SRAEUS rogue behaviour attacking the Arab population in the occupied Palestinian territories as well as its neighbours and other states presents a major challenge to global peace. Unless the Zionist state is confronted by the international community, its destabilising activities will further push the Middle East into a cycle of bloodshed. On Monday, the Israeli cabinet decided to `conquer` Gaza and push its beleaguered people to the south `for their protection`. Tel Aviv has now clearly stated what many had already known: that it seeks to reoccupy Gaza and exterminate or ethnically cleanse its Palestinian residents. Elsewhere, Tel Aviv has attacked Lebanon, Yemen and Syria. On Monday and Tuesday, Israeli warplanes bombed Yemen in apparent retaliation for the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv airport a day before. The pro-Iran Houthis say they are targeting Israel in solidarity with Palestine, and that they will cease operations against the Zionist state if the bloodbath in Gaza stops. The fresh aggression against Yemen comes in the wake of several deadly American strikes targeting the impoverished Arab state. In Syria, Israel claims to be intervening to `protect` that country`s Druze community after recent sectarian clashes claimed around 100 lives. While sectarian violence in Syria is indeed a matter of concern, Israel has no right to interfere; apart from violating Syria`s sovereignty, nobody should be fooled by Israel`s crocodile tears for Syria`s Druze population.
Nearly all the Middle East`s interconnected crises have one common denominator: Israel. Apart from the aforementioned activities, the Iranian foreign minister has said Tel Aviv is trying to drag the US into a Middle East `disaster`. While America can hardly be counted on to rein in Israel, other major world powers and the larger global community should take punitive measures against Tel Aviv until it stops its bloodthirsty forays.
Appeasing Israel and ignoring its deadly rampages may well set the stage for a regional conflagration of immense proportions.
