Last week, as I was beginning to think about this month’s update, I was looking at a month where nothing much had happened to change the situation in Palestine or Israel. Gaza was still waiting for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to start taking over controlling the Territory, while the situation in the West Bank was continuing to deteriorate with the Settler Terrorist gangs able to act seemingly with impunity in attacking Palestinians.
However, that all changed on Saturday (28/02) morning when I heard of attack on Iran started by Netanyahu and Trump, despite the USA having been in negotiations with Iran that seemed to be progressing. I know that the regime in Iran since the deposing of the Shah has been anti-Israel and anti-American. I am also aware of its appalling record on civil and human rights, culminating in the massacre of demonstrators in January. However, that does not justify the actions that are setting the whole of the Middle East ablaze with retaliatory missiles from Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, hitting many other countries across the area.
I am sure you will have all seen the coverage across the media, so I will not rehash it in this update but here are my thoughts (which I first put in a Facebook post).
Netanyahu wants Israel to be embroiled in wars so he can keep up the pretence he is “Mr Security” who can be trusted to keep Israel safe (despite the opposite being true), especially in the run up to the Knesset election later this year.
Trump wants a nice, small, contained war far from the USA to keep eyes away from the Epstein Files and his failing policies at home.
The Iranian Regime, despite the killing of some (but by no means all) of its political and military leaders, is happy to join in as it helps cement its self-proclaimed position as leading the Islamic world against the “Western Infidels” and gives them excuses for their failing economy and domestic oppression.
Meanwhile civilians in Iran, Israel, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region are being killed, paying the price of the political machinations of their leaders as they attempt to remain in power.
This is madness. It helps no-one but the mad men (and it is men) leading these nations who claim to be acting in their people’s best interests.
There seems to be little thought of how to end this war. Trump especially seems to have totally misjudged the resilience of Iran and has no idea about exactly what he wants to achieve as his aims change from day to day, if not hour to hour. Netanyahu simply wants a war to keep Israelis feeling insecure. Not content with attacking Iran, he has opened up a second front in Lebanon against Hezbollah – the Shia militia he claimed to have more or less destroyed just a few months ago.
Meanwhile, out of the headlines, the tragedy of Gaza goes on with the no developments in progressing the Ceasefire. Hamas remains a threat to the security of Gazans while the IDF is still killing Gazans and keeping a very tight grip on what can enter the territory. Also, in the West Bank the Jewish Settler Terrorists attacks on Palestinian farmers and villagers have increased while most Israelis are sheltering from Iranian and Hezbollah rockets.
I haven’t yet seen an Israeli opinion poll since the start of the latest war against Iran, and it will be interesting to see if that has had any effect on Netanyahu’s popularity or lack of it) in the run up to the elections that should be held later this year. I am still trying to get more insights into how the campaigns for proposed Palestinian elections are developing and I have reached out to an old contact of mine in Bethlehem to see if he is willing to talk with us about them.
I was glad to see that our Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Calum Miller, and other Liberal Democrats, met with Samer Sinijlawi, a leading Palestinian peace activist, who I met in London last year. Samer has written an article for Lib Dem Voice that is well worth reading.
Hopefully, the coming month will bring better news from Palestine, Israel, and Iran. While the outlook for peace in the region is dark at the moment, we must not give up hope.
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