Will Netanyahu’s Provocation Draw Us into War in the Middle East?
Wow! What an opportunity for Benjamin Netanyahu. Like the perfect storm. What are the elements? Let’s see:
1. President Biden has been not only a willing ally, but also completely supportive of Netanyahu’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinians in Gaza and on the West Bank, going so far as to provide weapons, intelligence and logistical support, not to mention financial support.
2. The US military has provided supportive cover to Israel against drones and missiles.
3. The US military has attacked Yemen because of their military support of the Palestinians.
4. Biden has pressured Europe to continue their support of Netanyahu.
5. Biden has vetoed any international attempts to hold Netanyahu accountable for all the breaches of international and humanitarian laws and norms.
6. Domestically, Biden has gone so far as to pressure those citizens who are appalled by our support of Netanyahu and the killings in Gaza to curtail or stop their protests by threats, arrests and job loss.
7. Before Biden stepped out of the 2024 presidential campaign, it appeared that support of Netanyahu was more important to him than winning the election against Trump.
8. There are a bit less than 6 months left in Biden’s presidency.
9. Biden’s support of Netanyahu continues unabated, even in light of the growing hostility with Lebanon and the recent assassinations of Hamas leaders in Lebanon, Syria and even Iran.
So, what is Netanyahu to think?
· Let’s see. No matter what I do, no matter how horrendous and how much I go against international laws and norms, President Biden will still support me with the full force of his office and the military.
· I am in full control of the situation.
· President Biden has less that 6 months left in office before Kamala Harris might be elected to replace him, and I cannot imagine her being as supportive. (If Trump wins, I can continue my rampage, perhaps with more US support.)
· So, I have only a few months to use this advantage.
· If I am provocative enough with Lebanon, Syria and especially Iran, they will respond and the US, under Biden, will be forced to intervene enlarging the war.
· I will get what I want; a war with Iran and the US fully involved as our ally.
· There are enough powerful people in the US who have always wanted a war with I will be seen as a hero, not only in Israel, but especially in the US.
· It worked for Zelenskyy in Ukraine, going from corrupt right-wing leader to US and world hero when he was willing to sacrifice the Ukrainian people for US goals of expanding NATO.
Let’s go, what is there to lose? If I lose my run will be over. If I win, I too will be a world hero. Look out Napoleon!
The upshot is that even if Biden somehow comes to his senses and recognizes how we are being manipulated into a hot war in the Middle East, including Iran, it may be too late to prevent the escalation and our involvement. We may have passed the tipping point, the point of no return, and may find ourselves on the verge of WWIII. A case of being hoisted on our own petard.
Who will become involved in that case? Russia? China? North Korea? Will it start a nuclear war?
Do we have any sense that Netanyahu will not be willing to press the nuclear button to use Israel’s nukes? This man has shown no sign of restraint so far. Do we need to depend on him changing his stripes just when he is in full control of events in the world? Talk about a potential holocaust!
