‘Existential threat’ is a thin excuse: the out-of-control force that is pushing the Middle East to the brink is Israel itself, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
‘Existential threat’ is a thin excuse: the out-of-control force that is pushing the Middle East to the brink is Israel itselfand in the wider region, is the claim that it must act in this way because it is surrounded by countries that are trying to annihilate it. Like many of the arguments that attempt to justify Israel’s disproportionate response to 7 October, it is not only incorrect but also an inversion of reality.
And so here we are again: in a situation where civilians are caught in the middle and Israel justifies their deaths with a defence that – as always – draws on fears of an “”. But in terms of real and grave threats to regional stability, Israel is the pugnacious out-of-control force, embarking on its recent campaign in Lebanon and the assassination of Nasrallah against the United States’s.
Rather than wishing for Israel’s destruction, many states in the region recently considered the Israel and Palestine question settled or at least sidelined, largely on Israel’s terms. Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel more than 40 years ago and bowed out of a conflict it knew it couldn’t win. Jordan relinquished its claim to the– occupied by Israel since 1967 despite repeated UN calls for it to withdraw from all Palestinian and other Arab territories – in 1988, and made peace in 1994.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Penny Wong: ‘Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza’In a strengthening of her language, Wong said: “Civilians are being killed by Israeli strikes and it is women and children who are paying the highest price.”
Read more »
Penny Wong: ‘Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza’In a strengthening of her language, Wong said: “Civilians are being killed by Israeli strikes and it is women and children who are paying the highest price.”
Read more »
‘Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza’: Foreign Minister Penny WongForeign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has repeated calls for de-escalation in the Middle East and warned Lebanon “cannot become the next Gaza”.
Read more »
Penny Wong warns 'Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza', as deadly Israel-Hezbollah conflict continuesForeign Minister Penny Wong says civilians are being killed by the Israeli strikes on Lebanon and that it is 'women and children who are paying the highest price' in the cross-border conflict.
Read more »
Israel strikes targets in Lebanon as Hezbollah launches deepest rocket attacks since start of Gaza warIsraeli military says its jets targeted hundreds of Hezbollah sites on Saturday, while Hezbollah says it launched dozens of missiles at an airbase in northern Israel
Read more »
Israeli military issues warning to residents in southern Lebanon ahead of 'extensive attacks'Israel's military has, for the first time, issued a broad warning to residents in southern Lebanon to leave areas where the militant group Hezbollah may be operating.
Read more »