Iran could be the ‘savior’ of the Middle East. If it wants to, that is.  The conflict between Sunni and Shia, ‘dating back to the seventh-century dispute over who was meant to be the Prophet Muhammad’s rightful successor, is the most consequential in the Middle East because it is so profound and elemental. But precisely because it is so intractable, it might hold the key to solving another seemingly eternal Middle East conflict, the one between Muslim and Jew.’ Iran just might be in the middle of all this.

The “symbiotic anxiety” shared by Israel and its Sunni Arab adversaries might not be abated as it might be too late to forge a Sunni-Jewish alliance. The reason is hate, a phenomenon that never stopped the ‘formation of pragmatic alliances in the Middle East.’ Making it worse is the new and added Arab enmity for Israel because of last December’s Israeli attacks in Gaza. It might be impossible now ‘for Arab governments to be seen entering even a tacit alliance with Israel.’

Iran has obviously shown to be a guardian of Islamic and, in particular, Palestinian interests. It is an undeniable fact that ‘half of the future state of Palestine is under the control of a Sunni fundamentalist group, Hamas, that is theologically opposed to the Shia dogma, but more than happy to take Iranian money and weapons. Iran can continue encouraging Hamas—as well as the Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon—to subvert any upcoming negotiations.’

David Makovsky, one of the most respected experts on the peace process, and co-author of a new book, Myths, Illusions, and Peace, says, “There is a convergence of interests between the Arabs and Israelis on Iran. As such, this moment is a gift that shouldn’t be wasted. The two sides need to put their differences in perspective to address the common challenge.”

‘The history of Middle East peacemaking is littered with missed opportunities, and the shared challenge of an ascendant Iran might not be enough to induce Arabs and Israelis to make common cause.’

Even if Iran may not want to save the Middle East conflict, it is in the crucial position of owning the possibility of doing so.

Via The Atlantic

The United Nations today announced that, it has given the go ahead to the resolution out for before the international body, that calls for investigations for the alleged war crimes committed dung the Israeli offensive in Gaza strip in last winter. The resolution states that, both Israel and Palestine should conduct independent probes to verify the war crime claims.

As per the resolution, the U.N Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has been requested to submit the report from both the countries to the United Nations General Assembly in three months time. It has also been demanded that, strict actions should be taken against either country, who fails to uphold the resolution as targeting non-combatants and civilian infrastructure is a gross human rights violation and a serious war crime. If either Israel or Palestine is found guilty of these crimes, then appropriate actions need to be taken against the offender by the corresponding bodies of the U.N including the Security Council. The resolution was put forward by the 20 Arab League members and it was passed with a vote count of 114-18.

In a statement the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations said,

“This resolution represents yet another pretext to bash Israel at the U.N. and is detrimental to any positive diplomatic engagement in the region.”

Singing the same tune, Israel’s long time ally, the United States of America also expressed its disappointment and concerns about the resolution. The U.S Ambassador to the United Nations, Alejandro Wolff stated that, although the U.S takes the matters of human rights very seriously, especially in the Palestinian region, yet the Goldstone report has been biased and has harshly criticized Israel for its defending its right to existence and hasn’t relegated Hamas’s share of responsibility. Last year’s conflict between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian militant organization, Hamas, was instigated by the Katyusha rockets that were fired targeting the Israeli cities.

Via CNN.

According to an Amnesty International report, Israel is ‘using its “total control” over water supplies to discriminate against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.’ “Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining even poor quality, subsistence-level quantities of water has become a luxury that they can barely afford,” said Donatella Rovera, author of the Amnesty report.

It was discovered that ‘many Palestinians in the West Bank have no access to running water and the Israeli military prevents them from digging well and accessing rainwater. Israeli settlers, meanwhile, enjoy virtually unrestricted access to water despite a prolonged drought.’ Presently, up to 200,000 families have no running water, according to the report.

The report claims that 450,000 settlers have taken up residence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Six-Day War in 1967. These people ‘consume as much as or more than the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank.’ Additionally, ‘between 180,000 and 200,000 Palestinians living in rural communities – especially in the Israeli controlled “Area C” which comprises 60 per cent of the West Bank – have no access to running water.’

The Israeli military often uses prevention tactics in stopping Palestinians to access rainwater by ‘destroying water-harvesting cisterns or even confiscating water tankers.’

Via The Independent

There are quite a few conflict zones in the world today where everyday civilians are being caught in the crossfire, their villages are devastated due to bombing and homes are reduced to rubble. There is no normalcy and hence no regular source of livelihood and income. People live in rehabilitation and refugee camps. More than adults it’s the children who are getting worst affected by these continuing conflicts. Each child has a right to education and safe future but we live in a world where schools and hospitals are bombed too. Imagine future of scores of young children in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, parts of Africa, Burma, Sri Lanka, Middle East – the list is endless. What will happen to these children of war?

In Gaza very young children walk past rubble from their makeshift home to their makeshift school. Their parents are pinning hope on education for a better future. But situation is so very grim that they know their schooling can get interrupted by yet another military operation. Last January a school in Gaza which was run by United Nations was bombed by Israel. Classrooms have been reconstructed and painted but violence and destruction have become part of painful memories of these growing up children.

What affect these wars, violence and killing have on young minds is beyond comprehension. Unfortunately a whole generation is being denied their basic right to normal life, education and future and what about seeds of discontent being sowed in young impressionable minds?

Via BBC

It should not be forgotten that the Iran that was shaped by Khomeini has been an entirely different system that has been carried out for thirty years. It is a theocratic, fundamentalist, and revolutionary government system, which means that it is impervious to reform and incorrigible in nature.

With the ruthless suppression of opponents to silence the accusations of an obvious election fraud and doubts about the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s second term, the Islamic Republic of Iran has sealed its fate.

While we saw the bloody and fiery protests on the streets of Tehran as the manifestation of an electoral battle gone wrong, there is another battle happening in the background which the people did not exactly see.

In fact, Ahmadinejad was not up against Mousavi but the clerical elite of the ayatollahs who thrive on the specter of Khomeini. On one hand are the traditionalist clerics whose strength draws from the lineage of the Iranian Revolution thirty years ago, but who have become corrupt. On the other are the true guardians of the revolution.

Although the world did not see it, the duel was being waged between the clerics of Qom who have personally benefited from the 1979 Islamic revolution and the guardians of the revolution or the people who protect the revolution itself. For the latter, Ahmadinejad is at the helm.

With Ahmadinejad’s perpetuation in power, Iran will continue to stand its ground regarding its nuclear program, a crucial aspect when seen from Iran’s point of view with regards to Israel. Khameini, the ultimate political arbiter in the country,  sees this that is why he is not lifting a finger to contest Ahmadinejad’s purported electoral victory.

Iran’s clerical elite are totally aware of the political situation in the Middle East. They know quite well that Ahmadinejad may just be indispensable at the moment as far as establishing a cohesive whole with the Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Hamas in Gaza for purposes of the general destabilization of the Gulf and the confrontation with the West.

It is still all about the Islamist revolution. And the ayatollahs have come to realize that it has become a regional struggle in need of a nuclear armament program whose greatest champion happened to have cheated in the elections. In throwing their support behind an obvious election fraudster, we can imagine that it is the ayatollahs that have probably been losing sleep.

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The number of fatalities in the last Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip known as Operation Cast Lead is relatively low when one considers that the fighting took place in densely populated areas, noted a spokesman for the Israeli Army. The IDF makes the comparative conclusion based on population density.

“The figures show that the Israeli Army made great efforts in carrying out its precise operation,” he added, responding to accusations by human rights groups that are now demanding for an international investigation. The IDF spokesman defended the Israeli data which, he said, are based on a thorough analysis by the military secret services.

The controversial data refers to the 1,417 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip during the Israeli offensive that lasted for 22 days, broken down as follows: 926 civilians, 236 members of militia groups, and 255 members of the police force controlled by Hamas. Among the victims were 313 children and adolescents under 18 years, as well as 116 women.

Israel, however, only recorded about 1,166 Palestinians killed. Of the figure, 709 were allegedly involved in terrorist activities. The casualties, according to the IDF, included only 295 civilians, 89 children under 16 years, and 49 women.

A Palestinian human rights organization published a list of all fatalities and the dates of their deaths, accusing Israel of ‘an intentional attempt to destroy the handling of a military offensive and to conceal the illegal activities of Israel.’

One of the most controversial aspects is the classification of the security forces of Hamas. The policemen regulating traffic on roads were considered by Israel as  members of the terrorist organization. This is probably because the entire Hamas has been previously declared as a terrorist group.

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Via The Boston Globe

The IDF opened an investigation after Israeli soldiers confessed to the murders committed during Operation ‘Cast Lead,’ the 22-day military operation in the Gaza Strip. The testimonies of several Israeli soldiers who claim that they killed civilians and committed acts of vandalism in Gaza have given rise to a wave of criticism that forced the army to open an internal investigation.

Head of legal services, Brigadier General Avichai Mendelblit, has ordered the immediate commencement of the criminal investigation. The disputed testimony was released last February 13 by pilots and infantrymen who gave a talk at a preparatory course for military service at an academic institution.

Israeli soldiers gave the statement that during the last military offensive in the Gaza Strip from December 27-January 18, they fired at unarmed Palestinian women and children and damaged private property. It goes without saying that these soldiers committed murders and brutality during the Gaza offensive.

Operation ‘Cast Lead’ killed over 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians. In the editorial of the newspaper Haaretz, the ‘acts of disregard for human life and a tendency toward brutality’ were attributed to the ‘disconnection between the battalion commanders and their senior officers.’

After Operation ‘Cast Lead,’ the United Nations needed $613 million for the recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

At the academic conference, a squadron commander told how the company shot and killed an elderly Palestinian who was walking along a road about one hundred meters from a housing that the company had seized. He described the act as ‘cold-blooded murder.’

Another soldier said that during a discussion with his squadron commander on the permissiveness of the code of action and where other soldiers complained, the officer said, “We should kill everyone here [in central Gaza]. Everyone here is a terrorist.”

Another soldier testified, saying, “When entering a house we had to pull the door and start shooting inside, from floor to floor. I wondered how this can make sense.”

The dissemination of hard evidence by the military has caused a wave of protests after it was shown that war crimes were committed during Operation ‘Cast Lead.’ The Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din has demanded that a military commission be formed to investigate the allegations. “If Israel does not investigate its crimes, others will have to do it,” said Yesh Din in a statement. The NGO Rabbis for Human Rights has declared that the turn of events is a moral tsunami that forces Israel to make a fast examination of conscience.

The Hamas-led government in Palestine planned to file a petition with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Israel over Gaza air strikes. There is sufficient evidence that Israel used white phosphorus, the chemical incendiary bomb, in crowded places in Gaza during the air strikes.

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Via The Huffington Post

The Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, Salam Fayyad, has submitted his resignation Saturday to President Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas). Fayyad said his gesture is an attempt to pave the way for a unity government and the reconciliation between the Hamas and the Fatah, two warring political camps for the governance of Palestine.

Moreover, there is an urgent need for Palestines to unite because their disunity only helps those who want to thwart the dissolution of the Palestinian nation. Hamas is currently considered illegitimate by the international community. It is even tagged as a terrorist organization. A unified Palestinian government will render the governance of the nation as internationally recognized legitimate government.

One of the most immediate contentions at the moment is the need to manage the allocated funds from the international community for the reconstruction of Gaza. A unified Palestine will bring about a clearer strategy as to how to expedite the rebuilding of the war-torn Strip.

Fayyad’s move will bring about the unified consensus in the governance of Palestine and the much-coveted unity of the Palestinian homeland. He will remain in his post until a new unity government is established. Fayyad was appointed Prime Minister in 2007. He became chair of the Palestinian National Authority at the time when serious clashes were raging in the Gaza Strip between supporters of Hamas and Fatah.

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Via BBC

While Hamas is not inclined to stop the rocket attacks on civilian areas in Israel, Israel is not inclined to stop committing war crimes on the people of Palestine. While the entire region is going down into hell, people involved do not seem to be bothered about the loss of lives.

The International Criminal Court meanwhile is considering filing cases against the Israeli government for its war crimes. However, the question of Palestinian statehood has to be determined before the ICC can take any action against Israel. Palestine is not a recognized state nor is it a member of ICC. This shows the futility of such international organizations which are burdened with bureaucratic principles while innocents die in thousands.

While it is difficult to see any sort of peace happening in Israeli-Palestinian region, it is equally distasteful to watch International organizations argue whether a country can be accused for war crimes when the attacked people are not a member country. This is perhaps why United Nations and ICC have failed miserably as watchdogs, while U.S continues to play the role of the big brother/bully.

Via: Guardian

When he was about to return to Gaza after talks with Egyptian authorities, a senior member of Hamas was arrested on 5 February by the Egyptian secret service. Nine million dollars and two million euros were found in his possession. According to a source close to the Egyptian secret service, the man was Ayman Taha, a spokesman for the Islamist movement in Gaza. Taha reportedly refused to be searched at the Rafah terminal. Hamas has not yet confirmed the information.

Hamas has been known to smuggle cash into the Gaza Strip. Egyptian banks generally refuse money transfers into the Palestinian territory. In 2006, a senior Islamist said they had crossed the border with $ 42 million.

The Hamas delegation left the negotiating table earlier in the day, declaring that a truce in the Gaza Strip is impossible without open borders. Mohammed Nasr, one of the negotiators from Hamas, had indicated the group’s readiness to resume talks in Egypt after Cairo conducts talks with Israel.

The non-agreement for a possible truce is not at all surprising. Radical Islamists generally do not exist for peace. Chaos is their most basic business. Their seeming stubbornness, in the name of patriotism, is their modus operandi. It is also not surprising that a Hamas member was found with loads of cash. Radical Islamists are known to be wealthy, thanks to their sponsors and patrons. What is surprising is the fact that they still ask for open borders when they can neatly manage to smuggle their armaments into Gaza, uncontrolled and unregulated.

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Via Yahoo! News