With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq all but finished, it is inevitable that America will begin to look for new areas in which to flex our economic might through our military muscle. This has been the pattern every few years since the end of World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. Seeing as how the Middle East is a volatile region, and America has some very strong interests, it seems only too clear that the next international intervention by America will occur somewhere in the Islamic world.

While we attempt to secure oil resources for the future, especially in Iraq, America also has a historical relationship with Israel. However, few Americans could likely conjure up a reason for our friendship with the small state, outside of surface level reasons.

Certainly we have interests in the area; mainly that Israel remains a friendly and powerful ally, but the brutal hatred that all parties have for another is based on deep religious ideological conflict, as well as some pretty messy land ownership disputes. America is pretty skilled at combating a foreign ideology, but we have less of a history of toppling regimes simply for their religious inclinations (thankfully). Thus, it would be harder for our diplomats to understand and comprehend the deep divides here, especially when a major party is not Christian (America’s largest religious affiliation). While some may argue this lets us be more neutral, instead it could mean we lack understanding and sympathy for either side.

America should not necessarily look the other way if Israel is threatened, but concerning a Palestinian state, America does not by default need to play a defining role. Isolationism is impossible, for a power that projects itself across the world, but in reality the question of a Palestinian state is more of a local issue that should be solved by local nations. These people need to learn to work together and build foundations.

Seemingly every separate side in the Levant seems to believe that they have the right to the land of Jerusalem. But the fact is, that every group in history has only held onto the area long enough to care that it was eventually taken away from them. Regardless of any people’s belief in divine providence, every religion in the regions’ history has got beaten out by those that they considered infidels. Thus it is impossible to say with any historical or rational reason that one people have more of a right to Jerusalem or the surrounding area than another people. If you want to partition the land back to original owners then someone needs to rustle up some Canaanites or Philistines, or maybe we can resurrect Neanderthals.

The point being that short of making the entire region of historical southern Syria a U.N. protected zone, the entire area will be a hotbed for international bickering and local instability. At least for now, all of the major players in the field are unable to find common ground. Imagine throwing a football, soccer, and lacrosse player onto a basketball court and saying the first one to shoot the puck into the net while riding a polo horse gets the trophy (or the land metaphorically speaking). Does America really want to be the referee in that game? The area is utter chaos because everyone has a different background and they wouldn’t know how to cooperate if the fate of their holy texts were at stake.

Unfortunately many people in the area have grown up in a world where they were told they should hate the other side, that they are evil. Such indoctrination is not easily overcome. Just ask anyone over the age of 50 how they feel about Russians. America should not seek to help people that are not willing to help themselves. If you’re going to build a bridge, you need two sides that actually want that bridge there in the first place.

Most people are good and kind regardless of where they are from, but put anyone in charge of creating an all-inclusive solution to the major questions of Palestine, and all one will have is an order of entropy hold the achievements. Thus, if America wishes to avoid a situation that can only mean headaches for all involved, then we should hold back from the foreground as much as possible. We have enough on our plate here at home with solving intolerance; we should not look abroad for it as well.

In Brief:

While the US might be looking to involve itself internationally, it might be best to turn interest stateside

Religion is a powerful motivator, and in the Middle East specifically, there is plenty of turmoil we don’t need to involve ourselves in

We are not a referee nor a peacemaker, and we need to keep that in mind with our view of other countries