Need to check Israeli attempts

The Iran-Israel shadow war has very much come out into the open. Tel Aviv had been targeting Tehran’s assets for over a decade, particularly in Syria, taking advantage of the chaos engendered by that country’s civil war. A number of Iranian scientists, especially those associated with the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, had been assassinated within Iran in hits widely considered to have been orchestrated by Israel.

While the Iranians are known for their strategic patience, and for playing the long game, the April 01 Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, in which a number of senior Iranian generals were killed, had crossed a red line. There was tremendous pressure on Iran from within to reply to this Israeli transgression, and the ayatollah and his generals had to respond without triggering a major regional war.

Tehran’s response came in the shape of the April 13 assault on Israel, a barrage that was short on destructiveness, yet scored a major strategic and PR victory for Iran. The suspected Israeli strikes targeting Iranian facilities in Isfahan early on Friday are the latest move on this dangerous chessboard.

While Tel Aviv has officially kept mum about the Isfahan misadventure — Israel rarely owns up to subterfuge outside of its borders — some politicians in the Zionist state have celebrated the attacks, while American media, quoting sources, have said this is Israel’s handiwork. The Iranians themselves appear to be downplaying the event, and an airbase and nuclear facilities in the area seem to be safe.

Once again, the clamour for de-escalation has been echoing from global capitals. Surely a wider war is in no one’s interest — except perhaps for the extremists in Israel — but true de-escalation means Israel must start behaving like a normal state, not a rogue nation that threatens the entire region, as well as the forsaken Palestinians captive in the occupied territories.

The UN secretary general has said “one miscalculation … one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable”. But this is perhaps just what Benjamin Netanyahu and the cabal of zealots in the unruly coalition that backs him may want. After all, Israel has been facing global opprobrium for its butchery in Gaza, while Netanyahu is facing significant domestic opposition for his handling of the debacle.

Thus, a war with Iran may be a useful distraction to shift the focus from Palestine, and rally Israel’s Western friends behind it to protect the Middle East’s ‘only democracy’ against Tehran.

Suffice to say, any scenario pitting the Israeli-Western collective against Iran and its ‘axis of resistance’ allies will result in an explosion in the Middle East, causing oil prices to skyrocket, and global trade to be upended. To avoid this, Washington, London and Brussels need to check Israel’s destabilizing behaviour.

Courtesy: Dawn

Malaysia bans Israeli-linked shipping

Malaysian government announced on Wednesday imposition of a ban on all Israeli owned and flagged ships, as well as any vessels headed to Israel, from docking at its ports.

The announcement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office said the ban would take place with immediate effect and was in response to Israel’s conduct in its conflict with Hamas.

“This sanction is a response to Israel’s actions that disregard the basic humanitarian principles and violate international law through the ongoing massacre and continuous cruelty against the Palestinian people,” the statement read.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has long championed Palestinian rights and causes. Like Indonesia, Brunei, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Pakistan, it does not recognize Israel.

The ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel’s military has sparked mass rallies in Malaysia and put domestic political pressure on Anwar.

Anwar remains one of the most outspoken world leaders against Israel as well as its backers in the United States, although the latter remains a major trading partner.

In a parliamentary speech made in November, Anwar said that the government would maintain ties with Hamas and would not punish the group.

Malaysian passports also bear the inscription “Valid for all countries except Israel.” Israeli passport holders are forbidden to enter Malaysia without prior permission.

In its statement, the Malaysian government said Israeli-registered companies and ships had been previously allowed to dock in the country since 2005. “However, the government today has decided to override the past Cabinet’s decision to not allow ships using Israeli flags to dock in the country.”

The statement on Wednesday also singled out the Israel-based global shipping company ZIM. Its vessels have been docking in Malaysia since 2002, the statement said.

In addition, Malaysia has also imposed a ban on any ship that is heading to Israel from loading cargo at Malaysian ports.