Alameen Templeton
After egging on the Gaza genocide for 312 days, the leaders of France, Germany, and the UK say they’ll “spare no effort to reduce tensions” to head off a pending Iranian missile attack on Israel.
But none of those “efforts” will be aimed at cutting the flow of weapons to Israel from the trio who are the biggest suppliers of arms to Tel Aviv after the US.
None of them are demanding a ceasefire in Gaza or any kind of real pressure that will tear Israel’s foot off the genocide accelerator pedal.
Yet Iran has made it clear all aggression will stop the moment the genocide ends; until then, its Axis of Resistance will continue countering all attempts to wipe out the Palestinians, it has said.
The trio Monday did venture to “express support” for fumbling “efforts” led by the US and its vassals Egypt and Qatar that have bogged down attempts to end the genocide in futile ceasefire talks, stuck in a dead end for almost four months now.
“We have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability,” they promised.
But they made no commitment to a real ceasefire or even a faint pathway to one or any commitment to effective action that will end the genocide – the biggest, single contributor to tensions in the region.
Instead, they repeated blandishments that the whole world knows already and as they have repeated many times to no effect – there’s an “urgent need for unrestricted delivery and distribution humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza”.
They called on Iran and its allies, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, to refrain from doing anything to “further escalate regional tensions and jeopardize the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
They did not call on Israel, the biggest contributor to tensions in the region, to stop committing genocide.
Instead, Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh should be seen as a glittering chance of salvation: they warned the Axis, history would hold it responsible “for actions that jeopardize this opportunity for peace and stability”.
They glossed over Israel’s contributions to tensions in recent days. Airstrikes on Tehran, Beirut, and Hodeidah, along with high-ranking assassinations, didn’t warrant a mention.
Instead, any retaliation was pre-emptively condemned and highly inflammatory statements by Israeli politicians were ignored.
Iranian officials have made it clear Tehran’s response to Haniyeh assassination on Iranian soil, is inevitable.
And Hezbollah have made it clear Israel has crossed a red line with the assassination of top Hezbollah commander Sayyed Fouad Shokor (Hajj Mohsen) in Haret Hreik, the southern suburb of Beirut. It was an attack on a civilian area – something Hezhollah has scrupulously avoided for 312 days; it seems that restraint may no longer hold.
Occupation/annexation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cut off any chance of Iran giving prior warning to an attack. He has discussed with his security chiefs a possible, pre-emptive strike against Iran if an attack appears imminent.
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