Our Friday News Analysis | What the World Reads Now!

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By Anchor Palki Sharma, managing editor of Firstpost

Firstpost Vantage Edition
16 April 2024

“… it is clear that Israel intends to respond to the Iranian attack …
we hope Israel acts in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible."

UK Foreign Minister David Cameron
Haaretz Israel 17 April 2024

               State media reported that Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said his country will respond to any action against its interests.

               Israeli officials intend to execute a 'limited Israeli response' to Iran's weekend attack.

               Raisi told Russian President Putin that after its "limited" strikes, Tehran was not interested in escalating, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin hoped for 'restraint' on both sides to prevent a conflict with "catastrophic consequences for the entire region."

          China believed Iran could "handle the situation well and spare the region further turmoil" while safeguarding its "sovereignty and dignity."

               US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held calls with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as leaders across the Mideast and Europe, and expressed US support for Israel's defense while stressing regional stability to prevent the conflict from spreading, the Pentagon said.

               The UN's nuclear watchdog chief expressed concern about Israel possibly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, adding that inspections of Iran's facilities would resume on Tuesday.

               US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is preparing new sanctions on Iran in response to its attack on Israel, Axios reported. The EU is "exploring how to expand sanctions already imposed on Iran," Bloomberg reported, adding that the issue will be discussed at an EU foreign ministers' meeting next week.

               German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrives in Israel on Tuesday to discuss preventing escalation.

               UK Foreign Minister David Cameron is also due to arrive on Tuesday

               Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked roads in Illinois, California, New York, and Oregon on Monday, temporarily shutting down travel into airports, bridges, and highways.

               House Speaker Mike Johnson told Republican lawmakers that he intends to bring split Israel and Ukraine emergency aid bills to the floor for a vote this week.

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Editor’s Note

Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens.

By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas.

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RAMZY BAROUD | WHY THE IRANIAN ATTACK IS COMING (12 APRIL 2024)

Netanyahu’s INSANE gamble and the war the US doesn’t want to fight.

Click here to watch the video (4 minutes, 22 seconds)

#Iran has no other option but to respond to the #Israeli attack on its #Damascus consulate. That response, however, would have to be strategic, as not to give #Netanyahu the regional war he covets while sending a strong message that all of #Israel's shenanigans will not spare it the imminent defeat in #Gaza.

What is the Side of the Story that is Still Decisive? Edited by Abraham A. van Kempen.

EDITORIAL | ALLIES STAGING A WAR GAME IN CAHOOTS WITH THE ENEMY?

By Abraham A. van Kempen
19 April 2025

So, is “Life but a theater,” as Shakespeare asserts? Is the world-renowned Pulitzer Prize journalist and author Seymour Hersh senile, or is he still the preeminent unsurpassed investigative reporter with all tentacles on deck and his antenna connected to the global intelligence community? We’re betting on Sy Hersh. We’re running his story. If false, it remains a good read.

A MILITARY SOLUTION TO A POLITICAL PROBLEM

How the Pentagon engineered a fake war to prevent a real one

A photograph taken on April 14 shows flares from explosions in the sky over Jerusalem as Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts missiles and drones from Iran. / Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua via Getty Images.

By Seymour Hersh

Substack.com
17 April 2024

Editor’s Note | Send in the clowns!

Only Pulitzer Prize Journalist Seymour Hersh

can recount a fake war,
a Smoke-and-Mirror make-believe,
with circumstantial proof
to show the illusion is genuinely authentic.

I’ve spent much of my career reporting on the American military’s misdeeds and worse, especially during the Vietnam War. Still, it’s time now to applaud the brilliance of the Pentagon planning staff and the operational officers who ‘permitted’ Iran’s religious and military leadership to ‘respond’ to yet another Israeli assassination by flinging more than three hundred drones and missiles toward Israeli targets that as many as possible would be shot out of the sky before hitting ground there.

It was a huge gamble, and it paid off.

The Pentagon was essentially resisting—a word I choose to use—the foreign policy of the Biden White House and NATO by secretly approaching one of Iran’s closest allies—Russia—and persuading a senior general there to reassure Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s 84-year-old supreme leader, that America had the know-how to make the strategy succeed.

Imagine it: two of the Biden administration’s most entrenched enemies—Russia and Iran—trusting and working with the Pentagon and its leadership to prevent a deadly retaliation for yet another Israeli assassination of an Iranian general and six other Iranians in Damascus.

I am not allowed to name the American senior military officers and advisers who made the unusual faux missile attack happen. But it’s important to say that President Joe Biden, whose foreign policy team was not involved in the process, accepted the high-risk plan and publicly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose political career and personal freedom depend on keeping the war in Gaza going, and the rest of the Israeli leadership not to respond to Iran. That they might launch a counterattack remains a possibility, of course, according to press reports in Israel.

               “The Pentagon planning staff were asked to come up with a military solution to a political problem,” one involved official told me.

               “Otherwise, the Ayatollah would attack, and Bibi would do ‘his thing’ in response. We had to get involved now and not later. And so we thought about where we were and wanted to be. And we got to be involved now, and not later. That meant we had to control the Iranian response.”

The apparent fear was that Netanyahu’s response to a successful drone and missile attack would be, as in Gaza, overwhelming. A prominent Israeli retaliation could easily lead to an unwanted war in the Middle East.

The senior planning staff throughout the Pentagon had direct contact with their European peers, and there was immediate consultation with air force leaders in Europe that circumvented dealing with the political leadership there.

“And who knew the Iranians the best?” the official asked rhetorically: “The Russians and the Brits.”

Iran’s strongest ties in Europe are, in fact, with Britain and Russia, whose military leaders shared the concern about the extreme danger of an Iranian response to Israel.

There was an informal chat between the Americans and a ranking general in Russia who was asked what he thought Iran wanted. The answer was very Russian, so I was told: “They just want revenge and to prove that their dicks were just as big as anyone else’s.” There was a similar and more conventional chat with a senior British officer.

Out of these conversations evolved the ingenious plan: Why not get the air forces of our allies in Europe and the Middle East to agree to work together under American leadership and, with Iran’s approval, take advantage of the rapid progress in anti-missile and anti-drone defenses to let the Ayatollah fire off this missiles and have his revenge while understanding the air forces of America, Europe, and the Middle East would track and destroy them all?

               During the secret planning, the official said, America’s allies were told: “We are going to share all the information about the fired Iranian drones and missiles we collect.”

                There was a tough session with a senior Israeli official who was informed, the American official said, that Israel had two options: one, “win easily” and let the American coalition destroy the missiles, or two, “lose the hard way” and respond with violence to the failed attack.

               “If you chose the hard way,” the Israeli was told, “you’re on your own.”

Pentagon leaders assembled their plan throughout the process without formally consulting President Biden or anyone in the White House. “The White House only knew that the Iranians wanted to respond in kind to the Israelis,” the official said. At that early point in the military planning, he added, “the White House did not need to know more.”

It was believed there would never be formal approval for such a radical strategy. However, Biden, to his credit, when later told that the Ayatollah had agreed to mute his revenge, publicly joined in urging the Israelis not to respond to the failed Iranian missile attack.

The drones and missiles fired off by Iran were easy targets. An American fleet of Navy attack planes was augmented by fighters from Jordan, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, whose access to nearby air bases enabled them to get refueled and stay on the defense and in the air for hours. The Iranian leadership conveniently fired off its missiles and drones over nine hours, adding to the success of the missile and drone hunters: the long interval gave some of the fighters a chance to refuel. Two American AWACs—specially equipped E-3 sentry planes with the most advanced warning and tracking systems were on station to help guide the missile-hunting aircraft to their targets. (The US Navy utilized its versions of the AWACs: E-2 Hawkeyes).

The American-led operation was a total success, with only a few weapons penetrating Israel’s borders. The only known casualty was a seven-year-old Bedouin girl. She was struck and severely injured by shrapnel that fell through the roof of their home in the Negev desert, near Israel’s substantial Nevatim air base, where advanced aircraft are stationed that are capable of delivering nuclear weapons. It is thirty kilometers northwest of Dimona, the Israel nuclear reactor that has been churning out atomic bombs for more than five decades.

I was told by a knowledgeable Israeli that officials at the airfield were explicitly advised, presumably by Iran, that the missiles that fell near or at the airport were not meant for the reactor at Dimona. The Israeli military officially released photographs of the damage to the grounds at the air base.

The operation “had to have a zero scenario,” the American official told me, in terms of ensuring that an Iranian ballistic missile did not escape the international armada and strike a major city in Israel. But, he added, “The guys who fly have a lot of faith and believe they can do anything with the AWACs.” There was no margin of error.

“It was gutsy.”

RAMZY BAROUD | WILL THE IRANIAN RETALIATION END THE ISRAELI WAR IN GAZA

“The Iranian retaliation exceeded all expectations.”

Click here to watch the video (2 minutes, 20 seconds) 

#Netanyahu kept digging, and the hole is now bigger. #Iran has responded, as we argued yesterday, and it was a resounding retaliation. So, will he #Israel drag #Biden and others to dig with him? or will the madness end with the realization that 'military solutions' are no longer applicable, neither to #Palestine nor to anywhere else in the #MiddleEast?

THE MIDDLE EAST NEEDS A CEASEFIRE NOW

Paradoxically, Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel could generate an equally unprecedented breakthrough for peace in the Middle East. But first, the United Nations Security Council must pass a binding resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and across the region.

AFP via Getty Images

By Daoud Kuttab

Project Syndicate, a George Soros Publication
16 April 2024

JERUSALEM– It is hard to imagine that anyone in the Levant or the broader Middle East managed to sleep on Saturday night as Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles toward strategic sites in Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Almost all of the drones and missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets as a result of a coordinated effort by the United States, Israel, Jordan, and the United Kingdom. The trigger for Saturday’s attack was Israel’s bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, which killed 13 people, including several high-ranking members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This act, a clear violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, compelled the Islamic Republic to respond.

Iran chose to strike Israel directly, a decision likely driven by a desire to defend its national pride following the attack on its consulate, which, according to the Vienna Convention, is the Islamic Republic’s sovereign territory.

Paradoxically, this dangerous escalation presents a unique opportunity for a regional ceasefire – potentially ending the war between Israel and Hamas, preventing a direct military showdown between Israel and Iran, and stopping the Yemeni Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. With both sides having demonstrated their military capabilities and assuming that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heeds US President Joe Biden’s warning not to retaliate against Iran, the region could revert to an uneasy equilibrium. As the Cold War showed, a balance of terror can act as a powerful deterrent, fostering peace and stability.

However, to capitalize on this narrow window of opportunity, the United Nations Security Council must pass a robust, binding resolution calling for a regional ceasefire. In addition to Israel and Iran, this resolution should apply to all the region's countries and third-party combatants.

Moreover, this binding resolution must address the central issue driving the current bout of regional instability – the war in Gaza. In line with its previous March 25 resolution, from which the US abstained, the Security Council must demand an immediate cessation of Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages and detainees. By requiring both parties to “comply with their obligations under international law in relation to all persons they detain,” the resolution could also facilitate the release of Palestinians detained by Israel.

Contrary to the claims of some US representatives, the March 25 resolution was binding. However, given the risk of an all-out war, the Security Council must immediately draft and vote on a new resolution covering the entire region under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. The latest resolution should aim to facilitate a permanent and just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, providing a detailed roadmap for establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. As Saudi Arabia has stated, a credible “pathway to a solution” is a precondition for normalizing relations with Israel.

Over the past six months, the Biden administration has backed Israel unreservedly, even at the cost of losing political support among progressive and Arab-American voters. Now, US policymakers must make the Israeli government understand that they will not tolerate further delays or deception when it comes to pursuing peace.

To be sure, rebuilding Gaza will take years and require a significant international effort. However, achieving an effective, enforceable regional ceasefire is a crucial first step. Anything short of that risks perpetuating an endless cycle of war and suffering that benefits no one, especially not the Palestinians and Israelis, who are tired of this decades-old conflict.

The bombing of the Iranian consulate and Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel underscore the potential cost of a regional war. Failing to seize this critical opportunity for de-escalation could hold the region back for decades. Securing an immediate regional ceasefire must be the international community’s top priority.

Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, is a former journalism professor at Princeton University and former director and Founder of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University in Ramallah.

ABBAS JUMA | IRAN’S STRIKE ON ISRAEL WAS MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN SEEMS. HERE’S WHY

Tehran’s retaliatory attack may not have caused much destruction, but it was far from a failure

Screengrab from AFPTV showing explosions lighting up the sky over Hebron, West Bank, during an Iranian attack on Israel, April 14, 2024. © AFPTV / AFP

By Abbas Juma, Guest Editor

International journalist, political commentator, Middle East and Africa specialist
Building the Bridge Foundation with HomeWorld News
16 April 2024

On the night of April 14, Iran and its proxy forces launched a series of cruise missile and kamikaze drone strikes on Israeli territory. The attacks did not come as a surprise. Tehran had warned that it would respond to the Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, which killed several high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals. The retaliatory strike was called Operation True Promise.

There is still much debate on whether Iran’s retaliatory strike was successful. Most military experts agree that there was nothing unusual about Tehran’s actions, except that this was Iran’s first direct attack on Israel. From a technical point of view, the strategy was simple and correct: Iran first suppressed the enemy’s air defense systems with drones and then launched hypersonic missiles, which the Israelis and Americans were not able to intercept. Incidentally, in light of this, Ukraine’s statements about shooting down Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles sound ridiculous.

Do not jump to conclusions

Many experts were skeptical about Iran’s strike and hastened to say that the retaliation did not meet expectations. Given the clip thinking of most commentators, this reaction is hardly surprising. Their reasoning resembles a Hollywood blockbuster stuffed with special effects, where the end of the world and its miraculous salvation fit into 90-120 minutes, with a love scene in the middle. In real life, things are different.

As Sun Tzu wrote in ancient times, to fight 100 battles and win 100 battles is not the height of skill. The best way to win is not to fight at all. This is Iran’s strategy. Its strike against Israel was not so much a military response as a grandmaster’s move in a giant chess game. And the game is not over yet.

After the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital, Tehran found itself in a challenging situation. It had to respond in a way that would look convincing and achieve specific military goals but would not start World War III.

Iran had to carry out a direct strike to achieve the first point without resorting exclusively to proxy forces – that is how Iran acted. Regarding the second point, even though most of the missiles and drones were indeed shot down, some managed to penetrate Israeli air space and hit military targets. The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, said that the information center on the Israeli-Syrian border and Israel’s Nevatim air base were hit. And finally, as to the third point – war didn’t happen. This resembled the situation in 2020 when the Iranians hit US bases in Iraq in response to the assassination of General Soleimani.

However, it is still too early to speculate whether Iran’s attack succeeded. The big question now is how Israel will respond.

What Iran has accomplished

It’s important to emphasize that Iran’s operation carried more political than military weight. In this sense, it was carried out subtly and was a success. The Iranians did not want to start a war that would involve the US, even though that is what Netanyahu wanted. In other words, Israel didn’t manage to provoke Iran.

It is also apparent that the Islamic Republic possesses more powerful drones and missiles than those used in the attack on April 14. However, even the less advanced drones and missiles were able to penetrate Israeli air space and inflict economic damage since Israel spent much more money on shooting down the missiles and drones than Iran spent on launching them.

Tehran has once again demonstrated that Israel is not invulnerable, and it is possible to attack it. As for the degree of inflicted damage, which some commentators were unsatisfied with, it largely depends on the type of missiles and drones used in the attack – and Iran has a lot of military equipment.

Finally, Iran’s main achievement is that it has managed to confuse Israel in the same way that it was confused after the October 7 Hamas attack. The country has to respond. But how? Should Israel strike Iranian proxy forces? This is possible, but Israel does it all the time without much result. Should it hit Iran directly? But that would start a war that no one is prepared for, including the US.

Conclusion

The ball is now in Israel’s court, and the country faces the same challenges that the Islamic Republic did after April 1. But will Israel be able to solve these challenges as efficiently?

It is noteworthy that IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami said that from now on, if Israel attacks the interests of Iran and Iranian citizens, Tehran will strike it again.

This is an important statement. Essentially, the attack carried out by Iran on April 14 was not just a retaliatory strike but established a new order. Iran demonstrated that it is ready to resort to new means of influence when words are insufficient. It attacked Israel directly, not to start a war, but to demonstrate what could happen if all other methods of pressure on Israel fail.

A new option has been put forward. Israel may be deprived of its most important advantage – absolute impunity, which until recently had been guaranteed by the US.

ISRAEL’S LOSE-LOSE SITUATION SHOWS ITS CRISIS IS JUST BEGINNING

Israeli protesters demand Netanyahu’s immediate replacement.

An anti-government demonstration in Tel Aviv drew 100,000 people, activists claim

Oct. 7 gave Israel a historical dilemma that even Netanyahu’s Knesset majority most likely will not be able to resolve (AFP)

By Dr. Ramzy Baroud

Arab News
2 April 2024

Historically, wars unite Israelis. Not anymore!

Not that Israelis disagree with Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest war; they do not believe that the prime minister is the man who can win this supposedly existential fight.

However, Netanyahu’s war remains unwinnable simply because liberation wars, often conducted through guerrilla warfare tactics, are far more complicated than traditional combat. Nearly six months after the Israeli attack on Gaza began, it has become clear that Palestinian resistance groups are durable and well-prepared for a much longer fight.

Netanyahu, supported by far-right ministers and an equally hard-line defense minister, Yoav Gallant, insists that more firepower is the answer. Though the unprecedented amount of explosives used by Israel in Gaza has already killed or wounded more than 100,000 Palestinians, an Israeli victory — however it is defined — remains elusive.

So, what do Israelis want, and, more precisely, what is their prime minister’s endgame in Gaza?

Major opinion polls since Oct. 7 continue to produce similar results: the Israeli public prefers Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity alliance, over the prime minister and his Likud party.

“It has become clear that Palestinian resistance groups

are durable and well-prepared for a much longer fight.”

A recent poll by the Israeli newspaper Maariv indicated that one of Netanyahu’s closest and most crucial coalition partners, Religious Zionist Party leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is virtually irrelevant regarding public support. If elections were to be held today, the far-right minister’s party would not even pass the electoral threshold.

Most Israelis are calling for new elections this year. If they were to receive their wish today, the pro-Netanyahu coalition would only muster 46 seats compared to its rivals' 64. And if the Israeli coalition government—currently controlling 72 of the Knesset’s 120 seats—were to collapse, the right wing’s dominance of Israeli politics would shatter, likely for a long time.

In this scenario, Netanyahu’s political shenanigans, which have served him well in the past, would not allow him to return to power, considering he is already 74.

In an intensely polarized society, Israelis have learned to blame individuals or political parties for their woes. This is partly why election outcomes can sharply differ from one election cycle to the next. Israel held five general elections between April 2019 and November 2022, and the people are now demanding yet another.

The November 2022 elections were meant to be decisive, as they ended years of uncertainty and settled on the “most right-wing government in the history of Israel” — an oft-repeated description of Israel’s modern government coalitions.

Netanyahu’s government wanted to secure its gains for good to ensure Israel did not return to its previous indecision. Smotrich, along with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, hoped to fashion a new Israeli society that is forever tilted toward its brand of religious and ultranationalist Zionism.

On the other hand, Netanyahu wanted to hold on to power, partly because he had become too accustomed to the perks of his office and also because he was desperately hoping to avoid jail time due to his several corruption trials.

To achieve this, the rightist and far-right parties have diligently worked to change the rules of the game, curtailing the power of the judiciary and ending the oversight of the Supreme Court. They failed at some tasks and succeeded at others, including an amendment to the country’s Basic Laws to curtail the power of Israel’s highest court, such as its right to overturn the government’s policies.

“Oct. 7 gave Israel a historical dilemma that even Netanyahu’s comfortable Knesset majority most likely will not be able to resolve.”

Though Israelis protested en masse, it was clear that the initial energy of these protests, starting in January 2023, was petering out and that a government with such a substantial majority — at least, per Israel’s standards — would not easily relent.

Oct. 7: Changed All The Calculations.

The Palestinian Al-Aqsa Flood operation is often examined in terms of its military and intelligence components, if not usefulness, but rarely in terms of its strategic outcomes. It gave Israel a historic dilemma that even Netanyahu’s comfortable Knesset majority will most likely be unable to resolve.

Complicating matters, on Jan. 1, the Supreme Court officially annulled Netanyahu’s coalition's decision to strike down the judiciary's power. This news, however significant, was overshadowed by the many other crises plaguing the country, mostly blamed on Netanyahu and his coalition partners. These included the military and intelligence failures leading to Oct. 7, the grinding war, the shrinking economy, the risk of a regional conflict, the rift between Israel and Washington, and the growing global anti-Israel sentiment.

The problems continue to pile up, and Netanyahu, the master politician of former times, is now only hanging by the thread of keeping the war going for as long as possible to defer his mounting crises for as long as possible.

But an indefinite war is not an option either. According to recent data from the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the Israeli economy shrank by more than 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is likely to continue its freefall in the coming period.

Moreover, the army is struggling, fighting an unwinnable war without realistic goals. The only primary source of recruits can be obtained from ultra-Orthodox Jews, who have been spared the battlefield to instead study in yeshivas.

Seventy percent of all Israelis, including many in Netanyahu’s party, want the Haredi to join the army. Last week, the Supreme Court suspended state subsidies allocated to these ultra-Orthodox communities. If this were to happen, the crisis would deepen on multiple fronts. If the Haredi lose their privileges, Netanyahu’s government is likely to collapse; if they maintain them, the other government — the post-Oct-7 war council — is expected to collapse.

An end to the Gaza war, even if branded as a “victory” by Netanyahu, will only further the polarization and deepen Israel’s worst internal political struggle since its founding on the ruins of historic Palestine. Continuing the war will add to the schisms, as it will only serve as a reminder of an irremediable defeat.

Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and author. He is editor of The Palestine Chronicle and a nonresident senior research fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.” X: @RamzyBaroud

COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR: WILL ISRAEL GO NUCLEAR?

Israel's NIGHTMARE and strategic COLLAPSE after Iran’s ultimatum

Click here to watch the video (33 minutes, 08 seconds)

Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom

From Israel's strategic calculus to the regional dynamics of the Middle East, we analyze the factors that could potentially drive Israel toward nuclear action.

OPINION | IRAN’S PRESENT SHOULD BE ISRAEL’S FUTURE

The Jewish state can’t change its location, so it must learn to embrace the Middle East.

FILE PHOTO: Iranian troops participate in an Army Day parade in Tehran on April 18, 2023. © ATTA KENARE / AFP

By Fyodor Lukyanov

Guest Editor
Building the Bridge Foundation
11 April 2024

The World is waiting for another big event – Israel’s retaliation to Iran’s retribution for the (nominally anonymous Israeli) attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

A peculiarity of Tehran’s political culture is the desire for restraint; no matter the situation, retribution doesn’t come immediately. Ominous statements about imminent retaliation sometimes seem theatrical, significantly if the pause is prolonged. However, regional players know that Iran will not stop at words; action of one kind or another is inevitable. In this case, destroying a diplomatic institution was very demonstrative, so the vengeance should be no less striking. After all, asymmetry is another of Tehran’s favorite principles.

The strike on the consulate occurred on the 45th anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's proclamation of the Islamic Republic. It was probably a coincidence, but it was nevertheless, as they say, symbolic. The revolution of 1979 created a state that was very much at odds with the region's political landscape at the time. The new republic came into conflict with everyone, without exception, simply because of the regime's nature, which was qualitatively different from that of any external partner.

As a result, it could only rely on itself and exploit the objective contradictions of the others. Hence, from the beginning, Tehran used tactics later described as ‘hybrid’ or indirect. This led to all sorts of indirect and often unrecognized forms of confrontation, leaving a wide margin for flexibility. Much has changed since then, of course, and Iran is no longer a revolutionary pariah, but the traditions and the separate self-perception remain.

The paradox is that Iran and Israel, the main antagonists in this part of the world, have much in common, at least in terms of their positions in the region. Israel is another state that is, in most respects, at odds with all its neighbors. Its survival strategy is also based mainly on using various unorthodox means, some of which are hidden. This includes exploiting conflicts between surrounding countries.

The fundamental difference is that, unlike revolutionary Iran, Israel relies not only on itself but also on external patrons– the US and the EU. The genesis of this relationship is apparent. The emergence of the modern Jewish state in Palestine resulted from 20th-century European history, in which the Americans played a decisive role. The decisions made in the middle of the last century were a direct consequence of the catastrophe of the Holocaust. Other factors have determined external support for Israel. But what is vital in this context is that it was decisive. Things turned out differently. On the one hand, external aid has allowed Israel to become the strongest country in the Middle East militarily and to insulate itself politically. On the other hand, in almost every conflict involving Israel, major external players have inevitably intervened to serve their interests, which have not necessarily coincided with the country’s aspirations.

This deviation is not motivated by an interest in the past but by a desire to understand the present and the likely future. Change can occur if external patronage is considered a prerequisite for Israel’s success. The intensity of the current confrontation in Palestine is exceptionally high – the concentration of violence and the extent of the apparent damage are great. This is so significant that outward rejection of what is happening – primarily Israel’s actions – is becoming an increasingly tangible fact of life.

Of course, a state can ignore the decisions of international institutions that do not have the means to enforce their decisions. However, it can’t ignore public opinion. Critical mass is accumulating right now, and it can affect the nerves of patrons, especially since each has its internal political peculiarities.

The operation in Gaza has been going on for six months, and its main problem remains the lack of tangible results. A quick solution would have justified the means, but now the effect is the opposite. From this point of view, Hamas has succeeded in provoking Israel to pursue actions that harm it and make the Americans [and the Europeans], who already have a lot on their plates, jittery. If this trend continues in the coming decades, the loyalty of the US and the broader West to Israel may be further compromised.

Once again, Israel’s central position in the West’s geopolitical perception of the Middle East has been determined by the events of the twentieth century, from which we are moving further. To survive in a hostile region (against the backdrop of a not-so-friendly world, in general), Israel will probably have to become much more of a part of it, i.e., use its initiative to build relations with its neighbors. The Iranian experience shows that this is possible.

BREAKING | ‘EXPLOSIONS’ HEARD IN IRAN, FLIGHTS DIVERT

This unfolds against the backdrop of heightened tensions following Iran’s unprecedented missile-and-drone attack on Israel on 13 April 2024.

 According to local Iranian news, “explosions” were heard near Isfahan, 450 kilometers south of Tehran, on early April 19 local time. (AP Photo)

Israel strikes Iran

Israel struck Iran early this morning, according to two Israeli defense officials, in what appeared to be the country’s first military response to Iran’s attack last weekend.
Three Iranian officials confirmed that a strike had hit a military air base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan early on Friday. They did not say which country had attacked.

Continue reading …

OUR WEDNESDAY NEWS ANALYSIS | AN IRANIAN RETALIATION IS COMING: THIS IS WHY – ANALYSIS

April 17, 2024
Source: Palestine Chronicle
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/an-iranian-retaliation-is-coming-this-is-why-analysis/

By Ramzy Baroud & Romana Rubeo
Published April 12, 2024

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

The matter has been resolved. Israel, in the words of the Iranian mission to the United Nations, will be “punished.”

"… if the Iranian response does not instigate a regional war,
thus does not feed Netanyahu’s political agenda,
the Israeli prime minister would lose his only remaining card,
and there would be no need to prolong the Gaza war any further.

… in the unlikely chance that Iran does not respond, Israel is likely to expand its escalation, possibly by hitting deep inside Iranian territory –

regardless of the outcomes."Iran knows this very well, thus the clear understanding that an Iranian response is coming,
the only logical step following the destruction of a diplomatic mission.

This punishment is not just the direct outcome of Israel’s deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 but an overdue retaliation to many such aggressions.

Why is Israel targeting Iran?

Read more: An Iranian Retaliation is Coming: This is Why – ANALYSIS

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AFTER SIX MONTHS OF WAR, I FEAR WE MAY LOSE PALESTINE COMPLETELY

Source: The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/09/50-years-mourned-palestine-parents-israel-gaza-hope

By Raja Shehadeh
Published April 9, 2024

Israel’s onslaught has been on a scale never seen before. I spend my days searching for hope

A Palestinian family continues to live in the rubble of their destroyed house in Gaza City, 7 April 2024. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

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Editor’s Note | Sunshine Breaks Through the Clouds. Always!

I look forward to reviewing your new book, 'What Does Israel Fear From Palestine’ (publishing date: 7 June 2024).

Dear Raja, the majority of the people on all divides crave peace. Nonetheless, a minority of ‘kill, get killed’ extremists continue to tyrannize the majority who long for life, 'to live, let live.'

The people in Israel-Palestine — on both sides — must democratically replace their leadership. Another Nelson Mandela must rise from the ashes. We must work toward a one-state democracy, to quote Martin Luther King, Jr. “a beloved community for all.”

The present remnants and half-breeds of the former Judeans of 2,000 years ago do not need to fear the present indigenous Palestinians, many of whom are descendants of the half-breeds and remnants of Israel, cited in the Gospels 2000 years ago.

It is time for both to recognize the other by saying, “Welcome home.”

Raja, sunshine will break through the clouds. BELIEVE!

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Read more: After six months of war, I fear we may lose Palestine completely

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TUCKER CARLSON QUESTIONS EVANGELICAL SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IN THE GAZA CONFLICT

Source: Juicy Ecumenism

https://juicyecumenism.com/2024/04/11/tucker-carlson-questions-israel/

By Jeffrey Walton
Published April 11, 2024

American Evangelicals are partly responsible for the deaths of Palestinian Christians in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, a prominent anti-Israel Palestinian cleric and activist told Tucker Carlson this week. That cleric is among many among the fast-shrinking Palestinian Christian population who highlight their opposition to Israel and blame American Christianity without acknowledging Hamas or Hezbollah terrorism.

“… many Evangelical leaders in the United States
care “much more about the highly secular government of Israel
than they care about Christian communities in the Middle East.”

Tucker Carlson

Read more: Tucker Carlson Questions Evangelical Support for Israel in Gaza Conflict

BUILDING THE BRIDGE! | A WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER AND ONE ANOTHER

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanism for Many to Move Mountains

Photo Credit: Abraham A. van Kempen, our home away from home on the Dead Sea

By Abraham A. van Kempen

Senior Editor
Updated 19 January 2024

Those who commit to 'healing our broken humanity' build intercultural bridges to learn to know and understand one another and others. Readers who thumb through the Building the Bridge (BTB) pages are not mindless sheep following other mindless sheep. They THINK. They want to be at the forefront of making a difference. They're in search of the bigger picture to expand their horizons. They don't need BTB or anyone else to confirm their biases.

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanism for Many to Move Mountains

Accurate knowledge promotes understanding, dispels prejudice, and awakens the desire to learn more. Words have an extraordinary power to bring people together, divide them, forge bonds of friendship, or provoke hostility. Modern technology offers unprecedented possibilities for good, fostering harmony and reconciliation. Yet its misuse can do untold harm, leading to misunderstanding, prejudice, and conflict.

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