Once again the Zionists in Israel have proved themselves masters of the situation. Once again the Arabs have been defeated on all fronts: military, political, propaganda. Once again their pride—the famous (or infamous) Arab pride has been tramped on. And once again the Muslim masses over the world—whose news is gossip; newspaper reports knowledge and table-talk equivalent of seminar papers—have been led to believe that the only answer Arabs have to Israeli efficiency is impotency.

How far do we have to go back to understand today’s situation? To 1980 when the newly-elected President of the U. S. said he didn’t know who Palestinians were? To 1974 when the Arabs surprised the West? To 300 years ago when Turks refused to accept guns on the grounds that they were tools for the coward? Or, shall we go down into our hearts and search the reasons there ?

But, as absolutely disinclined to carry out any soul searching, or to look back at past history (it gives us too many lessons we do not want to learn) shall we go back atleast to 1974?

It was in October ’74 that the Arabs surprised the West. At times when skill, courage and chivalry of a thousand troops is worthless before a cannon ball fired by a coward, when 20 guns of 500-yards range are ineffective before one of 1000 yards range, when a fleet of fighter aircrafts no better than doves before electronically-guided missiles, at such times and with all odds against them the Arabs started a war, and nearly won it. It would have been a crushing defeat for Israel but for American intervention and supply of 300 tons of war-material to Israel every hour from the third day of the conflict.

It was Arab skill, Arab courage and Arab daring then that shocked the West and shook Israel. And but for massive American help, Golda Meir, the then Prime Minister of Israel, would have committed suicide, reports an actor of the later peace drama : Henry Kissinger. But as it was Arab courage, Arab skill and Arab daring it had to be hushed up. Newspapers wouldn’t.

Israelites were soon back to square one. That is, the kind of religious, moral, social, economic and political corruption that had taken roots in their society earlier, surfaced again after David and Solomon. ‘Baal’ and the ‘Bull’ made reappearance. Respects were paid to foreign deities. Astrology and necromancy gained wide practise. Holy prostitutes adorned temples. And worse, human sacrifices began being offered. Politically, Israel first got divided into two rival states: Israel and Judha. Wars between them were not infrequent and during raids even the Temple was not spared. Within these states, plotting, assassinations, riots and civil war became the order of the day. Political anarchy created petty states thus offering splendid opportunity to the Cannanites, Assyrrians and Phillistines to nibble away territories. With the passage of time it was becoming more and more evident that the period covering the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon was only a small bright spot in the story of Israel’s continuous decline which had almost begun with the death of Joshua. They had by now reached the incorrigible state.

It was fit therefore in the eyes of Yahweh that they should lose their independence. This happened in degrees until in 598 B. C. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon dealt the final blow. He invaded Palestine, captured Jerusalem and led away to Babylon its king and craftsmen as prisioners. Ten years later the Jews revolted and coming back Nebuchadnezzar dealt the blow that was the severest Israel had received since it had become a nation. He destroyed Jerusalem altogether. Not a wall was left standing. The Solomon Temple was razed to ground. Torah was burned. The King’s sons were put to death before him and then his own eyes removed in public. A large portion of the male population was driven away as cattle to Babylon to remain in captivity for half a century.

After the Babylonian main army was withdrawn’ neighbouring states, Israel was never in peace with its neighbours, took to pillaging Jerusalem. Sometime later the Israelites rebelled again but only to draw repression and humiliation from the Babylonians. Thus, as a Biblical commentary has put it, not unsarcastically, to all intents and purposes Israel was finished and the promises to Abraham and Moses were on dead letter. The land that was to flow with milk and honey now flowed with blood and tears.