I recently breakfasted with a Christian friend—an articulate, intelligent gentleman who, for reasons he withheld, informed me that Israel was genocidal in Gaza and the chief aggressor in latest Middle East conflict. He was a former longtime parishioner under my pastoral ministry, but his comments, which were not open to discussion, I found extremely troubling.

I asked him how he arrived at his conclusions and got smug evasiveness. I asked about the sources that shaped his understanding of the conflict—answered by more knowing evasions. He knew the situation and certainly didn’t further education, especially by one as biased as me. But he hadn’t asked any questions—and wouldn’t entertain any. Apparently there was to be no discussion of ideas that damned an entire nation and race based on the deafening agitation by aggressive parties historically hostile to all Jewish people.

I was, of course, disheartened. So arriving home I complied a list of questions—lots of them—I wished he’d allowed on the table, questions that would open up discussion of the data and history leading up the most recent tragic headlines. But since such further discussion with my learned friend was less than likely, I saved the list for this post—questions of contrasts and comparisons that provoke serious readers to do their own homework. The list is long, but a quick read-through may be all that’s needed to evoke flashes of mental imagery, bringing a little coherence to the ever-evolving Middle Eastern insanity.

So I offer a test of your knowledge and understanding of today’s Middle East situation, its headlines, actors and critics shaping the latest narratives about Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis and the Jewish people.

Go grab a friend or two over coffee, pull out this list, pretend you’re a Rabbi and see where it takes you.

Keep it civil. And be ready to duck…

1. Describe Iran’s current form of government.
2. Describe Israel’s current form of government.
3. Describe how modern Israel was founded.
4. Describe how Iran’s current government was founded.
5. Is Iran’s government religious or secular?
6. Is Israel’s government religious or secular?
7. Is Iran’s government democratic? How so?
8. Is Israel’s government democratic? How so?
9. What is Iran’s position concerning Israel? Why?
10. What is Israel’s position concerning Iran? Why?
11. What are Iran’s objectives concerning Israel? Why?
12. What are Israel’s objectives concerning Iran? Why?
13. What is Iran’s position concerning Jews? Why?
14. What is Israel’s position concerning Muslims? Why?
15. What are Iran’s objectives concerning Jews? Why?
16. What are Israel’s objectives concerning Islam? Why?
17. What is Iran’s position concerning the USA? Why?
18. What are the USA’s objectives concerning the Iran? Why?
19. What are Iran’s objectives concerning the West? Why?
20. If Iran got nukes, how would it use them?
21. Who is Hamas?
    1. What are their objectives? Why?
    1. How is Hamas financed and supplied? Why?
22. Who is Hezbollah?
    1. What are their objectives? Why?
    1. How is Hezbollah financed and supplied? Why?
23. Who are the Houthis?
    1. What are their objectives? Why?
    1. How are the Houthis financed and supplied? Why?
24. Who/what does Israel and the US target in military conflicts? Why?
25. Who/what does Iran and its proxies target in their conflict with Israel? Why?
26. Who/what has Israel been targeting in Gaza and Lebanon? Why?
27. Who/what has Hamas been targeting in Israel? Why?
28. Who/what has Hezbollah been targeting in Israel? Why?
29. Who/what have the Houthis been targeting in Israel? Why?
30. Explain how Israel is the aggressor in these conflicts.
31. Explain how Iran and its proxies are not the aggressors in these conflicts.
32. Define genocide.
33. Explain how Israel is committing genocide in these conflicts.
34. Describe Israel’s motives concerning their post-1948 conflicts, including the most recent ones.
35. What is the goal of fundamentalist Islam in the modern world?
36. How does fundamentalist Islam believe this goal will be achieved?
37. Concerning the modern World:
    1. What is Iran ‘s goal? Why?
    1. What is Russia’s ‘s goal? Why?
    1. What is North Korea‘s goal? Why?
    1. What is China’s goal? Why?
    1. What is the US‘s goal? Why?
    1. What is Israel‘s goal? Why?
38. How does Iran’s Islam differ from other Islamic sects?
39. What effect has Iran’s Islamic belief system had on:
    1.  Israel?
    1. Lebanon?
    1. Gaza?
    1. Iraq?
    1. Syria?
    1. Europe?
    1. The US?
40. Who is the aggressor in the overall conflict named above?
41. Can the current Iranian regime modernize peacefully? Why/why not?
42. As a result of the current conflict, in what ways do you think the Iranian regime will alter its aggression toward Israel, the Jews, the US and the West?
43. As a result of a hypothetical two-state solution in Israel, in what ways do you think the Iranian regime will alter its aggression toward Israel, the Jews, the US and the West?
44. As a result of the current conflict, in what ways do you think the Iranian regime will alter its declared goals of the annihilation of Israel, the Jews, the US and the West?

Bonus Questions:

1. Based on Iran’s historical pattern since 1979, what do you think it would have done with a captured American soldier or airmen, alive or dead?
2. What would the US and/or Israel have done had the situation described above been reversed?
3. Who is ultimately to blame for the need for extreme security at airports?
4. Would TSA be necessary if Islam did not exist but Israel did?

Final:

1. State your conclusions concerning the above questions. Subjective answers do not apply.

And that’s just my short list…

—j