People brought up in the rationalist tradition of Enlightenment seek to understand causes. They are fine with failing to comprehend wave-particle dualism, but sure that social systems are comprehensible. They ask the destructive question, Why?
Why Jews should not intermarry? Why shouldn’t Raskolnikoff rationally kill the old usurer? Why Muslims fight Israel?
The question Why gives a false impression that differences can be understood and settled rather than ignored and fought over. Academics with silly theories of the real world perpetuate the Why fraud. Straightforward theories fail to explain myriad complex interrelationships. We cannot explain why the oil price today is such rather than another, but everyone seems an expert of the conflict history. The Muslim resistance to Israel stem from the interplay of many factors: Koran pronouncements on Jews, Mohammed’s battles with Jews, Jewish collaboration with Muslims and Christians, social upheaval in Muslim societies, demographic pressure, nationalism, fear, arrogance, xenophobia, jealousy, insult – you name it.
The urge to understand one’s enemies is modern phenomenon. Previous generations did not consider national aspirations, human rights, and wishes of others. Understanding leads to compassion leads to defeat. The Allies neither agonized over legitimate national aspirations of German people, nor studied their racial doctrines to find some flaws and persuade the opponent.
Nothing can be farther from Jewish mindset than Why. Jewish way of life was always about deeds, and rabbis reject attempts at explaining the rules. The rules can be explained, but an attempt to do so undermines their authority. Likewise in politics. The moment Jews start arguing about the Arab roots or legal rights to land in Judea, the fight is lost.
Why is irrelevant. Because.
