Why Israel’s attack on Iranian consulate in Syria was a gamechanger Not the fact that Iran engaged a major and wildly disproportionate massive air assault from it’s own land directly on Israel for the first time. Not that a great many Iranians do not support their brutal Islamofascist dictators and the last thing they want or need is war with Israel. Not that Iran has now ‘threatened’ the US and Jordan both of whom helped Israel destroy Iranian incoming.
No...none of that is a ‘game changer’...just ‘Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate’ which was not a consulate at all but a military building for the Revolutionary Guards in Damascus involved in targeting Israel and supporting Assad. But it is always and only Israel; a nation trying to survive and protect its own from constant, non-stop assault starting well before 1948. There is another perspective to consider...
After years in which both sides operated within the framework of a largely undeclared set of “rules”, Israel – as analysts have pointed out – bulldozed through every red line to attack a location that Tehran maintains was tantamount to attacking Iranian soil.
It is, again and of course, Israel which ‘bulldozed every red line’ and ‘loses if it retaliates.’
It’s not that Hezbollah originally ignored the UN negotiated agreement from years ago and disregarding a demilitarized border with Israel. It isn’t the Houthi’s attacks on and substantial disruption of Red Sea shipping. Both Hezbollah and the Houthi’s are Iranian funded proxies.
It wasn’t the Second Intifada during which Hamas killed thousands of Israelis.
It’s not that Tehran has been in a war of its own doing with Israel for decades or that it’s primary proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, regularly attacks northern Israel. Now, the Houthis are jumping in.
But none of this by Iran has ‘bulldozed every red line.’
The October 7 Massacre by Hamas terrorists, also Iran funded and sponsored, where 1200+ Israelis were slaughtered and many mutilated; where Nova peace festival goers were machine gunned in large groups as during the Holocaust.
Where Israeli women and girls were subjected to extreme sexual violence throughout southern Israel. Girls were found dead, their genitalia and mutilated. Some also had broken pelvises from non stop gang rape. And, yes, every word of this is accurate.
But none of this ‘bulldozed every red line.’ After all, it was only more dead Jews.
That Israeli hostages were snatched as part of Hamas’ October 7 massacre after many had watched close relatives murdered in front of them to be further brutalized, sexually assaulted and killed in captivity by Hamas didn’t ‘bulldoze every red line’ either
No, none of these attacks on Israel by any of these groups ‘bulldozed through every red line.’ But it is still only — and always — Israel who must immediately ‘deescalate.’ Would any other militarized nation do so under even close to similar circumstances? Name one...
If Israel was going to commit ‘genocide’ or ‘ethnic cleansing’ against Palestinian terror and global incitement, it would have happened many decades ago. The war in Gaza is excessively brutal but its cause is only Hamas.
It cause is only Hamas who have not only used its citizens as shields and human sacrifices but also as international photo ops. It is Hamas, not Israel, who made sure it would starve its own and its children to improve those international photo ops since every dead Gazan child is a political victory for Hamas.
But only Israel’s attack on the military building in Damascus ‘bulldozed through every red line.’
Israel’s attack in Damascus, again, was NOT on a ‘consular building.’ It was on a regional military HQ for Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards who have been in Syria to support Assad’s continuing crimes against humanity targeting his remaining Syrian opponents — and for targeting Israel.
Once again, however, it is Israel who has ‘bulldozed through every red line.’ And it is only Israel who is responsible to ‘deescalate’ rather than respond with their full capacity for self defense as would about every other militarized nation.
And no other nation as Iran, or terror group to especially include Hamas, has been given any similar demands globally, or by the UN, to so ‘deescalate.’
I somewhat resent this next brief disclaimer, but to keep reader’s interest (hopefully), I am wholly aware of what is happening in Gaza. You don’t need to tell me again. I am not defending the nature of Israel’s response in Gaza — if maybe trying to explain it, even a little.
Those who’ve been reading my posts/diaries know I have written extensively about my strong opposition to Netanyahu and his Jewish Supremacist coalition’s excessive and counterproductive brutality in Gaza. West Bank settlers must be arrested and attacks on Palestinians stopped by the IDF. But please read this commentary for what I am trying to share since I won’t defend every individual action by Israel in the comments.
I have long argued for a more targeted and specific focus on killing Hamas rather than dropping 2,000 lb bombs. I do not want the US to keep providing 2,000 lb bombs to Israel inasmuch as it is clear Netanyahu cannot be trusted. But even as I strongly oppose Netanyahu and his brutality in the war on Hamas, I also support the need to take Hamas out and for the US to continue standing by Israel...if with a few more conditions.
But with every new attack on Israel, whether it kills a few Jews, stabs a single police officer, slaughters 1200+ Israelis including extreme sexual violence with brutalized hostages or is a massive drone and missile assault by Iran — the first cry by the West is that it is Israel who must immediately 'deescalate.’
My specific concern, admittedly, is continuing to have Netanyahu at the head of Israel’s ‘War Cabinet.’ But consider the irony that Iran’s wildly disproportionate attack has potentially only further strengthened his and his deviant, violent coalition’s hold on Israel. Curious, isn’t it?
Perhaps it is Netanyahu’s bizarre longstanding and symbiotic relationship with some of the most violent regional anti-Israel players started by his strengthening of Hamas to, now, the very curious timing of Iran’s ancient theocrats attack on Israel as a massive, grandiose diversion which they also knew would do little, if any, real damage. Tehran also just drew eyes away from all that is going on in Gaza.
Even curiouser, isn’t it?
But Tehran's bizarrely disproportional attack on Israel of 13 April also saw a sudden coalition form with Israel of the US, UK, France - and - Jordan all of whom supported Israel in destroying Iran's drones and missiles. All of whom helped protect Israel. It should now be clear to Iran that Israel does not stand alone despite Netanyahu and his Jewish Supremacist coalition. Tehran’s attack was a massive military failure if, in fact, military was its primary objective.
Then Tehran announced that no further action was allowed and dared any direct assault back on the Iranian theocrats in Tehran. They next absurdly threatened the US and Jordan to ‘stay out of it.’ Jordan directly supported Israel and the US by destroying a large number of Iranian drones which entered its airspace. The King of Jordan has since made clear his nation will do so again
Did Tehran expect Jordan to remain neutral during this massive attack? Tehran may have just helped organize an opposing military coalition in direct support of Israel — which now actively includes Jordan.
The sad reality is that Palestinians have long been cannon fodder for and by regional Arabs and only supported when there is short term political gain. In previous decades, Palestinians have been murdered and exiled to include by Jordan and Lebanon.
It is Jordan from where many Palestinians come. But it remains Israel who is solely responsible for their future. Jordan unilaterally took Jordanian passports from Palestinian Arabs (who’d earlier fled Jordan) and were living in Israel’s West Bank in 1988. Gaza had been under the control of Egypt until Egypt lost the 1967 War it started against Israel. The occupation by Israel ended and changed when Israel unilaterally left Gaza in 2005.
This was followed by a brief but violent civil war between Hamas and Fatah in 2007 which Hamas won. Hamas — NOT Israel — has occupied, stolen from, and brutalized Gazan citizens since as would a large organized crime mob.
Still, no matter the reality; no matter what Israel endures; no matter the violence it experiences including the massive air assault on 13 April, it is only and always Israel who must ‘deescalate.’ There is no chance for any form of Palestinian autonomy so long as Hamas occupies Gaza and the long time PA dictator, Abbas, remain.
It does seem that dead Jews are about always ok. Maybe it's time for a more targeted ‘escalation’ intended to strongly discourage the next surge of violence against Israel and Israeli citizens rather than the continued back and forth dance. Maybe it’s time for the West and shockingly antisemitic west ‘liberals’ and ‘progressives’ to target Hamas and Iran while showing support for both, Israeli and Palestinian citizens.
If Israel were to directly retaliate against Tehran, the best idea I’ve read is for the IAF to target Iran’s primary drone building capacity. Not only would this benefit Israel but it would, very much, be in direct support of Ukraine. It would be proportional and logical. But now there is pressure for Israel to let Iran’s massive assault stand which means just waiting for the next one.
Maybe its enough. Maybe it’s time. But to assure Israel’s security also means getting Netanyahu out of office with new elections called immediately.