Useful readings on the conflict in the Middle East | 2 | 31.10.23

What I'm trying to do with these occasional postings of readings about the ongoing and escalating conflict in the Middle East is to take a few steps back and look at the bigger picture. That's not an easy task...

In what's descending into a bitter culture war between the supporters of Israel and Palestine respectively, it's all too easy to get locked into a cycle of outrage and condemnation while losing sight of the geopolitics of the situation. That's not to diminish in any way the horrendous suffering and anguish of the civilians, Palestinian and Israeli, caught up in this conflict. It's just that we need to be aware of how this situation has the potential to escalate into a major regional war, with the US and its allies supporting Israel, while Russia and China support the likes of Iran, who are one of the backers of the Palestinian cause.

To start things off, here are two readings looking at the geopolitics of the situation and how the rivalries involved have the potential to dangerously escalate the conflict:

The US is fueling, not avoiding, a regional war - Hasan Illaik | The Cradle | 30.10.23

On the other side of this conflict, Washington has weighed in to offer full support to the occupation army in its military campaign against Palestinians. To date, the US has deployed two aircraft carriers and dozens of naval vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. Its air defenses (Patriot and THAAD systems) have been strengthened in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Jordan, and the occupied Palestinian territories. In addition, the Americans have deployed 2,000 special forces soldiers in Palestine, strengthened their forces and increased the number of combat aircraft in all their military bases in West Asia, and added military advisors to “assist” the Israeli army in its war on Gaza.

Both in practice, and publicly, the US government and military are running this Israeli war.

Iran-Russia set a western trap in Palestine - Pepe Escobar | The Cradle | 27.10.23

The Russia-Iran strategic partnership - with China in the wings - is laying an elaborate, Sun Tzu-tinged trap for the Hegemon in West Asia.

Apart from Israel, there is no entity on the planet capable of switching the focus, in a flash, away from the west's spectacular debacle in Ukraine.

The warmongers in charge of US foreign policy, not exactly Bismarckian stalwarts, believe that if Project Ukraine is unattainable, Project Final Solution in Palestine could instead be a - ethnic cleansing - cakewalk.

A more plausible scenario, though is that Iran-Russia – and the new “axis of evil” Russia-China-Iran – have all it takes to drag the Hegemon into a second quagmire. It’s all about using the enemy’s own, discombobulated flip-flapping to unbalance him and disorient him to oblivion.

There's a growing perception among a number of commentators that Israel's operations in Gaza are little more than a thinly disguised land grab. One which would give them a heck of a lot of beach front real estate, ripe for 'development'. Should that prove to be the case, then the countries who support the Palestinian cause would most definitely be upping their support to include military assistance. This is one factor that could see the conflict escalate into a major regional war with serious geo-political implications. This is what these two readings deal with, each in their own way:

Leaked: Israeli plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza - The Cradle | 29.10.23

Israeli culture magazine Mekovit published on 28 October a leaked document issued by Israel’s Ministry of Intelligence recommending the occupation of Gaza and total transfer of its 2.3 million inhabitants to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

The document, issued on 13 October, identifies a plan to transfer all residents of the Gaza Strip to North Sinai as the preferred option among three alternatives regarding the future of the Palestinians in Gaza at the end of the current war between Israel and the Hamas-led Palestinian resistance.

The document recommends that Israel evacuate the Gazan population to Sinai during the war, establish tent cities and new cities in northern Sinai to accommodate the deported population, and then create a closed security zone stretching several kilometers inside Egypt. The deported Palestinians would not be allowed to return to any areas near the Israeli border.

Craig Murray: As Genocide Unfolds, Chances of a Regional War Become Almost Unavoidable - Mint Press | 27.10.23

I want to examine two questions — what will happen internationally, and what is happening in Western societies?

Israel is on the course of further escalation and intends to kill thousands more Palestinians. More than 2,000 Palestinian children alone have now been killed by Israeli aerial attacks in the last fortnight.

Gaza has no defense from bombs and missiles, and there is no military reason why Israel cannot keep this up for months and simply rely upon aerial massacre. We are perhaps within a week of thirst, starvation and disease, killing even more people per day than bombardment.

The population of Gaza is simply defenseless. Only international intervention can stop Israel from doing whatever it wishes, and those countries that have influence with Israel are actively abetting and encouraging the genocide.

The question is, what is Israel’s aim? Do they intend to reduce the Gaza Strip further, annexing half or more of it? Will starvation and horror enable the international community to force Egypt to accept the expulsion of the population of Gaza into the Sinai Desert as a “humanitarian” move?

That appears to be the end game: the expulsion of population and territorial expansion into Gaza.

At this point, I want to make it known that an inclusion of a reading in these posts doesn't mean I fully support their analysis or the points they make. I'll include readings that I don't fully agree with if I think they're offering something that will help people's understanding of the situation and lead to a more informed debate.

What I'm aiming to do with the next batch of readings is to pick out some looking at the military build up that's already underway. That may prove to be somewhat alarming but, it's necessary in building a full understanding of the situation and of why the warmongers have to be stopped.