Patriot Realm

In a defining moment of World War I, British forces led by General Edmund Allenby liberated Jerusalem, ending four centuries of Ottoman rule.

After the daring charge at Beersheba paved the way, Allenby chose a symbolic and respectful approach - entering the ancient city on foot rather than horseback, signaling a new era.

With this humble stride in 1917, Allenby sought to honour the city’s sacred history, cementing his place in history as both a conqueror and a peacemaker.

After all, to the Victor go the Spoils as the saying goes. 

I have to wonder if perhaps what is going on right now is that the vanquished are fighting back....... 

It was in 2017 that President Trump recognised Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the Jewish people, as the capital of the State of Israel.

It was a momentous decision by Trump.... and one that the then Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison followed in 2018. 

What a mess the world is in. I could not help but cast my mind back nearly 7 years and consider how different the world is today.

The current Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong went back on the former Prime Minister's decision to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Still, maybe she is not aware of the history and facts surrounding Australia's involvement with the wresting of the Holy Lands from Islam.

Australia is now, like so many western countries, experiencing rallies and protests where people are chanting " From the River to the Sea " as some sort of war cry to support Palestine and encourage the destruction of Israel as a country.....  and it is only getting worse.

It seems to me that we all need our Jerusalem.

Our place that we call HOME.   That city that symbolises the birthplace of humanity.

Jerusalem is sacred to three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It contains important religious sites such as the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque for Moslems. The city's religious significance makes it a focal point for adherents of these faiths, and disputes often revolve around control and access to these holy sites.

And people have fought for " ownership " of it for thousands of years.

Will that battle ever end? No doubt Jerusalem will be a pawn in politics and religious wars for many years to come.

It is not my intention to argue over the ownership of Jerusalem or the ins and outs of ownership of Australia. But I do see similarities. Australia is now, like so many countries, embroiled in a war over ownership of land and who is the rightful owner.

Who " owns " Jerusalem? Who " owns " Australia? Who " owns " anything these days? 

I can only look to history and see that to the victor go the spoils.  We are in a battle and the stakes are high. 

In fairness, Australia helped end 800 years of Ottoman rule in the Battle of Beersheba,

In fact, the current Australian government stance on Israel is an insult to OUR brave soldiers who gave their lives  - they willingly went to lands unknown to fight and fight they did.

Because we are in a fight for our countries these days, aren't we? In fact, it really is a fight about OUR Jerusalem. isn't it? Who " owns this place? "

As a child, I found Jerusalem was a city of wonder, captured in Bible stories and images of Christ. 

Hymns that were sung at school assembly rejoicing in its magnificence and ( dare I say this ? ) the centre of the HOLY Lands.

In fact, the hymn and lyrics are still some of the most beautiful words I have ever heard. They still give me goosebumps.

It was a tribute to Jerusalem's importance to us - people from all religions and all countries around the world. 

How those lyrics resonate with me in these troubled times. 

I think back to a day, back in 1917, when General Allenby arrived at the Jaffa Gate and quietly dismounted from his horse after the liberation of Jerusalem from the clutches of our enemy at war. 

After Our brave boys from the Australian Light Horse fought and died to take this city, it seemed a kick in the backside to their sacrifice to trivialise what they had done by rescinding a decision that was made in good faith. But that is the nature of politics I suppose.

I will have more to say about the Battle of Bersheeba in coming days, ( following Happy Expat's brilliant article yesterday ) but, suffice to say, this victory on the 31st of October was not just a Battle won for the allies in the First World War. It was won for every one of us who heard those lyrics, penned by William Blake, and that so beautifully articulated what so many of us feel to this day.

Jerusalem is a HOLY City to us and we treat it with reverence and respect. 

Allenby Enters Jerusalem, 1917 from CPX on Vimeo.

 As the speaker says in this video, 

" Nineteen years after the Kaiser rode through here in triumphant procession, through this hole in the wall that had been made for him, General Allenby approached Jerusalem from the West. He rode up the old Jaffa Road on his horse, flanked either side by detachments that had been under his command. But as he got close to the city, in a very deliberate lack of show, he got off his horse, and simply walked into town.

This was, after all, a time when you could reasonably expect a bit of grandeur attached to such an important military occasion. But Allenby shunned all of that, instead opting for an approach of plainness and simplicity. He even ignored the big hole in the wall and simply walked through the side gate. The story goes that as Allenby got off his horse, he said, “I won’t ride my horse into the city into which my Lord rode a donkey.”

What a shame our Prime Minister lacks the humility of General Allenby ..... Airbus Albo would be jetting off on one of his endless junkets..... expecting to be flown in on private jet while supping on a bottle or two of the finest wine and a lobster or two for his significant other. 

For an Australian government to shrug off the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel was an act of enormous ignorance or care for history. More recently, of course, our government's support of UNRWA and the inconceivable demands for ceasefires after what Hamas did to Israelis is beyond comprehension. 

But to fail to acknowledge the sacrifice of our Light Horsemen and others is an insult of unprecedented proportion.

In all honesty, I have to wonder whether Jerusalem should be declared a " sacred site : and no one owns it. Because, after all, it does mean too much to too many to perish in the name of politics.

But these days, politics reigns supreme. Scrap that idea of a sacred site. We have seen this bandied about too often.

To the victor the spoils.