CNN Middle East News- BBC accuses Iran of intimidating journalistsIranian authorities are "intimidating and arresting people who they claim have connections with the BBC Persian service," the British broadcasting giant said Tuesday. […]
- Syrian rebel leadership is splitRival dissident army officers are claiming to lead the increasingly armed rebellion within Syria, exposing rifts within the opposition. […]
- Russian official visits Syria to meet al-AssadRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Damascus on Tuesday to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, days after world leaders accused Russia of helping give the Syrian government a green light to kill more civilians. […]
- State media: Iran is ready to ban oil exports to EuropeIranian lawmakers appeared ready to impose a ban on oil exports to Europe in retaliation for sanctions put in place by the European Union and the United States in January, state media reported Tuesday. […]
- World seeks next step on Syria as deaths mountSyrian artillery fire echoed throughout the embattled city of Homs on Monday, with a human rights group reporting nearly 100 more civilians killed around the country. […]
- BBC accuses Iran of intimidating journalists
The Israeli bet that would cost the Israelis an expensive price
It seems that the current tension is not enough between Israel and Lebanon. Lately the Israeli official Landau threatened Lebanon for its latest claims about [singlepic id=257 w=320 h=240 float=right]natural and gas resources that exist in the Lebanese sea and Israel continues to use. Alhariri responded by saying that Israel has nothing else to do except for threatening Lebanon because of the former fear of the stability that Lebanon enjoys today.
Hezbullah is demanding for an immediate action that is needed to make Israel understand that Lebanon is ready to face any kind of threats. Although the Freedom Flotilla took the attention of the world but the tension in the North continues between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Instead the idea of sending aid and support ships to Gaza in order to break the blockade that Israel applied on the Palestinians since three years became another chapter that could cause a new confrontation between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese refused to stop any ships that are willing to leave Lebanon and sail to Gaza since it does not contradict the Lebanese Law. On the other hand Israel threatened to treat any Lebanese or Iranian ships that seek to reach Gaza through the sea with force and a war response since both countries are considered enemies of Israel.
Israel continues to ignore the Lebanese claims of the natural resources that exist in its sea territories and instead prefers to choose war in facing any Lebanese claim. Beside this Israel continues to refuse the idea of allowing aid ships from reaching Gaza. It is important to mention that the main reason behind the siege on Gaza is the conflict between Israel and Hamas that refused to recognize it since it won the latest Palestinian parliament elections. Israel demands for a recognition from Hamas, a denial of the use of any force and a release of the imprisoned Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in order to end the siege. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel because of the latter continuing occupation of the Palestinian territories refuses to release Shalit without releasing Palestinian prisoners and insists on using force as an option as long as Israel targets Palestinians, continues in its assassinations policy and refuses to withdraw from the Palestinian lands. [singlepic id=258 w=320 h=240 float=right]
While looking at the Israel political and army actions nothing can be understood about Israel’s interests. Currently Israel is facing a critical crisis with Turkey, an Arab will to withdraw the Arab Peace Initiative, a failure in the talks with the Palestinian authority, an Iranian control that is spreading in the Middle East and a possible new war with Lebanon. The International community criticizes Israel for its continuous break of the International Law and the Palestinians lost faith in any kind of peace with Israel. One similar reason that connects all these problems that Israel is facing is the Israeli leadership desire in directing its conflicts rather than solving it. What makes this Israeli leadership want to direct the conflict instead of solving it is its dependence on what it calls its military abilities and its belief that only war can keep Israel alive in the Middle East.
Even Israel’s former efforts to achieve Peace agreements with the Arab countries separately in order to isolate the Palestinian case failed. It’s better to call the current situation between Israel from one side and Egypt and Jordan from the other side “ A Cold Peace” situation rather than claiming that Israel is in peace with them. Israel is simply gambling its chances in the Middle East since nothing is for sure when war and force are the choices that it is taking while dealing with the Arabs. The Israeli people is either deceived or really convinced to pay the price of war in order to live another day without knowing what would happen the day after. The Israeli former leaderships always claimed that the reason peace cannot be achieved is the lack of a serious Palestinian partner. Today the whole world can see clearly that the reason that peace is an option that is disappearing is Israel’s refusal to withdraw from lands that according to the International law are occupied and must be returned to its people.
No diplomatic effort or political experience can protect a state to continue its occupation of lands that are known for sure as a property of another people and therefore the gambling game that the Israeli leadership is playing will cost an expensive price that only the future will let us know.
