Iran or Israel: which is a bigger threat for Arabs?

For decades I have been reading that Iran is a bigger threat for Arabs as compared to Israel. Today, I was completely shocked when I received a message, originating from Pakistan, indicating names of Muslim countries enjoying diplomatic relations with Israel. It included name of Islamic Republic of Iran.

Initially, I was ready to believe the ignorance of the sender, but then realized that the sender has been thoroughly brain washed or he is part of the group that has been mandated the task of spreading disinformation about Iran. To put the record straight, Iran was the second Muslim majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign state after Turkey.  After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, and the government does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state.

As against this many Muslim/Arab countries enjoy cordial relations with Israel. These include Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Some of these countries ‘normalized’ relations with Israel under ‘Abraham Accords’. All these Muslim countries have been dished out some favors. In return, some of these countries are now stopping United States from rejoining JCPOA and/or to impose fresh sanctions on Iran.

While Arabs and Iranian has a long history of animosity, the recent anti-Iran stance has been drilled into their brains by Israel and western media. The overwhelming impression is that Iran is playing the role of ‘game spoiler’ and resisting normalization of relationships between Israel and Arab countries.

Israel has also been portraying Iran as ‘proxy fighter’ in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. The fact of the matter is that Isreal has been occupying huge landmass belonging to its neighboring Muslim countries since 1967. It has also been constructing settlements on occupied land.

After reorganization of Jerusalem as capital of Israel by the United States, Israel has accelerated the annexation process. Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified his acts to save his premiership. He believes that evicting Palestinians and bringing in more Jews in Jerusalem could help him in prolonging his tenor. His shortsightedness has also ruined ‘Two State’ concept.

It seems, Netanyahu believes that two state policy will weaken Israel, but many Jews believe that if by allocating some land for Palestinians they could buy sustainable peace, it may promote the culture of ‘mutual peaceful coexistence’ rather than living under ‘constant state of war’.

Creations of two states only solution for establishing sustainable peace in Middle East

This morning I saw a picture on Facebook, which offers the solution for sustainable peace in the Middle East. May be, many of the readers of this blog don’t agree with me, but there is no harm in exploring this option with cool head.

Please allow me to say any idea of uprooting Jews from Israel is only a diabolic thinking and unworkable option. It can bring unrest, killing of innocent people, destruction of infrastructure and properties, but certainly cannot establish peace in the region.

The new effort has to start with accepting the reality of two states, Israel and Palestine. To begin with Israel will have to stop occupying more and more area owned by Palestinians and abstain from constructing settlement.

This prompts me to refer to one of my blogs, written as back as in December 2012 titled, “Israel must be brought back to its original size”. Its opening paragraph said, “The latest announcement of Israel to build 3,000 new settlement homes on occupied land is a slap on the face of international community that has just recognized Palestine State, accepting the philosophy of two sovereign states, Israel and Palestine. The latest announcement once again proves that Israel is a usurper and also responsible for any retaliation by Palestinians.”

It also said, “If the international community, particularly United States wants Palestinians to behave diligently, it must ask Israel to stop construction of settlements on occupied land and also bring Israel back to its original boundaries demarcated at the time of creation of a state for the Jews.

Israel's decision embarrasses the United States, which was among just nine countries in the 193-member General Assembly to vote against accepting Palestine as a non-member observer state. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland criticized the Israeli announcement. "These actions are counterproductive and make it harder to resume direct negotiations or achieve a two-state solution," she said.

The United States smashed all its previous efforts, when Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as Capital of Israel and also shifted the US Embassy there. This US decision changed mindset of the ruling Junta of Israel and encouraged it to evict Palestinians from Jerusalem.

Since the United States paved way for Israel to continue annexation and construction of settlements on occupied territories, it will have to stop Israel from bombing Gaza, announce immediate truce, and sit down on negotiation table to work out details of modus operandi for establishing working relations with state of Palestine.  

Israel destroys building housing media offices in Gaza

An Israeli air strike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye and other media outlets on Saturday. This could be termed an attempt to silence reporting from the territory amid its battle with Hamas.

Jawad Mehdi, the owner of the Jala Tower, said an Israeli intelligence officer warned him he had just one hour to ensure the evacuation of the building. In a phone call with the officer, AFP heard him beg for an extra 10 minutes to allow journalists to retrieve their equipment before leaving. "Give us ten extra minutes," he urged, but the officer on the other end of the line refused.

"The tower has come down," the anchorwoman said in the video. "Whenever you see journalists doing live updates from Gaza, they're usually standing on the roof of that building which has now been flattened by an air strike by the Israeli military," she added.

"This channel will not be silenced. Al Jazeera will not be silenced," the on-air anchorwoman said, her voice thick with emotion. "We can guarantee you that right now."

In a statement, Israel alleged its "fighter jets attacked a high-rise building which hosted military assets belonging to the military intelligence of the Hamas terror organization".

As strong reactions and condemnations started to surface following the attack by Israel, many, including US lawmaker Mike Siegel, pointed out that targeting journalist were a war crime.

Committee to Protect Journalists Executive Director Joel Simon said this attack "raises the specter that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is deliberately targeting media facilities in order to disrupt coverage of the human suffering in Gaza".

The Guardian columnist Owen Jones called for journalistic solidarity, saying if it means anything, "it should mean, at the bare minimum, unreservedly speaking out about Israel wiping out the building housing media organizations".

"If televised ethnic cleansing and press towers being blown up isn't worthy of European condemnation, Europe has no role in the coming century," said writer Fatima Bhutto.

"The only reason to deliberately attack a building housing international media is to try to obstruct the media from covering what’s happening," wrote journalist Rania Khalek, calling the bombing "intentional and premeditated".

Senior journalist Owais Tohid said the story of Gaza "cannot be silenced by Israeli attacks on media".

Israel must end the siege

Arab bodies throughout the Middle East widely condemned Israeli police violence during clashes with worshipers at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan. The Islamic Movement in Israel condemned the actions of Israel Police and demanded retreat of forces from the Temple Mount region. 

To recall the violent clashes between police and worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque led to the injury of 17 police officers and 205 Palestinian demonstrators during the last Friday prayers of Ramadan.

Ismail Haniyeh sent a direct message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling him, "Not to play with fire. This is a struggle that you, your army, your police and your whole country cannot win. We will defend Jerusalem no matter what sacrifices we must make."

Earlier, Daf warned Israel in a rare statement that his organization "will not stand idly by unless the aggression against the Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood is stopped." Daf said, "Israel will pay a heavy price for this," and stressed "this is a clear and final warning."

Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas said that he called on the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations to demand the UN Security Council convene to discuss the situation in Jerusalem, including these clashes and those in Sheikh Jarrah.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel last year, strongly condemned the clashes and the potential evictions, in a statement by the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa al-Marar, and urged Israeli authorities to reduce tensions.

Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the entrance of Israeli forces to the Temple Mount, and their animalistic attack of worshipers there.

Qatar also denounced the entrance of Israeli security forces in wake of the clashes, calling it provocation for millions of Muslims around the world. The Gulf state went on to call for the international community to stop Israeli harming of the Palestinian people.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned the violence in Jerusalem and said that Israel must stop all measures that harm the sanctity of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

It added that building new settlements or expanding existing ones, expropriating land or deporting Palestinians - this is a violation of international law and reduces the chance of reaching a two-state solution.

Turkey criticized Israel and accused it of unleashing terror on Palestinians after Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards Palestinian youth at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque late on Friday.

The clashes at Islam's third holiest site and around East Jerusalem, which injured 205 Palestinians and 17 police officers, came amid mounting anger over the potential eviction of Palestinians from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

As the clashes flared, several Turkish officials criticized Israel and called for other countries to voice condemnation, while a Foreign Ministry statement urged Israel to immediately end its provocative and hostile stance and act with reason.

"We call on everyone to stand up against the policies of occupation and aggression of this apartheid state," he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also condemned Israel over the recent events in Jerusalem, saying in a tweet written in Hebrew, "We strongly condemn Israel's heinous attacks against our first qibla Al Aqsa Mosque."

"We will continue to stand by our Palestinian brothers and sisters in all circumstances," Erdoğan added. 

Former allies Turkey and Israel have had a bitter falling-out in recent years despite strong commercial ties, mutually expelling ambassadors in 2018.

Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel's occupation of the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians, calling the issue a "red line."