Israel, Iran Practically At War

The New Republic: Arab-Israeli Conflict Solution Can Be Reached By Dealing With Primary Instigator, Iran

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Yossi Klein Halevi.

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Immediately after the massacre of eight students in a yeshiva library in Jerusalem last week, speculation began within the Israeli security establishment and the media about who had dispatched the lone murderer. Was it Hamas? Hezbollah? Perhaps a new, unknown organization claiming to act on behalf of the "liberation" of the Galilee? In fact, the speculation was pointless. Regardless of the affiliation of the actual perpetrator, the ultimate responsibility for this attack, as for almost all the terror attacks on Israel in recent years, lies with Iran.

The Palestinian struggle is no longer about creating an independent state. It is about being a front-line participant in the Iranian-led jihad to destroy Israel, evolving from a nationalist to a religious war. The thousands of celebrants in Gaza who, following the yeshiva massacre, offered prayers of thanksgiving in the mosques and distributed candies to passersby weren't only indulging in feelings of revenge for Israel's recent military incursion but heralding the coming jihadist victory over the enemies of God. A real solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict can only be reached by dealing with its primary instigator: Iran.

Israel's seventh war began in September 2000, and was launched by Yasser Arafat, who transformed Fatah into a quasi-Islamist movement, nurturing the rhetoric and martyrology of jihad. Arafat no doubt assumed he could manipulate Islamist trappings for nationalist aims. But then he went one step farther: He initiated an alliance with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Until then, Iran's only client within the Palestinian national movement had been the Islamic Jihad, the smallest of the Palestinian terrorist factions. According to a former chief of Israeli military intelligence, Arafat promised the Iranians that he would turn Gaza into a second southern Lebanon, and Iran began providing weapons and funds to Arafat's Fatah. But then, in January 2002, Israel intercepted the Karine A, a ship carrying Iranian-supplied Katyusha rockets and mortars and C-4 explosives for use in suicide bombings. Exposed and under international pressure, Arafat severed the connection.

Ironically, Hamas was initially more reluctant than Fatah to enter into an Iranian alliance, precisely because the Sunni Hamas takes religion more seriously than Fatah and was loathe to accept the authority of the Iranian Shiites. But that squeamishness ended three years ago with a formal alliance, orchestrated by the Damascus-based Hamas leader, Khaled Meshal, and today Hamas is an integral part of the Iranian war against Israel. Iran has trained hundreds of Hamas operatives -- and, according to the former intelligence chief, continues to fund individual members of Fatah's Al Aqsa Brigades. Iran's goal is twofold: to extend its influence in the Arab world, and to transform itself, via proxies, into a frontline confrontation state with Israel.

The jihadist war against Israel has shifted from one front to another -- suicide bombings inside Israeli cities until 2004, Katyushas on Haifa in the north in 2006, and now Katyushas on Ashkelon in the south. All are battles in the same war. So far, it is a war without an all-encompassing name, and that linguistic failure reflects a larger Israeli failure to treat this as a unified conflict. We still refer to the suicide bombings of 2000-2004 by the Palestinians' misnomer, "the second intifada" -- which falsely implies a popular uprising, like the first intifada, rather the orchestrated slew of terror attacks that it was. Awkwardly, we call the 2006 battle against Hezbollah "the second Lebanon War," a name that places the conflict in the wrong context -- the first Lebanon War against Palestinian nationalist terrorism in the early 1980s rather than one more front in the Iranian war against Israel. And now we are calling the daily rocket attacks against southern Israel "the war of the Qassams," even as the Qassams are augmented by the far more deadly Katyushas

In contending with Hezbollah and Hamas, Israel is trying to treat the symptoms, rather than the cause. Not surprisingly, it finds itself repeatedly stymied in efforts to stop the attacks on the home front. All of Israel's options in dealing with Hamas seem unbearable. Allowing rockets to continue to fall on southern towns creates despair among Israelis, who see their nation's sovereignty unraveling. Engaging in limited but costly military operations in Gaza, as Israel did last week, creates international outrage and little lasting security gain. Re-conquering Gaza and its dense refugee camps will result in a devastating number of causalities, both among Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians. And even if Israel succeeds in destroying the Hamas infrastructure, Israelis will confront the same dilemmas that forced them to leave Gaza two years ago.

A ceasefire with Hamas -- which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seems to be implementing even as he denies it -- may well be the worst option of all. Hamas will likely use that interim period to turn itself into a second Hezbollah, equipped with Iranian weapons. And when Hamas feels empowered to break the ceasefire and resume its attacks, Israel will face a far more formidable enemy.

To deal effectively with the jihad requires an awareness that Israel is in fact at war with the Iranian regime, which manipulates proxies along Israel's borders, supplying them with weapons and training, and energizing them with the promise of imminent victory.

Understandably, Israel has avoided a confrontation with Iran, which could result in the most devastating war Israel has fought. But as the siege around Israel's borders tightens and as the Iranian nuclear program quickens, that direct confrontation becomes increasingly likely.

According to a just-released strategic assessment by the Israeli intelligence community, 2008 will be the "Year of Iran." The Lebanese government, warns the assessment, could collapse in the coming months, allowing Hezbollah to take power. Meanwhile, Hezbollah and Hamas are considering a coordinated rocket assault on Israeli population centers, almost all of which are within rocket range of either group. And, according to the strategic assessment, sometime within the coming year, or by early 2009 at the latest, Iran will achieve nuclear capability. The threat that emerges from the intelligence assessment may well be the most acute that Israel has ever faced.

Following the yeshiva massacre, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown speculated that the gunman was attempting to "derail" the peace process. Brown's implication, widely shared in the West, is that the best way to defeat the jihadists is to create a Palestinian state.

But a viable Palestinian state living peacefully beside Israel will not be possible without disconnecting Iran from these groups who are attacking Israel on its behalf. This may require destabilizing the Iranian regime -- hopefully through intensified sanctions against its nuclear program, and by military force against its nuclear installations if sanctions fail. Without stopping the momentum of the Iranian-led jihad against Israel, the appeal of Hamas among Palestinians will grow. So long as the international community tries to create a Palestinian state without seriously confronting the jihadists, Iran and its proxies will continue to make peace impossible -- not by "derailing" negotiations, but by making those negotiations irrelevant.

[thisisfunny]

Maybe we can send reverend Hagee and his megachurch brain dead congregation to go over there and fight...

[rowdytexan2]

This is just your Bush administration trying to convince you that there needs to be an invasion of Iran! If he wants an invasion of Iran, just send the whack jobs from Israel over there to do it! Let them just have at it! It''s time for these folks to stand up for themselves or get the hell out of dodge!

[jbgallo2]

God is a difficult concept. It requires that you believe. If it were simply belief it wouldn''t be so bad but we attach rules. Rules that "God" made for us to follow. I''ve never seen nor have I ever had a conversation with God. I don''t know anyone who has. Yet, He sent down these rules. (Notice, I said He and I capitalize the letter H out of respect, but I had to assume first that He''s a He.) People kill certain other people for God because they sat it''s God''s wish, but being God why doesn''t he just tell those people they''re dead from now on? It''ll be over right away. A good way to bring peace on Earth. Maybe I''m confused but I never again met anyone who "went" away. And I swear, I really miss my dog. Quarar

[tbweb]

Posted by fleshmonger1 at 11:05 AM : Mar 13, 2008,,,

Your handle provides a clue to it all, the flesh world collides with the spiritual world and the spiritual world collides with itself. It does not make sense because no one can "officially" admit its all rooted in Religion, the Bible and the Spiritual World. If it were of the physical or flesh world "alone" it would be easy to understand and possibly resolve. The answers are in the Holy Bible, still the number one selling book worldwide!

[fleshmonger1]

It is sad that this is what passes for objective and informed opinion... I am not saying that Iran does not provide material support for those in the territories because I believe that it is a fact that they do but to say that the entire conflict in the territories is nothing more than a proxy war fought by Iran against Isreal is specious to say the least. It marginalizes the suffering of an entire group of people who would like their living conditions to improve and are willing to die in the hope of making it so. To say that it is little more than a war orchestrated by Iran towards Isreal denies the fundalmental issues that those people who are living there have to deal with on a daily basis. I wonder if the writer would agree, using the same kind of logic, that the U.S. government must be desirous to promote herion use in the world since they support a government in Afghanistan with material backing that is now the leading opium producer in the world?

[DaveGress]

The first thing Rice should ask when she meets with anyone from the middle-east is: "Do you believe in gods of any kind?" When they anser yes she should say: "Get the F out of my site. I only speak to people who live in the REAL world."

[DaveGress]

enemies of God??
The people that believe in god and that the apparation has enemies are the ones that should be eradicated.

enemies of God??? enemies of God??? This is an f''ed up world we live in. Seems that every 3rd grade educated person actually is believed credible.

[tbweb]

This article is well written, factual and on the mark!

[kiumars2008]

To: singinrick at 11:16 PM : Mar 12, 2008
If you believe that video then you must also believe Martians live on earth! The Church spends billions of dollars on promotion, the Church even pays people to become Christians, the church even facilitates getting citizenship in the west for the Muslims if they convert. The church basically is buying faith. That faith is neither good for the church nor the converts; most converts convert back as soon as the benefits dry up. These are the facts, whether you like them or not.

[kiumars2008]

What a bunch of ***! Israel killed over 130 people; 22 of them children a few days before this revenge, are you telling me that they did not expect revenge? I personally believe in an eye for an eye and I think Israel owes the Palestinians lots of eyes right now.

[mikecbs5512]

Yossi Klein Halevi, stop blaming the rest of the world for your problems and your actions. If you don''t attack other people, they don''t attack you. Stop writing trash. Start getting some education. Research a problem before writing non-sense about it.
I am on neither side, only on the side peace, logic and reason.

[huanaco]

IS THE GROUND GETTING READY FOR ANOTHER WAR ? IS THE MEDIA PRIMING UP ANOTHER SUPPORT FOR ATTACKING IRAN ?

[arlt1627]

This comment board looks like it could be an arm of the Aryan Nation or what Nazi Germany''''s homepage would have looked like had the internet existed...most posts here are bashing ISRAEL!! Are you kidding; Israel is a democracy that has been under siege since inception (by the UN) in 1948!! The territories they now occupied were all "won" in wars where THEY were the ones attacked. Perhaps the Arabs are sore because the Jews whooped their sally butts back to Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, and Amman; but none of Israel''''s controlled areas today were acquired in OFFENSIVE war....


On the flip side, you should also look at what happened to Europe following WW1. Spoils of war went to victors and left bitterness in the taste of others. Consequently, it led to trouble in the form of WW2. I''m just saying that we should look at history before repeating the same errors that were made in treaties like the one signed at Versailles.

[arlt1627]

Well, at least we know why the United States is going to fight a war with Iran. I am still wondering why there had to be a war with Iraq--especially since Iraq already fought a proxy war against Iran for the United States.


I think it''s because we''re shortsighted and stupid?? As far as Iran goes, I don''t think that they can use a nuke on Israel....too much pressure on them from Russia & China for that one...it''s also precisely why we should NOT attack Iran (the threat of a massive conflict with Russia & China. We should be working heavily with those 2 on controlling Iran.

[raised4952]

maybe israel will send their special ops team in and take irans president out and do the us and thierselfs a favor..

[fredgrad2000]

contd...And all these anti-Israel posts ignore that Iran is a terrorist state; supporting terrorists all over the world, fomenting civil strife in Iraq, and a regime that unlike any in history, has an ideology that would consider the armageddon that would result from nuclear war to be a POSITIVE as it would usher in the era of the 12th or hidden imam!! Ahmadinejad''s sect of Shiite Islam believes the Madhi will return only in a time of extreme strife; to save humanity and useher in Islamic utopia. Keep that in mind when you say Iran having nukes would be no big deal. And I''ll reiterate, Iran is the CENTRAL BANK OF TERRORISM, without Iran, Hezbollah, the Mahdi Army in Iraq, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad would all not exist!! These gangs of killers are bought and paid for by this terrorist mullahocracy!! Al Qaeda is also assisted by Iran under the mantra "enemy of my enemy is my friend"; AQ could exist without Iran, but don''t think for a second they don''t get valuable aid and safe haven/passage from Iran (where is Bin Laden''s son and military chief? Tehran!!). Focus on the real problem nation, Iran, not on our democratic ally Israel.

[fredgrad2000]

This comment board looks like it could be an arm of the Aryan Nation or what Nazi Germany''s homepage would have looked like had the internet existed...most posts here are bashing ISRAEL!! Are you kidding; Israel is a democracy that has been under siege since inception (by the UN) in 1948!! The territories they now occupied were all "won" in wars where THEY were the ones attacked. Perhaps the Arabs are sore because the Jews whooped their sally butts back to Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, and Amman; but none of Israel''s controlled areas today were acquired in OFFENSIVE war....

[jaybradford]

By the way, I do NOT have anything against the imprisoned population of Iran, or any people of the nations mentioned! This world needs fixing, but I can assure that Islam will NOT survive even the attempt to fix it THEIR way.
Nor will WE.

[jaybradford]

One of the "Major Factors"
-the illegal Israeli WMDs, including nuclear weapons.
Who determines that this is illegal?
Are US nuclear WMDs an illegal possession? What about France? Surely India and of course Pakistan, (yes we have contributed a lot to this mess too, another instabuddy of Iran), have "legal" rights to this "ability", not to mention China.
Are all these players breaking a LAW? WHOS LAW?
It is true, Israel has NOT fully confessed to this possession, but it must be known if it is a "major fact".
Perhaps if Iran would admit or confess that it Lusts for a nuke, everybody would be satisfied, including Germany, who admits a desire to possess IT''S own nuke, they can do it, and who would say its illegal??
Illeagal Israeli WMD.
Oh, IRAQ is a disaster, and if you think its bad now, wait till we move out and Iran gushes in!
Who ARE you people, you cannot possibly be as clueless as you seem to be.
If it is so illegal who, of these nations, proclaims thus?
Enter the sympathizers of POOR power hungry, energy deficient Iran who NEEDS nuclear POWER. It is these compassionates that would LOVE to see a "real" holocaust of anything contrary to their radical Islamic agenda.

[ramos937]

Aside from supporting Israel, let''s sit this one out. It would be best for all parties if we did.