Waiting for Godot in the Middle East’s Holy Wars
Monotheism and the clash between Jewish and Islamic idols
“Let’s go.” “We can’t.” “Why not?” “We’re waiting for Godot.”
“What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in the immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come.”
― Samuel Beckett, “Waiting for Godot”
In all the mainstream coverage of Israel’s conflict with Palestinians, we hear a lot about land and terrorism, international law and occupations, historical grievances and peace plans, politics and collateral damage.
One thing we don’t hear about enough in that context is God because God’s name is written all over the Arab-Israeli wars. And no discussion of those conflicts’ religious dimension would be complete without emphasizing the absurd spectacle of monotheists fighting over the right to be favoured by the same (nonexistent) deity.
Jews and Muslims are both monotheists, and it’s not as though Muslims developed their religion with no input from Judaism. Islam is supposed to be the fulfilment of the Abrahamic lineage that stretches from Judaism through Christ to Muhammad.
