What was/were the cause/causes of the latest conflagration in the Middle East after a general disquiet for seven years since the last significant conflict with Hamas, and 16 years since the last major Palestinian uprising, or intifada?
Analysts have discussed this and it looks like until the cows come home, there’ll be no consensus on this.
Some of the causes being analysed range from the looming eviction of the six families from the Palestinian neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, and the first raid on Al-Aqsa for no apparent reason on the first night of Ramadan, to the march by an extreme-right Jewish group, Lehava, through central Jerusalem, chanting “Death to Arabs” and attacking Palestinian passers-by, and Hamas’ shelling of rockets on Israel.
But for me it has become increasing clear that beneath all these causes is the overarching cause of a deadly politicking – the political survival of two Israeli politicians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party and Defence Minister Benny Gantz of the Blue and White Party have been pitting against each other in four Israeli general elections in two years since 2019, with the latest one in March that had time and again, resulted in a stalemate.
While it has been proven time and again that Netanyahu has no qualm in retaining the premiership despite being charged by the Supreme Court of a first-degree corruption, and hence is the mastermind of the present conflagration to retain at all cost the premiership, the novice politician in Gantz also did not want to be outfoxed by the more experienced Netanyahu, especially after being played out by the latter in the only coalition government formed by both which fell apart causing the recent March election to be held due to Netanyahu’s betrayal of refusing to have a budget which was agreed on earlier.
And since both were aware that the Israeli population were fed-up and angry with having no permanent prime minister and no permanent government for two consecutive years, what better way to appease the population by redirecting their anger and venting it at the Palestinians.
And so, the pursuit of evicting the Palestinians from Al-Jarrah before the Supreme Court were to hear the case and the march by the extreme right Lehava were of Netanyahu’s doing, and the raid on Al-Aqsa by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) was Gantz’s doing as the Defence Minister, while the aerial bombardment of Gaza was the brainchild of both.
But, oh my, how they have miscalculated!
In an unprecedented development, more and more religious Jews and Christian evangelists in Israel, US and Europe are showing overt support for the Palestinians after years of oppression by the Zionist government of Israel.
Rabbi Elahanan Beck’s words of "we are raising the Palestinian flag and we are waiting Palestinians to take over the land from the river to the sea, we don’t believe in the two state solution because in our religion we are not allowed to have even one inch of the land, all the land should go back to Palestinians," have become famous in many demonstrations the world over.
In an interview with Unews, a West Asia based multimedia news agency that produces news videos and covers international, political and economic events, emphasising on areas of conflict in the Middle East, Rabbi Beck who is the Coordinator of the Neturei Karta Movement in Britain, said: "We feel it is very important to bring the message of Orthodox Jews that Judaism and Zionism is not the same thing, Zionist people cannot speak on behalf of the Jewish people," thus affirming that there are many Jews strongly opposed to the State of Israel.
Neturei Karta literally means "Guardians of the City" and is a religious group of Haredi Jews who opposes Zionism and calls for a "peaceful dismantling" of the State of Israel, in the belief that Jews are forbidden to return to their homeland until the coming of the Jewish Messiah, and that the State of Israel constitutes a rebellion against God.
Rabbi Beck went on to say "since the beginning of the ideology of Zionism, most of the Jewish rabbis, 99% of them, strongly opposed it," and noted that "there are many Jews that are loyal to Torah and loyal to God that totally oppose the State of Israel".
Beck made it clear that Zionism is a rebellion against God Almighty, saying "we believe that God promised a land for the Jewish people but this goes under a certain condition that is to keep a high level of life otherwise they will be exiled and this is stated in books of prophets and this is what happened."
Meanwhile Reverend Rick Willes, a US evangelist, countered the view of many Christian Zionists that Palestine has never existed by showing a 1905 Bible showing a map of Palestine, saying that not only the Bible acknowledged the existence of Palestine in some verses but also a copy of a 1905 Bible showed a map of Palestine with the heading Palestine.
He also said that the idea of a political capital of the Jewish state in Jerusalem was the concoction of Christian Zionists and is alien to Judaism which believe that Jerusalem and Israel are a place for the Jews who are the people of God to lead a life of religious piety, regardless of who owns the sovereignty of Jerusalem.
Even a US Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while speaking on the House floor on Thursday (May 13), said: “The president and many other figures this week stated that Israel has a right to defend itself, and this is a sentiment that’s echoed across this body. But do Palestinians have a right to survive? Do we believe that? And if so, we have a responsibility to that.”
Meanwhile the politicking of the two Israeli politicians have also energised the inert and laggard Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) previously known as the Organisation of Islamic Conference, which called its members to close ranks and assist the downtrodden and persecuted Palestinians.
Member countries that had normalise relations with Israel last year were severely rebuked because this bromance with Israel without achieving Palestinian statehood is seen as representing support for apartheid.
This has put Arab countries that have normalised ties with Israel – Sudan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – in a particularly embarrassing position, having premised their peace accord with Tel Aviv on the notion that normalised relations would serve the interest of the Palestinian cause.
The latest politicking of the Israeli duo is to widen the conflict further by hitting at Hamas representatives worldwide in which Turkey, Iran and Malaysia were targeted.
In response, Home Affairs Minister, Hamzah Zainudin, said all national security agencies have stepped up various aspects of security measures to maintain public order of Malaysians, including Palestinians who are in the country.
"The Home Ministry calls on the public to remain calm as the country's security situation is under control and at a good level,” Hamzah said in a statement.
Netanyahu is reported to have exhausted the time given to him to form a coalition government which was last week. Since he has failed to form a government, it’s the turn of Gantz to form one beginning this week.
Let’s hope the novice Gantz will be the wiser in pursuing the formation of government that features a lasting peace for Israel and Palestine, and the world. Their current efforts at politicking to keep the coveted post of prime minister for themselves is a deadly one that has resulted in the combined deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and Jews.
Jamari Mohtar is Director of Media & Communications at EMIR Research, an independent think-tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based upon rigorous research.
** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.
ALSO READ - Hamas fighter revealed he was trained in Malaysia
Jamari Mohtar
Tue May 18 2021
A person holds a "Free Palestine" flag at a Black Lives Matter rally held in support of the family of Anthony McClain in Pasadena, California, U.S., May 17, 2021. REUTERSpic
ATM lakukan siasatan penuh insiden di Wisma Transit
Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) melakukan siasatan penuh berkenaan insiden kekecohan yang berlaku di Wisma Transit, Kuala Lumpur membabitkan warga Palestin baru-baru ini.
JKNK akan dapatkan bantuan negeri lain jika berlaku banjir luar jangka
Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Kelantan (JKNK) akan mendapatkan bantuan khidmat petugas Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM) dari negeri lain sekiranya mengalami banjir luar jangka tahun ini.
PR1MA: Projek sakit dijangka siap menjelang hujung tahun ini
Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT) memberi jaminan projek Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) yang dikategorikan sebagai ‘projek sakit’ atau bermasalah di seluruh negara akan disiapkan menjelang hujung tahun ini.
John Legend sifatkan Siti Nurhaliza, Yura Yunita penyanyi hebat, teruja ditemani di konsert
John Legend teruja dengan kehadiran Siti dan Yura, dan akan menyampaikan lagu-lagu hitnya seperti All of Me, Ordinary People, dan Tonight.
Ibu bapa perlu luang lebih masa, interaksi bersama anak
Isteri Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail menasihatkan ibu bapa agar meluangkan lebih masa dan berinteraksi bersama anak-anak bagi memupuk hubungan lebih harmoni.
#AWANIRingkas 5 Oktober 2024 | 9 PM
Berikut merupakan rangkuman berita setakat 9 malam, 5 Oktober 2024
1️⃣ Siasatan membabitkan 10 peruntukan undang-undang
2️⃣ KDN sahkan seorang anggota polis terlibat
3️⃣ Projek sakit dijangka siap menjelang hujung 2024
#awaniringkas
1️⃣ Siasatan membabitkan 10 peruntukan undang-undang
2️⃣ KDN sahkan seorang anggota polis terlibat
3️⃣ Projek sakit dijangka siap menjelang hujung 2024
#awaniringkas
AWANI Borneo [05/10/2024] - Kes tembak di Song | Tingkat fasiliti | Hala tuju SMJ
AWANI Borneo Sabtu, 5 Oktober 2024 bersama Jasmine Abu Bakar.
KDN sahkan seorang anggota polis terlibat kes tembakan di Song.
Rangkaian pusat kanser diperluas di Sarawak.
Sektor penting di Sabah tunjuk hasil positif, landasan tepat.
KDN sahkan seorang anggota polis terlibat kes tembakan di Song.
Rangkaian pusat kanser diperluas di Sarawak.
Sektor penting di Sabah tunjuk hasil positif, landasan tepat.
TVET pacu pembangunan, tingkat tenaga kerja berkemahiran
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata, TVET merupakan pemacu utama dalam pembangunan negara sekaligus meningkatkan tenaga kerja berkemahiran tinggi.
Sektor penting tunjuk hasil positif, landasan tepat - Hajiji
Agenda pembangunan negeri yang berpaksikan Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) kini berada di landasan yang betul dan sudah menampakkan hasil positif dengan penekanan kepada beberapa sektor penting khususnya pertanian, perindustrian dan pelancongan.
RM800,000 diperuntuk naik taraf Klinik Kesihatan Nanga Medamit
Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM) memperuntukkan RM800,000 BAGI menaik taraf Klinik Kesihatan Nanga Medamit yang uzur dan daif di Ulu Limbang.
Konflik Asia Barat: Netanyahu tertekan, perang gagal realisasi matlamat
Hasrat Netanyahu mahu menghapuskan Hamas dan mengambil alih Gaza masih jauh dari jangkauan.
Serangan Israel di Lubnan, penyelesaian diplomatik boleh dicapai segera - AS
Perjanjian gencatan senjata antara Israel dan Hamas dilihat akan meredakan konflik di kawasan itu.
Peluru berpandu dari Yaman jatuh di tengah Israel
Satu kebakaran dilaporkan berlaku di kawasan terbuka di tengah Israel selepas sebuah peluru berpandu dilancarkan dari Yaman jatuh di kawasan tidak berpenduduk pada Ahad.
Ribuan turun ke jalanan Tel Aviv tuntut pembebasan tebusan
Protes besar-besaran telah menuntut pemimpin Israel berbuat lebih banyak bagi memastikan semua tebusan dibebaskan.
Tiada perjanjian gencatan senjata jika tuntutan rakyat Palestin tidak dipatuhi - Hamas
Tuntutan itu termasuk menghentikan perang sepenuhnya dan pengunduran tentera rejim Israel dari Semenanjung Gaza.
Hamas sedia laksana gencatan senjata tanpa syarat tambahan
Rundingan setakat ini gagal mencapai kesepakatan untuk menamatkan perang selama 11 bulan itu.
30 peluru berpandu Hezbollah disasarkan ke Israel
Pertempuran dilaporkan berlaku setiap hari di antara Israel dan Hezbollah sejak 8 Oktober tahun lalu.
Debat calon presiden: Perang Israel-Hamas mesti berakhir - Kamala Harris
Harris berkata penyelesaian dua negara adalah jalan terbaik untuk mengakhiri konflik yang telah meragut ribuan nyawa rakyat Palestin.
Israel dedah rakaman serangan terhadap Hamas
Tentera Israel mendedahkan sebuah lagi rakaman yang memaparkan serangan tentera Israel terhadap pejuang Hamas di Gaza pada Ahad.
Israel-Hamas setuju jeda perang, aktifkan kempen vaksinasi polio
Ini bagi membolehkan 640,000 kanak-kanak di seluruh Gaza dapat diberikan vaksin polio.