A quick google search defines politics as "The activities associated with the governance of a country or area." So is it fair to define the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as political? I seem to sway back and forth. Having studied quite a lot on the subjects of both religion and politics, it is not clear how we can define the situation.
Chapters 5-8 of Karen Armstrong's Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths do not help me clarify any of my confusion. "Exile and Return" tells the story of the Jews and Jerusalem following the destruction of The Temple in 586 BC. We learn of the proceedings of the Jews with relation to the covenant with God and the Jewish law. These stories are based in religion.
Yet one interesting anecdote was when Armstrong states that "Yahweh chose to be with the exiles, not the Judeans who were still living in Jerusalem." So I have to ask, why Jerusalem? If following the destruction of the temple, God followed the Jews who gathered elsewhere, why wouldn't a supposed God do the same in the modern day? Besides the clear history in the city, is it really important on a religious basis? Or have institutions just caused it to be religiously important over time?
Yet one interesting anecdote was when Armstrong states that "Yahweh chose to be with the exiles, not the Judeans who were still living in Jerusalem." So I have to ask, why Jerusalem? If following the destruction of the temple, God followed the Jews who gathered elsewhere, why wouldn't a supposed God do the same in the modern day? Besides the clear history in the city, is it really important on a religious basis? Or have institutions just caused it to be religiously important over time?
Taking this idea into consideration, I return to the question of religious vs. political. In a modern context, it is very easy to see everyday happenings in Jerusalem as religious, political, or a combination of both. But if we look at the definition of politics, and take religion as organized institutions that provide spiritual communities, then what is the best way to approach this?
In a purely governmental context, this situation does not need to be political. The governments, Israeli or Palestinian, don't necessarily need to be organized based on religion. Yet many governmental responses to the conflict are religiously rooted. What I am getting at is this: maybe this situation is more difficult to combat because of recent religious institutional developments. If God follows the people wherever God's people go, then is Jerusalem really important? Or have we just made it that way? Maybe the situation just gets worse as time goes on and life in Jerusalem becomes more religiously based.
I'm not saying that Jerusalem isn't important, just that maybe we need to focus less on religion, and more on politics. And what I mean by politics is intergovernmental relations, not government based on religion.
I'm not saying that Jerusalem isn't important, just that maybe we need to focus less on religion, and more on politics. And what I mean by politics is intergovernmental relations, not government based on religion.
To finish, I have a slightly related video. There was, at one time, a movement (including Theodor Herzl- the father of modern political Zionism) to develop a Jewish state in Uganda rather than Palestine. What would life have been like? Take a look at this modern Israeli music video based on the idea:
I really enjoyed the "Why Not Uganda?" video that you posted. I understand what you mean when you say it would be easy if we could take the religion out of the picture and just focus on the politics. It would be much easier to figure out some sort of solution. My love of Jerusalem and Israel in general is fully built on the religion and the holy sites the contributed to Judaism. When I am in Jerusalem, I never feel more at home than when I am praying at the wall. If the Jewish state was in Uganda or anywhere else in the world, I'm not sure that I would feel as deeply connected to the people, country, or religion. Jerusalem is the full package for me and unfortunately both sides feel that way which is why I feel that this conflict is never ending.
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