Iran’s Meddling in Iraq
Iraq is priority for the security of Iran. It occupies pivotal position in Iranian strategic thought process. It also determines Iranian foreign policy in regards to Iraq as they were regional rivals in the past. Iraq is the neighbour with which Iran shares its longest land border. It is the only country which has attacked it. It served as a shelter for armed groups opposed to the Iranian regime. Therefore, Iran has followed a strategy which has three parallel tracks. It is trying to build a system allied to it to support the political process in Iraq, encourage democratic elections to empower the Shiite elite, and promote the creation of a degree of chaos which is manageable. It is also investing in a diverse group of players in Iraq. They are Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis.
Iran has worked to boost its political influence in Iraq by controlling the political process in it and supporting militias and Shiite groups. It has also utilised soft powers. There is religious similarity in Iran and Iraqi society. Also, there is mutual economic and commercial interests. To expand its influence in Iraq and dissuade its Kurds from pushing for independence, Iran has always supported the Kurdish leadership to obtain adequate political representation in Baghdad. It fears that separatist tendencies will weaken the central state. This shows how the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime came as an opportunity for Iran.
(by Huda Raouf in Independent Arabia)
Dissolution of Knesset and Palestine
Amidst a spate of accusations exchanged between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his partner, alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, the “Knesset” was dissolved. It was decided to hold fresh general elections on March 23, 2021. The two men blamed each other for the breakdown of the Likud and Blue and White parties in agreeing on the draft budget, which automatically led to the failure of the government that they agreed on May 17, 2020 to form.
In this controversial milieu, Israel is at the level of the extreme right, the Palestinian officials did not care that what was happening in their neighbourhood was in democratic framework.
The Palestinians are focussing on the personality of Netanyahu. Therefore, the Palestinian reaction quickly came regarding dissolving of the “Knesset” and going for the fourth elections. Palestinian officials expressed their optimism that it would mean end of the Netanyahu era. This reaction is a new example of the narrow-mindedness of the Palestinian political decisionmakers.
One of them told the Israeli media that the Palestinian Authority “does not interfere in the internal Israeli affairs but wants to see the Israelis vote for candidates who believe in a real peace process with the Palestinian people.”
The leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which does not give political right to Palestinians and does not allow constitutional institution to grow, wants Israel to find itself forced to respond to Mahmoud Abbas’s initiatives!
(by Adli Sadeq in Al Arab, London)
Complied and Translated by Faizul Haque