Thank you dear subscribers, we are overwhelmed with your response.
Your Turn is a unique section from ThePrint featuring points of view from its subscribers. If you are a subscriber, have a point of view, please send it to us. If not, do subscribe here: https://theprint.in/subscribe/
We know it is pointless to dwell in history when it is more rewarding to work in the present and plan for the future. But we see that the approach in many parts of the world is different. History is conveniently recalled more often than being ignored.
When we consider humanity, we find that there is a race (Jews) which has been persecuted by all and sundry for centuries since 730 BCE, hundreds of years before Islam or Christianity and more than a millennia before Hamas, Houthis and Hezbollah the non-state militia and terrorists. For details of persecution of Jews since centuries, please click the following link.
The belligerence continued even after 1948, when the modern state of Israel was legally formed in a part of Levant where the race had lived for centuries. The surrounding Arab nations attempted multiple times to destroy Israel with a declared aim to annihilate the nation.
When history of the Levant is discussed repeatedly seemingly at random, I am compelled to post this map of LEVANT 830 BCE.
How far back in history one wants to go. Look at the map carefully to see the extend of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel as way back as 830 BC. Then read MY article (not any forward) posted this afternoon, to see how the Jews were hounded from 730 BCE.
HAMAS, Houthis and Hezbollah are terror outfits / sponsored militia, with the latter two occupying and functioning from foreign (to the sponsor, Iran) soil. Iran is least interested if the Yemenis or Lebanese suffer. HAMAS (being a terror organization, explicit by their activities) also do not care for Palestinians in GAZA strip who they exploit and use as shields. Iran also sponsors HAMAS. Israel, a democratic nation with a regular army is fighting these forces. Indian defence force who have operated in J&K and the NE are well aware how terrorists use the local population without any qualm to reach their ends.
Israel has been involved in a number of wars and large-scale military operations, since 1948. Here is a list of the wars / conflicts in which attempts were made to intimidate and destroy Israel.
For centuries, there were two sections of people – Jews and Arabs – in this area now under dispute. Both were hounding each other. Once the modern state of Israel was formed in the area in 1948, Arabs supported the Palestinians and the West supported the Jews. The Arabs and the West had equal monetary resources. The Jews settled down to become an industrious Nation, with the help of the USA, and is now the third richest Nation in Asia. The Palestinians were armed by a section of Arab nations etc. to fight Israel as a proxy for fighting the West by fighting against the much-despised “Zionists”. The hatred did not abate. Nobody took ownership of the Palestinians, except for providing lip service and arms. There never was an earnest effort by the Arab Nations or anybody else to find a middle ground, which can’t be done by promoting hatred either way until recently which irked Iran.
It is truer now than ever that Israel is fighting to survive in the wake of Iran openly declaring its intended annihilation and working towards it, through its proxies. Else what is Iran’s interest in Israel, without a common border? Iran’s regional hegemony and leader of the Muslim world is threatened by Israel’s presence. With Iran it is NOT about Palestinians. It is about power – Shia power? It is a long story.
Israel does not want to win. It just wants to exist. Just by existing it lends stability to the region. Iran does not want it. Arab nations were getting around to this reality. Here again, for Iran, it is not about Palestinians.
Israel will any day take the two nation theory if Hezbollah, Houthis and Hamas go away. There will be peace.
Iran does not want peace with Israel in the region. Iran wants to be the leader of the Muslim world and hegemonize the Middle East – dreams of the Ottoman Empire? Iran is the villain here.
Tail piece: Any effort to find peace based on one conflict or one event will not bring peace. Israel (the race of Jews) is fighting for survival – a do or die situation. It is very different from fighting for territory or livelihood. Only once the world recognizes the fight for survival by Israel, will there be a solution to peace in the Levant. If the world does not recognize this and keep supporting non state actors and terrorists there will be no peace in the ME or anywhere else in the world.
(The author is an Indian Army veteran and a contemporary affairs commentator. The views are personal.)
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint