Without assuming the roles of analysts, theologians, or sorcerers, it can be asserted that we are currently dwelling in apocalyptic times. By this, I refer to an era of “revelation” or “unveiling,” wherein all mediations (such as veils, narratives, or diaphragms) are shattered, allowing a Truth perceived as an exclusive one to emerge above all else. The ongoing events in Israel possess an undeniable aura of Apocalypse.

First and foremost, there is the disconcerting invocation of employing atomic weaponry against Palestinians, voiced by politicians and journalists worldwide, regardless of their Jewish heritage. We can ponder, from this audacious perspective (how many others have dared to express themselves in such a manner within the post-war context?), the infamous Samson Option. Back in 1991, Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. reporter Seymour Hersh shed light on this scenario, wherein, following a hypothetical “another Shoah,” the Israelis would employ their nuclear missile submarines to unleash devastation upon the pillars of the world. This indiscriminate vengeance, aimed at targets like Moscow and European capitals, could potentially extend to Islamic holy sites as a retaliatory measure for their perceived contribution to inciting another Shoah.

Moreover, a noteworthy aspect emerges as Hamas’ recent attack reveals a motivation centered around impeding the construction of the Third Temple. In a statement, the Palestinian organization directly references the sound of the shofar and the sprinkling of the blood of a red heifer as evidence of Israel’s alleged intention to demolish the Al-Aqsa Mosque (as reported by the New York Times).

Since the 1990s, it has been recognized that fundamentalist groups like the Temple Institute have gained increasing institutional success in Israel with their endeavors to rebuild the Third Temple. Their ultimate objective is to hasten the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. These organizations aim to create a “flawless” red heifer, even utilizing advanced technologies to select suitable embryos, which would be sacrificed in the Holy City, thereby triggering the culmination of the end times. The sacrifice alluded to by Hamas would be accompanied by a surge in anti-Christian acts of vandalism perpetrated by settlers against churches, with the intention of annihilating religious idols in the land as a fulfillment of the prophecy.

A third element of significance lies in the absence of any dominant external force, often symbolized by “Rome,” that could represent a neutral mediator in this war scenario. Neither the United Nations, whose political influence is nonexistent, nor Moscow, entangled in other conflicts, nor Istanbul (as a meta-historical concept), which has relinquished its imperial authority, nor even Washington, can assume this role.

While Antony Blinken, the principal foreign policy representative of the United States, did meet with Palestinian authorities deemed as interlocutors by his country, during his visit to Tel Aviv he also presented himself as a Jew, descended from survivors of pogroms and the Holocaust.

Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv:

“I stand here as a Jew as well. My grandfather fled pogroms in Russia.” pic.twitter.com/GoVxIcuFYh

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 12, 2023

Lastly, it is impossible to overlook the wanton brutality inherent in such conflicts. On one side, marauding hordes invade enemy territory, mercilessly slaying any individual within their reach, pillaging homes, and taking women. On the other side, the opposing tribe pursues directly aiming for extermination.

For centuries, the West has endeavored to avert such dire scenarios, even acquiescing to the façade of proxy wars, surgical strikes, the pretext of humanitarianism as the sole reason for war, and the relentless technologization of armies and weaponry, all aimed at conducting conflicts in the most “sanitized” manner conceivable. It is crucial to acknowledge that these narrative frameworks have been adopted not only by NATO in the Balkans or Central Asia but also by Russia in Syria and Ukraine.

Alas, we find ourselves descending into darkness once more, with a perilous and alarming degree of unconsciousness.