THE ’12- DAY WAR : lesson for tomorrow
By Inuwa Waya
Let me start with a hypothetical scenario. You have a neighbour who was full of pride because he is strong economically and otherwise. He has friends equally very powerful who come to his assistance whenever he requested. Because of that, he holds every household in your area with disdain and contempt. With or without provocation, he enters any household, maim, and even kill if there is resistance.
His powerful friends rearmed him with weapons and money from time to time for him to continue oppressing and frightening the neighbourhood.
Everyone in the environs and beyond is afraid of him, and nobody dare challenge his impunity and wanton display of power and arrogance. Any perceived threat to his power is met by maximum punishment. When the situation became unbearable, you started showing signs of disapproval. You began to raise awareness for the neighbourhood to address his excesses. Once he noticed your actions, he became more aggressive and started planning on how to deal with you.
He began by planning with his powerful friends to kill your relations who are staying in a nearby neighbourhood. He followed that with clandestine actions to intimidate you for daring him.
One day in your absence, he entered your house, vandalised properties, and killed some members of your family whilst others managed to escape.
He also left an inscription on your door stating that you are the next target. When you returned home and saw the carnage, you became confused. You started having a dilemma on whether to avenge or beg him to spare your life and those of the remaining members of your family.
The aforementioned hypothetical narration typified the situation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel. We assumed you are IRAN and ISRAEL is the neighbour who has been terrorising the neighbourhood and the one that conducted the assault in your house.
Let’s move out of the hypothetical World into the realm of reality. After the Israel preemptive attack against Iran on the 13th of June, it took less than twenty- four hours for Iran to exert her revenge.
The revenge itself was one, it’s significance however was the show of determination and courage on the part of the Iranian nation to confront the state of Israel. Since its creation in 1948, Israel uprooted and expelled the Palestinians who are the original inhabitants of the land. Over time, they expanded their land grab by building more settlements in occupied lands of Jerusalem, Jericho, West Bank, and Bethlehem, actions which are illegal under the International Law.
They invaded Southern Lebanon in 1982 and participated in planning, preparation and execution of Sabra and Chatila massacre in which nearly three thousand five hundred Labanese and Palestinians were killed. In June 1967, Israel entered and gained control of Golan Heights, which was under the control of the Syrian Arab Republic. From time to time, Israel made incursions into any territory to conduct covert and overt military and intelligence operations. Through targeted assassinations, Israel killed a number of persons. In Palestine for instance, Israel assassinated Yahaya Ayesh, Sheik Ahmed Yasin, Mahmoud Rantisi his brother Abdulaziz Rantisi, Yahaya Sinwar, Mohammed Sinwar, Ismail Haneya, Chairman Yasser Arafat, to mention but a few. On 27th November 2020, Israel assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh Mahabad an Iranian nuclear scientist. In the 13th June attack, Israel killed fourteen Iranian nuclear scientist along with their neighbours and members of their families. At the behest of Israel, the United States assassinated Iranian Genaral Qasim Soleimani on the 3rd January 2020 at the Baghdad airport.
It was based on Israel false intelligence that America and the rest of the West invaded Iraq and deposed Saddam Hussain in March 2003. Tens of thousands of people were killed in that war. In the end, no weapons of mass destruction were found as stated by the Israeli intelligence. In Gaza where Israel is raging a relentless war against unarmed people, over 56,000 thousand Palestinians were killed and 2.1 million of them were displaced and subjected to starvation. All infrastructures in Gaza were destroyed by Israel bombs.
The strip is now unhabitable for ordinary human beings. This war followed the Hamas attack on Israel which killed 1200 Israelis. In addition to the general subjugation the Palestinians are going through since Israel was created in 1948, the people of Gaza suffered additional humiliation by living in what is generally referred to as the largest open prison in the World.
In this particular war, Israel tested lethal weapons that were never use in any warfare. When they run out of bombs, America, replenished them with new supplies. Millions of Palestinians are scattered all over the World as refugees or on exile to escape Israel onslaught.
Israel is a very powerful Country. It is the only nuclear state in the Middle East, although it maintained policy of silence regarding its nuclear weapons. The Israel nuclear possession came to the World’s attention in 1986, when Mordachai Vanunu a former Israel nuclear technician gave detailed information and photos of Israel’s nuclear program to the British newspaper The Sunday Times.
His revelations indicated that Israel had developed a substantial nuclear arsenal. After that revealing interview, Vanunu was kidnapped in Rome and brought to Israel by the Israel intelligence outfit, Mossad. He was tried in secret and was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. To date Israel refused to join the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) and denied it’s inspectors entry visa to visit the County for inspection.
Through the work of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC), Israel was able to get political and diplomatic cover from the United States of America.
It was estimated that the United Nations Security Council had passed over 30 resolutions that Israel is accused of contravening. Additionally, the US had used its veto power over 40 times to block resolutions critical of Israel in the Security Council. Most of these resolutions relates to Israel’s activities in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jerusalem. In today’s World, political analysts have concluded that Israel is the most powerful Country, more powerful than even the United States that gives it all the protection at the International level.
When a Country like Israel attacks one, it is in One’s interest to retreat and run away. That brought us to the significance of the revenge carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Jewish state.
The Iranian bravery demystified the vulnerability of the invulnerability of the state of Israel. It further exposed the myth that no Country can attack Israel and remain a Country.
In the twelve days war, the Iranian short, medium and long range missiles caused massive destruction in Israel. The Iranian drones and missiles penetrated the Israel’s iron dome, David sling and arrows, to cause maximum damage in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Dimona, Hora, Hod HaSharon, Beersheba, and Rishon LeZion.
During the period of the war, the Israelis experienced terrible consequences of their actions. Schools were closed, workers were asked to go home, sirens were activated every now and then and people were in and out of public shelters. At home, people were asked to listen to radios and television for intermittent announcements.
The restaurants, beaches and night clubs were all deserted. People were running helter skelter. Before the 13th of June, if you ask the Israelis that they would experience such, they would say you are deluded. But it happened, it was a reality and not a dream. The government became confused just as the people were. The jews are pampered people full of pride and lavish lifestyle. The Iranians are not. They are prepared for a long war. They experienced it before fighting the Iraqis for eight years.
The Iranians have been in one form of sanction or another since the Islamic revolution of 1979. The sanctions made them resilient and enable to make inventions and innovations for their progress and development. They also have pride about their religion and their ancestry. You just can not beat them easily.
When Israel realised that their military campaign is ineffective, they begged the Americans to come to their rescue. Back home, the majority of the Americans do not have the appetite for war. President Trump was elected to stop Americans from going to war.
However in order not to embarrass the Israelis, President Trump decided to intervene in the war by striking the Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22. On that day, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
The operation was conducted using bunker buster bombs. President Trump said the Iranian nuclear programme has been obliterated. Israel said the same thing. Iran and other intelligence sources in the US said otherwise.
They believe the programme was only delayed with a month or two. Be that as it may, the Islamic Republic of Iran had always insisted that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes and nobody can stop it from exercising that right under whatever guise. On June 23, Iran retaliated by attacking the American air base at Al Udeid in Qatar. One hour before the attack, the Iranians gave the Qatari government notice of the attack, and also to the Americans through Qatar. There were no casualties in the attack.
On the 12th day of the war, President Trump informed the World that both Iran and Israel agreed on ceasefire. From the way President Trump spoke, it appears both Iran and Israel showed signs of exhaustion. More importantly, Israel who started the unjustified pre-emptive military strikes was severely devastated . It was a tactical blunder on their part.
They should have known that there is a limit to nations endurance. The ceasefire which everyone has been asking them for over 15 months in respect of their war in Gaza, they now agree to it in 12 days in the war with Iran. Their pre-emptive strike at this time boomerang. As for the Middle Eastern region and the World in general, the ceasefire has brought a welcome relief. The global economy would have been adversely affected had the war continue.
In conclusion, it is our hope that the International community especially the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will take a lesson from these. They should put the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure that all members of the United Nations are treated equal.
They must ensure that every member respects the UN charter and also abide by the UNSC resolutions. They should immediately call for ceasefire in respect of the Israel war in Gaza.
That war is an embarrassment to the International community. Human rights has no meaning if human life is not guaranteed. Solving the Palestinian issue is solving half of the global conflicts. Just as the Israelis are leading their free lives, the Palestinians deserve to live in peace and dignity. God created human beings as equals.
There is no superior race or races. Blacks and whites are the same.
