While raising some valid points, this article oversimplifies the complex dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It neglects crucial geopolitical aspects, such as Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights and the strategic control of water resources in the region. The collaboration between Israel and Turkey in choking water flow to Syria, for instance, has had far-reaching consequences on regional stability.
Moreover, the article fails to consider deeper, metaphysical explanations for human conflict, such as those proposed by Gurdjieff. This perspective suggests that wars are not solely the result of ethnic, national, religious, political, resource-based, power-dominance-control reasons but are influenced by cosmic forces and planetary influences. Gurdjieff posits that our unconscious “sleep” state makes us susceptible to these influences, leading to conflicts that may seem to have apparent causes but are actually part of larger, unseen forces. This cyclical nature of conflict is evident in how humans go on killing each other for a period of time until enough have been killed, then stop and make peace or treaties or create institutions like the League of Nations or United Nations, vowing “never again” - only to repeat the cycle again and again. This pattern suggests a deeper, perhaps unconscious, mechanism at work in human conflicts.
The article also overlooks the role of “Hasnamuss” leaders - individuals who, according to Gurdjieff’s teachings, such humans in leadership thrive on creating division and destruction. These leaders are characterized by a profound lack of conscience, extreme egoism, and an inability to experience positive emotions. They willingly sacrifice others for personal gain, exhibit unpredictable behavior, are divisive, and appeal to the basest instincts in others. Importantly, they are incapable of personal change or evolution due to their ‘crystallization in wrong hydrogens.’
Throughout history and contemporary times, various leaders have exhibited characteristics that Gurdjieff would classify as “Hasnamuss.” Historical figures often cited include Abdul Hamid II, Idi Amin, Mustafa Kemal Paşa, Ismail Enver Pasha, Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Vladimir Lenin, Pol Pot, Josef Stalin, Mehmet Talât Paşa, and Tamerlane (also known as Timur). In more recent years, leaders who have been controversially associated with such traits include Ilham Heydar Oghlu Aliyev, Jair Bolsonaro, George Bush, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kim Jong-un, Alexander Lukashenko, Nicolás Maduro, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Benjamin Netanyahu, Viktor Mihály Orbán, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Donald John Trump, Xi Jinping and others. It is worth noting that all these examples are men.
While the article does touch on some valid points regarding the power imbalance and potential outcomes of the conflict, its reductionist approach and provocative tone undermine its credibility. A more compassionate understanding of the human condition and historical, geopolitical, and even metaphysical factors is necessary for a comprehensive analysis of this long-standing conflict. This should consider the role of unconscious influences and the impact of leaders who may exhibit Hasnamuss-like qualities.
