War on the Middle East; all roads lead back to Palestine
JVL Introduction
The failure to secure a future for the Palestinian people with full rights and justice has destabilised the (so called) International Rules Based Order put in place after World War Two and destabilised the Middle East. Instead of justice we are expected to consider the only security that matters is that of Israel and so we are all expected to accept without question the designation only of eg Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas as terrorists but somehow Israel is not. Equally we must accept as fact that Iran’s backing of these proxies makes it a terrorist nation even though it has not, for example, attacked other countries without being attacked first, whereas the USA and Israel have bombed and/or invaded many in recent times. (You can read more here for a summary of Iran’s attacks and whether they are unprovoked or retaliatory) We are supposed to accept that every attack (including the pulverisation of Gaza) is self defence or pre-emptive.
We would certainly agree that Iran has a dreadful government but this does not mean war is the answer. It is also not the only government incarcerating and killing protesters or suppressing free speech. (The USA has moved further into that category too). But the root of so many in the region’s anger at Israel and the USA’s backing for Israel is what they have done and continue to do to the Palestinian people and nation. We must also remember that the current government of Iran is there because of actions by the USA and UK to oppose the democratically elected left wing secular government that had the temerity to want to nationalise its own oil.
In this article, Nesrine Malik focuses on the centrality of Palestine. Without justice for Palestine it is hard to imagine a stable region. Even the Arab governments that have signed the Abraham Accords are potentially treated as vassal states of the USA, rather than equal partners. They, like the rest of us, had no say in starting this war and yet are suffering the consequences.
LL
This article was originally published by The Guardian on Mon 16 Mar 2026. Read the original here.
War in Iran, chaos in the Gulf, repression in the west: and the thread that binds them all is Palestine
In the Middle East, the occupation is the original sin. And those who banked on this US-backed ‘stability’ now find it giving way beneath them
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I would put it slightly differently: All roads lead back to the existence of the fascist genocidal Israeli state sitting on stolen Palestinian land. If all countries had got rid of this state with an arms embargo, global boycott, divestment from and comprehensive sanctions against Israel, this war would never have started.
The History of Palestine is many faceted. The History of the State of Israel is one of exploitation and terrorism. Greed and exploitation is the background of all subjugators since the beginning of time. The idea that one person or group of people are intrinsically worth more, and therefore deserve to be given more has been what has shaped civilisations throughout history. We see it today, through the medium of technological advance, in the wealth of the elite more than at any other time. What was initially used for the communication of information and ideas has sadly developed into another method of oppression. Palestine sits at the middle of this like the corn that develops in the shoe which is too tight. Any oppressed people are doomed to extinction unless they are able to find a way to combat that extinction. The Balfour agreement was the epitome of arrogance possessed by those who seek to subjugate others to their will. The combination of British Colonial attitude and Zionist Terrorist Development has proved to be disastrous not only for the Palestinian people but for the world.
This is now black and white. Do we support Iran or US/Israeli neo-fascism? Stop demonising Iran!! Whatever doubts we may have, it must have our support. It is the victim in this conflict. Iran is an accelerant in the decline of US hegemony – and the quicker this happens the more Israel will be isolated and forced to change.