Did Israel drag the US into war with Iran?
Israel and the US launched war on Iran while the US was still engaged in Oman -based peace negotiations with Iran. Undoubtedly this attack was illegal, breaking international law and all international treaties. Unfortunately neither the US or Israel has any credibility and neither seem to have any morality. The loss of life will be high. The effect on international relations incalculable and the environment will never recover. Arms suppliers will continue to keep up with orders!
President Trump’s forte is in deals preferably real estate deals. His grasp of history is not great. He appears not to think a lot about the legality of war especially Middle East wars. Reasons for this unrealistic war seem sketchy to say the least. Mr Trump quoted Fox News host making the case that negotiating with Iran was pointless! Trumps’ ‘action man’ has criticized inaction of presumed allies, thereby belittling international law. The US Secretary of State has now said that once Israel attacked Iran the US was obliged to follow and attack Iran in order to prevent Iran getting in a pre-emptive strike against the US! Is anybody in charge in our mad sad world?
Truth and morality are absent from all discussions. There is a scorched earth policy- destroy everything that you do not agree with. Take out anyone that wants a different agenda to you! Might is right. Hypocrisy is rife! Benjamin Netanyahu, while discussing the deaths of nine Israeli civilians following an Iranian missile strike, stated that the regime in Iran did not care about innocent people. BN cannot pretend that he cares about anything other than staying in power! What about the 165 children killed in Iran? What about genocide in Gaza? BN is a man wanted for war crimes. His cabinet has encouraged violence and murder in Gaza, in the West Bank and in Lebanon. The detonation of pagers in Lebanon was a major terrorist act. Israeli security forces have been told to turn a blind eye to the illegal occupation of the West Bank by Israeli settlers. Palestinians there are isolated and tormented. Why is this? Israel is now sending ground forces into Lebanon. What will happen to residents? There will be further death and displacement. Why is this happening?
Israel has now started a war with Iran. It seems, according to the US secretary of State, that Israel persuaded the US to stop negotiations with Iran. Iran is now being destroyed just like Gaza. Gulf States have also come under attack from Iran while the latter targeted US military bases.
The US has made mistakes in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. The US must not make the same mistake in Iran. The US has major problems to deal with elsewhere – Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine. War in other states with fragile peace arrangements, can recur. It is never too late to stop a further crisis. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Iran and Lebanon. There is already a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The US must stop the war in Iran now. Mr Trump must act to salvage some respect. There must be a diplomatic rather than a military solution to this conflict.
Peace in the Middle East is now essential to prevent world upheaval. If Israel wants to destroy any hope of reconciliation with its neighbours then that is Israel’s choice. There must be an immediate US-Iranian agreement. It might also just be the way to get Israel to stop destabilizing the Middle East and deal with its unjustified opposition to accepting the State of Palestine.
