Israel Shamir: “If Iran intervenes, there will be a full-fledged Armageddon”
Is the burning mosque a harbinger of the last days? Should Russia intervene in the conflict between Israel and Palestine?
The PolitNavigator correspondent talked about this and much more with the Israeli political commentator, publicist, writer, staunch anti-Zionist, defender of Palestinian rights and Orthodox Christian Israel Shamir.
– The formal reason for the aggravation that occurred in the Promised Land is known - the eviction of Arab families in East Jerusalem from houses that were abandoned by Jewish refugees half a century ago. However, why did this happen right now, provoking a real storm? And are there other reasons for what is happening that are not on the surface?
– Firstly, let's start with the fact that Netanyahu is in a difficult position. He has a high chance of ending up in prison (the Prime Minister of Israel failed to form a government, provoking a parliamentary crisis that could lead to early elections; criminal cases have been opened against him for corruption and influence on the media - ed.). And the escalation of tensions may help him restore his shaky position.
Secondly, during Trump’s reign, through his mediation, Israel managed to achieve great diplomatic successes. In particular, to conclude an agreement with leading Arab states. So the Palestinians found themselves not only isolated, but also virtually face to face with the Israeli colossus. In this situation, the Israeli authorities decided that it was time to spit on the Palestinians and do whatever they wanted, without taking them into account.
And they did quite a lot of things, one of them was the aforementioned decision to take away housing in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. And at first glance it seems, what nonsense, well, they took away several apartments... But this is like another straw that, along with many others, breaks the camel’s back. That is, similar incidents happen all the time, and now another one has happened. And it burst into flames.
All these events occurred at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. When masses of believers gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the main mosques in the Muslim world. And the Israeli police and army brazenly burst in there. They throw stun grenades and fill them with gas. They create absolute chaos. And when all this happens at the same time, it certainly provokes a strong response.
– You spoke about the agreements Israel has reached with a number of Arab states. What will happen to them after recent events, will they remain in force, should Palestine expect support from their fellow tribesmen?
– On the one hand, changes have also occurred in the United States; Democrats are now in power there, not Trump. And the younger generation of Americans has a very negative attitude towards Israeli apartheid. They don't like any apartheid at all. Which also puts pressure on Biden, who, of course, is a man of traditional American pro-Israel views. But now is not the time when America could command everyone what to do, all this is in the past
Of course, I could be wrong, but let’s turn to those Arab countries that in the past most actively supported Palestine... This is Iraq, and, as you know, the United States practically destroyed it during its conquest in 2003. Now this country can barely stand on its feet after this. This is Syria, which is plunged into a state of war. This is Lebanon, which has always been very weak. Therefore, if we are talking about Arab countries, then there are no states that could become serious opponents to Israel.
There is resistance in Gaza, but Gaza is like, you know, a preschooler next to a machine gunner. It can spit and scratch, but cannot cause serious harm. And there is Hezbollah in the north, which, of course, can harm Israel. But again, will she want to interfere in such a situation, which even for her could be fatal? Even further away there is Iran, which, of course, is also capable, but will it want to, will it? While they are silent.
So the situation for Israel now is very good.
– Are there forces in Israeli society that oppose such an escalation of violence?
Unfortunately no. With the exception of the communists, there are no forces in Israeli society that actively oppose what is happening and would like to change something. On the contrary, Netanyahu's opposition says, let's put even more pressure on Palestine. Moreover, the funny thing is that this opposition is considered leftist. But this definition is so arbitrary that it becomes unclear what its meaning is.
– Should we all expect a full-fledged war in the Middle East?
- Who knows. This is a question for the soothsayers. We cannot predict such things. What will happen - only God knows. If Iran enters the conflict, then a full-fledged Armageddon may begin, and if it does not enter, then another massacre of Palestinians will occur. It is very difficult to make predictions. The current situation is quite well thought out. And although there are opportunities to smooth it out and achieve reconciliation, no one is doing this, and it is difficult to say whether this will happen.
– In this regard, in your opinion, how should Russia behave? To stay aside? Trying to reconcile the warring parties? Is there anything other than post-Soviet and post-imperial inertia that could account for Moscow’s participation in events in this region?
– Russia is an active player in this situation. And one of the quartet countries participating in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. Russia's voice is very important. In these last days, Putin and Lavrov talked with Erdogan about the Middle East. Russia is doing a lot, and can do, and it is very important that it continues to do so. Russia, of course, is not a third-party player here.
I would like Russia to once again very clearly, together with Turkey and Iran, make it clear to Netanyahu that such violence is unacceptable and that troops cannot be sent into Gaza. And such aggressive actions on the part of Israel could provoke the creation of a coalition from these countries against such an invasion. Such a statement, of course, would contribute to the complete sobering of Israel.
– What are the moods in Palestinian society? Are the residents of the enclaves full of determination, are they outraged, or are they watching what is happening with fear?
– There is anger, there is also courage. And those who despair have despaired for a long time. But people there still always have hope, many look at Russia with hope, others look at Turkey with hope, and I would not say that in general, the people are in despair. Because the Palestinians have suffered so many hard blows over the past seventy years. They are, of course, already prepared for a lot. Of course, they would like to do without all this, to start living a calm, peaceful life, but since they don’t give it, so what can you do?
– A video of hundreds of Jews dancing and rejoicing against the backdrop of a burning Muslim shrine has spread all over the world. Afterwards, the world community explained that the crowd was celebrating Jerusalem Day, and it was not the mosque that was burning, but trees that were accidentally set on fire...
- Yes Yes. Their leader gave birth to a cat, and they gathered to celebrate on this occasion. And the fact that the mosque was burning in the background was just a match that someone lit. You can say any nonsense.
– Many, by the way, have associations with prophecies about the last times, when the Jerusalem temple will be restored, where the Antichrist will reign, which is now being prevented by the Al-Aqsa Mosque by its presence on the Temple Mount.
– My point of view here is this: all this will happen, but no one knows when. So Jesus Christ answered the disciples: “Only my father knows this.” Therefore, it is not at all necessary to answer the question whether the time for a complete collapse has come or not. Well, let's see, what should we worry about in advance?
– There is an opinion that the conflict between closely related peoples - Arabs and Jews - is eternal due to the fact that both adhere to beliefs based on Old Testament logic: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” That is, they do not know how to forgive.
– No, no, there is no eternal conflict there. They could have lived in peace if the Israeli Jews did not now have the feeling that they had grabbed the Lord God for a certain place. Feelings of excess of one’s own strength, self-importance. But such bubbles burst, sooner or later.
Israel Shamir: "If Iran intervenes, it will be a full-blown Armageddon."