Israeli media says the Al-Khudaira attack was thoroughly planned, and it destabilized the sense of security within Israeli settlers.
Israeli media said the gunmen were experienced
The attack in Al-Khudaira that took the lives of two Israeli police members and injured four others took place “at the heart of ‘Israel,'” Israeli media said Sunday, adding that it is unlike any of its predecessors.
Israeli Channel 13 said the attack carried out by two Palestinians from the ’48 occupied territories had harsh results, stressing that the Palestinians were experienced when it came to using arms.
“The Al-Khudaira attack has a natural adverse effect on the feeling of security for Israelis, as it is something that has not happened in years,” the Israeli channel said.
They also claimed that the attack was thoroughly planned, and it was far from being an act carried out by just one person.
Al Mayadeen correspondent reported Sunday that a shooting took place in Al-Khudaira, Haifa, occupied Palestine, adding that two of those wounded were in critical condition.
According to Israeli media, the foreign ministers of the Arab states participating in the Al-Naqab summit in occupied Palestine, alongside their Israeli and US counterparts, rushed to denounce the shooting.
Unprecedented blows to Israeli security…and fears of expanding operations
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced on Wednesday that Hezbollah now possesses the ability to convert its thousands of rockets into precision-guided missiles, adding that Hezbollah has also been manufacturing drones for several years now.
In a televised speech marking the martyrdom anniversary of Hezbollah leaders, Sayyed Nasrallah warned the Israeli regime against carrying out any landings or airborne operations inside Lebanon.
“We now possess the ability to transform our thousands of rockets into precision-guided missiles,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, indicating that such missiles are spread throughout Lebanon and not stored in a single place. “We started that years ago and converted a large number of our missiles into precision-guided ones, so we do not need to bring them from Iran,” His eminence said, adding the same concerning the drones.
“We have been producing drones in Lebanon for a long time, and whoever wants to buy them should submit an order,” he sarcastically said. “Our men are able to keep pace with all advancement, we are ready for all developments in the military industry.”
Concerning the Zionist’s recurrent strikes on alleged Hezbollah-bound shipments in Syria, Sayyed Nasrallah said: “The enemy tries throughout its aggression in Syria to prevent the reach of precision-guided weapons to the resistance in Lebanon. I tell the Israelis that what they call a ‘battle between wars’ has turned the threat into an opportunity for the resistance.”
Hezbollah leader also warned the Israeli enemy against carrying out any operation in search for these missiles in Lebanon, saying: “Should the enemy dare to carry out a certain operation in search of our missiles, it might face an ‘Ansariyeh 2’ operation,” referring to the Israeli 1997 landing on Ansariyeh’s shore in which 12 of its Shayetat troops were killed in a resistance ambush.
Hezbollah, Sayyed Nasrallah added, has been managing to improve its military capabilities, revealing that last summer, Hezbollah fighters conducted one of its largest training exercises since 1982. “The resistance decided on activating its air defense in the face of Israeli drones’ threat. Resistance capabilities and structure are constantly evolving, and last summer was one of our biggest drilling seasons.”
Concerning the upcoming parliamentary elections, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the elections should be held on time, rebuffing the claims of those accusing Hezbollah of trying to postpone elections, saying “they are the ones wishing for its postponement.”
“Our slogan for the upcoming elections is ‘We’ll Continue Protecting and Building’, and our environment is the root for all the resistance achievements,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, explaining that in the previous election Hezbollah pledged to protect and build Lebanon and managed to honor its pledge. “All attempts to pressure people against the resistance are doomed to fail, our rhetoric is the one of strength and honesty.”
His eminence assured that Hezbollah will continue to protect Lebanon through the army-people-resistance equation.
“Our strategy is clear and let them demonstrate their strategy to us instead of provocations and slurs,” Hezbollah leader said, urging people to listen consciously and logically and hold politicians accountable with awareness and logic so as to seek salvation and a better future for them.
In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah addressed those attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon, wondering: What have you done for the country? What did you do with the money you received (as donations)? Where are the 30 billion dollars Mohamad Bin Salman and the US alleged they offered to Lebanon?
Commenting on the Lebanese government’s banning of Bahraini opposition events in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah deplored this move saying: the freedom of press, which Hezbollah has fought to preserve, was violated lately by many so-called freedom supporters. Those who met yesterday in the Risalat Hall are the ones who consolidated Lebanon’s identity, and they have the right to mark the anniversary of their revolution. Lebanon has always been the refuge of political oppositions in the Arab world. Who wants to transform it into an oppressive country? Lebanon is the country of freedoms and this is its real identity.
Sayyed Nasrallah began his speech with explaining this year’s slogan #Decision1982, saying: 38 years have passed on the martyrdom of Sheikh Ragheb Harb, 30 years have passed on the martyrdom of Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, and 14 years on the martyrdom of Haj Imad; which makes 82 years of strife and martyrdom symbolizing the “1982” Israeli invasion when Hezbollah was formed back then.
His eminence made it clear that the resistance has embarked on struggling long before the Israeli invasion in 1982. “The resistance has preserved the Lebanese identity with blood and sacrifices and will remain so.”
“Our resistance leaders marked our beginning and our pathway of Jihad and of deterrence equations’ shifting,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, assuring that the resistance will keep the pledge despite all conspiracies and pressures.
Addressing the fact that the Israeli entity was declining, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the “resistance factions in the region, including Hezbollah, believe that the Zionist entity is a fugitive entity that’s falling back.” “The down-slope of ‘Israel’ has started since 1982 when the resistance forced it to withdraw to the ‘blue line’,” Hezbollah S.G. said, quoting high-ranking Israeli commanders and analysts who constantly confirm that ‘Israel’ is on a slippery slope and that its elimination is a matter of time.
Sayyed Nasrallah urged Israelis to leave the region, saying: “We encourage Israelis to leave Palestine, and we’re ready to bear the cost of their tickets!”
His eminence deplored how some Arab countries were requested to normalize ties with the crisis-stricken Zionist entity to help it out. “The Palestinian people shall remain steadfast as the liberation horizon looms through the resistance path,” he said.
Hezbollah’s leader congratulated people from the entire religious spectrum on the Birth of Imam Ali (A.S.) who represents all free spirits in the world. He also announced that he’ll be talking about Sayyed Abbas Al-Mousawi in an interview with Al-Manar TV in a couple of days.
A Bahraini demonstrator sets an Israeli flag on fire during new protests against the normalization of ties with Israel. 16 February 2022. (Photo credit: Press TV)
Dozens of people once again took to the streets of the Bahraini capital, Manama, on 18 February to protest against the deepening of ties between their government and the Israeli occupation.
The protesters carried banners condemning the normalization of diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. They burnt Israeli flags and accused the rulers of Bahrain of abandoning the people of Palestine and their struggle against the Israeli occupation.
The protesters also chanted slogans denouncing the Al Khalifa royal family.
The protests came just a few days after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett paid a state visit to Bahrain at the invitation of the royal family.
Bennett became the first Israeli prime minister to visit the Bahraini kingdom. According to Tel Aviv and Manama, the aim of the visit was to strengthen relations between the two countries.
On 12 February, Bahrain’s foreign ministry confirmed that an Israeli naval officer would be permanently stationed in the country as part of an international coalition that seeks to “secure freedom of navigation in territorial waters, protect international trade, and confront acts of piracy and terrorism in the region.”
According to Israeli media outlets, the naval officer is expected to arrive in Bahrain in March 2022. It will be the first time that an Arab state will openly host a member of the Israeli occupation forces.
The decision to host the Israeli officer is reportedly part of bilateral agreements signed between Tel Aviv and Manama during the visit of Benny Gantz, the minister in charge of the military affairs of Israel.
The two countries have increased cooperation between their armed forces since normalizing ties in 2020.
On 18 February, Amnesty International revealed that the cell phones of three Bahraini activists had been hacked by the infamous Pegasus spyware developed by an Israeli company.
Bahrain is one of four Arab countries that normalized diplomatic relations with Israel in late 2020 under the so-called Abraham Accords that were brokered by the US government.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took off for a 24-hour visit to Bahrain on Monday evening, Israeli media reported.
According to The Times of Israel, Bennett is set to meet Bahrain’s ruler, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, along with the country’s crown prince and prime minister, Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
History in Bahrain – Prime Minister Naftali Bennett just landed in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, for the first official visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to Bahrain. pic.twitter.com/iFzycMDMS0
“This is an exciting event,” Bennett was reported by The Times of Israel as saying before departing. “During this stormy period it is important that from our region there comes a message of cooperation, goodwill and a joint stand against threats.”
Bennett’s office declared that the meeting “will revolve around deepening the bilateral relationship between the countries, after they signed a normalization agreement as part of the Abraham Accords.”
The country of Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in September 2020, less than a month following a similar decision by the United Arab Emirates.
Bahrainis have taken to the streets on the anniversary of their 2011 uprising against the Al Khalifa regime to protest a two-day visit by “Israeli” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to the Gulf country.
The demonstrators staged mass rallies in Manama as well as in other cities and towns Monday night to mark the eleventh anniversary of the February 14 uprising.
“11 years of patience and steadfastness on the path of truth… Bahrainis demonstrate in the Muqsha area on the anniversary of the start of the February 14 revolution,” main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, tweeted.
“Our demands are just… Bahrainis are demonstrating on the anniversary of the start of the February 14 revolution, in confirmation of the continuation of the movement demanding rights,” it said.
Demonstrations have been held in Bahrain on a regular basis ever since a popular uprising began in mid-February 2011, with the participants demanding that the Al-Khalifa regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.
Manama, however, has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent.
The overnight demonstrations coincided with Bennett’s visit to Bahrain, the first since they established relations under a 2020 US-sponsored normalization deal.
Bahrain normalized its relations with the “Israeli” regime in mid-September 2020, infuriating Palestinians, who view the deal and the likes with the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Sudan and Morocco as a betrayal of their cause.
Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip with East al-Quds [Jerusalem] as its capital.
Bennett’s office said the Israeli premier, who arrived in Manama early on Monday, planned to meet with Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.
“The leaders will discuss additional ways to strengthen bilateral ties … especially the advancement of diplomatic and economic issues, with an emphasis on technology and innovation,” it said.
Footage and photos posted on Bahrain’s social media networks showed protesters marching, chanting slogans and holding up Bahraini flags in condemnation of the “Israeli” premier’s visit.
The “Israeli” minister of military affairs, Benny Gantz, also visited Bahrain earlier this month, sparking widespread protests across the country.
Hossein al-Dihi, the deputy secretary-general of Bahrain’s main opposition group, censured Bennett’s visit to the country and said, “We, the people of Bahrain, will remain defenders of the Palestinian cause and do not accept any normalization deal with the occupying regime.”
“Our nation seeks a dignified life and freedom, and the fight against political and financial corruption and the plunder of public property.”
The senior member of the al-Wefaq called for an end to all forms of political repression and plunder of national sovereignty, saying the Bahraini people live under the most oppressive authoritarian regime and suppression of freedoms.
“With the help of each other, we and the opposition have succeeded in showing ourselves to the world, revealing the truth, exposing the government and showing their political, media and legal defeat,” al-Dihi said. “We are outside Bahrain, because our country has become a big prison and the members of Al-Wefaq and the opposition are also detained, and no political work can be done in Bahrain.”
Dihi stressed that “the people of Bahrain will continue to work for justice, freedom and democracy.”
“The Bahraini government is not worried about regional and international developments, but seeks to engage with the Zionists, while all future developments are going against their interests,” he added.
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After the normalization of relations between Bahrain and “Israel” in 2020, the Israeli media revealed the appointment of an officer from the occupation in Bahrain.
For the first time, an Israeli officer is appointed to an official permanent position in an Arab country
Israeli media revealed that for the first time in history, an Israeli occupation navy officer will be appointed to an official permanent position in an Arab country in Bahrain.
Israeli Channel 13 said relations with the Gulf countries are developing rapidly to an extent that even surprised the Israelis.
The appointment was agreed upon after Benny Gantz’s visit to Bahrain a week ago.
During his visit, Gantz signed an agreement establishing security ties between the two.
The Israeli channel indicated that the job of the officer will be to maintain communication with the US Navy 5th fleet, based in Bahrain.
According to an Israeli website, Gantz’s visit to Bahrain aims to “establish a seaport in Bahrain, with the purpose of exploiting or using it as a base for the Israeli navy against Iran, with US mediation and Bahraini approval.”
The Bahraini regime has been holding six boys in detention for several weeks, the rights group Human Rights Watch said.
It said the Manama regime has presented no justification for their detention.
In a joint report with the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy [BIRD], HRW noted that the six teenagers are aged 14 to 15.
The boys, from the Sitra area, are being held on the orders of the public prosecutor’s office at the Beit Batelco facility in Seef district, which a government website describes as an “institution … for children of unknown parentage, orphans and children of broken families up to the age of 15.” The children’s alleged offenses appear to have occurred in December 2020 or January 2021, when they were 13 and 14, based on the boys’ recollections of their interrogations. A statement by the Office of the Public Prosecution alleges they threw Molotov cocktails that damaged a car near a police station.
“Last year Bahrain touted its legal reforms for children, but locking up children in an orphanage instead of a jail is hardly an improvement when their detention is arbitrary in the first place,” said Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “The treatment of these boys is a test of Bahrain’s respect for children’s rights, and so far the authorities are failing.”
Their family’s request for attending interrogation sessions has been rejected by the authorities, according to the report.
Rights groups slammed the ruling Al Khalifa regime for failing to respect the rights of children, adding that keeping kids in child care centers instead of prisons does not justify their arbitrary detention.
Ever since 2011, Bahraini people have been holding peaceful protest rallies on an almost daily basis, demanding that the Al Khalifa family relinquish power and let a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.
Manama has responded to the protests with lethal force, drawing international criticism. In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were also deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.
Posted on February 1, 2022 by uprootedpalestinians
The UAE thought it could protect its Yemeni interests with Israel’s help. Then the Israeli president visited Abu Dhabi and Yemen dropped missiles to welcome him.
UAE Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Abu Dhabi, hours before Ansarallah retaliatory strikes hit the city.Photo Credit: The Cradle
Hours after Israel’s president arrived in Abu Dhabi, marking the first ever visit of its kind, Yemeni resistance movement Ansarallah fired ballistic missiles at targeted sites in the UAE’s capital.
Any question as to how the Houthis will respond to Israel’s military and logistical role in the Saudi-UAE war on Yemen was answered by a few well-timed projectiles. The question now is, how will each side respond?
Israel’s highest officials have been flocking to Abu Dhabi in abundance these days. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s visit last month was followed, on Sunday, by the jarring spectacle of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s plane crossing Saudi airspace – a video of which was beamed to social media in a jiffy – before landing at Abu Dhabi’s airport.
There, Herzog was greeted by no less a personage than Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed (MbZ), Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE’s Armed Forces.
This visit, which Herzog described as “historic,” comes just days after the UAE was bombarded with ballistic missiles and drones by Yemen, in retaliatory strikes. The Emirati defense systems, ground and air, failed to confront most of the projectiles, which is why air navigation at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports were briefly disrupted, and fuel tanks exploded at a refinery belonging to giant oil company ADNOC.
Since the signing of the September 2020 Abraham Accords under intense US pressure, Israelis have lined up in droves to visit the UAE, which has admitted more than two hundred thousand Israelis to date.
The Israeli visitors, it transpires, created more problems than the profits and gains made by the host country. Hebrew newspapers have extensively documented their shenanigans, which include theft, fraud, drugs, and money laundering in the Emirates.
But Herzog is on no ‘apology tour.’ Instead, what was remarkable were his remarks on the battle in Yemen, a brutal war co-launched by his Emirati hosts. The Israeli president seemed keen to “condemn the Houthi missile attacks that targeted the UAE, condemn any attack on its sovereignty by terrorist groups, and affirm their readiness to respond to its security requirements.”
We do not know what the Israeli occupation state thinks it can provide to protect the UAE, its security, and its stability – or how it believes it can succeed where the US and its NATO allies have failed.
When Ansarallah’s ballistic missiles on 24 January targeted the Al Dhafra base in Abu Dhabi, home to 3,500 American and British soldiers and tens of missile systems for US Patriot batteries and their more advanced THAAD systems, these soldiers fled to shelters for safety.
The Israeli army, whose government boasts that it cannot be defeated, was defeated and humiliated several times: the first in 2000 when it fled from southern Lebanon, unilaterally, without an agreement; the second, in the South Lebanon war of July 2006; the third, in May 2021’s Battle of the Sword of Jerusalem, when then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begged US President Joe Biden to mediate with the Egyptian government to intervene to stop the war on its eleventh day.
Can this army, which is more than 1,500 kilometers away from Abu Dhabi, protect the Emirates and provide it with security and stability? Will it confront the imagined Iranian “aggression,” as Israeli officials claim and pledge?
Tel Aviv sells an illusion to the UAE and other Arab countries that have signed peace agreements with it. Under the facade of ‘peace,’ Israel engages with Arabs mockingly – focused on exploiting every advantage via blackmail, theft, threat and bluster.
In the UAE’s case, Israel works to dispel a double concern – the first for some Emiratis, and the second for most Israelis – which is the growing strength of the region’s Axis of Resistance and its massive and advanced military and missile capabilities.
On Sunday, Israeli military analyst Alon Ben David revealed in a Maariv article why the Israeli government rejected a $3.5 billion arms deal to the UAE – including the transfer of the “Iron Dome” and “David’s Sling.” Put simply, Tel Aviv feared the leaking of these sensitive systems technologies to Iran and Yemen’s Houthis. The UAE has since headed to South Korea in search of alternatives.
This refusal means, at first glance, that the Israeli “ally” does not trust his Emirati counterpart, or his ability to protect himself and preserve these systems and their secrets. It is not to say that Tel Aviv expects Abu Dhabi to hand over its secrets; rather, Israel doesn’t exclude the possibility of an invasion and occupation of the Emirates by a third party, which could then commandeer the Israeli military systems and decipher its technological secrets.
There is another reason for Tel Aviv’s block on the weapons transfer that should not be ignored: Israel’s leadership does not want to directly and publicly involve itself in the Yemen war. It is well aware that providing any notable military or security assistance to the Emirates could result in Ansarallah retaliatory missile responses in the depths of Israel or on its ships in the Red Sea, through which 80 percent of its exports pass.
The distance between Sanaa and Abu Dhabi (1500 km) is the same between Saada and Eilat, and whomever can hit one, will not hesitate to hit the other, if the situation demands.
On Monday, the Israeli president is supposed to inaugurate his country’s pavilion at the ‘Expo 2020’ in Dubai. This highly-hyped Emirati exhibition, according to some Ansarallah spokesmen, is one of the expected targets of missile strikes – if the UAE continues to intervene in two crucial battles in the Marib and Shabwah governorates.
The United Arab Emirates has committed two strategic mistakes. The first, is its involvement in the Yemen war seven years ago. The second, is in signing the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with the Israeli occupation state.
If the first mistake drained it financially and morally, the second one has created an existential threat for its security and stability.
Simply put, the UAE has placed bad bets on worse allies – successive Israeli defeats, the imminent US withdrawal from West Asia after its humiliating exit from Afghanistan, and the approaching settlement of the Vienna nuclear negotiations – which, negative or positive, will not hinder Iran’s regional trajectory one bit.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
In less than two years, former President Trump’s Middle East peace agreement is in shambles and the Israel lobby is desperate to revive it, no matter the cost.
WASHINGTON — Earlier this month, Congress launched the bicameral, bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus to support normalization between Israel and Arab states. Backed by pro-Israel groups, this new political development can be interpreted as a way for the Israel lobby to regain its power over a U.S. Congress that is increasingly critical of Israel.
Described as a “cheerleading squad” in the Jewish Insider by its co-chair, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), the caucus’s stated goals include expanding the Abraham Accords agreements and fostering regional peace. The group’s other co-chairs are Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), David Trone (D-MD), Ann Wagner (R-MO), and Brad Schneider (D-IL).
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) speculated that one of the caucus’ top priorities may be passing the Israel Relations Normalization Act, a bill requiring the United States Department of State to promote normalization between Israel and Arab countries. The IMEU also outlined why the new caucus is particularly controversial, highlighting how the group could be used to crack down on criticism of the Israeli government.
IMEU said in its policy analysis:
In addition to the problematic nature of reifying Trump-administration deals with authoritarian regimes, this legislation is controversial for additional reasons, among which are: A statement of policy “to oppose efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel.” In other legislative initiatives, this vague phraseology has been used as coded language to propose the suppression and even criminalization of freedom of expression to criticize Israeli policies.
The idea that the Abraham Accords need a “cheerleading squad” is particularly fitting in this political climate in which traditional bipartisan support is waning, Zaha Hassan, a policy analyst at Palestinian think tank Al-Shabaka, explained to MintPress News, adding:
The folks that started the Abraham Accords Caucus decided to pursue this because they see that the U.S. administration isn’t being active enough in expanding and deepening the Abraham Accords.”
As Congress votes this week on expanding #AbrahamAccords & putting it on steriods, this thread is critical context for understanding why #Israel Relations #Normalization Act is more about entrenching Israel's illegal settlements than abt peacebuilding & #Palestinian prosperity. https://t.co/7e8z5oPk4L
Hassan noted that the timing of the caucus’s debut is important to note as well, as politicians — specifically Democratic members of Congress — and the public have started questioning or even condemning Israel’s actions. She explained:
We have organizations like Human Rights Watch and various Israeli legal and human rights organizations talking about an apartheid situation in Israel-Palestine.
And just at that moment when we’re having that conversation, there’s all this uptick in activity around talking about peace, prosperity, regional economic integration, and expanding the Abraham Accords, and that’s now become the focus of attention.”
With a failed peace process and congressional members calling for greater accountability for Israel, Hassan said the conversation around Palestine-Israel is shifting, and that’s where the new caucus steps in to act as a diversionary tactic:
It’s trying to find a new direction for the conversation to go in, recognizing the peace process can no longer be used as an excuse.
The idea is that since there isn’t a possibility in Israel or among Palestinians for a peace agreement, we should focus instead on bettering the economic situation of Palestinians and the region writ large.”
Deceptive praise
The announcement of the Abraham Accords Caucus was met with a flurry of enthusiasm in the press and among politicians, as noted by the founder and president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Lara Friedman, in the organization’s Legislative Round-Up, where she wrote:
The announcement of the new caucus was accompanied by praise and welcome from the Biden Administration, from the Bahraini government (among others), and a burst of giddy articles/op-eds/editorials promoting the Abraham Accords and/or the caucus, and pressing the Biden Administration to do more to expand normalization.
Friedman emphasized in her analysis the clear congressional hypocrisy when it came to this ecstatic round of approval for the new caucus:
This bipartisan congressional enthusiasm for expanding Arab normalization with Israel stands in stark contrast to decades of Congress’ demonstrated apathy, timidity, antipathy, and outright obstructionism with respect to anything related to trying to secure normal rights for Palestinians.
This sudden burst of enthusiasm/support/pressure around the Abraham Accords all appears aimed at pressuring the Biden Administration not only to more strongly support the Accords but to follow in the footsteps of the Trump Administration in using U.S. sweeteners to achieve normalization deals — sweeteners that under Trump meant that the accords were paid for via U.S. arms deals and by the U.S. changing policy on a critical geopolitical/legal question (i.e., recognizing Morocco’s claims to the Western Sahara).
Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ unraveling
In less than two years, former President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace agreement is in shambles. The deal with the United Arab Emirates — the first country to normalize relations with Israel as part of the Accords — is at an impasse. The UAE decided to buy aircraft from France instead of purchasing American F-35 jet fighters, which purportedly was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
According to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, the Abraham Accords were a key legislative agenda item for the American Israel Public Relations Committee (AIPAC). With the F-35 sale now off the table, the Accords are proving to be a failure.
The Accords and its new caucus claim their objective is to foster regional stability, including achieving a peaceful solution for Palestine and Israel. From Hassan’s perspective, however, normalization with Israel is actually about normalizing and cementing Israeli settlements.
“Some of the first follow-on agreements [between Israel and the UAE] involved settler enterprises,” Hassan said, mentioning the established trade partnerships between businesses operating in illegal Israeli settlements and the UAE, and how delegations of settler councils visited the Gulf state following normalization. “So Israel’s incentive with the Abraham Accords is to really solidify its control over the West Bank.”
Backed by the Israel lobby
While the caucus boasted of its bipartisan representation, the groups backing it are anything but politically divided. FMEP’s Friedman wrote:
A serious investment of time and effort (and possibly funding) has clearly gone into establishing the caucus and getting its establishment/objectives maximum attention, …managing to pull together a caucus that is bipartisan and bicameral, and that enjoys support from an array of mainly center/right-wing pro-Israel groups (both Jewish and Christian), as well as one mainstream think tank.
Hadassah — The Women’s Zionist Organization of America
The US-Israel Education Association
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
The Israel Policy Forum
Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Action
The Jewish Federations of North America
B’nai B’rith International
The money sources behind the group’s establishment and promotional materials are largely unknown. MintPress News reached out to the aforementioned organizations to determine if their organizational support translated to financial backing, but those requests haven’t been answered.
However, being supported by a majority of pro-Israel groups suggests the caucus’s goals may not be as peace-oriented as its PR suggests. Al-Shabaka’s Hassan explained:
The ones leading the caucus’ establishment aren’t necessarily the most actively supportive of a two-state solution. So it’s difficult to imagine this group is going to be prioritizing that as a part of their support for the Abraham Accords.”
Folks in this Abraham Accords Caucus are less interested in an Israeli-Palestinian political solution than in recognizing Israeli sovereignty. If you have organizations like CUFI backing this caucus, you get the idea of what kind of place Palestinian sovereignty or statehood is going to play in the work of the caucus.”
The United Arab Emirates is looking to expand its arsenal of ‘Israeli’ counter-drone military systems, Zionist media reported, claiming that the step comes in the aftermaths of the deadly drone operation carried out by the Yemeni resistance targeting Abu Dhabi last Monday.
“As a result of the drone strike, the UAE is now looking to acquire new ‘Israeli’-made anti-drone systems,” Ynet reported, adding that Abu Dhabi had already purchased and deployed one such system in recent months.
“Due to the incident that happened this week, they [the Emiratis] are now asking us what we can supply them with as soon as possible out of a long list of systems,” Itzik Huber, CEO of Skylock Systems, part of the Avnon HLS Group, said.
Based in the ‘Israeli’-occupied Palestinian territories, Skylock Systems specializes in the design and production of technologies for the detection, verification and neutralization of unauthorized drones. The company’s technology has been deployed in 31 countries, including the United States and, more recently, Morocco.
Huber claimed that the UAE would have been able to prevent Monday’s strike if they had an anti-drone system in place at or near the airport.
“Had they deployed such a system there, they would have known ahead of time that a strike was incoming,” he added. “Even if you’re unable to stop the attack, knowing that it is about to happen is very important because you can move people to shelters and look for ways to defend yourself.”
In order to stop a drone attack, the UAV must first be detected. Skylock technology is able to detect hostile drones from over 20 km, or 12.4 miles away, Huber claimed.
The Yemeni Armed Forces launched dozens of drones and ballistic missiles on Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports, as well as on al-Musaffah oil refinery in the Emirati capital, in retaliation for UAE’s ongoing aggression against the Arab impoverished country. The successful operation killed three and wounded six others, while inflicting heavy material damage and destabilizing the security of the member of the coalition of aggression.
An Emirati delegation visits Al-Aqsa Mosque under strict protection from the Israeli occupation forces in conjunction with Israeli settlers storming the holy site.
UAE delegation entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds under strict Israeli occupation forces protection
A UAE delegation visited Tuesday Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Al-Quds, under strict protection from the Israeli occupation forces.
Palestinian websites reported that several occupation police officers and forces stormed the Dome of the Rock Mosque after storming Al-Aqsa Mosque to “secure” the visit of the Emirati delegation.
#عاجل بحماية من شرطة الاحتلال التي اقتحمت المصلى القبلي معهم .. وفد إماراتي يقتحم المسجد الأقصى برفقة ضباط من الاحتلال pic.twitter.com/KS2yaO1Lut— AlQastal القسطل (@AlQastalps) January 11, 2022
Similarly, with the protection of heavily armed occupation special forces, 179 Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque during a round of provocative incursions, which lasted for several hours.
The occupation forces stationed at the gates of the Mosque, restricted the movement of Palestinian worshippers as they entered, confiscated their IDs, and searched their bags.
The Israeli settlers’ provocative incursions to Al-Aqsa Mosque take place on a daily basis and include Talmudic prayers and rituals.
Palestine’s Department of Endowments had indicated that the number of settlers storming Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds during 2021 amounted to 34,112.
It has been two years since the murders of Martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis at Baghdad airport. A lot has happened since then, but nothing has changed in the region. Still the same US occupation of Syria, and regular Israeli airstrikes on Syria. Still the same threats of “pre-emptive” attacks on Iran, still talks of US sanctioning this and that person in Iran. Still there’s a war of terror going on against the Yemeni people.
For the second anniversary of the assassinations, many authors have praised and remembered the martyred General’s achievements in life, but it is also important to remember his achievements in death.
The cowardly killings of Martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis and its aftermath at the Ain-al Assad military base marked a massive signal in terms of how Washington viewed the Islamic Republic. Previous US administrations, while just as arrogant and self-worshipping as any other US administrations, wouldn’t have dared to kill these men no matter what the Zionist regime wanted. It was just too much of a risk for them to make such a stupid move. The Trump administration however, believed that the Islamic Republic wouldn’t, or didn’t have the strength to respond to such a heinous act of terror. This is also why Trump wanted to assure himself that such was the case when he posted those bizarre tweets where he threatened to destroy cultural heritage sites in Iran. Well as everybody knows by now, when Iran responded and practically destroyed the Ain al-Assad base, he didn’t follow up on his threats.
Instead he doubled down on his “maximum pressure” campaign, in the hopes of forcing Iran back to the negotiations table to negotiate a new deal, one which includes the Islamic Republic’s missile arsenal. This takes us to where we are today. A new administration is in charge of the White House, and nobody could seriously say that they are surprised that the policy of maximum pressure towards the Islamic Republic has remained, with new audacious demands and accusations towards Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei once said “America is America, this or that person or party doesn’t matter. Any president assuming power over there will not do us any good, they’ll only find other ways to antagonize us.”
Washington and its vassals are currently trying to push Tehran in Vienna, to accept a new JCPOA deal. As Tehran has shown that it won’t negotiate anything more than the original JCPOA deal and won’t accept anything less than full sanctions removal, Washington and Tel Aviv have threatened to use “other options”. These “other options” threats are getting old, they’ve repeated these same threats over the past two decades and yet they’ve done nothing.
Washington is afraid, and everybody knows this. Our side knows this, the Russians know this, the Chinese know this, but most importantly, Washington’s allies know this. Even the average person who doesn’t follow world events too much is becoming aware of this.
In West Asia, the Resistance Axis poses a serious threat to Anglo-Zionist hegemony yet they do not dare to attack the Islamic Republic, the main pillar of the Resistance Axis. Both Washington and Tel Aviv have continuously threatened Tehran with airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, yet none of them have ever followed through with their empty threats. The fact that Washington seeks to include the Iranian missile arsenal into a new JCPOA deal, together with their empty threats, shows that their side is worried and fearful of the Islamic Republic’s growing might. And frankly, why shouldn’t they be?
The Resistance Axis hasn’t been weakened by the deaths of Martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis as some western “think tank” analysts believed or rather had hoped for, just as the Resistance Axis wasn’t weakened by the wars in Iraq and Syria. Aside from direct military aggression, every possible conspiracy imaginable have been directed towards the Resistance front. Most people don’t know that the Islamic Revolution in Iran, contrary to what many people believe to be Shiite-inspired, actually drew inspiration from many different Islamic thinkers from different sects over the past 1400 years. Such a pan-Islamic ideology posed a great threat to the US and Israeli plans for the region. So, the Anglo-Zionist side had to do something to create sedition and division among Muslims by using Takfiri extremists to present the Islamic Revolution as a Shiite revolution and create a sectarian war mainly between Arabs and Iranians.
Despite their best attempts to destroy and weaken the Resistance front, the Zionist regime is ever more threatened by Hezbollah’s power, the US hegemony in the region is in decline, as evidenced by their shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Gulf client states are having more trouble containing the revolutionary Yemeni forces than ever. Today, the Resistance front enjoys widespread support among both Muslims and Christians in West Asia as we saw how people from all sects and movements came out to condemn and commemorate the slain Martyrs. Even the Taliban held a commemoration in General Soleimani’s honour.
Where the Arab nationalists had previously failed, the Islamic Republic succeeded in transcending not only ethnic, but also sectarian and ideological differences and grievances in the region and the Islamic world. Through a pragmatic approach, it has managed to secure its own survival and build a powerful alliance across the region that now truly threatens the Zionist regime.
Of course, the fight is far from over, the Zionists and their American tools still maintain a large presence in the region and I don’t expect them to admit defeat anytime soon either. In fact, they’re already hatching new plots against the Resistance front. One example is the continuation of the so called “normalization’ deals with Israel from the Trump administration’s era, which Biden’s administration is currently pushing hard for.
Recently, a high-ranking official at the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs was quoted as saying that “Israel is working behind the scenes towards normalization of diplomatic relations with Indonesia and Saudi Arabia”. US media outlet Axios first reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden “is trying to build on the Trump-era Abraham Accords, and in this case, looking beyond the Middle East to the largest of the countries that don’t recognize Israel.”
These “normalization” deals serve several purposes. One purpose is to restore the damaged Israeli image in the world. More and more people are recognizing “Israel” for what it is- an apartheid state engaged in terrorism and oppression against not only Palestinians, but the entire region, and dare I say, the world. Another purpose is to isolate the Resistance front by formally and officially announcing these deals as “big steps towards peace”, leaving anyone who refuses to “normalize” relations with Israel being labelled as terrorists or “radical Islamists” in the eyes of the “international community”. A third purpose is for Washington and Tel Aviv to unite all its vassals against the Resistance front. When the UAE and Bahrain shamefully announced their respective deals with the Zionist regime, they also “officially” joined the “unofficial alliance” against Iran and its allies. This wasn’t news for the observer who already has some insight into West Asian geopolitics and knows about the long history of hostility between the Persian Gulf states and Iran, but in terms of symbolism, it shows that for whatever reason, be it as a sign of strength or a reaction against the strengthening of China-Russia-Iran ties, the enemy’s vassals are ready to fully reveal themselves openly now.
In their dream of besieging Iran, Washington moved away from invading and occupying neighbouring countries, seeing as how they failed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and after having seen how sanctions failed to break the Resistance front. Instead, Washington is trying to politically besiege the Islamic Republic in a new way. Just like before, this too shall fail. Since Washington doesn’t give a damn about the people of the Islamic world, they cannot comprehend that their treacherous vassal regimes are highly unpopular among the Muslim population.
No matter how much the Western media attempts to hide and suppress the public outrage and protests going on in countries like Bahrain and Sudan, the reality is that most of these treacherous vassal regimes in the region are completely dependent on US support for survival. Normalizing relations with the apartheid state, will only hasten their inevitable downfall because of the simple fact that if they join Israel and the US in an eventual war with the Resistance front, they will quite simply be destroyed. Seeing as how the Saudis and the other Gulf vassals cannot contain the Houthi forces in Yemen, despite massive support from the West, Takfiri terrorist forces and mercenaries on the ground and the air superiority that they enjoy, it is not a far stretch to imagine virtually all of Saudi Arabia ending up in flames if Riyadh decides to wage war on the Islamic Republic.
Washington has not achieved anything in the region through the killings of Martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis and nothing has changed. By committing this grave mistake, the US has made their shameful exit from the entire region an inevitable fact. They thought they could isolate and besiege the Islamic Republic, but fate has a way of being ironic. Instead of besieging Iran, the Iranians besieged them in the region.
I finish this piece with a quote from the Islamic Revolution: “From the blood of the martyrs, victory will grow”
فتح مؤتمر إعلاميون ضد التطبيع النقاش حول ظاهرة التطبيع وكيفية التعامل معها، سواء لجهة حضور هذا العنوان عربياً في ضوء الاتفاقيات الخليجية مع كيان الاحتلال، أو لجهة ظهور ترددات لبنانية إعلامية تتحدث عن التطبيع كوجهة نظر، يذهب البعض إلى أبعد من ذلك بترجمتها بالحضور الإعلامي على قنوات الاحتلال.
الأمر الأول الذي يجب إدراكه هو خطورة الإيحاء خلال مواجهة مشاريع التطبيع، وكأن كيان الإحتلال في طور صعود القوة وإمساك زمام المبادرة، واستعمال مصطلحات توحي بالتفوق الإسرائيلي من خلال مقاربة ظواهر التطبيع، وهذا فيه مجافاة للحقيقة، فالذي يجري يحتاج إلى تفسير كونه يجري في ظل إختلال واضح في موازين القوى في غير صالح كيان الإحتلال، ودخول المقاومة في مرحلة الإمساك بزمام المبادرة في ميدان الصراع كما أظهرت معركة سيف القدس ومعادلة القدس تعادل حرباً إقليمية.
استحضار التطبيع كظاهرة سياسية عبر المشهد الخليجي وكتظاهرة إعلامية عبر لبنان وسواه، هو أولاً مشروع خداع بصري بإستعارة مفردة التطبيع من كونها نهاية مسارات الصراع إلى لحظاته الصعبة على الكيان، للإيحاء لداخل الكيان وخارجه بأن الصراع ينتهي لصالح الكيان من جهة، وهذا جزء من حرب المعنويات. ومن جهة مقابلة تحويل التطبيع من إنجاز يترجم ثبات الكيان وجودياً ونهاية القلق على بقائه إلى واحدة من أدوات الحرب الثقافية والإعلامية على المقاومة، لزعزعة ثقافة المقاطعة وإضعاف الجبهات الداخلية لساحات المقاومة في مواجهة القلق الوجودي الذي يعيشه الكيان بما لا يقبل التمويه.
المعركة مع التطبيع تتحول من كونها معركة إثبات صراع الوجود مع الكيان، إلى كونها معركة الوعي لتثبيت مرتكزات ثقافة المقاومة، في سياق مقاومة صاعدة وكيان يترنح، ولذلك فإن سياق المعركة مختلف جذرياً، ومسار المواجهة أهم من نتائجها، وهذا يستدعي شن حرب إعلامية بلا رحمة على ظواهر التطبيع والترويج للتطبيع، بعد رصدها والتدقيق بها وملاحقتها، وإطلاق لوائح العار بحق المطبعين أو الداعين للتطبيع، ومقاطعة أصحابها، وبالتوازي تعميم ثقافة المقاومة والمقاطعة عبر إعلاء شأن رموز المقاطعة وتحويلهم إلى أيقونات تفتخر بها الشعوب.
Amid the shameful wave of normalization with the Israeli occupation and the Arab failure to support the Palestinian cause in favor of the US and “Israel,” the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions movement has proven to be effective.
Boycotting is one form of resistance against the Israeli occupation, but is not and should not be an alternative to armed resistance
On November 25th, after a struggle with cancer, passionate writer and activist Samah Idris passed away. Idris dedicated his life to Palestine and the struggle against normalization with the occupation. He was editor-in-chief of the prominent Al Adab literary magazine from 1992 onward.
Idris was one of the founders of the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of “Israel” in Lebanon after the Jenin massacre in 2002, and played a leading role in furthering the movement’s influence.
He had a strong commitment to Palestine and its cause, which he used as a compass in his battle.
In an interview for Al Mayadeen English, he said, “Lebanon condemns the Israeli occupation which violates universal principles and the right of people to self-governance.”
Even in his final days before his untimely death, Idris continued to denounce those who normalize ties with the occupation as he fought to expose the occupations’ atrocities.
The revolutionary’s death comes amid a shameful recent normalization wave by several Arab countries with “Israel,” the newest of which is the visit of the occupations’ Security Minister Benny Gantz to Morocco.
The visit witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation between the two sides, deeming the Moroccan regime as a partner in oppressing Palestinians and betraying the Palestinian cause, and ignoring the history of Moroccan revolutionaries and resistance leaders such as Abdelkarim al-Khattabi who fought against Spanish and French colonialism.
Morocco is the fourth Arab country, following the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan, to have normalized ties with the Israeli occupation under Washington’s sponsorship.
Originally, in 1945, the Arab League issued a decree to officially boycott Israeli companies and goods in support of Palestine, forcing Arab citizens and companies of an Arab League member to boycott any ties with “Israel.”
Unsurprisingly, the US Congress passed laws in 1977 criminalizing US companies that comply with the Arab boycotting bodies.
However, as a result of Western pressure, several Arab countries have abandoned the boycotting movement and normalized ties with the Israeli occupation.
Therefore, the more the normalization ties increase, the more the work of the BDS movement becomes crucial.
Sally Rooney under attack
A few days ago, some 70 prominent authors, poets, and playwrights have signed a letter of endorsement in support of Irish author Sally Rooney’s decision to prevent Israeli publishing house “Modan” from translating her latest work, “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” into Hebrew.
Rooney indicated that her decision is part of a cultural boycott over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
She said she “did not feel it would be right” to accept a contract with an Israeli company “that does not publicly distance itself from the apartheid and support the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people.”
Citing human rights reports, Rooney pointed out that “Israel’s system of racial domination and segregation against Palestinians meets the definition of apartheid under international law.”
The author confirmed she supports the “Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS)” movement targeting “complicit” firms and institutions “in response to the apartheid system and other grave human rights violations.”
Rooney explained that the BDS movement is “modeled on the economic and cultural boycott that helped to end apartheid in South Africa.”
Boycotting origins in Palestine
Since the 1920s, Palestinians have mastered boycotting as a way of resisting the British mandate and the Zionist colonization, and in 1936, they organized a huge six-month strike in protest of the British support for Zionism.
In addition, the Resistance factions launched a popular boycott of Israeli products during the first Intifada (1987-1992), which led to a dynamic plunge in Israeli exports.
When all UN resolutions failed to stop “Israel” from violating international laws and continuing its crimes against Palestinian people and land, 170 different Palestinian bodies first launched the BDS movement in 2005.
The BDS movement website wrote, “Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS call urges action to pressure ‘Israel’ to comply with international law.”
In an aim to withdraw apartheid in South Africa, several activists, organizations, unions, and politicians pressured the apartheid South African regime through heavy lobbying, isolation, and product boycotting worldwide as a form of achieving liberation. The boycott movement cost the racist regime a great loss and isolation from international events and markets by the demand of many Europeans.
As a result, post-apartheid South Africa has supported the Palestinian cause since the two sides established formal diplomatic relations in 1995, a year after the end of the apartheid regime. South Africa also reduced its diplomatic representation in the so-called “Tel Aviv” in 2019 and withdrew its ambassador.
It is noteworthy that the boycotting movement has been historically used to end oppression, such as Ghandi’s Indian Salt March in 1930 and African Americans’ famous Montgomery Bus Boycott in late 1955. Unlike BDS, these movements are celebrated without being described as “anti-Semitic.”
Its success and effect
“BDS aims to end international support for Israeli violations of international law by forcing companies, institutions, and governments to change their policies. As Israeli companies and institutions become isolated, ‘Israel’ will find it more difficult to oppress Palestinians,” explains the BDS movement.
So far, BDS has achieved several victories against the Israeli occupation on many levels, which led “Israel” to dedicate resources, including money, government staff, and security services to undermine BDS and threaten its activists.
Culturally, thousands of artists, famous of which is Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters from legendary rock band Pink Floyd, have declined to perform in “Israel” as a result of BDS calls and is even an ardent supporter of the movement.
In addition, various academic institutions and unions in the US, Canada, South Africa, and the UK have announced their support for Palestine and the movement.
After respecting the choice of boycotting, renowned British scientist Stephen Hawking withdrew from the Israeli Presidential Conference. Also, after a visit to Palestine, the famous Black activist and academic, Angela Davis, expressed that she “unequivocally endorses the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Campaign.”
Most recently, the South African government announced that it has “withdrawn its support” from the current Miss South Africa (SA) pageant due to fruitless attempts to persuade the pageant to reconsider its plan to participate in the Miss Universe event, which is set to take place in “Israel.”
Economically, a UN report showed that BDS was a major cause of a 46% drop in foreign direct investment in “Israel” in 2014, while the world bank mentioned that the movement resulted in a 24% drop in Palestinian imports from the occupied lands, according to the movement. Moreover, the Israeli occupation government and the Rand Corporation published reports that predict that BDS will cost “Israel” billions of dollars, which it did.
How “Israel” is fighting BDS
Proving to be effective, “Israel’s” policies against BDS and pressure on EU and US have proven the efficiency of the movement and the extent of loss it has caused to the occupation.
The Zionist lobby worldwide and pro-“Israel” groups have urged governments such as France, Canada, the US, UK to criminalize BDS.
Last but not least, it is important to mention that the BDS movement is one form of resistance out of many against the Israeli occupation, amid the shameful wave of normalization with the Israeli occupation and the Arab failure to support the Palestinian cause in favor of the US and “Israel.”
However, boycotting is not and should not be an alternative to armed resistance as the late Samah Idriss affirmed, “We believe there is no other way to communicate with the Israeli occupation except through boycotting and armed resistance, and nothing else.”
Idris is no longer with us, but his memory will live in the hearts and minds of all the supporters of the Palestinian cause.
لا يستطيع أي مراقب للمشهد الدولي والإقليمي أن يتجاهل الاتجاه الثابت لتطورات العقدين الماضيين، بتكريس فشل كل الحروب الأميركية والإسرائيلية، وما يشير إليه ذلك من مسار واضح لما سيحمله قادم الأيام في القرن الواحد والعشرين، لكن ما لا يجب أن يفوت كل متابع هو أن الحكومات والقوى المناوئة للهيمنة الأميركية والعدوانية الإسرائيلية، تدخل العقد الثالث بروحية مختلفة، فيها من الجسارة والتشبت بصناعة انتصاراتها، ما يزيح نموذجاً كان يقوم على حفظ ماء الوجه للأميركي بخروج موارب من المواجهات، ليس فيه نصر بائن ولا هزيمة بائنة، وينزاح معه أيضاً حرص رافق مواجهات العقدين الماضيين على تحييد جماعات وحكومات تدور في الفلك الأميركي، وتقدم خدمات للاحتلال، وتنسق معه فوق وتحت الطاولة، خصوصاً ذلك الحرص الذي طبع العقدين الماضيين على تحييد دول الخليج وفي مقدمتها السعودية، ومساعدتها في كل مرة تذهب للتموضع الصريح في الحروب الأميركية، لتنزل عن الشجرة بأقل إحراج وخسارة ممكنتين، ويتمثل التحول النوعي الذي تشهده المواجهة في مطلع العقد الثالث بهزائم مدوية يتلقاها الأميركي من دون أي مساعدة يلقاها من خصومه لحفظ ماء الوجه، له أو لكيان الاحتلال، أو لنماذج حلفاء تتقدمهم السعودية، ويكفي للتحقق من ذلك، النظر للانسحاب الأميركي من أفغانستان، ولمعركة سيف القدس، ولما يجري اليوم في اليمن، وما جرى في الانتخابات في فنزويلا، وما تقدمه إيران من وقائع في المواجهات شبه اليومية في مياه الخليج، وفي طريقة إدارتها لمستقبل ملفها النووي، حيث المعادلة واضحة، عودوا عن العقوبات إذا أردتم منا العودة لالتزاماتنا، وإلا فنحن ماضون في تصعيد برنامجنا وافعلوا ما تريدون فنحن لا نقيم حساباً لتهديداتكم.
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في مقاربة مثل هذه السياقات التاريخية النادرة الحدوث والمحدودة التكرار، يميل الباحثون إلى الاهتمام بالأكبر فالأصغر، بالدولي فالإقليمي فالمحلي، وفي الإجابة عن سؤال، إلى أين تتجه الأمور، نحو المواجهة أم التسويات، تقول كل الملفات الموجودة على الطاولة، أن قابلية التسوية تتفوق في ماهية كل ملف على حدة، والتسوية على قاعدة التسليم الأميركي بالفشل، لو كان محرجاً وقاسياً، كما كانت الحال مع الانسحاب من أفغانستان، ومن يعود لتقرير بايكر هاملتون سيجد أنه منذ عام 2006 بدأ النقاش على أعلى المستويات الأميركية بحتمية التموضع على قاعدة مثل هذا التسليم، التسليم بشراكة ندية مع روسيا، وبدور إقليمي فاعل لإيران ومكانتها النووية وشراكتها الحتمية في استقرار أفغانستان والعراق وأمن الخليج والطاقة، والتسليم بدور سورية، وصولاً للتسليم بأنه من دون التسليم بالحاجة لحل القضية الفلسطينية يضمن حق العودة للاجئين وقيام دولة فلسطينية عاصمتها القدس الشرقية، فكل شيء سيكون عرضة للانهيار، وبالمقابل تظهر كل ملفات النزاع الراهنة، أن عقدة صياغة التسويات حولها ليس نابعاً من عدم القابلية الأميركية لتحمل الهزيمة، بل عدم قدرتها على قبول تسوية لا تضمن أمن إسرائيل أو تعرض هذا الأمن للخطر، وسواء أخذنا روحية بايكر هاملتون أو الواقع الراهن، فهذا سيعيدنا سواء بالتقرب من الأعلى فالأدنى أو من الدولي إلى الإقليمي فالمحلي، أو إذا سرنا بالعكس، إلى أن العقدة في كل الأحوال هي في المواجهة المفتوحة بين كيان الاحتلال وحركة الشعب الفلسطيني.
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الأمر لا علاقة له هنا بالحديث عن موقع القضية الفلسطينية الوجداني والأخلاقي، بل عن موقعها السياسي كمحرك ومعطل للسياسات، وفي قلب هذه اللحظة التي تبدو صراعات كبرى، كمستقبل الوجود الأميركي في العراق وسورية، والملف النووي الإيراني، والحرب في اليمن، وقد تجمد التفاوض حولها أو يبدو مرتبكاً، بفعل المترتبات التي تنجم عن كل خطوة نحو المواجهة أو نحو التسوية، على أمن إسرائيل، أي مستقبل القضية الفلسطينية، يقرر الفلسطينيون، بكل ما يعنيه الوصف الجمعي لكلمة فلسطينيون، الدخول على الخط كصانع أول للسياسة، بعدما اكتشتفوا أنهم للمرة الأولى أن الصراع الأهم حول فلسطين يخاض على أرضها وبناسها، وأن ناسها باتوا يمتكلون ما يكفي لرسم إيقاع الصراع وعزف لحنه التاريخي، كما قالت لهم تجربة المواجهة الكبرى في سيف القدس، فينتقلون من التربص التاريخي باللحظة إلى الإمساك بها، فتصعد ديناميكية صناعتهم للأحداث ويتزاحم إيقاع حضورهم، ويخرج شيبهم وشبابهم، المعلمون والتلامذة، المقاتلون والقادة، ويتصدرون ساحات النزال، ويكفي لفهم حقيقة ما يجري، التوقف أمام معنى التتابع المتصاعد للأحداث التي لم تتوقف منذ معركة سيف القدس، وفي الساحات الأهم، كالقدس والأراضي المحتلة عام 48 وسجون الاحتلال، والتوقف أمام التعاقب المذهل خلال أربعة وعشرين ساعة بين نموذجي عمر أبو عصب ابن الستة عشر ربيعاً، والشيخ فادي أبو شخيدم الأستاذ ذي الاثنين وأربعين عاماً، لفهم معنى الإمساك الفلسطيني باللحظة التاريخية، ودعوة المنطقة للرقص على إيقاع موسيقى فلسطين.
The member of Hezbollah’s central council Sheikh Nabil Qaouk confirmed that the military drills held by Arab states and the apartheid “Israeli” entity will embolden the occupying regime to conduct more acts of aggression against Lebanon and Palestine.
Sheikh Qaouk’s statement came three days after the United States began its first joint naval drill with the Zionist entity, the United Arab Emirates [UAE], and Bahrain in the Red Sea.
“The military exercises held by the Arab countries and the Zionist regime are a dagger in the heart of al-Quds, Palestine and all the nations of the region,” he said.
Hezbollah official further underscored: “They encourage the Zionist enemy to carry out further acts of aggression against Lebanon and Palestine, and are a stain of shame on the foreheads of the leaders of the normalization with the Zionist regime.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Sheikh Qaouk said the weapons of the resistance are needed to confront the “Israeli” enemy and would always remain so, al-Manar TV channel reported.
“Regardless of all the external pressure, crises, and foreign intervention, the priority of the resistance will be increased readiness to confront ‘Israeli’ aggression. We promise to create a victory even greater than those of 2000 and 2006,” he noted.
The Hezbollah official also stressed that the resistance has since 2006 increased its power both in quantity and quality and turned into a “strong fortress” protecting Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
“With the army-nation-resistance equation, southern Lebanon [where the country’s resistance movement is based] constitutes today the frontline of defending Lebanon’s dignity and sovereignty,” he said.
Military correspondent of Israel’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Yaakov Lappin, indicated that Hezbollah is now twenty times stronger than it used to be on the eve of 2006 war.
It is important to recall that the Zionist army has intensified the military drills held in simulation of a war against Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force Commander, Amikam Nurkin, ended his first visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he was a guest at the Air Force Commanders Conference, and also visited the Dubai Airshow.
The Zionist media said the visit to the UAE was part of the deepening of the connection and cooperation between ‘Israel’ and the United Arab Emirates – as part of the normalization deal signed about a year ago.
The visit is a continuation of the visit of the UAE Commander of the United Arab Emirates, General Ibrahim Nasser Muhammad al-Alwi, in a “Blue Flag” exercise held about two weeks ago, the Israeli media added.
It is worth noting that the Zionist media indicated that ‘Israel’ is exploiting such visits to the Gulf states to send warning messages to Iran.
Due to the strong Algerian opposition, “Israel”‘s accession is almost impossible.
On October 16th, 2021, the Executive Council of the African Union announced the postponement of its decision on approving or rejecting the “observer status” of “Israel” in the Union to the next African summit scheduled for February 2022. This decision is in fact the culmination of a great effort made by Algeria politically and diplomatically over the course of three months among the African countries to oppose and confront the sudden decision taken by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, to accept the application of “Israel” to join the African Union as an observer member, and the subsequent presentation by the Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia (the headquarters country) of his credentials to the Union on the 22nd of June 2021.
From the first day of the decision of Moussa Faki, a French-educated former Chadian prime minister, Algeria went into something like a state of emergency, and a decision was taken at the highest levels to launch a comprehensive diplomatic campaign and to use all of Algeria’s weight and political capabilities to confront Faki’s personal decision. The Algerian Foreign Ministry announced its total rejection of “Israel’s” admission to the ranks of the African Union and said that the Chairperson of the Commission had not consulted the member states in this regard.
Algeria began to move and succeeded in persuading six Arab African countries (not including Morocco and Sudan, who are involved in a process of normalization), namely Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritania, Djibouti, Libya, and the Comoros Islands to announce their opposition to Faki’s decision in a statement on August 3rd. Moussa Faki quickly felt that he is being targeted by the pressures of Algerian diplomacy, represented by Minister Ramtan Lamamra, so he issued an official statement on August 6th in which he responded to Algeria and affirmed that his decision to accept “Israel” as an observer member is indeed within his authorities.
The Algerian campaign against “Israel” in Africa did not stop (South Africa, who had reservations about Moussa Faki’s decision from the first day, cooperated with it), and succeeded in persuading Sudan to join the countries opposing Faki’s decision in a statement issued by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry on October 15th. And in the next day, Algeria succeeded in leading a group of 24 African countries who also announced their objection to Faki, which prompted the Executive Council to finally decide to postpone the decision on accepting the membership of “Israel” until the next summit. This is an important diplomatic victory for Algeria because it actually means, almost certainly, the failure of the project of “Israel”‘s accession, as approving it in the African summit; due to the strong Algerian opposition, “Israel”‘s accession is almost impossible.
This Algerian activity and efficiency are due, in part, to its desire to compensate for the years of relative inaction that characterized the Algerian diplomacy during the rule of the ailing former president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, which allowed “Israel” to penetrate into African circles that it did not reach before. Benjamin Netanyahu intensified contacts with West African and sub-Saharan countries in 2016 and hosted an agricultural conference in “Israel” in which 15 countries participated. He also made several visits to the region and was feeling so triumphant to the extent that he publically said, during his visit to Liberia “Israel is returning strongly to Africa!”. “Israel” succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with a record number of African countries (46 countries out of 55 members of the African Union).
Historically speaking, the late Gamal Abdel Nasser took charge, in the fifties and sixties of the last century, of combating the Israeli penetration into the African continent. And he took advantage of Egypt’s weight at the time and its relations with the national liberation movements in the continent to besiege the Israeli presence and keep it within minimum limits (most notably with the apartheid racist regime in South Africa). In the aftermath of the October 1973 war, “Israel” was having diplomatic relations with only four African countries. But Sadat’s coup in Egypt and the Camp David Accords opened the African doors to “Israel” once again. The banner of combating Israeli expansion in Africa then passed to Colonel Gaddafi in Libya, who paid great attention to the countries of the continent and built a network of close relations with them and provided them with financial support and contributed to a large extent in keeping most African countries, especially its western and sub-Saharan countries, out of Israeli influence until he was killed in 2011.
The growing Moroccan-Israeli relations are one of the reasons for this Algerian activity at the African level. Algeria no longer considers “Israel” as a Pan-Arab danger, but has become a direct threat to it on its borders. When “Israel” and Morocco crowned decades of their unofficial relations by announcing the establishment of full diplomatic relations in December 2020, Algerian President Abdelmajid Tabboun said, “We notice a kind of rush towards normalization. We will not participate in it or bless it. The Palestinian Cause is sacred to us here in Algeria, and it is the mother of all causes”. His Prime Minister Abdelaziz Jerad followed with a strong statement in which he said that “Algeria is being targeted” and that there is a foreign will for Zionism to reach Algeria’s borders.
That is, Algeria’s leadership has come to consider “Israel’s” relations and activities in neighboring Morocco as a direct security and strategic threat, which has caused great tension in the Algerian view of the Moroccan ruling regime. The Algerian newspaper “Al-Shorouk” published an article titled “For these reasons, the Zionist entity targets Algeria.” And what made matters worse was the intelligence information that “Israel” had helped Morocco establish a military base near the Algerian border. Things crossed its red lines when Algeria felt that “Israel”, through Morocco, was trying to interfere with the internal Algerian affairs. And recently, Algerian television announced that the separatist “MAK” movement has ties to “Israel” and Morocco and that those involved in it were in contact with Israeli parties under the cover of “civil society organizations.” In the end, Algeria decided to cut diplomatic relations with Morocco last August.
“Israel”, in turn, responded to Algeria, accusing it of being part of an axis that includes Iran. Its foreign minister, Meir Lapid, from Casablanca, expressed concerns “about Algeria’s role in the region, its rapprochement with Iran, and the campaign it led against Israel’s admission as an observer member of the African Union”.
Today we are witnessing a great Algerian rise to combat and thwart the Zionist expansion in Africa. This is not surprising for a country with a glorious history of revolution and resistance to colonialism, who, since the days of its great revolution sixty years ago, has been associated with Palestine, its revolution, and its cause, and considered it the twin of its soul and struggle, and is still in the same position.
The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.
The Head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, His Eminence Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, underscored that Iran’s fuel shipments to Lebanon dealt a heavy blow to sanctions imposed by the US and its allies on the Arab country, but the resistance movement will double down with other measures.
“Fuel imports from Iran will not be the last step, as we have many other measures to take,” Sayyed Safieddine said at a ceremony in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil on Sunday night.
He said Lebanon is currently facing numerous crises and challenges, because it is now an integral part of the regional equations, but it needs to emerge victorious and dignified out of them and to move towards a new phase.
“We know that some Lebanese citizens are afraid of the word ‘challenge’. Nevertheless, Hezbollah will stand committed to the protection of our country, our nation, and our future,” Sayyed Safieddine said.
“There is no way to strengthen Lebanon other than performing a leading role in regional equations. Any other initiative is worthless, and falls within the framework of capitulation and surrender to ‘Israel’s’ interests,” he added.
Sayyed Safieddine said not only did the arrival of Iranian fuel shipments into Lebanon help solve the country’s dire shortages, but it also showed the Zionist entity’s inability in maritime terms to stop Lebanon-bound oil tankers sent by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The ‘Israeli’ enemy, he said, is not seeking a naval confrontation with Hezbollah, which would expose the weakness of its regime.
“They know very well that our missiles can strike the farthest point deep inside the occupied territories. ‘Israel’ is also aware of the fact that we can prevent any ship from docking in the port cities of Acre, Haifa and Tel Aviv or any other region in the occupied lands.”
Tanker Trackers said on Friday that the third ship carrying Iranian gasoil or gasoline for distribution in Lebanon had entered the Gulf of Suez from the Red Sea. It identified the vessel as Fortune.
Last month, the first tanker trucks carrying Iranian fuel arranged by Hezbollah arrived in Lebanon, with the resistance group declaring that it had broken the “American siege.”
Lebanon has been mired in a deep economic and financial crisis since late 2019. The crisis is the gravest threat to the country’s stability since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990.
The economic and financial crisis is mostly linked to the sanctions that the United States and its allies have imposed on Lebanon as well as foreign intervention in the Arab nation’s domestic affairs.
Last month, Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Iranian fuel shipments would be distributed free of charge to institutions, including state hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages and the Red Cross.
“[Hezbollah] is not looking to make a business out of this but wants to help ease the people’s hardships,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the rest of the Iranian fuel would be sold “below cost” to bakeries, private hospitals or companies that run private generators.
Senior Adviser to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi proclaims that Gazans suffer because of “Hamas” rather than “Israel,” expressing concern over Iran’s power.
Ali Al Nuaimi, Senior Adviser to the prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammad Bin Zayed
In an interview with an Israeli newspaper, Ali Al-Nuaimi, senior adviser to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed, denounced the Palestinian resistance in Gaza.
During an interview with “Israel Today“, Nuaimi expressed that “One of the biggest errors in this narrative, which I saw repeated over and over in the media, was the way they speak about [the] Gaza [Strip] as if it’s occupied by the Israelis. It’s not: It’s controlled by Hamas.”
“It is time to liberate Gaza, which was hijacked by Hamas to serve Iranian goals,” Al-Nuaimi said in an interview marking the one-year anniversary of the normalization of Emirati-Israeli relations, adding that “the Palestinian people in Gaza are suffering because of Hamas, not because of the Israelis.”
He discussed the international sentiment surrounding the crimes of the Israeli occupation during Seif Al Quds battle, which sparked worldwide outrage, with thousands demonstrating on the ground and using electronic campaigns on social media, stating that “We also have to fight the war of propaganda – one that the Israelis lost in this last round of fighting between Israel and Hamas. I saw narratives coming from not only the Middle East but the West too, which represented a shift.”
After questioning him on the harsh criticism directed at “Israel” on social media in the Emirates, Al-Nuaimi stressed that “many of us condemned Hamas”, justifying “in Israel, too, there were people who opposed the war, so that is not an indication, but rather says what some of the people in the Emirates think. It’s hard to overcome history, but we want to open people’s eyes and show them things they haven’t seen over the last 40 or 50 years.”
The Israeli publication expressed admiration for Al-Nuaimi’s responses, commenting that “these brave responses were given by a senior official in an Arab country.”
Ariel Kahana, the journalist who conducted the interview, divulged that he previously met Al-Nuaimi a year ago, as Kahana was one of the Israeli journalists accompanying the first Israeli delegations to the UAE on August 31, two weeks after former US President Donald Trump announced the UAE-“Israel” agreement to establish relations.
Al-Nuaimi: Iran wants to be a world power
Answering the question of how to treat Iran, the adviser responded by expressing concern that the international community does not speak in “one voice on Iran”, detailing that “when we speak with our European friends about the invasiveness and aggression of Iran in Arab states, we hear that they ‘understand our concerns.’ But we don’t need someone to understand our concerns, rather we need someone to act according to international law and respond to those violating other countries’ sovereignty.”
Concerning the UAE’S opinion of the US and Iran returning to a nuclear agreement, Al-Nuaimi expressed that returning to the nuclear agreement as it used to be would not solve the problems, accusing Iran that it “never honored the agreement or the commitments, in any respect.”
Al Nuaimi: There is no “going back” on UAE-Israeli relations
Bin Zayed’s adviser remarked of his country’s connection with the Israeli occupation, “the ties being forged between us are not political or just between governments. These are comprehensive ties in every respect. This is a normal relationship that is growing. “
“There is discussion and dialogue, and I know the media will paint it as a crisis. But it isn’t,” he said of the UAE’S position on Israel’s revision of the gas transfer arrangement from the Emirates to Europe via “Israel”.
He reassured the journalist that “a disagreement on one issue will degrade ties. This is not the case.”
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 