Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Israel Strikes Iran Again
The tit-for-tat attacks between Israel and Iran may have entered a new round as the Israelis attacked the Iranian city of Isfahan. The initial reports are, as usual, confusing and contradictory. However, it appears that drones and possibly missiles were involved launched from within Iranian territory. That is the bad news. The good news is that there seems to have been no loss of life and that Iran has stated it does not intend to retaliate. That does not change the fact that the attack keeps the embers of violence smoldering and that this can all go pear shaped quickly.
The Israelis are being cagey in their public statements, and the Americans are making sure they get some daylight between Washington and Tel Aviv on this matter. Reuters reported, "Israel said nothing about the incident and its ally Washington refused to be drawn. Asked about it repeatedly at a press conference in Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he would not comment apart from to say that the United States was committed to Israel's security but not involved in any offensive operations."
Meanwhile, the Iranians are trying to make clear that they do not want to continue this silliness. Reuters also reported today, "In Iran, news reports on Friday's incident made no mention of Israel, and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale. An analyst told state TV that mini drones flown by 'infiltrators from inside Iran' had been shot down by air defence's in Isfahan."
In Israel, there may be some who would like to continue the skirmishing with Iran. CNN noted, "Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticized far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for an 'unforgivable tweet' that has been interpreted as ridiculing the military strike in Iran.
"Ben Gvir published a one-word post on X, consisting only of a slang word meaning 'lame' or 'weak,' just hours after explosions were heard in Iran on Friday."
There is a case the Israeli hard right makes for this attitude. Dragging Iran into the conflict is an attempt to divert attention from the fact that Israel has lost the Gaza campaign. Militarily, they are winning, but politically, they have only tarnished and corroded the reputation of Israel globally. Most Israeli politicos know this. Some do not care, but others see a need to change the focus to Tehran. The fact that Iran is possibly trying to de-escalate is not a guarantee that Israel will do the same.
The interests of the Netanyahu government and the Israeli people have long ago diverged. The people are not interested in a wider war with Iran and its proxies. A wider war would help the Prime Minister stay in office, so long as the Israelis do not lose badly in an exchange with Iran. His desire is more than just keeping power. It is also his way of staying out of court and possibly out of jail.
Of course, the same can be said of Iran. The theocrats want external threats so that the people pay less attention to the mess they have made of Iran. If they are not distracted, at least there is someone to blame other than the government. What that part of the world needs more than anything else is a wave of revolutions a la the Arab Spring. That is not going to happen any time soon.
© Copyright 2024 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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