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Israel’s attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon is undoubtedly part of Israel’s larger campaign to demonstrate its military capacity against those it considers enemies and threats to the Zionist state.
THE Middle East is ablaze. The war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has prompted a response from Iran, which launched 200 missiles at Israel. Israel’s attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon has claimed hundreds of civilian lives. However, the greatest impact on Hezbollah was the death of its leader, Hasan Nasrallah, labeled a terrorist by the West. The US has not remained idle, and it has now sent over 40,000 troops to the Middle East in preparation for an open war with Iran.
With Israel’s attacks and the death of Hezbollah’s leader, it is certain that Iran will retaliate. We know that Hezbollah is closely affiliated with Iran, and Hezbollah is widely known as one of Israel’s most enduring enemies and greatest threats to the Zionist state.
Israel’s attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon is a clear part of Israel’s larger campaign to demonstrate its military strength to those it deems enemies and threats. It also reveals Israel’s broader ambition in the Middle East, exemplified by its violence and genocidal acts against the Palestinian people.
Moreover, this blind aggression by Israel is also an attempt to cover up the crimes it has committed in Gaza and Palestine. While Israel can no longer deny its war crimes in Gaza, which have drawn international condemnation, the suffering of the Palestinian people has, on the other hand, led to broader international recognition of Palestine. As is known, while Palestine has not yet been recognized as an independent state, it has been accepted as a full member at the United Nations in New York.
However, the most dangerous and concerning aspect of this Israel-Iran war is the potential for a much larger conflict. Such a war would likely involve the Islamic world and the broader Middle East. We remember the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen, which forced the Islamic world into conflict. Ultimately, the primary goal was to systematically weaken the Islamic world.
The escalating violence in the Middle East involves numerous interests, both domestically, regionally, and globally. Domestically, Israel has a significant interest in its security. Today, there is almost no state-level threat to Israel, except for Iran. Other Arab nations, and even non-Arab countries like Turkey, are no longer seen as threats to Israel. Iran, with its potential nuclear capabilities, remains the most feared adversary for Israel.
Regionally, we have long known that several neighboring countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, view Iran as the greatest threat in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia will go to great lengths to weaken Iran and ensure that the threat is neutralized, even going so far as to boycott its own brotherly nation, Qatar, due to perceived closeness to Iran.
However, global interests are also at play in this conflict, with deep roots in the Middle East. Beyond ideological differences, such as Islam versus secularism, the Middle East is still considered the center of the world’s largest economic resources.
We are familiar with the ongoing struggles between global power blocs today—between Russia and the US in the West, and between the US and China in the East. The Middle East and the Islamic world act as balancing forces. I strongly feel Huntington’s message in his book *The Clash of Civilizations* in this conflict, where the West, China, and Islam are set to collide in the battle for future global dominance.
Israel is the right hand of Western power in the Middle East and the Islamic world. Often described as “the only democracy in the Middle East,” Israel is deliberately used by the West to ensure that the Islamic world remains weakened. This strategy has been evident throughout history, from the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan, to the current open war with Iran. All of these are part of a systematic and calculated Western effort to weaken the Islamic world.
Therefore, I am not overly surprised or worried by Israel’s oppressive behavior. This is its true nature—colonial powers cannot be expected to act with civility, as their nature is barbaric. Nor am I surprised by America’s “double standard” approach to Middle Eastern policies. This is America’s character and history in many parts of the world. Don’t we remember what the US did in Latin and Central America?
What is most confusing and saddening, however, is the attitude of Islamic and Middle Eastern countries that fail to realize they are being victimized by global powers (read: the West). They are provided with arms or forced to buy weapons from the West to weaken and eliminate each other. In the end, they will become victims and be enslaved by America’s golden child in the Middle East (Israel).
Therefore, if the Islamic world, particularly the Middle East, does not wake up soon, we will witness further calamity in the next two or three years. Do the neighboring countries of Israel not realize that Israel, as a Western pawn, poses a real threat to them? Have they not learned from the collapse of previous Arab nations such as Iraq, Libya, Syria, and others? These events should have opened their eyes to the fact that they are the next targets. It is even more troubling that they are currently being used to serve their own enemy’s interests (read: Israel).
Countries like Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and even Gulf states like the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and others will never be considered true friends of Israel. As long as these countries are still categorized as Muslim-majority states, Zionist Israel will never feel safe due to the “Muslim” label.
In this context, I strive not to drag religion into this conflict. However, the reality is that Benjamin Netanyahu’s primary motivation for his current war expansion is his extreme religious beliefs. I believe it is Netanyahu’s extreme religious conviction that will ultimately bring about bitter consequences for other Arab nations.
Thus, I just remind everyone: never feel safe from Israel, which is always watching. It is better to take preventive action than to regret it later. Remember that!
Madinah Al-Munawwarah, October 2, 2024
Imam Shamsi Ali, Interfaith Dialogue Activist in America
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Iran, Islamic Society, Islamic Unity, Israel