9/11: The Collapse of Civilization

By Moshe Feiglin




Not only the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11. An entire concept collapsed with them.

The entire idea of the modern nation-state, which beheads the king, confines God to the church interior and enthrones man and society instead - all collapsed like a house of cards to the call of Allah-hu-akbar emanating from the cockpit just a second before the impact that shook the world.

The president of the one and only world power, the standard-bearer of the ideology of liberty and prosperity that had triumphed over totalitarianism, communism and fascism, successfully navigated the stormy twentieth century and remained alone in the face of the collapse of all its competitors – did not know how to respond. The blow that he had received did not bear the return address of a nation state.

A culture had attacked him, a religion had attacked him, a nation had attacked him. But a territory had not attacked him and neither had a state. With no other alternative, George Bush convinced his citizens that the state of Iraq was the enemy. He conquered it, hung Sadaam Hussein and of course - lost.

“If you can’t beat them, join them,” said the Americans – and elected a president named Hussein who energetically dispensed of the remaining values that had built the liberty state.

The American public is disgusted with him and is turning to the opposite poll.

But America will never be ‘great again.’ Like Bush and most of the politicians, neither Trump (nor Clinton) understands the problem. They do not have the tools to deal with it, if it is at all possible.

Since the Twin Towers collapsed, the modern nation state has been collapsing, as well. The values built by the nation-states are not capable of dealing with the challenge of Islam. The first to collapse were the Middle-Eastern states that really never were nation states to begin with. The greater Arab nation is rapidly returning to its natural, pre-Sykes-Picot tribal formation. It doesn’t stop there, however. The nation states of Western Europe cannot stand up against the Moslem offensive. They have become unrecognizable and their fate is shrouded in uncertainty.

Judaism is the only identity that inherently combines nationality and religion. Our nationality is Jewish – and so is our religion. One can be an Arab Israeli. But it is impossible to be an Arab Jew.

“In Judaism, G-d is not the focal point and neither is man. The dialogue between them is the focal point.” (Rabbi Uri Cherki)

This unique integration gives the Jewish State (exclusively) the basis to deal, as a modern state, with the challenge that has propelled an entire shaken civilization into collapse before our very eyes.