The axis of resistance, Israel, and propaganda (total war)

From time to time, there is talk of a comprehensive war in the Middle East, as was reported in recent days by Palestinian and Israeli leaders. What is meant by a comprehensive war? Are the conditions really ripe for such a war, or is it just propaganda to achieve internal goals on both sides? Before digressing, we recall that all Palestinian leaders and all factions used to say that Israel’s continuation of its aggressive policy would lead to the explosion of the region and the outbreak of a comprehensive war. They said this when annexing Jerusalem, when storming Al-Aqsa Mosque, and after every crime committed by the occupation gangs against citizens, whether in Jerusalem, Jenin, or Nablus, and with Every settlement project, after every assassination of a Palestinian leader, etc., yet the enemy continues in its crimes, and the explosion and war did not occur. On the contrary, the region becomes increasingly subservient to Israel, and this is what we saw in the recent waves of normalization.

Years ago, the term “Arab-Israeli conflict” was ignored, as it became realistic and limited to the Palestinian front. In reality, the existence of the “axis of resistance” and the remnants of talk about the Arab-Israeli conflict or talk about Arab popular solidarity with Palestine do not change the reality. Even at this level, conflict and war It is not comprehensive and within the framework of a national strategy for the official political system with its two sides, the Gaza Authority and the Palestinian Authority, as the two parties committed themselves to agreements with Israel that limit the state of conflict, such as the Oslo Accords in the West Bank and the truce agreements with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which made the state of conflict and war at the official Palestinian level closer. For the equation (no war, no peace), but it is an open and continuous war for the Israelis who do not abide by any agreements or interpret them in accordance with their security doctrine and their concept of security. It is also an open conflict for the Palestinian people everywhere they are, especially in the West Bank.

The equation or situation (no war, no peace) does not last long and allows all parties to maximize their power and strengthen the internal front, waiting for the decisive moment to break this equation either by signing a peace agreement or by war, and since in the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict there are no indications of the possibility of a political settlement that ends the conflict, Despite some naive exaggeration that Saudi normalization will coincide with a political settlement and an end to the state of conflict, in this case the possibility of war is more likely, but the question is when will the war be? What is the form of war and its parties? Where do we place the talk of the Hamas leader Al-Arouri and the talk of the Prime Minister of the Zionist entity about a comprehensive war in this context?

On Friday, August 25, 2023, Deputy Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Saleh Al-Arouri, spoke about the resistance’s readiness for all-out war. “The resistance is ready for all-out war, and Israel will suffer an unprecedented defeat,” he added, adding, “We are preparing for all-out war.”

These statements coincided with Israeli threats to assassinate the Vice-President of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri, accusing him of leading operations in the West Bank. Al-Arouri’s response was, “Anyone who thinks about assassinations knows that this may lead to a regional war,” suggesting that the occupation government is about to take a group. Steps that will lead to a comprehensive war in the region.” In an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, he said, alluding to the state of coordination that exists among members of the resistance axis: “We are preparing for a comprehensive war, and we are discussing this in closed rooms with all parties and components that are related to this war.”

On the Israeli side, quoting the Hebrew Channel 13 on August 30, Netanyahu called for a meeting (the Cabinet) to discuss scenarios of the outbreak of a comprehensive war, and that “the Israeli Mini-Ministerial Council for Security and Political Affairs (the Cabinet) in its meeting at the beginning of September will discuss the Israeli military plans to deal with... A possible comprehensive battle on multiple fronts.” “The Israeli army is seeking to develop a plan for a possible scenario, including estimates of potential threats if a military confrontation with Hezbollah erupts and develops to include the Gaza Strip and the border areas with Syria, and Israeli preparations for such a scenario,” the channel reported. According to “informed” security sources, the Israeli army leadership will present to the cabinet, in a meeting scheduled in the coming weeks, the possible “reference scenario” for an emergency security event in the form of a comprehensive war on all fronts.

Despite all the indicators of tension and the heating up of discourse and fronts, talk about “total war” is nothing more than mere propaganda to deliver threatening messages to the outside and appear strong, and messages to the inside to reassure the home front, because the Israeli all-out war is not subject to a decision by Netanyahu and his government, especially in light of the internal division in the country. Israel, but it will also be an American decision, and we do not believe that Washington is ready for a comprehensive war, and even Israel is better for this entity to continue its aggressive approach or partial wars, whether against the Palestinians in the West Bank and the completion of settlement projects or in Gaza and to continue its siege and neutralization with financial and economic temptations, or on the front lines. Others, such as southern Lebanon and Syria, are achieving achievements in these wars, with the exception of the rising national resistance in the West Bank.

As for the other front, which is supposed to be the “resistance axis” and not just the Hamas movement, we believe that the situation of this axis is similar to the situation of the encirclement states and the Arab “front of steadfastness, confrontation, and challenge” in the sixties and seventies. How will there be a comprehensive war to respond to the assassination of Al-Arouri, in which Iran will participate, which did not respond to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, its most senior military leader, and did not respond after bombing vital centers inside Iran, and did not respond to the killing of dozens of Iranian soldiers by Israeli bombing of Syria? How will Iran participate in a comprehensive war when it is a partner of Washington in conspiring against Iraq and the Arab countries during the chaos of the Arab Spring? How does Iran participate in the war in defense of the Palestinians, when it is engaged in difficult negotiations with Washington and the West to lift sanctions in the context of the so-called nuclear file?

What war is waged by Hezbollah, which is engaged in a cold war with the majority of the Lebanese people and is busy defending its ally, Syria? The party and the Lebanese experienced war and its devastating results in 2006, when Hassan Nasrallah said that if he had known that the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers would have led to a round of violence that lasted 34 days, we certainly wouldn't have done it.

Is Syria ready for a comprehensive war, since it is exposed to wars from several parties, in addition to the almost daily Israeli bombing and its war against Turkey, the American army present on its territory, the Syrian Democratic Army (SDF), and dozens of religious terrorist groups, in addition to the deteriorating economic conditions?

As for the Hamas movement, it does not represent all of the Palestinian people, and Al-Arouri has no right to talk about readiness for a comprehensive war on behalf of the people. The resistance factions have previously agreed that the decision to go to war must be by national consensus, and the Hamas movement, which signed a truce with the occupation to maintain its authority. In Gaza, I do not think that it is serious in its talk about preparing for a comprehensive war, especially since the people of Gaza have experienced wars and their disastrous results and know very well the resistance’s victories in these wars.

So the discourse of total war, which means that there are preparations on both sides to fight it and win, is nothing but a propaganda discourse that each party seeks to employ for internal political purposes. Netanyahu wants to put an end to opposition demonstrations by insinuating an existential danger threatening the state. He also seeks to blackmail Washington and the West with more arms and money deals. He also wants to cover up his government’s crimes against the Palestinians and the rising criticism and opposition against Israel’s racist policy in the West, and to mislead local and international public opinion before launching an all-out war. On the Palestinians in the West Bank, and as for Al-Arouri, he seeks to establish his presence within the Hamas movement as a rising and promising leader in light of the decline in the status of the traditional leaders, most of whom have settled in Turkey and Qatar, and as a Palestinian as a national and regional leader who can challenge Israel. He also wants to cover up what happened in the Gaza Strip because of the authority of Hamas also gives credibility to what Hamas is doing in the West Bank and makes it appear as if it is part of a comprehensive confrontation with the occupation and not against the Authority and the PLO.

This does not mean that a war is not possible in the near term, but it will be a comprehensive war against the Palestinians, especially in the West Bank, and if there is any military reaction from the “axis of resistance,” and this is what we do not expect, Israel may expand its aggression unilaterally with a quick and lightning war on several fronts, as happened in The June 1967 war. Is the (Axis of Resistance) prepared for this war? We hope so! Even if you don't think so.

If the Hamas movement believes that a comprehensive war is imminent, then it is supposed to strengthen the internal front with national unity and coordination at the highest levels to develop a comprehensive strategy for confrontation, instead of betting on the “resistance axis”, as this axis, in light of the circumstances referred to above, will be nothing more than supportive, and the Palestinians are the ones who They will be at the forefront.

Finally, why does the Hamas movement talk about a comprehensive war in the event of the assassination of Hamas leaders and does not undertake it today in response to Zionist terrorist practices in the West Bank, in response to the Judaization of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and in response to the siege of the Gaza Strip? Are leaders more important than the nation?
[email protected]