Beirut apartment building destroyed in attack intended to sabotage Iran deal
The US and Iran announced an agreement that ended hostilities between them, and also ordered the end of similar attacks between Israel and Hezbollah. A formal signing is expected Friday in Geneva.
The messages from Pres. Trump and Iran’s leadership specified a 60-day ceasefire and further negotiations to address thornier issues:
The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Sunday that paved the way for further talks to ultimately end a monthslong war that has killed thousands and rattled the global economy.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” President Trump said in a post on social media. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that the country had finalized a memorandum of understanding with the United States after “months of long and difficult negotiations.”
It does not solve any of the major differences between them. But it at least offers a respite for talks that could resolve issues of sanctions, Iran’s nuclear program, etc.
Naturally, Israel sought to throw a wrench into the gears, attacking the southern Beirut suburb, Dahiya, a stronghold of Hezbollah. This is not a coincidence, even though Israel has been destroying virtually every village there and murdered thousands of civilians. Launching an assault on this particular day was a stick in Trump’s eye. Israel’s none-too-subtle fuck-you, warning that it will not only not be party to any such deal, but that it will try to wreck one. Nor is it done yet. It may devise further ways of smashing the deal, up till Friday.
Trump may not be the brightest bulb, but even he recognizes the play here. After learning of the attack, he called Bibi and reamed him a new asshole:
“It is so bad — I couldn’t believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal,” he said. Trump…stressed that the attack caused no damage and that no one had been killed.
“Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack? I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no fucking judgement. I let him know that,” Trump said.…He spoke with…Netanyahu…and asked him, “What the fuck are you doing?” according to Fox News.
If Bibi thought he could sabotage an agreement at the last minute, he failed. In fact, he speeded its completion. Trump in particular knew that if he delayed any further Netanyahu would devise yet another bit of mischief to upset the apple cart.
The Iranians are no fools either. They know Bibi’s game. But they’re playing their cards, understanding that they can withhold a deal that Trump desperately wants, unless he reins in Netanyahu. They’re not about to leave their Hezbollah allies high and dry. For months, they’ve made clear they will not agree to anything that does not end Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
In case Trump didn’t understand that, they’re making him do so now. In their public comments on the deal they’re signed, they’ve made clear that this ceasefire applies to Lebanon, as well as Iran. The Pakustani mediators have confirmed this as well.
Israel will act as if a deal doesn’t exist and will pursue its destruction of southern Lebanon. When that happens, what will be the response from Iran and Trump? On this hangs the fate of the agreement: will it last or will it disappear as so many draft agreements did over the past months?
In case you’re wondering about Trump’s wish to sign a deal on his birthday, Iran made sure to put the kibosh on that. It was signed the day after. It knew that taking away the plum he coveted would irk him. It once again bested him, as it has so often over the past four months.
Let’s also remember we’ve been through this before: Israel attacked during another sensitive moment in negotiations and Trump launched an expletive-filled rant directly at Bibi.
But it didn’t appear to work very long. So even if there is a deal, there is no indication Israel will end its occupation of Lebanese territory and return across the Blue line. Only continued pressure by Trump will make this happen:
Lebanon may prove to be another stumbling block. Any deal that includes the conflict there would depend on both the United States being able to compel Israel to wind down its military campaign and Iran’s cooperation in restraining Hezbollah.
Netanyahu knows that Trump’s attention span is short. He bargains for a short-term cessation of the carnage until the president loses interest. Then he can resume the killing fields of southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu understands that despite all his bluff and bluster, Israel depends on the US for virtually everything: weapons, intelligence, international support. Without it, it could not fight its wars of aggression against almost all of its frontline Arab-Muslim neighbors (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, etc.). If the US signs a peace deal, it could mean Israel will be circumscribed in its ambitions for regional dominance.
That, in turn means that the Israeli leader will not be able to protect himself politically from defeat at the polls and judicial accountability for the criminal charges he faces.
Bibi needs war. He needs genocide. He needs Gaza and Lebanon aflame. War enables him to live. If the US abandons him, he will face the consequences of his numerous failures; and face electoral defeat as well. If the only way to avoid this is bombing a few more Lebanese buildings or killing a few more Lebanese children, so be it. A small price to pay (as far as he is concerned).
Also, he knows there is no price to pay for his brutality. Israelis not only don’t hold him to account, they heartily endorse all of his crimes. Despite the judicial coup. Despite the corruption. Despite the international opprobrium. He still maintains their support. Every war he fights, the population endorses. Genocide? No problem. Murdering tens of thousands of children? If it must be done, so be it.
Israelis hate this deal. Especially the Opposition, which smells Bibi’s blood in the water. It should surprise no one that a development welcomed throughout the world, would send Israelis into a tailspin; that Iran and the US have ended a war and now have the opportunity to negotiate peace. There is only one “peace” Israelis want: the peace of the victor. A peace that humiliates the enemy. A peace that guarantees eternal Israeli supremacy. A peace that is not peace.
A remarkable accomplishment (perhaps the only one) of the Trump presidency, is his facing down Netanyahu and forcing him to accommodate to US interests. To tell him, no. No US president since Eisenhower has ever told an Israeli leader to stop; or that they couldn’t do what they intended. And it’s about time. But if we are finally to end Israeli impunity, Israeli crimes–we must have more presidents willing to stand in the breach and dare its leaders to defy them.
’Netanyahu’s life project failed with US-Iran deal’ | Gideon Levy interview – Al Jazeera |
link to aljazeera.com
As far as Israel is concerned, there is no ceasefire until there is complete Israeli victory over every one of its perceived “enemies”. this includes not only the immediate ones (Palestinians wherever they live, Lebanon, Syria and then, Turkey and Pakistan. Israel intends to complete this goal no matter how long it takes because of course, of the “Existential threat” to every Jews in the world.
To this end Israel has worked hard with its collaborators and blind supporters, to ensure dominance over every US President. Anytime a President showed signs of non-compliance, he was immediately attacked by all powerful interests from massive money to the House and the Senate until they crumble. Israeli leaders know that without unquestioning US support in terms of money (lots of it under different disguises), weapons and protective defense by the US forces, Israel’s belligerence would not survive a week and nor would Israel’s treasury, so they want to be a position of getting without asking. This includes Netanyahu’s latest pulling of the wool over Americans’ eyes by saying they want to stop getting US weapons aid; this simply means that with the “Merger” of forces, the weapons will automatically follow under the label of “America’s defense”.
Israeli Jews are not stupid, they are just heartless.
Price Tag: JFK standing up to terrorist David Ben-Gurion
GHW Bush and Secr. James Baker III after the First Gulf War pushing the Madrid Conference leading to the Oslo Accords under Bill Clinton. Ultimately cost Rabin’s life and the rise of Bibi Netanyahu.
Link: link to history.state.gov