As a born Jew converted to Islam, you might expect me to be conflicted over the fighting in Gaza. But having a foot in each camp only makes me more convinced that this tragic struggle isn't about religion.
Politicians and extremists on both sides inject religion into the debate, hoping to expand their squabble beyond its true, petty dimensions through support from outsiders. Today, Osama bin Laden released a recording in which he called on Muslims to fight a holy war against Israel.
Muslims, Jews and others people of goodwill who want to promote peace should ignore these pleas to take sides and force these cousins to settle their ancient conflict between themselves. Last weekend's rioting in London as part of an anti-Israel protest underscores both the danger and folly of joining someone else's fight.
Growing up as a Jew in America, I was encouraged to support Israel. I remember the rabbi leading my first year Hebrew School class into the sanctuary to pray for Israel on the eve of the 1967 Six Day War. But as the occupation of territories captured in 1967 stretched to decades, I questioned whether Israel had ceded the moral high ground in the Middle East. Without the moral high ground, it's hard to claim you're fighting for a religion worthy of the term.
Judaism thrived for centuries without a national homeland. In fact, some aspects of Jewish culture, such as the Yiddish language, have been diminished because of Israel, where Hebrew prevails. There's nothing about being a Jew that requires an Israel, or requires Jews to support one. Moreover, insisting that Jews must support Israel invites others to believe the antisemitic trope that Jews, no matter where they hold citizenship, are loyal only to Jewish causes.
Conflating Judaism with Israel is both insulting to Jews and short-sighted. Israeli politicians, like their counterparts in other nations, are guided by a variety of earthly interests. If religious doctrine is on their list at all, it's a low priority, easily trumped by national elections and a key ally's presidential succession.
For Israel, playing the religion card is foolish, too. There are about 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, more than one of out every four people on earth. There are less than 15 million Jews, fewer than one out of every 400 people. If Israel deserves Diaspora Jews' support because of the religious tie, then Palestinians can similarly line up 100-times as many Muslims across the globe (not to mention the world's even more numerous Christians, since not all Palestinians are Muslims). You don't need a degree in accounting to see those numbers don't work in Zionism's favour.
For Muslims, much of the above also applies. It's ludicrous for Muslims in places like Pakistan or Bangladesh to expend energy on behalf of this remote conflict rather than trying to fix their own barely functional states. Moreover, Muslims who reflexively hate Jews ignore their own history. As Michael Morgan points out in Lost History, his book highlighting the contributions of Islamic societies to so-called western civilisation, cohabitation and coexistence were the norm in the Middle East and beyond during caliphate, with Jews and others playing key roles.
These Muslim ruled societies that built on the achievements of the Greeks and were the most advanced on earth while Europe wandered through the Middle Ages. Their accomplishments in medicine, mathematics, astronomy, physics and philosophy are things to which young Muslims (and non-Muslims) can take pride in, rather than glorying in random violence and martyrdom. The Spanish Inquisition, under Catholic monarchs, expelled Jews that had flourished in Spain under Muslim rulers, and under the Ottomans, Jews and Muslims and Christians lived peacefully as neighbours.
The campaign to drive the other religion out of the Holy Land is a modern invention of extremists, not a directive from the Qur'an or the Old Testament, but a political tactic. Appealing to Jews across the globe brings Israel donations and compels US politicians to offer unwavering support or face the wrath of Jewish constituents. Palestinian appeals to Muslims wins support from autocratic regimes that welcome a populist outlet for discontent at no risk to their own rule.
Internationalising the Israeli-Palestinian conflict provides clothes to cover the naked bigotry and hatred on both sides. The current situation in Gaza exemplifies megalomaniacal leaders' belief that no sacrifice is too great for their people to make to further politicians' goals. Without the fig leaf of religion, these leaders might be held accountable for their violent policies and be compelled to seek alternatives. But negotiation and compromise don't mix with religion.
Outside support, particularly from co-religionists who don't suffer under these regimes' misrule, is the oxygen that keeps the Israel-Palestinian conflict burning. Without money, attention and, above all, the illusion of a heavenly cause, the innocent victims on both sides would see the smallness of their leaders and recognise who their real enemies are.