An Iranian-Israeli rapprochement seems likely

Because Arabs are not seen as capable of maintaining order, the US has turned to the politically stable and regionally powerful Iran for that purpose, argues Fahmi Huwaidi in the Qatari newspaper Al Asharq. Other topics: Syria, Israel

An Iranian-Israeli rapprochement could be a likely scenario next year as an option to remake the Middle East, argued Egyptian writer Fahmi Huwaidi in the Doha-based Al Sharq.

Certainly, hostility towards Israel and its major ally, the US, has been a pillar of Iran’s policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Since then, Iran has been supporting anti-Israeli movements in Palestine and Lebanon. Yet there have been some political changes that have fuelled new speculations on Iran’s anti-Israel doctrine.

Those changes have already resulted in a kind of reconciliation with the US, billed as the Great Satan in the traditional literature of the Iranian revolution. And so opening the door to a thaw in relations with Israel, which is billed as the Lesser Satan, becomes a possible scenario, the writer contended.

Most observers agree that the Geneva Agreement between the P5+1 and Iran, which was concluded on November 24, marked a new phase in the balance of power in the region and worldwide.

Some argue that the Obama administration has sought to end the US military efforts in the greater Middle East, adopting to that end a practical approach in which Washington acknowledges Iran’s leverage.

Under this US realpolitik, Tehran is seen as Washington’s chance to draw the draw a line under its disastrous adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. That move was further encouraged by the US’s shrinking interest in the Arab world amid strong signs of the US becoming self-sufficient in gas and oil.

Other arguments suggest that the US is obsessed with maintaining its place as the world leader in the face of China and has thus decided to move from the Atlantic to Asia-Pacific, especially since it is on its way towards energy self-sufficiency.

The agreement with Iran, some analysts have opined, can be the best way to establish stability in the Middle East and avert an escalation that could lead to a war the US and Europe do not want, especially with some reports suggesting that Iran’s ability to build a nuclear bomb is growing despite the embargo.

All those observations have made no mention of the role the Arab world would play in the region. Concerned with China and emboldened by possible energy self-sufficiency, all the US wants from the region at this point is order and of course, Israel’s security.

Because Arabs are not seen as capable of maintaining order, the US has turned to the politically stable and regionally powerful Iran for that purpose. Thus the US will ensure Israel and Iran come together to keep order and fight extremism in the region, with voices in the US claiming that most extremists are Sunni, and that Shia fighters must be used to battle them.

Crocodile tears cannot help the Syrian cause

The US and Russia are equally responsible for the continued Syrian tragedy, said Elias Harfoush, a contributing columnist with the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat.

Moscow’s unprecedented support for the Assad regime, including covering in the Security Council for its crimes, has led us to the current situation. While Russia is concerned about the growing role of extremist groups in the Syrian opposition, he said it was Russia, among other powers, that let the Syrian war continue, allowing all sorts of monsters to infiltrate the opposition “supported by terrorist prisoners that were kept in Al Assad’s prisons to be used when necessary”.

The US has also committed major sins in its reaction to the Syrian crisis, particularly with its decision not to support the opposition with weapons, giving rise to radical and heavily armed groups that hijacked the revolution and seem to be pushing the regime’s agenda.

Washington failed to exploit Tehran’s need for a deal with the West over its nuclear programme to pressure it to withdraw its support to the Syrian regime.

The US committed the same mistake when it made a deal with the Assad regime about its chemical weapons without extorting any gains for the opposition, thus giving the regime a new lease on life and causing the opposition to slowly disintegrate.

“And yet, the world continues to shed crocodile tears over the Syrians and their plight,” he added.

‘Symbolic’ sniper shot shows Israel’s place

On Sunday, a Lebanese soldier opened fire at an Israeli military vehicle near the border area, killing a soldier inside. The incident was the first of its kind in a seven-year ceasefire in the conflict with Hizbollah in southern Lebanon and has caused a state of tension in Israel, which it immediately contained for fear of an untimely security incident, said Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor of the online publication Rai Al Youm.

“The operation came to remind the Arab region that there is an enemy called Israel that continues to occupy the Aqsa Mosque and other Arab territories,” he said.

“But, those among us that refer to Israel as an enemy seem to be detached from journalistic and political realities nowadays. The majority of Arabs have forgotten about the enemy and the priorities of Arab rulers have shifted considerably.

“The shooting is a symbolic incident that reminds us of the past and foretells of a future that could be laden with surprises to Israel and the Arab region,” the writer added.

The Arab region is indeed going through a state of chaos that promises to eventually lead to support for the Arab fight against Israel. The closer chaos gets to Israel’s borders, the bigger the threat to its stability and security, he wrote.

* Digest compiled by The Translation Desk