By Feroze Mithiborwala
Celebrations have broken out across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, across all of historic Palestine. Clearly after the 11-day war, the Palestinian Resistance has emerged stronger, with more widespread & greater global support.
The struggle of the Palestinian people to safeguard the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah from ethnic cleansing, to defending the Al-Aqsa Masjid from continued attacks & destruction by Jewish Zionist fanatics, has spurred on the global solidarity movements across the world. All of Netanyahu’s strategies to provoke that have led to this uprising and the subsequent war, lie in tatters. Netanyahu in his desperation to cling on to power, has considerably weakened Israel politically, as well has exposed Israel’s military weaknesses. The regional resistance is closely watching, observing.
Do note that, unlike the previous times, Netanyahu & the Israeli Army, did not have the guts to launch a land invasion, which they always resorted to in the past. The tanks & the infantry were lined up at the Northern & Eastern borders of Gaza, but they did not set a toe inside the liberated territory. This only goes to prove the strength of the Resistance within Gaza and the fast decreasing of the Israeli military machine. Israeli soldiers only show their bravery when they attack unarmed Palestinians, shoot them, break their arms, raid their houses, bomb & kill their children. Gaza is the Warsaw Ghetto & the Israeli’s are the Nazi’s of our times.
Since the year 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon, it took 18 years for the Lebanese National Resistance, led by the Hezbollah, Amal & Communists among others forces, to defeat and throw out the Israeli army. Thus the year 2000 was a major turning point in the strategic balance across the region.
This was followed by the liberation of Gaza between 2003-2005. It was led by the Palestinian national resistance, at the forefront of which was the Hamas, including the Fatah, PFLP and other forces as well. This marked a major defeat for the Israelis, as they withdrew from occupied territory for the first time since 1948. Thus Gaza, a little strip of land, a part of Palestine was finally liberated.
Note, post-1967, when the Israel defeated 4 Arab armies in 6 days, since that period of supposed arrogant invincibility, the tide has greatly changed since then. In fact, between 1967 to 1973 itself (The War of Attrition), during the Yom Kippur War, the Israelis were defeated by the Egyptian army and had to return the Sinai Desert. Though Israel gained here by a US brokered peace treaty with Egypt, thus effectively neutralizing the biggest Arab Army from the conflict.
Then in 2006, the 11th of July, the Israelis yet again invaded Lebanon, with the objective of defeating the Hezbollah and the Resistance forces that dwelt in South Lebanon, bordering Israel, or rather 1948 occupied Palestine.
Israel invaded with 20,000 infantry, tanks, warships, fighter jets, cruise missiles, all the latest US weaponry posdible. It was an all out war. But after a 34-day long war, Israel stood defeated by the Hezbollah led Lebanese National Resistance. Despite such a massive attack, the Israelis could not take an inch of Lebanese territory. On the last day, the Israelis’ lost 34 of their advanced tanks to Russian made Kornet missiles. The underground tunnel network, from man-to-man combat, to the fact that the Lebanese fighters were far more well trained and yes, braver – whilst the Israelis depended more on their high-tech weapons from the US, were all factors that led to this disastrous defeat for Israel.
This was an historic turning point for the Resistance, as this marked the end of the hegemony of the Israeli Military. No more could Israel hope to settle political matters by recourse to military means, those days were now long gone. Also whilst the US, UK, France, all backed Israel, the Lebanese National Resistance was backed by Syria & Iran. A new phase of the struggle had now emerged, with the strategic balance of power shifting towards the Regional forces, those committed to ending the Imperial-zionist occupation of the region.
Post-2006, a clear alliance emerged between Israel-US & the Saudis. Then began the wars on Libya, Syria, Yemen & increased targeting of Iran.
Syria was a special target of the Zionists, as it provides the greatest haven for the Palestinian resistance and the Palestinian refugees as well. After 10 years, Syria has withstood the war imposed by the Imperial-Zionist & the nexus of the regional collaborators. Crucially Russia entered the war theatre in October 2015, to support the Syrian nation. This marked the decisive rise of the Russian role in geopolitical affairs, rarely witnessed since the collapse of the USSR in 1989-90.
In the course of the last 3 months, those Arab nations that waged the war against Syria, namely Saudi, UAE, Qatar, among others, now are all building ties with Syria. The Saudi war on Yemen too has led to the defeat of the Saudi-UAE-Israel-US-UK-French bloc. Though Turkey & the US, both continue to wreck havoc in Syria, but the Syrian Army will defeat them in the coming phase.
The US is withdrawing from both Iraq & Afghanistan, having achieved the destruction of two nations & the genocide of the population. In the case of Afghanistan, the regional powers, namely – Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, India & the bordering Central Asian nations, will have to work closely to stabilise and help that nation rebuild.
Interestingly, the biggest fault-line, the Saudi-Iran schism, is also witnessing a dialogue, which is already leading to positive political developments in Syria & Yemen. The fact that the Saudis have finally reached out to Iran, which was always open for a dialogue will eventually neutralise the Israeli-US strategy of playing the Sunni-Shia card, to divide the region. Here Baghdad has played a key role in successfully facilitating this crucial dialogue.
Thus the Saudis & Iran have entered a dialogue, as have Turkey & Egypt. The Saudis & Turkey are also in a dialogue. The stabilisation & cooperation of the regional powers is indeed bad news for the Israelis & the US – and great news for Palestine, for the Palestinian Resistance.
This also destroys Trump’s deal of the century, which now lies in tatters.
The fact that the US is now back in dialogue with Iran to yet again negotiate the Iran P5+1 Nuclear Deal, is also a strategic development of great significance.
This yet again proves the resilience and strength of the resistance bloc, namely Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon & Palestine. More nations and anti-colonial forces in the region will now gravitate towards this bloc.
Thus the next phase of the struggle for the liberation of Palestine will lead to great geopolitical and strategic changes in the balance of power, across the World.
I would lastly say, in the liberation of Palestine lies the liberation of the world, in the Resurrection of Palestine, lies the Resurrection of the World. And yes, to refer to a well known Biblical verse – Jerusalem has yet again emerged as a “Light unto the Nations….”
Feroze Mithiborwala is Founder-National Gen. Sec. India Palestine Solidarity Forum
21 May 2021
Source: countercurrents.org