THE CHANGING WORLD ORDER
I’m often asked how I’m doing since Hamas’ barbaric massacre in Israel on Oct. 7. People know that my grandchildren live in Israel. While they are OK, for now, the situation has been traumatic. This has been personal, and I’ve never gotten so many hugs when I’ve shown up for various events. And I’m hearing from friends I haven’t seen in decades. Thank you to all.
But the events of Oct. 7 extend far beyond the personal. While the news media is focused on Gaza, we should not overlook the reporting of the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank. The Institute reports the ongoing movement of Iranian-backed militia over the past two weeks, including these tidbits: “Twenty attacks from Lebanon into Israeli territory … Hezbollah recalling its cadres from abroad … clashes on the West Bank up by 470% … Iranian-backed militias in Iraq hitting U.S. troops … up to 500 Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces arrived in Syria and Lebanon …”
Here’s what one Iran specialist, former head of research at the intelligence division of Israel’s Mossad, has to say. She reports that for more than a year, Iran has pulled together the various militias it funds into a more coordinated force which Iran calls “axis of resistance” or “resistance front.” And now, Esmail Qaani, the commander of a division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, has added to those efforts by creating a war room in Beirut, Lebanon, where Palestinians, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and the IRGC are meeting in order to consolidate, according to reporting.
While pacifists are pushing for a cease fire and a halt to any ground invasion of Gaza by Israel Defense Forces, Hossein Salami, another Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, has long called for Palestinian “infantry” to conduct more ground assaults against Israeli security forces to stoke unrest. He said in an interview last August that “Missiles are excellent for deterrence or for waging static wars. [But] they do not liberate the lands.”
The Iranian Guard is at a crossroads with its long-stated goal of destroying Israel and supplanting it with a state of Palestine. The isolated assaults and missile barrages of the past have not put that goal within reach. But they have been successful in forcing Israelis into security measures that make them look inhumane. Labeling Israelis as violent colonists has been a great recruitment tool.
I’m appalled at the situation of Palestinian civilians as Israel destroys Gaza with its underground tunnels, armories located in schools, and offices in mosques. I empathize with Palestinians who couldn’t object to Hamas putting lives at risk for fearing of losing their lives, just as I empathize with a cousin living near the Israel-Lebanon border who is forced to evacuate. And it’s more than appalling when a friend near Jerusalem jumps out of her car as sirens sound and stretches out on the ground to avoid being blown to smithereens.
Talking with a Palestinian-American friend, we agreed that violence begets violence on all sides. And we also agreed that there’s little clear way out of this mess. Pacifists can be well-meaning, as are those who want to avoid a regional war. But the reality is that we’re already in a regional war. Just ask U.S. military personnel harmed by drone attacks in Syria. Or ask Russian and China who are now claiming that they can and should resolve all of this. And ask the Jews and Muslims around the world who are experiencing increased hate crimes. We must recognize these growing global dimensions, their impact and the changing world order. And plan accordingly.
Contact Deborah Levine, an author, trainer/coach and editor of the American Diversity Report, at deborah@ diversityreport.com.