Divine Sanction
Rabbi Nachum Shifren (letter, April 24) asserts that the land of Israel is an “eternal inheritance” of his people “from God.” I never cease to be amazed by the alacrity with which Christians, Jews and Muslims invoke divine sanction for the positions that they hold.
The God of the Old Testament “gave” the biblical Hebrews a land that was already occupied; Joshua, the Judges, Saul, David and Solomon took the land of Canaan from peoples resident three centuries before Abraham through unprovoked military aggression.
The tribes that were led by Moses and Joshua, who eventually founded the Davidic kingdom, were no better and no worse than any of the other people of the Fertile Crescent in their willingness to resort to the sword to take what they wanted.
Conquerors beyond counting have justified their wars and aggressions by calling themselves the instrument of God. The warriors of Islam did the will of Allah, the Crusaders shouted “God wills it.”
It seems that almost anyone can justify almost anything by claiming divine sanction. The pogroms suffered by the Jews of medieval Europe were pleasing to God according to many of the clergy of those times. Winners usually write the histories, so it seems that God is always on the winning side.
PAUL WUNDERLICH
Santa Monica
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