Arnold Sokwa

THEOLOGICAL EXPANSIONISM AND THE CRISIS OF POLITICAL RATIONALITY Recife, February 20, 2026 — Recent remarks by US American Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, during an interview with host Tucker Carlson, have reignited a debate that transcends traditional geopolitics, entering the realm of legal philosophy and the technical analysis of scripture. By asserting that Israel holds a "Biblical right" to take over the entire Middle East — from the Nile to the Euphrates — Huckabee not only ignores multilateral consensus but grounds the sovereignty of a state upon what philosopher Baruch Spinoza would classify as superstition. The Fallacy of "Divine Right" through a Spinozian Lens For Spinoza, the concept of a "Promised Land" as an eternal legal contract between an anthropomorphic deity and a specific group is a construction of the human imagination. In his Theologico-Political Treatise, Spinoza demonstrates that the laws and the "election" of the Hebrews were temporal and geographical political devices, intended exclusively for the organization of that ancient State. From this perspective, using sacred texts as an "original deed" to justify territorial expansion in the 21st century represents a passive affection. Technically speaking, the sovereignty of a state does not emanate from prophecies, but from its capacity to act according to reason to ensure the security and freedom of its citizens — regardless of caste or religion. Geopolitical Realism vs. the Inadmissibility of Conquest Huckabee's claim that "it would be fine if they [Israel] took it all" clashes directly with UN Security Council Resolution 242, which establishes the "inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." 🟠1967 Borders: The international community and courts, such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), reinforce that a two-state solution and respect for pre-1967 borders are the only technical bases for a lasting peace. 🟠 Right and Power: For Spinoza, right is coextensive with power (potentia). However, power exercised through exclusive force and the exclusion of the "other" (in this case, Arab and Palestinian populations of the same Semitic root) is a power that diminishes the State's own vitality, leading to chronic instability. The Ethics of Peace vs. Ideological Exclusivism While ambassadors from G7 governments and Zionist institutions utilize "defense" narratives to justify conduct that international tribunals already point to as illegal, a Spinozian analysis demands a return to True Piety: the practice of justice and charity. Scientifically, DNA studies and historical analyses prove that Palestinians and Jews share the same Semitic ancestry, rendering any distinction of rights based on "purity" or "divine choice" a biological and technical fallacy. Technical Note: Stability in a region like the Middle East will not be achieved through theocratic expansion, but through the application of legal reason that views all men as equal before the laws of Nature and the State.