With his political campaign continuing to be built on him being the
farthest right-wing, and most hawkish candidate, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed a meeting of the security cabinet in which
the army was told to prepare for a wide-scale military campaign inside the Gaza Strip.
It’s unlikely that such an instruction to the Israeli Army has any
meaning at all, since Israel is seemingly always on the verge of
invading the Gaza Strip for some reason or other, and probably is never
not making such preparations.
Netanyahu said policy toward the Gaza frontier is to either invade Gaza
or “restore the calm.” Despite ttalk of “difficult situations,” it’s not
clear anything is really going on in Gaza beyond what usually is.
Indeed, it’s not clear what Netanyahu’s “Gaza situation” is, beyond
another opportunity for him to talk up the idea of a massive military
offensive, a threat which tends to be politically popular within Israel,
and which officials feel the need to bring up as a possibility every so
often.
“its time to mow the lawn”
It is dangerous time in Israel. September elections are a big gamble for Netanyahu. He must create a military diversion. Gaza is always a good target — fewer Palestinians always desirable.
Insanity. This is what the world comes to with no moral breaks. When a leader, such as US abandons all principles and all international laws protecting civilians, and allows unpunished military sadism against powerless people — erosion of humanity, madness of the heart is the consequence.
One of his advantages as actual prime minister is he can actually kill Palestinians, his opponents can only talk about Palestinians they would kill if elected or brag about Palestinians they have killed in the past.
Last week the rumor was passed around that Netanyahu wanted to postpone the elections because of an “upcoming security incident”. No one knew whether he meant Gaza, Hezbollah, or Iran.
Presumably that’s what this “Gaza operation” is all about – postponing the elections.
The other possibility is that the preparations being made are not in fact aimed at Gaza, but at Hezbollah in Lebanon and that the Gaza designation is a red herring. I’m still expecting another war in Lebanon either this summer or next summer.
Of course, it’s a lot safer to attack Palestinians than to attack Hezbollah, especially if he doesn’t yet have US agreement to join in on any attack on Hezbollah. Hamas doesn’t have anywhere near the retaliation capability of Hezbollah. So perhaps Netanyahu thinks attacking Hamas to delay the elections is better than attacking Hezbollah this summer and maybe will delay the Hezbollah attack until next summer, assuming he has or can get Trump to go along.
I doubt very much the US would join in any Israeli attack on Hezbollah, Richard. Remember, the US elections are coming up next year, and DJT isn’t about to wreck his chances of re-election just to help Bibzy Nutty&Yahoo launch an attack on Hezbollah.
Just as in 2006, Nutty&Yahoo did just that, but G. W. Bush kept the US out of it (he was already engaged in wars with Afghanistan and Iraq).
I remember it well. In 2006 Bush did not intervene, but he clocked international intervention, to give Israel time. Famous Rice prediction — “the birth pangs of the new Middle East”,
It is easy to forget that at that time Lebanon was facing extinction. The Lebanese President cried in TV — as Israel bombed Beirut, particularly Shia areas. This incredible hate of Shia Islam is taken as normal — even today, it is completely respectable to target anything Shia, in Lebanon in Syria, Yemen, Bahrein, Iraq. In Lebanon, it was Shia militia that stopped Israel’s land invasion. That was never forgiven, so Hezbollah — even though represented in Parliament, are declared terrorists. Iran is hated, as it is perceived as the source of support for Shia resistance to US sponsored plans to impose unquestioning rule over Middle East. US and West sponsored Sunni Islamic fundamentalist groups in Syria was a game changer.
This was the birth of the new Middle East. Groups devastating Syria were brutal to their own Sunni population — demanding obedience. They devastated Shia and Christian alike — mercilessly. But in Damascus, leaders of Syrian Sunni, Christian and Shia faiths stood by the government and by Syrian army — and prevented divisions, and condemning brutality in the name of religion. And while technically we were against ISIS — there was really no difference between ISIS and other Salafi groups.
This consolidated Iraqi battle against ISIS — but US is trying to blame Shia militia for some unspecified sins. Like messing up our plans.
So, now Lebanon is united only some pro-Western Sunni may be against Shia — a distinct minority. Iraq has been likewise wised up — as they took it to ISIS.
Is the Iran campaign the last ditch effort to again divide Sunni and Shia?
I would really like to know who in the Middle East will join. I cannot see it — but then there are many ways they can be blackmailed. Saudis by the blockage of Bab Al-Mandeb and the Straights of Hormuz.
Sample being taking Iran’s tanker going through Gibraltar. Mind you, there is even no pretense of this being legal under international law.
Screws are being tightened — showing through example what can happen to anyone. It is still completely unclear what exactly is the accusation against Iran. There are many charges thrown up in the air — but nothing is sticking.
There seems to be a plan for starting a war — not quite sure to what extent. But the meaning of such brazen acts is to provoke,
I have a distinct feeling that it is Russia and China being challenged. Syria is a very bad example of US military failure. UK is trying to get US to concede something — as such support as UK is offering dies not come for free. The way things stand — bad for Western influence, from Libya and Egypt, to Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Qatar and Iraq.
Saudi Arabia is cutting commercial deals with Russia, so is Japan. Kuwait does not want to hear about war with Iran.
So, anybody has a guess as to the process by which US snd UK can prevail over Iran, and bring the region crawling back?
It will have to be something big. But what? Are there people this crazy to risk a wider war, just t lo end the nagging questions about homelessness in UK?
Hezbollah missile directed at TelAviv will force Netanyahu and cohorts to pull their heads in.
Wow, isn’t Israel brave. Just like when they launch airstrikes on Syria by hiding in Lebanese airspace and using airliners as cover.