Battle isn’t about Gaza, but rather, about radical Islam vs. liberal West
Mordechai Kedar, YNET
It is clear to anyone with eyes in their eyes in their head that the battle taking place off the Gaza shore is in fact a clash between an Islamist coalition which Turkey attempts to head – and which includes Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah on one hand – and forces with a liberal Western orientation, represented by Israel, on the other hand.
This fight isn’t about Gaza. The battle is about the future of the Middle East: Will it be a future where the existing political order is maintained, or will radical Islamic forces rise and replace the current order, as already happened in Lebanon and in Turkey.
The sail to Gaza is merely one event in this struggle of titans. If Israel wanted to stop the flotilla, it could have done it more elegantly – for example, by sabotaging the ships underwater. Another possibility was to block their path while declaring that only Gilad Shalit’s release will allow the vessels to continue. This way, Israel would have shifted this hot potato to Hamas.
Yet even such success would not have prompted a victory in respect to the big question: Who is the master of this region? It appears that Israel chose to tell the Islamisizing Turkey, which is ruled by a group that is ideologically identical to Hamas – no more. The forces of the Ottoman Empire, who aspire to again rule the Middle East as they did almost 500 years ago, will be stopped at Gaza’s shores.
The time has come to tell those who live near and far that this battle is not just about the Middle East; rather, it is a fight for the face of this world. At this time, Israel is located at a frontal outpost, where it fights the war of the enlightened, liberal, pluralist, open, and democratic world – in the huge struggle against the Islamic forces that threaten to take over the world and subjugate it to their green flag.
The participation of Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the northern Islamic Movement in Israel, in this sail serves as proof that the battle is not territorial, national, or humanitarian – rather, it is a cultural-religious one. The IDF operation was meant to be the bell that may wake up the world from its stupor, so it sees the Islamic cloud that is about to cover the sun of global liberal democracy.
Dr. Mordechai Keder, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar-Ilan University
It is not a choice for Israel. But regardless of whether Israel chose to be on the front-line or not, the only choice now is to fight or fall.
I agree mostly with your analysis, I do believe however, Russia and China are poised to play a larger role than you suspect. To begin, they will use strategies and proxies, keeping a low profile rather than being out front. They both have been engaged in an asymmetric war with the West for years, while at the same time smiling. If I am correct, there will come a point when they exert themselves openly as they make their move to grab as much global hegemony as they can—possibly allied, at least in their efforts to out maneuver the West. They already almost always side together against the West on issues in the U.N.
I see the battle as primarily East vs. West. Islam is being used by proxy by some to gain advantage, and by others to facilitate the creation of a New World Order. Either the West or the East could stop Iran, Syria, et al, at any time they should choose. Instead, the East is abetting Iran openly and, if not so openly, so are some in the West.
Nobody or to be more exact: No nation state.
It is a mad mad world!
At least half of the western intelligencia and leadership elites are going over to the Islamist side. They may not be totally conscious of their decision yet, but they are.(This includes at least half of the Diaspora also,after all, 80% of them just help create a Muslim president).
Lock and load laddies, it will be one hell of a ride. Not pleasant at all!
I agree it’s a war but unlike the wars fought in the 20th century. it’s a war with many different faces and nuances.
Israel is not fighting to preserve Western values, Israel is fighting not to be eradicated and not doing it very well.
If Israel is in the front line of this global conflict it is more of geography and demography than any wish or intention by us to be the defenders of Western civilization against the medieval civilization our enemies wish to impose.
The west; America and the EU have been content to allow a controlled conflict between Israel an the Arab Muslims, supporting at times both Israel and the Muslims and arming for fun and profit both sides.
Israel they believe keeps the general conflict far from their national borders. But should Israel succumb and be overrun They wouldn’t feel too bad either.
No Felix it’s not about capital This is a religious conflict between Islamic and Christian civilization where the Jews are not even a principle and self interested participant.
Were it up to me I would try to find some common regional agreement with Iran against Egypt and Saudi Arabia who are our most dangerous existential enemies.
Russia, China and the rest of the world are minor players in this epic struggle for world hegemony.
The competition for world leadership in the West is between America and A German led and dominated Europe.
The current economic crisis in the west was intentionally fomented so as to pave the way for a new world currency as a forerunner of one world government aka as New World Order.
If so, why are European countries and the US (liberal West) promoting policies that increasing favor Islamic entities? Add to that Russia and China both dealing with the devil and you can ask, really, who is for Israel or even standing on the same side?
In essence I cannot at all agree with Dr Keder although superficially he echoes what we on 4international have written literally moments ago in an article titled “wrong tactics used. Israel should have sunk the lot” based on the need not to sacrifice Jewish life and limb
See
http://www.4international.wordpress.com
The difference with Dr Keder is in his concept of Israel leading freedom and the “west” because it is no such thing and it is entirely disingeneous to present it thus.
In many ways this flotilla was serving the interests not only of Islam but also of US and European capital, which is in mortal crisis.
Obama leads now but sure it could well be sarah palin, no difference, because the needs of capital are what dominates.
The other point that we on 4international make is that the concept of all of Israel now being at war is crucial. This means that the barriers between the IDF and the people of Israel must be broken down. Trotsky fought hard for this concept as the Second World War began, that the arming of the people should be transformed into the people taking the power of events into their hands.
Consider this simple fact. Israel is NOW at war. yet Haaretz and a dozen other organs spew out their Israel hating filth every day.
And so on. read it for yourself.
The Dr is just one more pro Obama, pro US capital, pro US Imperialist mouthpiece.
(I suppose it is a matter of miliseconds till the mad mad religio freak from negev Yamit82 weighs in on comunisms, evils of!!!)