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The Middle East Conflict: A History of Wars, Terrorism, and Russian Involvement

Infinity… This definition is quite suitable for the Middle East conflict, which has been going on for about sixty years and has invariably remained one of the most difficult problems on the world stage from the mid-20th century to the present day. And for more than 35 years, the USSR/Russia, one way or another, has occupied the position of one of the parties – one that is recognized almost throughout the world as “terrorist”… Money, weapons, political and international support from the Kremlin for the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and the paramilitary Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah have long become part of the foreign policy of a state that considers itself to have the right to decide the destinies of the peoples of other countries.

The history of the Middle East conflict is replete with periods of relative calm when violent clashes give way to periodic terrorist activity and minor clashes, as well as times of violent wars between Israel and Arab states, and military operations carried out by Israel against Arab organizations such as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). , Hamas and Hezbollah.

The First Arab-Israeli War, which is known in Israel as the War of Independence, 1947-1949; the Suez crisis of 1956, which was the result of Anglo-Franco-Israeli aggression against Egypt; “Six Day” War of 1967; “War of Attrition” or “Electronic” War of 1969-1970; “October” war or the Yom Kippur war of 1973; The 1982 Lebanon War, which became part of the conflict; The Second Lebanon (July) War of 2006, which led to serious consequences for the region.

The history of the conflict is not limited to wars alone. Intense and prolonged clashes between Israel and the Palestinians include the First (1987-1993) and Second (2000-2005) Palestinian Intifadas, as well as Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, such as the 2002 Security Wall. , “Summer Showers” 2006, “Cast Lead” 2008-2009, “Pillar of Cloud” 2012 and “Unbreakable Rock” 2014.

Where did it all start? The loss of statehood and the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa have deep historical roots and are associated with a number of events and factors. Destruction of the first and second temples in 586 BC. and in 70 AD. Roman troops led to the dispersal and dispersion of the Jews, who were forcibly expelled from Judea, scattered throughout the Roman provinces and integrated into different cultures and societies. Many Jews became explorers, traders, and settlers, traveling and settling in different parts of the world.

The history of medieval Europe and the Middle East saw multiple military invasions and migrations, which also contributed to the dispersion of Jews, who often faced persecution and expulsion from various countries, such as the Inquisition in Spain and pogroms in the Russian Empire.

Despite the dispersal, Jews retained their cultural and religious identity, which contributed to the preservation of the Jewish nation for thousands of years. And every nation needs its own country.

At the end of the XIX – beginning. XX century Territorialism became widespread among representatives of the Jewish community in European countries, whose supporters advocated the creation of their own Jewish state under the slogan “A land without a people for a people without a land.” Theodor Herzl published the book “The Jewish State” in 1896. Its main idea: the Jewish people need to enlist the support of the international community in settling Palestine or, in extreme cases, some other territory. The so-called “Ugandan project” was even discussed.

On November 2, 1917, in a letter to W. Rothschild, British Foreign Secretary A. Balfour for the first time officially recognized Jewish claims to Palestinian territory. After the Supreme Council of the Entente handed over to Great Britain the Mandate for Palestine in 1920, which was approved by the League of Nations on June 24, 1922, widespread Jewish immigration to Palestine began again.

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution No. 181(II) with a 2/3 vote. It provided for the abolition of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of two independent states on its territory: Arab and Jewish. On May 14, 1948, the British government officially announced the termination of its mandate. On the same day, an independent Jewish state, the State of Israel, was unilaterally proclaimed in Tel Aviv. And already on May 15, 1948, a few hours after the proclamation of the State of Israel, troops from neighboring Arab countries invaded its territory: Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. As a result, Israel not only managed to defend its own territory, but also captured an additional 6,700 km2. These were territories that, according to UN resolution No. 181(II), were to become part of the Arab state. Since then, the war has practically never stopped in one format or another… And in one format or another, the USSR/Russia has always been on the side of Palestine.

It’s simple – Israel is a friend of the United States, Palestine is an enemy of Israel. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Today, the Gaza Strip (a small strip of Mediterranean coast with an area of ​​just 365 km², home to just over two million people) is completely controlled by Hamas. Hamas as a whole or its military wing (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) are recognized as terrorist organizations in a number of countries, including Israel, the US, the EU and the UK.

The USSR has supported Hamas since its founding in 1987. The USSR considered Hamas the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and provided them with financial and military assistance. In 1991, the USSR recognized Hamas as a legitimate political party. The decision drew criticism from Israel and the United States, which consider Hamas a terrorist organization. As does Hehbollah, which also gravitates towards long-term friendly relations with Putin’s Russia.

Vladimir Putin is very interested in the conflict currently unfolding in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Any actions taken by Russia in the Middle East cannot be considered in isolation from the war in Ukraine and Russia’s military relations with Iran.

The Arab-Israeli conflict has significantly shifted the West’s priorities in helping to eliminate “Hot Spots” on the planet. Ukraine didn’t exactly fade into the background, but the massive publication of dead and dying Palestinian (?) children on live television could not help but touch the hearts of Europeans and Americans. By the way, does the information support of the Palestinian side of their aggression against Israel resemble anything? Distracting the attention of the collective West after the failure of the 3-day failed “march to Kyiv” has long been a major task for Putin, and the “fortunately turned up” conflict completely copes with it. Events on the Ukrainian fronts disappeared from the world’s front pages, and a discussion began in the West about how to distribute aid to Israel and Ukraine.

Did the Kremlin have a hand in the development of the conflict? Conspiracy theories? May be. It is unlikely that evidence of the Kremlin’s direct participation will be found, since Moscow still has very high-ranking subversive professionals.

The loss of the “weight” of Putin’s power in the international arena forces the dictator to declare his assistance in resolving any conflicts everywhere. So in this situation, Putin openly proposed Russia as such a mediator: “We have developed very good relations with Israel over the last fifteen years, and traditional relations with Palestine. Therefore, no one will suspect us of wanting to play along with someone.” . Do we believe? Not at all, given his own words that “the reason for the escalation of the conflict lies in the failed foreign policy of the United States.”

Hamas, by the way, immediately thanked Putin for supporting Palestine, a dictator who was one of the few world leaders who did not call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express condolences over the Hamas attack.

The reaction to Putin’s statements by German leader Olaf Scholz is indicative: “I am furious when I hear the Russian president issuing warnings right and left that civilians will become victims of military confrontation. It is simply impossible to be more cynical.” Yes, much more! Killing with his own hands the residents of Mariupol and Bucha, only an inveterate scoundrel can shed tears in “sermons” about Palestine.

Will Israel agree to the Kremlin’s possible peacekeeping role? It’s nonsense, considering that Moscow maintains relations with Hamas and Hezbollah, a Lebanese group created with the participation of Iran that opposes Israel, and their representatives have repeatedly made trips to the abode of evil, and Russia has provided them with military assistance. Considering the level of anti-Semitism in Russia, only a deaf-blind person with weak mental development can believe in the impartiality of such an “arbiter.” Israel definitely does not belong to this category.

The true face of Putin’s Russia in relation to Israel was very clearly demonstrated by the anti-Semitic pogrom that occurred in Makhachkala. Duped by Kremlin propaganda with its pro-Palestinian anti-Israel position, spreading anti-Semitic narratives across the Russian information field, Dagestani youth succumbed to the anti-Semitic obsession, which resulted in real street riots, turning into a Jewish pogrom. Or is Dagestan no longer a subject of the Russian Federation, and is not part of the North Caucasus Federal District?

The anti-Semitic hysteria that is rapidly spreading around the world is obviously inspired and supported by the Kremlin. It is difficult to imagine that the omnipresent and all-seeing FSB did not know about the impending pogroms. But it is very easy and simple to believe that FSB agents among Caucasian society, including those infiltrated into the Muslim clergy, were directly involved in the development and support of these riots. How else can we explain that the Muslim community in Russia reacts so violently to the oppression of Muslims only in certain cases, when such a reaction corresponds to the interests of the Kremlin? Where then is the similar zeal to protect Uyghur Muslims in China?

The Kremlin’s position in the Middle East conflict is closely intertwined with Russian-Iranian relations. If Iran is directly involved in the conflict in Gaza, Iran may try to demand from Russia the long-promised modern weapons, which Tehran is counting on in exchange for military assistance in the “Ukrainian issue.” But there is nothing! Everything has either already been destroyed by the Defenders of Ukraine, or will turn to dust soon. Putin is once again “on stretch.” The illusion of the possibility of presenting Russia as a great power, without which not a single key international decision can be made, a sort of counterbalance to the United States, exists only in the fevered brains of the old Kremlin runt, absolutely all of whose activities are aimed only at the destruction of the liberal world order and replacing it with “multipolar chaos.” “.

Important: the editor’s opinion may differ from the author’s. The site’s editors are not responsible for the content of blogs, but strive to publish different points of view. More details about the editorial policy of OBOZREVATEL…

2023-11-07 10:30:00
#Yuriy #Fedorenko #Putin #stretch #marks #Blogs #OBOZREVATEL

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