New Middle East Conflict Emerging

A New Middle East Conflict Is Emerging

by Sarah Ann Haves

An
ongoing barrage of more than 130 rockets has hit Israeli southern communities
since March 9, escalating tensions between Israel and terrorist groups in the
Gaza Strip. The IDF killed the commander of the Palestinian Resistance
Committees (PRC), in order to prevent a large-scale terror attack that was
being planned against the Jewish State. The IDF is trying to re-gain Israel’s
deterrence capability, responding quickly to all attempts by Gaza terrorists to
target Israeli civilians.

Israel has been using the
Iron Dome anti-missile defense system to intercept the rockets being launched,
which has proven to be effective, enabling southern residents to feel more
secure. On March 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with
mayors in southern towns, asking them to convey to residents his esteem for
their fortitude.  He said, “We will
continue to hit whoever plans to attack citizens of the State of Israel.” He
also mentioned that Israel would continue to improve home front defenses
including adding more Iron Dome systems in the south.

The rocket war between
Israel and terrorist groups in Gaza is now changing the regional picture in the
Middle East. 

IRANIAN TACTICS

A recent focus of U.S.-Israeli
talks in Washington exposed the glaring differences between the two allies on
the timing of a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. But while
American officials continue to give their opinion on how to stop Iran’s race
towards nuclear capability, there hasn’t been enough dialogue about Iran’s
other political and military agendas. What needs to be figured in to the
equation is how Iran plans to use its proxies on Israel’s borders to divert
international pressure away from the goals of the Persian State. Iran’s
diversionary tactics could set the Middle East on fire. Israel has been
preparing its defense forces for such a scenario.

Meanwhile, in January,
Israeli Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, told his Southern Command to prepare for a
large scale military offensive into the Gaza Strip. In this current escalation
in tensions with Gaza terrorist cells, the IDF is already pinpointing their
operations. Israeli forces are also conducting surgical strikes against massive
weapons arsenals.

Arms smuggling into Gaza
has increased, dramatically, since the Arab Spring began a year ago. Not only
has Iran continued to transfer large quantities of armaments to Hamas, Islamic
Jihad, the PRC and other terrorist groups, but sophisticated weapons from Libya
have been successfully delivered, as well. Israel refuses to stand by, idly,
while the illegal arms smuggling continues. Yet, Israel does not want a
war to ignite, which could spread from its southern border to its northern
border.

At some point, Iran could
use its terrorist proxies on Israel’s borders to show its strength, in the face
of Western powers stiffening sanctions and threatening military action against
the Persian State.  

THE BLOOD LETTING IN SYRIA

Focusing on regional
dominance, Iran is actively supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad despite
the brutal war he has been conducting against his own people. 

Western leaders have hit an
impasse in dealing with Assad, who has not stopped his forces from heartlessly
murdering his own citizens in a revolt that has lasted almost a year.  More than 7500 Syrians have been killed
by the regime, and there are claims that instead of treating the wounded in
hospitals, they are being systematically tortured by Assad’s troops.

Western powers fear an
entanglement if they attempt to bring in military forces to stop Assad,
claiming that it would fuel a regional war. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman recently stated that Israel wants to provide humanitarian aid
to the Syrian people. At the same time, Israeli leaders are fearful that Assad
might attack the Jewish State if he feels threatened by a Libyan-style military
operation conducted by Western forces against his ruling power. In addition,
American leaders have warned Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon about the
possibility that Assad could transfer his chemical and biological weapons to
terrorists who might attempt to use them against these Arab states in the
region.

Since the Arab Spring began
last year, Israeli leaders have conveyed to the U.S. that Iran cannot be looked
at in isolation to other developments in the Middle East. Because of on-going
defense and diplomatic cooperation between the two allies, high-level officials
from both countries are now meeting every two weeks to discuss the continued
flux in the region.

U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS

This past week, the global
community watched as the strategic partnership between Israel and the U.S. was
tested. The pro-Israel AIPAC conference, which drew more than 13,000
participants, was the platform for U.S. President Barack Obama and Netanyahu to
express their positions on the Iranian issue. There were also private meetings
at the White House, a press conference, and Netanyahu’s speech before
Congress. 

The meetings took place
right before the biblical holiday of Purim, and Netanyahu presented Obama with
a scroll from the book of Esther. 
In some ways, the meetings in Washington depicted the same kind of
appeal that Esther and Mordecai presented to King Ahasuerus to prevent the
annihilation of the Jewish people in 127 provinces of his kingdom, including
the city of Shushan.

Washington D.C. was the
theatrical backdrop to discuss the plot of Iranian leaders, just as in the time
of Esther, when Haman was intent on wiping out the Jewish people.  During his AIPAC speech in Washington,
Netanyahu said, “As Prime Minister of Israel I will never let my people live in
the shadow of annihilation.”  He
also made these points:  “Today, we
have a state of our own. And, the purpose of the Jewish state is to defend
Jewish lives and to secure the Jewish future. Never again will we not be
masters of the fate of our very survival; never again. That is why Israel must
always have the ability to defend itself, by itself, against any threat…. We
deeply appreciate the great alliance between our two countries. But, when it
comes to Israel’s survival, we must always remain the masters of our fate.”

ISRAEL’S CHALLENGES

What Netanyahu did not
address, publicly, in Washington is that Israel’s constant state of “high
alert” is not only about the possibility of a direct war between Israel and
Iran; it is also about the indirect war Iran is already conducting against the
Jewish State. Iran will continue to pursue its nuclear ambitions while, at the
same time, look to distract the nations with its proxy forces in the Middle
East.

Netanyahu returned from
Washington with his eyes, once again, focused on the terror in Israel’s hostile
neighborhood. Once again the IDF is defending a southern population of 1
million Israelis from a constant unleashing of Palestinian mortar and rocket
fire bent on destroying them. As in biblical times, the Jews have the
opportunity to defend themselves, to protect their lives, and to defeat their
enemies.

 
  “Thus the
Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter
and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.”  Esther 9:5
   

Ms. Haves is a news analyst, reporting on political, diplomatic, military and spiritual issues in Israel and the nations.

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