Israel, Iran and the United States: Who Are the Real Terrorists?

 

By David Starr

 

For decades there has been an imperial policy that the USA, as an empire, operates in the Middle East. Many of the countries have been on the defensive in the Middle East mainly because of this policy. The one country that has been on the offensive is Israel, considering how Uncle Sam spoils it with massive military aid, among other things. And Israel has been immune to criticism and condemnation with the help of U.S. leaders who have been complicit in the “Holy Land’s” actions against other countries in the region.

 

Now, most of the world sees Israel as a rogue state, with its continuing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, the West Bank, and its military targeting of neighboring countries. But, the USA monetary empire still will not take Israel to task and stop the weapons flow. Many U.S politicians are essentially in the “pockets” of the Israeli lobby in the USA, getting significant campaign contributions for their no-questions-asked support, and for votes. 

 

And the vicious circle continues where the USA is now in threat mode, recently bombing nuclear sites in Iran. Before that, Israel initiated bombing campaigns against Iran. The latter of course responded with its own missile barrage at Israeli targets; and, defending its sovereignty and becoming fed up, fired missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq.

 

Specifically, according to Al Jazeera, “Iran fired ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Base in Qatar, the United States’ largest military installation in the Middle East.” Further, with Israel and Iran making tit-for-tat strikes, the USA empire of course came to Israel’s aid with its own strikes, to reiterate, against Iranian nuclear sites. As of this writing, the situation is unpredictable…and potentially dangerous with threat of World War III.

 

The two parties in power in Washington will probably not make things easier. Overwhelmingly, Republicans in government support Trump’s illegal actions. Many of the Democrats do too (with exceptions), although their reasons differ somewhat from the Republicans. Specifically, neoliberal Democrats have not liked the Trump regime going to war without Congressional approval, while Trump and his ilk simply don’t care. 

 

But both have the same thing in common: they demonize Iran as “evil” and “terroristic.”  While Iran has a theocracy in power, which contradicts democracy, it is still a sovereign nation and hasn’t invaded another nation for a little over two centuries. Iran did not start the current crisis. It was Israel that is the main instigator proven by its occupations and settlements that have gone on since 1948. Hamas did not start the conflict on Oct. 6, 2023. It has been ongoing before that.

 

The Trump regime’s position on Iran has many in the U.S. uncomfortable, and that could mean the demise of Trump. According to The New Republic:

 

“Clearly, unpopular wars have enormous potential to profoundly remake American politics–to shatter a staid status quo and elevate change agents above political insiders. The world-shaping impact of a military mishap is something that should be at the forefront of every Democratic elected official’s mind as the Trump [regime] moves closer to enmeshing itself in Trump’s own disastrous misadventure by joining Israel’s recently launched war on Iran.”

 

The New Republic cites a recent poll where “60 percent of Americans said no, to just 16 percent who said yes” on whether the USA should get further involved in Israel’s war with Iran. Fifty-three percent of Trump 2024 voters said that the country should not get involved as opposed to 19 percent. Many in the U.S. population, therefore, have their own mandate to stop further escalation of war with Iran.

 

The New Republic also states that Democrats (in particular corporate Dems) could once again cave to a Republican president where going to war would be generally bi-partisan. “The Democrats could just absolutely blow it. They could fail to get on the right side of both history and public opinion, refuse to oppose this catastrophic war, and squander the political gift Trump is handing them.”

 

The likes of Chuck Shumer, Hareem Jefferies and former progressive John Fetterman will probably be for war despite tepid opposition to the Trump regime. It is a case of not necessarily opposing Trump’s supposed objectives regarding Iran since it’s viewed as a “terrorist” nation. 

 

Who are the real terrorists here? True, Iran hasn’t been as pure-as-the-driven snow with regards to domestic and foreign policy. But Israel and its “sugar-daddy,” the USA empire, have been the aggressors in this current conflict (and before that). It’s obvious what Israel is doing by imposing a holocaust of its own.   

 

Left/Progressive sources have been highly critical of the whole situation. For example, on Secular Talk, Kyle Kulinski lambasted the idea of going to war with Iran. He also took Democrats to task. And Danny Haiphong had on a segment where he agreed that Trump’s unilateral action against Iran was a failure.

 

What has to change in the Middle East the behavior of Israel. For too long it’s gotten away with murder, figuratively and literally. It’s been on the offensive since it was first established. And what has to change especially is the imperial objectives of the USA empire. For too long it’s gotten away with behavior that resembles what Israel has exhibited, except on a global scale. 

 

Both have behaved like terrorists, and their actions must stop.