Israel continues to starve and massacre Palestinians in Gaza and now, for the past four days, it has been bombing Iran and terrorizing the population there. Hundreds of army bases and Iranian civilian locations have been targeted, including nuclear facilities. Part of the Islamic Republic’s general staff has been decimated. More than 200 people, both military and civilian, have been killed.
This latest attack has occurred in a context where nothing seems to resist the Israeli army. Israel has military control over the Gaza Strip and holds the West Bank in an iron grip. The Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and the Syrian regime following the fall of Assad are all very weak.
And Israel of course has unconditional support from the U.S. – because preparation for this attack began some time ago when the U.S. gave the go-ahead. It may not have been Trump’s idea, but he was quick to realize he could take advantage of the situation to impede Iran’s nuclear development program and he provides military support to Israel.
Macron obviously aligned with the United States. He quickly stopped all the talk about recognizing a Palestinian state and pledged to wage war alongside Israel against Iran if necessary.
So, hand in hand with the United States, the Israeli state has decided to crush all those who oppose its colonial and oppressive iron heel. And to achieve this, it’s ready to set the entire Middle East ablaze.
To counter the propaganda that presents Israel yet again as the victim, we must voice our disapproval of this deadly escalation and express our solidarity with all those who are suffering under Israel’s heavy bombing, with both the people of Gaza and Iran. This new war is a step further in forcing submission from all those who refuse to bow down to imperialist domination.
Iran is portrayed as pure evil, threatening the region and the planet by trying to develop the atomic bomb. Some are even saying that Israel’s military action will topple the hated regime and free Iranian women.
It will likely be the exact opposite: the Israeli attack will reinforce the Iranian dictatorship by fueling nationalism and making the population rally around its army – even more so because the bombardments threaten the Iranian population with nuclear disaster.
This policy is atrocious for both the Palestinians and the Iranians, and it’s also suicidal for the Israelis because they too are hostages and victims of this situation.
For the Israelis, the attacks against Iran were a fait accompli, and their lives are once again punctuated with air raid sirens, destruction and people dying. The extremists and the most determined warmongers will gain support — which is likely part of Netanyahu’s calculations so as to remain in power.
Beyond the feelings of disgust and outrage provoked by the crimes of Israel’s leaders and their imperialist accomplices, we must understand that the bombing of Iran marks another stage in the escalating warfare which threatens the world.
Thinking that people like Netanyahu or Trump control the situation would be a huge mistake. And it’s a disgusting lie to claim, as some do, that this will be a final confrontation that will bring a time of peace to the Middle-East. You can’t build peace by wiping out a people and waging war on all your neighbors.
The war machine in the Middle East has been devastating the region for decades and has been relaunched for years to come. Like it or not, it’s a war against us here, too. Step-by-step, we’re approaching world war. Our own leaders are talking about it openly, forecasting it and preparing for it.
War is a way for capitalist states to compete for control over this or that region, this or that natural resource, this or that market. It goes hand in hand with trade war and economic competition. For years, we have been lectured on how to remain competitive and little by little our leaders have changed to more militaristic terms, designating one country or another as an existential threat or a potential enemy.
So, while the government and bosses of big companies steal from our pockets, let’s not forget that their weapons are being pointed at us as well. Our leaders are capable of having us dig our own graves. The dominant imperialist order is inevitably leading us to a world war. It is up to the oppressed — and above all the working class — to become aware of this in order to overthrow it.
Nathalie Arthaud