By Afshain Afzal

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech to Congress on 24 July 2024, specifically targeted Iran by saying, “In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror confronts America, Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.” He also said, “Iran is virtually behind all the terrorism, all the turmoil, all the chaos, all the killings. In the Middle East Iran is virtually behind all the terrorism; all the turmoil, all the chaos, all the killings and that should come as no surprise. When he founded the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini pledged we will export the Islamic revolution to the entire world.”

Ironically, when Prime Minister Netanyahu said “Today it is Israel’s fight in the frontline of the civilization, I do appeal to America Give us the tools faster and we will finish the job faster,” and “America and Israel today can forge a security alliance in Middle East to counter the growing Iranian threat,” he did not mean that with these tools Israel would finish Iran. There was an impression that Israel, the US and its allies are going to give a final ultimatum before Israel “finishes the job”. But as traditionally being followed in the past, Israel instead of planning to destroy Iranian military and nuclear capabilities and its ruling in the Middle East, forged an unwritten alliance with Iran, Hezbollah and Houthis to eliminate Hamas and those who are clash with the opposing religious, social and political ideologies.

As planned since decades, Netanyahu announced three conditions in his speech, “War in Gaza will end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, disarms and return the hostages. But if they don’t Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and its ruling Gaza and bring all its hostages home. He claimed that after we defeat Hamas, a new Gaza will emerge, my vision is to demilitarize and de-radicalize Gaza. Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza but for the foreseeable future we must retain overriding security control there to prevent resurgence of terror and ensure that Gaza never posses a threat to Israel”. He added, “A new generation of Palestinians will no longer be taught to hate Jews but rather to live with peace with us.”

To comprehend the Truth, extracts of Netanyahu's speech to Congress 24 May 2011, must be highlighted where he said, “ The truth is that Israel needs unique security arrangements because of its unique size… Israel on the 1967 lines would be only nine miles wide. So much for strategic depth, it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel’s security that a Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is vital Israel maintains a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect the peace; they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our peace partners today will be there tomorrow.” He also said, “The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all those who want to see this conflict end.… so I say to President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas! Sit down and negotiate! Make peace with the Jewish state! And if you do, I promise you this. Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. It will be the first to do so.”

Now when we are clear but Israeli criminal and hegemonic designs that existed even over a decade back to eliminate Hamas and like-minded political leadership, there should be no sympathy with Netanyahu or Israeli war criminals. An invitation to war criminals and state-sponsored terrorists as an official guest and allowing deliver a speech at the US Congress has set a new precedent. The message is clear, “the world stands divided”. Netanyahu might be a role model for a couple of thousand Americans but a majority of American taxpayers, Jews, Christians, and Muslims are angry over the dirty politics being played over the dead bodies of thousands of orthodox Palestinians. On 26 July Palestinians are going to declare their independence and are issuing the “Charter of Peace”, world must recognize the new state of Palestine, which existed the centuries.