ENVOYSPEAK, DEPARTURE OF NETANYAHU, AN AGE OF UNCERTAINITY.(updated on 20th Jan)

 

By K P PASWAN.

President Biden of US was quick enough to congratulate Nastali Bennett, as the new PM of Israel, Mr Bennett happens to be one of the richest men of ISRAEL, and is rightly called Donald Trump of Israel. But his position as PM is unpredictable, as he does not enjoy comfortable majority in the Knesset. Biden did not speak to Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest serving PM, for the last one month and was, perhaps afraid of every step taken by Netanyahu against Palestine.

Netanyahu has been accused of accepting bribes and is likely to be convicted. He is reported to have second view about himself and may accept his offence to avoid spending sometimes in prison. He will be lost in the crowd.

 Years back, Iran was called a Messianic Cult by a handsome Jew. The biblical concept of Messianic cult means wiping off the Jewish state without showing least mercy. It also means, worse than a devil. The handsome and young Jew who called Iran as Messianic Cult, was none other than Benjamin Netanyahu, who became the PM of Israel. But his tenure was marked by corruption, lust for power and scant disregard for judiciary. As an executive head of only Jewish state, credit goes to Netanyahu to check the Messianic cult Iran, from sending terrorist to Israel to create troubles.

The Jews has suffered from the day when they appeared in Jerusalem. Certain practices like business activities of the Jews in an orthodox manners. led to extreme hatred towards the Jews, which is well reflected in Shakespeare’s Antonio and Shylock. But history has been very unkind to Jews, they suffered at the hands of Arabs, the Turks and all those who occupied Jerusalem in different period of history of the world. The Jews occupy respectable positions and for some misdeeds committed by a few merchants, they must not be treated like untouchables of India. Some of the well-known scientists including Albert Einstein, won Nobel Prizes for their wonderful works, belonged to the Jewish community. After the end of colonial era and the end of second world war, the small Jewish state was created and with its  creation, we find the creation of Messianic cult, determined to wipe off Israel.

Nastali Bennett has formed an unstable government. So, election loom large, Bennett and his supporters have already chosen campaign strategy. New PM is a right-wing leader with no feeling for the Palestinians.  More and more Israelis hated Netanyahu who was in power for more than ten years. His critics feel vindicated, they predicted that Netanyahu would find an excuse to remain in power and violence in Gaza provided that excuse.

Bennett’s inexperience and his so far largely inarticulate intentions leave everyone guessing, if there is a prevailing opinion, it is that Mr Bennett will not have the flair, authority, or perhaps even determination to carry forward the structural improvement in Israel’s economy, wrought by conflict in Gaza. What authority can Mr Bennett muster, it is suggested, will dwindle as defeat loom large for his ruling political coalitions in next election. Netanyahu is bound to claim his lost glory, mired by corruption.

It is feared that Naftali Bonnette, a hard liner by instinct will try to distract the Israelis from a dismal domestic record by gratuitous nationalistic provocation of Iran and Syria. But there is more hopeful prospect that Mr Bennett representing a generational change, pushes forward reforms at home and reaches for a bigger role abroad. In foreign policy he looks like relying on fellows’ conservatives like himself. He is a gentleman and very rich, world-class diplomat and innovative thinker. Nevertheless, all these positive qualities, cannot hid the stark truth, despite his good intentions, he could prove to be a disastrous PM, if he does not quickly realize that he is the PM of a state with so many haters and a few real friends.

 Benjamin Netanyahu, as a PM of Israel, virtually changed the politics of Central Asia in favour of Jewish state. No Islamic nation in and around Israel think wiping out Israel from the face of the world, except Messianic Cult, that is Shiite nation Iran. Netanyahu’s contribution to Israel in every aspect of political and economic life cannot be underestimated. He had seen the rise of hard headed and paranoid president Ahmadinejad of Iran, who openly downplayed the Holocaust, took steps to make Iran a nuclear power state and challenged Saudi Arabia as a super Islamic power. Ahmadinejad cultivated friendship with several European leaders including political heads of France, PM of Great Britain and Angela Merkel of Germany and tried to isolate Israel diplomatically and economically.

 Ahmadinejad was regarded as the most dynamic and conservative president of Iran, this becomes crystal clear when he virtually forced Barack Obama, the president of US to agree to nuclear deal with Iran, which was against the interest of the Jewish state.  Netanyahu was not in a position to challenge the might of US and tried to isolate IRAN and to some extent, he succeeded.

 Democrats in US are not friendly to Israel for several reasons, which are difficult to elaborate. US aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear bomb by all means, but dialogue with Iran was chosen as an effective weapon to bring Iran to the negotiating table. Preemptive strike to destroy Iranian nuclear reactor was not preferred as the failure of Jimi Carter to release the American hostages by striking the building, where hostages were kept, ended in abject failure and Carter lost an opportunity to secure second term for W.H.

The US under Joe Biden do not have an effective policy for dealing with Iran’s continuing efforts to gain nuclear capabilities and in absence of Donald Trump, IRAN may acquire all the major components of a nuclear weapon, including fuel and detonators, but refrain from actually assembling as it fears Israel may attack and destroy its nuclear arsenals. A few years it was an impossible dream, but Netanyahu succeeded in creating strong network of spies and is in a position to attack nuclear reactors in Iran, and in one instance, Israel has shown its ability by attacking Natanz.  US has not outlined a concrete strategy in the event that talks with Iran fails

Pro Palestine do not want to recognize that the worst enemy of Gaza is HAMAS and certainly not Israel. Is there anything Israel can do that will draw condemnation from the West? Hamas is not just a terrorist organization ready to collapse. The prolonged campaign carried political cost for Netanyahu.  Israeli govt assault on Gaza has managed to minimize civilian casualties. But if Shia militias are unleashed by Iran, another bout of sectarian killing might ensue. Moreover, an enhanced role for Iran backed militias would weaken the Jewish state by boosting Hamas. Its brigades already display factional flags run several secret prisons by extorting money at gun points at check points and are engaged in drug trafficking and smuggling of arms.

DESTRUCTION IN IRAN. As PM for a long time, Netanyahu built up net works that still give him  influence. From judiciary to civil service to parliament, many in Israel’s upper echelons owe him their positions. Elements of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalitions were agitating to annex parts of West Bank in the belief that Joe Biden administration would reverse a long-standing American policy opposing Israeli’s settlement in territory it occupied in 1967.

Naftali Bennett leader of the right-wing Jewish Home Party says, he will propose a bill to extend Israeli sovereignty West Bank, arguing that the new American administration offers a unique window of opportunity to redraw the map. For first time in 50 years, we have to decide what we want---a Palestine state in Judea and Samaria or an Israeli law replacing military laws where Israeli citizens live. Mr Bennett believes that he and his colleagues must press Mr Biden to recognize the settlement as permanent, at his first meeting with Biden.US under a Democrat president is unlikely to concede the demand.

 After eight years of friction with Barack Obama Mr Netanyahu was the first leader to meet Trump who scrapped Iran Nuclear deal and declared Jerusalem as capital of Israel, But with Democrats in power, Bennett cannot expect unconditional support from Biden. US is also handicapped by unpredictable incidents, Joe Biden will have to choose between two devils Saudi Arabia and Iran. Biden does not have much choice. Americans can win the battle for occupation of the Red planet, but they cannot allow two devils to act against US and give an opportunity to Putin to mock US. Netanyahu successfully caused destruction to Iranian Atomic plant at NATANZ, which was virtual impossible for the pentagon, even to think of attacking the Natanz, The MOSSAD proved that in ultra-modern and sophisticated spy system, CIA is not a match of MOSSAD. US killed Iranian General Soleimani in an air attack, but most famous Iranian Nuclear Scientist Fakirzade, was simply bumped out without causing civilian causality by Mossad. For Bennett, it will be a battle for survival in which Biden is hardly in a position to help Israel and the Jewish state knows how to survive.

 The Democrats in US believe that legally Israel is not entitled to annex the West bank and don’t support the building of new settlement there---the steps that would rule out the possibility of a peace deal on the establishment of Palestine state next to Israel, Worst of all Joe Biden’s administration will be able to overrun a resolution that may embolden International Criminal Court to act over settlement. Now the Jewish state may be further isolated

The right wing scanted an opportunity in legal problems facing Netanyahu who was questioned by police over fraud and graft allegation This was one of a number of corruptions probes into his financial affairs and Netanyahu was suddenly vulnerable.

Nastali Bennett will try to annex Malle Adumin a city , controlled by HAMAS and funded by Iran, which would virtually cut the West in two, making it impossible to establish in the future a viable Palestine state. Delaying tactics and ambiguity had been the twine hallmarks of Netanyahu premiership and is not likely to change with the advent of Nastali Bennett.

Iran must be worrying with coming of Bennett and exit of Netanyahu, who frightened Ayatollah Khamenei. Fortunately. Now the Iranians nasty supreme religious leader must be worrying more about a new nuclear deal with US. Coronavirus has taken heavy toll both in Iran and US. US finds itself standing in front of China not like a solid rock, but pleading the dictator Xi japing for more flexibility in international politics. Russia does not like Joe Biden and Russia is certainly not going to see Israel being threatened by US’s friends in Central Asia. Russia is far advanced in technology then Italy UK, and Canada, but was not invited in the G 7, which was criticized by China as small groups of nations trying to dictate the politics of the world, China is right in its criticism of G 7, but Russia has so far refrained from condemning nations forming the so called G7.

 FINAL THOUGHT. Netanyahu successfully vaccinated entire population of Israel and earned the goodwill of entire world. He would be remembered for frightening Iran and cultivating friendship of Islamic nations, who now secretly recognize the existence of the Jewish state. Netanyahu come back cannot be ruled out, but his comeback will be a setback for Biden administration