# Would the Abrahamic religions work out their differences if Israelstine was nuked by someone else? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2012, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603 "2012-11-20T11:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/1 "2012-11-20T11:17:59Z")
Let’s say a rogue nuclear sub captain decides to blow up Israel/Palestine for funsies. He cackles evilly and tells the Jews and Muslims to go eff themselves in the name of Cthlulu. A few mushroom clouds later, the entire area is uninhabitable for the next few hundred years and the Holy Lands are aglow with a rather unholy aura. Now that a central part of their conflict no longer exists, do the Abrahamic religions give up their fights and live in peace? Do they blame each other despite the captain’s guilt and find other reasons to keep fighting? Do they even bat an eye or is it just more collateral damage in an eternal war? ---
**Author:** ![Bpelta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Bpelta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bpelta)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/2 "2012-11-20T11:20:40Z")
They say that the captain’s problem was that he was an atheist, and continue to fight for their religion, which is totally the most moral one which the captain should’ve joined. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/3 "2012-11-20T11:27:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Now that a central part of their conflict no longer exists, do the Abrahamic religions give up their fights and live in peace? No. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/4 "2012-11-20T11:41:23Z")
I think it’s oversimplifying to reduce all religious conflicts, or indeed even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem by an outside force (it might be less inflammatory to picture a natural cause, like a meteor) would not solve the problems of the West Bank and Gaza, and many people would continue to object to the very existence of the Jewish state there. And I don’t see that religious conflicts in other areas, like the Balkans or Africa, would be affected at all. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/5 "2012-11-20T12:10:42Z")
I didn’t say Jerusalem. I said Israel/Palestine. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/6 "2012-11-20T12:12:25Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > I didn’t say Jerusalem. I said Israel/Palestine. Ah, true. Sorry about that. I still don’t think it does anything to reduce religious conflict elsewhere in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/7 "2012-11-20T12:13:41Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Ah, true. Sorry about that. I still don’t think it does anything to reduce religious conflict elsewhere in the world. Do you think it would even stop conflicts in the Middle-East? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/8 "2012-11-20T12:29:35Z")
Seeing as the conflict is brtween Israel and several Arab and Muslim nations and groups, if you remove Israel then you’ve removed the conflict. There is no conflict between Judaism and Islam other than the terrirorial one; if anything, both have a much bigger beef with Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/9 "2012-11-20T13:02:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Seeing as the conflict is brtween Israel and several Arab and Muslim nations and groups, if you remove Israel then you’ve removed the conflict. There is no conflict between Judaism and Islam other than the terrirorial one; if anything, both have a much bigger beef with Christianity. A few years back indeed once you mooted the territorial conflict there would be no real cause for further trouble – after all, the various Eastern Christian communities had continued to live in peace among most of the Muslim nations for centuries and what other conflicts were there were mostly carryovers from imperial/colonial-era issues. Now, though, with hardline Islamicists having risen, focus could shift to the clash between them and Western/Secularist influences. As mentioned upthread a lot of people would still seek to find a way to blame _The Others_ for incident. Now that it’s moot to liberate the Holy Land, let’s instead avenge it, and go after Mecca or Rome. Or if you want to be traditional, after the Jews for “causing the problem”. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/10 "2012-11-20T13:03:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Seeing as the conflict is brtween Israel and several Arab and Muslim nations and groups, if you remove Israel then you’ve removed the conflict. There is no conflict between Judaism and Islam other than the terrirorial one; if anything, both have a much bigger beef with Christianity. More or less this, although the present common antagonism between Jew and Muslim will continue for quite some time at a lower level out of inertia. But I’d expect the long running rivalry between Islam and Christianity to take over without Israel to be an issue. And for certain Christians to continue to be hostile to Jews, given how many centuries that has lasted. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/11 "2012-11-20T14:17:51Z")
My observation is that there are some strains of Islam that are inclined to violently confront those who don’t believe as they do, sometimes including other strains of Islam. Israel/Palestine has become a focal point for much of this, but is not at the root of it. Even if Israel and Palestine cease to exist there will still be conflict, just centered on other areas and cultures. ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/12 "2012-11-20T15:17:53Z")
No. It’s all about maintaining power. Terrorist groups don’t go away once they’ve accomplished their goals… they just shift focus onto a new goal so that the group will not disband. Likewise, these Middle Eastern dictatorships maintain power by uniting their people against a common enemy, whether it is Israel, America, “The West” or whatever other boogeyman they come up with. They’d just find a new boogeyman, or a new cause. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/13 "2012-11-20T15:21:58Z")
> [@Bpelta](#): > > They say that the captain’s problem was that he was an atheist, and continue to fight for their religion, which is totally the most moral one which the captain should’ve joined. Genius. This is exactly what I would expect to come of the outlined scenario ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/14 "2012-11-20T19:00:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Let’s say a rogue nuclear sub captain decides to blow up Israel/Palestine for funsies. He cackles evilly and tells the Jews and Muslims to go eff themselves in the name of Cthlulu. A few mushroom clouds later, the entire area is uninhabitable for the next few hundred years and the Holy Lands are aglow with a rather unholy aura. I’ll have you know that I’ve talked with Cthulhu and he would never order that, it spoils the meal. You’re all destined to be eaten and radiation does not taste good ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/15 "2012-11-21T06:42:21Z")
If the Jews no longer had a homeland, what would there be left to fight over? The surviving Jews (are you assuming that some Israelis survive?) would migrate elsewhere, either to the US, Europe or into the Arab communities in the Middle East that haven’t been nuked. I suppose the same could be said for the Palestinians. Perhaps there could be trouble if the UN decides to set aside some land for a homeland for the Jews and a homeland for the Palestinians, but if it’s away from each other, perhaps the problem goes away. Of course, if it ends up taking land from someone else, the whole mess starts up again, only with a different set of people. The current fight is mostly all about the land and who has it and who’s being kept off of it. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-abrahamic-religions-work-out-their-differences-if-israelstine-was-nuked-by-someone-else/641603/16 "2012-11-21T17:46:40Z")
. [QUOTE=Ernst Stavro Blofeld] Need answer fast. [/QUOTE] .