Israel's and US interests in the Middle East are the same - opinion

DAVID BEN-BASAT

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IDF SOLDIERS conduct maintenance work on a Merkava tank, on the Israeli side of the Gaza border this week. The Israeli government must instruct the army on how to proceed, for time is inexorable and the imprint of the IDF’s impressive achievements is fast fading, the writer warns.(photo credit: Hannah McKay/Reuters)

As the war in Gaza rages, the IDF is yet to achieve its clearly stated aim, unable to sanction Hamas’s formula for the release of the hostages, who live in mortal danger.

The Israeli government must instruct the army on how to proceed, for time is inexorable and the imprint of the IDF’s impressive achievements is fast fading. Israel must urgently find a way to bring back those abducted by Hamas, who are the daily victims of violence and looming mortality. Additionally, it is becoming progressively and painfully clear that there is still no “day after” plan in place – nor is the end of the war in sight.

Although the IDF aims for the complete destruction of the enemy, Hamas, its hands are tied. In the absence of agreement not only within the Israeli government but also with the United States – demanding a humanitarian ceasefire and hinting at threatening to stop supplying military equipment to Israel – we must think outside the box. Looking to the future, what do we want? And how do we get out of this trap?

The return of the hostages is our number one priority, even over the incursion into Rafah, as evidenced when Israel agreed to a six-week-long humanitarian ceasefire. Nevertheless, Hamas’s impossible demands – such as the IDF’s withdrawal from the north of the Gaza Strip; the undoing of the division of the Gaza Strip; the return of Gazans to the North; and the release of hundreds of unspeakable terrorists, including the Nova festival assassins – present the worst of all possible options. It is clear that were those murderers released, Hamas would immediately rearm them, and they would attack us anew.Israeli soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip, on April 2, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Ending Gaza war with a Rafah operation is a mistake

Along with the war’s impressive achievements under the most difficult circumstances, errors have been committed, among them the decision to leave the Rafah operation to the end. The IDF ought to have entered Rafah at the outset and advanced in simultaneous formation – not in a column.

It is clear that the Egyptians do not relish the prospect of the IDF entering Rafah, yet without it, the war will not end.

We are no longer sure of US support, and if global pressure from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to stop the war impedes the completion of Israel’s military objectives, there will be no guarantee of the hostages’ return.

Although the US continues to provide military support, there is concern that the trust between it and Israel may be eroded, along with that of its allies in the Gulf, as the US carries on negotiations with the Iranians and the Houthis while the Emirates and Saudi Arabia look on in concern.

The veto that the US refrained from utilizing was of no operational significance, yet illustrated an alienated attitude toward Israel, creating concern regarding future support.

The US has agreements with Saudi Arabia, under attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis for years, yet the attacks continue and the US procrastinates in dealing with the Yemeni terrorists who have joined Iran and the axis of evil (with Russia and China) against the West. Yemeni Houthi rebels severely hamper the sea route through Egypt’s straits, Bab el Mandeb, resulting in the increasing cost of goods transportation worldwide – and causing Egypt considerable losses by damaging its income from the Suez Canal.

The Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain are also concerned about the United States after it favored Qatar – a country that supports terrorism and spreads lies and slander against Israel in its media – to establish the port to be built in Gaza. The US selected Qatar over America’s allies such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries who are currently threatened by Iran.

Let’s not forget that on our northern border, Hezbollah, awaits, a terrorist organization supported by Iran, whose capabilities are several times those of Hamas. Hezbollah is watching and planning its actions according to our progress in Gaza. Based on that, it will decide if and when to drag us into a confrontation. The dismantling of Hamas and the destruction of its military capabilities are obligatory in affecting a potential war with Hezbollah.

The US is renowned for decisions that have complicated the world situation, such as abandoning Afghanistan’s legitimate government to extremists who turned it into a Sharia state. Afghanistan’s judges have been ordered to fully implement Sharia law, including public executions; stoning; flogging; and amputation for theft. The Taliban had promised a softer version of the repressive regime that characterized their first period of rule in the country in 1996-2001, but gradually implemented increasingly repressive measures curtailing human rights and freedom. Crimes include treason; falsely accusing someone of treason; drinking alcohol; theft; kidnapping; highway robbery; rebellion; and apostasy.

The demand for “free elections” in Gaza brought Hamas to power after murdering members of the PA’s Fatah party and seizing control of the strip – as Qatar and the world pumped a great deal of money into the murderous organization. That is the same Hamas whose leaders hide inside hospitals, bringing disaster to the residents of Gaza and the region. It is the same Hamas that kidnapped women, men, and children; raped and murdered; and is still entrenched in underground tunnels. While the US will always seek to do what is in its best interest, at times it does not fully analyze the potential consequences of its actions in the world.

The US, always Israel’s best friend, made that unequivocally clear again last week, when President Joe Biden approved a new arms deal that includes stealth planes and advanced weapons, despite criticism from Democrats.

Israel is the only democratic country in the region and the only buffer between the US and countries that support terrorism in the region namely Iran, Iraq, Syria, and all the militants in the region that consider the United States their greatest enemy. Iran’s bug plan is a the infiltration and takeover of Jordan to use it as a corridor to and a weapon against Israel.

The US must consider Israel its closest ally in defending American interests in addition to its own. There is a marked difference between America’s attitude toward its Gulf allies and toward Israel. And yet, the interests of Israel are the interests of the United States.

The author is CEO of Radios 100fm, honorary consul, vice dean of the consular staff, and vice president of the Ambassadors Club in Israel, and a former journalist at NBC.