Prolonged war in the Middle East?

Op Ed by Helge Nome 

Now in its second month, the war in the Middle East between Israel, along with its US proxy, the Trump administration, shows no signs of abating as more American military resources are being moved into the area.

Iran, under the control of an Islamic theocracy, has long declared Israel a product of Satan, which should be eliminated as soon as possible,

Meanwhile, the Zionist ideology which was behind the creation of the State of Israel. claims divine rights for the existence of a Jewish state in the area.

In the background, in the US, fanatical religious Zionists with roots in fundamental Christian beliefs, are key figures in the Trump administration.

So the stage is set for the sacrifice of millions of people to satisfy fanaticism on both sides of the conflict: Popular opinion in 1914 saw "the war being over by Christmas" (how convenient).

Instead it turned into a world war that lasted for four years, and whose outcome gave rise to the Second World War.

That takes us back to the Thirty Year War in Europe between 1618 and 1648, driven by a mixture of religious fanaticism and territorial conflict, not unlike the Middle East conflict today...