The flare up of violence between Israel and Gaza looks like its about to escalate, with an Israeli airstrike today killing a Hamas commander and Israeli military leadership talking openly about the possibility of an expanded war on Gaza, possibly including a ground invasion.
This escalation occurs just days after widespread reports about newly reelected Obama mulling a grand bargain with Iran over its disputed nuclear program. Barbara Slavin and Laura Rozen at Al-Monitor reported on Monday that US officials told them Washington was considering offering a “more for more” deal with Iran, based on the fuel swap deal from Obama’s first term.
So what does Israel’s impending war on defenseless Gaza have to do with Iran diplomacy? Here’s a tweet from the Tehran bureau chief for the New York Times, Thomas Erdbrink:
Forget ANY #Iran-US talks if conflict in Gaza escalates
— Thomas Erdbrink (@ThomasErdbrink) November 14, 2012
And here:
#Iran leaders can never be seen as talking to US, while its “eternal” ally Israel assassinates Iran’s ideological allies
— Thomas Erdbrink (@ThomasErdbrink) November 14, 2012
I suspect this point was not lost on the Israeli leadership, either. So, is Netanyahu knowingly escalating military tensions in order to avoid a successful diplomatic overture? I’m speculating, but it isn’t far fetched. We know from extensive reporting, mainly in Israeli media, that in 2010 – just as President Obama requested a freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank with the aim of resuming peace talks – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to provoke Iran into a war with Israel that would eventually drag in the United States.
It reminds me of what former CIA Middle East analyst Paul Pillar referred to this week as “Netanyahu’s tension-stoking brinksmanship: to divert attention from continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and inaction on the festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” “[T]he Iran issue,” Pillar has previously written, provides a “distraction” from international “attention to the Palestinians’ lack of popular sovereignty.” Now the situation seems reversed: Israel is escalating war with Gaza to maintain deadlock with their favorite scapegoat, Iran.
Israel, lest we forget, instigated this resumption of missile exchanges last week when two Palestinian civilians were shot and killed and Israeli tanks intruded into Gaza, prompting Gaza militants to respond by targeting Israeli soldiers, which then gave Israel an excuse to unleash successive airstrikes. And Israel had numerous chances to pacify the situation, considering Hamas publicly offered to establish a total ceasefire and Egypt appeared about to broker a truce between the two. Israel has intentionally inched towards escalation from the beginning. Are we to believe this isn’t strategic?
Shouldn't the Israeli leadership be locked up for crimes against humanity?
I'd like to think so but while the US and Israel are so entwined politically and militarily, the latest act of terror by Israel is but a pinprick compared to the 60 year and on-going criminal land grab of Palestinian land. If the Israelis are given a pass to steal from and oppress an entire people, what makes you think that this latest act of aggression will change anything?
I think that a solution to the problem is simple.
Tell Israel that for every one of the Palestinians that are killed, two of their citizens somewhere in the world will also be killed in the same fashion.
They only understand force and unfortunately, with the help of their Lap-Dog Obama, they never have to pay the price.
It is time the International community takes a stand against them and the USA and puts them down like a rabit dog.
The fact this hasn't happened yet or that high-ranking neocons who instigated the Iraq and Afghanistan wars haven't been bumped off proves there is no "Muslim terrorism". The real terrorism is from Israel, the USA, the Mossad and CIA.
Just imagine …. if the shoe was on the other foot .
Action against Iran has been forbidden by China.
US will allow the zio to smash some people of Palestine in Gaza as consolatory "booby" prize, and to divert the UN recognition petition
The zio animals are spasming in panic.
The Blowback could in fact be the recognition of Palestine in the UN, now wouldnt that throw the spanner in the works, for Israel! A request then could be made to the ICC!
I'm so glad we have such a smart leader. With Prez Obama at the helm I feel confident that Israel best watch it's P & Q's or it might find itself very alone when it needs its friend the most.
If the ZIONS attack the Hammas & or Iran Lord willing that will be the last nail in the ZIONS Coffin & their butts plus taht of the US NEOCONS & THEEIR UK POODLES
Hope & I dare them to attk Iran
It is sad, that Israel´s approach to the matter is the same as that of Nazi Hitler. And i am sure, Israel has learned nothing from Holocost than that what they practice with Palastine. Any one hopes that USA will do better or work for peace, is the foolest person in the world.
isreal must do something that'l just its extinction even to its allies. This latest aggression could be it.
Tell the Israeli leaders that the cash cow check is NOT in the mail.
While I agree that Israel uses its military activities as a diversion from other matters, once again I must warn against assuming that's all it is or that Israel is not serious in wanting Iran and Syria to be fractured into failed states that pose no threat to its long-term plans to control the entire Middle East.
It's all part of one plan, so we must not divert our attention from one part to another. That plays into Israel's hands.
It's even more important to not ignore the influence of the US ruling elites on all this. They intend to start a war with Iran to continue the war profiteering they've enjoyed for the last 11 years in Afghanistan and Iraq and to set the stage for controlling the Middle East again (whether they can achieve this in reality is irrelevant – they intend to try.)
Also, anyone who thinks Obama is going to offer a legitimate "grand bargain" with Iran is still drinking the Obama Kool-aid…
I personally cant wait to see Israel rise to power, theyve had over 1000 missle attacks from gaza since jan.1 2012. With all do respect, we should round up all obama supporters and the exteme muslims over there and drop them off on antartica. World would be so GREAT
Your a troll. People like you post comments to get a rise out of people. The comments section for an online article becomes quite pointless with moronic comments like yours.
Don't worry, Han. "John Conner" is probably still thinking the Terminators are still out to get him. Besides, if his spelling, punctuation and grammar are anything to go by, he'd be hard pressed to locate Antarctica on a map…….oh wow, looks like we've just found the next Republican presidential candidate for 2016!!!!!!!!
Israel was just waiting for the end of the US election. Obama has won and the war propaganda has started
Israel will never change from the road it's on . Then how about us, acting as we do ,permitting all their actions , scolding them with our hat in our hand . Nosiree, this time in history will not be our finest hour, not by a long shot .
I totally agree with the comment above that Israel is treating the palestinians exactly the same way Hitler treated them. Our government is such a hyprocrit that we always support Israel even though they started these last rounds of warfare and Israel always has some rediculous way to justify it's actions. Sorry U.S. Government not all people here agree with your support of Israel. The palestinians have a right to be in their own land and this is just an excuse for Israel to invade. Israel needs to behave and back-off!
Isreal will gona pay for this act of killing innocent peoples…. InshAllah…..Isreal, Allah will never forgive u and ur mischievious acts and give you a very very big punishment… the punishment u can't Imagine
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You were supposed to stop reading at this point (assuming that a) some of you can actually read and b) you read that far into this waste of time blog post): "There was no way of being certain if the strike was indeed American, or for that matter if it was a drone strike at all, although it had all the markings of one." thANKS
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Israel must end the war with Gaza so that Palestinian people can live peacefully
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