated by Israel. The UN has issued resolutions against numerous countries who have had to comply through either facing the International Criminal Court, UN inspections, international sanctions or peace-keeping forces.

Iraq faced UN sanctions over its supposed lack of cooperation regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Yet, even after Iraq complied with the UN inspectors, they were invaded and bombed, supposedly for failing to comply with UN resolutions.

The United States has unquestioningly supported Israel while condemning other nations which do far less. The US led the invasion of Iraq on the false premise that it had failed to comply with UN resolutions and was harboring and developing WMD. Even before the US-led invasion, international experts were advising that Iraq did not have WMD. Eventually, the USA conceded that no WMD had been found. Yet a decade on and US forces still occupy the country.

Based on the treatment of Iraq by the USA and the UN, Israel should have been invaded and bombed decades ago. Israel is correct that it is treated differently to other nations because it gets away with far more than any other nation.

Following 9/11, the world recoiled in horror as US President, and self-proclaimed Christian, George W. Bush declared a 'crusade against terrorists'. The world feared this would lead to a 'clash of cultures' between Christianity and Islam. Bush tried to explain that it wasn't a war against Muslims, yet his actions didn't reflect that as the USA invaded Iraq and Afghanistan while providing billions in aid for Israel to continue its ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

Israel's arrogance is its greatest weakness. The world is becoming more and more aware of Israeli atrocities and the outrage is growing louder and louder. Israel claims to represent all Jews, yet many of its own people in both Israel and abroad are turning against the Israeli government and demanding Palestinian state-hood, Israeli withdrawal of settlements and tearing down the apartheid wall. The international community is calling for Israel to be held accountable for its actions and the United Nations is investigating Israel's breaches of the Geneva Convention.

On 29 November 2012, exactly 65 years after Resolution 181 passed, the United Nations voted to give Palestine 'non-member' status, which effectively recognised Palestine as a nation state. Of the 188 member nations, 138 voted for Palestine, while 41 abstained and only 9 voted against it. It was a massive kick in the teeth for Israel who complained that the 179 nations that did not vote with Israel to oppose Palestine (including the 41 abstentions) were anti-Semitic. The nations weren't anti-Semitic, they had finally stopped being bullied by Israel.

The writing is on the wall. Unless Israel ceases their human rights violations in Palestine, they will eventually find themselves the subject of international sanctions and most likely an appearance or two in the International Criminal Court.

Yet, they continue to unleash violence against the Palestinians, displacing, shooting and bombing civilians, as well as preventing them from accessing their own farmlands, jobs, hospitals and schools because of the hundreds of checkpoints and the expansion of the apartheid wall through Palestinian territory. When Palestinians fight back, Israel demonises them, however, under international law Palestine has a right to defend themselves from Israel's illegal aggression.

Saladin (who fought against Christian Crusaders in the 12th century) said, 'I warn you against shedding blood, indulging in it and making a habit of it, for blood never sleeps'. Israel has embraced violence as a means of purifying the Jewish state of non-Jewish occupants. Violence begets violence. There won't be peace between Israel and Palestine until Israel ceases the genocide. Israel's aggression and the US funding of it, will continue to feed the development of anti-Israeli and anti-US militants.

Most disturbing is that Christians continue to support Israel's genocidal and ethnic cleansing policies, while claiming that Muslims should move on from the Crusades because they ended centuries ago.

The Crusades have not ended, they have evolved into Christian Zionism.