The Doctrine of Beitar

125 - called "war," but is rather a kind of private dispute, very cruel and dangerous to an unparalleled degree, the matter is liable to end badly. Neutrality is nowadays a business that yields very large returns; it involves many losses and immense displeasure: if these conflicting parties stand in enthusiastic anticipation, with immense excitement and expectation of blows at any moment on the great stage - then the nations will bear all this damage not only with patience, but also with contentment and silence, for every neutral is a sympathizer in his heart. But mere sympathy cannot thrive and grow on materials of opposition and rejection. This fact explains to us why we hear, every time, abrupt talk about peace; and these words are heard even from the mouths of those neutrals, whose concern is like the appearance of the scales. It whispers no less than what we have mentioned: The heavy burden of the war's expenses, imposed in such an immense manner on the mighty forces participating in the struggles and clashes involved in it, which are almost ceaseless. This burden crushes their courage. There is no doubt that there are very important and serious reasons that caused this entire form of warfare to change in the first stage of the conflict; certainly, this form of warfare was a gift from heaven, as it made it possible to gather greater and more significant forces, but it is not possible that they will be able to continue in this form of warfare more than is required by the measure of utility and necessity.

There is no doubt that these were very cruel thoughts; but they suit human nature. And it was our consolation that most of the nations, whom the war affected to their very ends, also thought so.

But even as the conflict in this monotonous form of warfare continued and lengthened, it was enough to unite, to a large extent, the spiritual outlook of most of the general warring nations, even if the remaining millions of souls dwelling within them were allowed to participate actively on the stage, where their interest in the matter is only in a massive way, as material for the victims of war.

The author does not mention Egypt by name; the established laws concerning the matter of neutrality, these laws exist, and it is necessary to take them into account and treat them with the greatest respect. But we all know from experience that the web of "prohibitions" included in these laws