Israeli aircraft bombed an Iranian consular building in Damascus on April 1, and within two weeks, Iran responded to Israel by sending hundreds of suicide planes and ballistic missiles which crossed a distance of more than 1,700 kilometers, passing through the airspaces of several Arab countries before some of them reached the skies of the occupying state (Israel). The world held its breath, fearing the outbreak of a regional war. The major Western powers mobilized their military and security forces. Many countries around the world cancelled flights to the region. Communications above and below the table started to prevent sliding the region into a war.
Are these developments sudden? Of course, no. These recent incidents are directly or indirectly related to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and more specifically to the war of annihilation which Israel is waging against the people of Gaza. Targeting the Iranian consulate is an Israeli attempt to dilute the essence of the conflict, throw smoke bombs and divert attention from the war on Gaza.
Did the war on Gaza begin on October 7, after the massive operation carried out by the Palestinian resistance? Of course, no. There are deep causes which led and will lead to wars in the region, and perhaps in the world. This calls for looking into the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, for the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights, to decide their fate on their own, to build their state with its capital in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and for the displaced refugees in exile to return to their homes and property, according to the international law.
It is true that the current Israeli government is highly extremist, but it is also true that the behaviour of successive Israeli governments has not been better. They are implementing a systematic policy based on annexing lands, expanding settlements, Judaizing Jerusalem, and suppressing or destroying any Palestinian force, as suggested by study and research centres. It means that Western governments which believe that overthrowing the Israeli prime minister can extinguish the flames of the current conflict have a short-sighted idea. The October 7 operation was nothing but an incident which, despite its utmost importance, revealed the hideous pain of chronic Israeli policy.
Looking at the Arab-Israeli conflict as if it began with an extreme right-wing government and then intensified with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is an illogical assessment. All the developments which have taken place – and will continue to surface in the region – as they are a direct reflection of the injustice practiced by Israel against the Palestinian people. They are a reflection of the deception practiced by Western countries which presented “peace initiatives” (Oslo, the two-state solution, etc.) based on strengthening the presence of the occupation (Israel) and burying the Palestinian cause alive. It reflects the policy of strategic deception which portrays that the Palestinian issue has become a burden on the Arabs, and it must be overcome, and normalization policies should be established with Israel, in a way through which each Arab country achieves its own interests.
Security and stability in the region cannot be achieved unless the roots of the conflict are addressed. Stopping the genocidal war on Gaza is the first step in this regard. All countries part of the conflict must realize the seriousness of the matter and make a real effort in this direction.
[by Dr Mahmoud Al Hanafi in Al Jazeera]
Compiled and translated by Faizul Haque