Russia and China May Be Only Winners of Gaza War
The invasions launched in response to 9/11 gravely damaged Western power and credibility. A new one could have even more dire consequences.
It will be easy to exploit images of destruction.
Photographer: Yahya Hassouna/AFP/Getty Images
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has launched a punishing bombardment of Gaza after Hamas’ slaughter of 1,200 Israelis — what is being described as the country’s 9/11. The wars launched by the US in response to the Sept. 11 attacks gravely damaged Western power and credibility, not to mention racial and religious co-existence globally. A new Mideast invasion could have even more dire consequences.
The US commanded universal sympathy and solidarity for months after suffering the worst terrorist attack in history: Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to call the White House. By contrast, too many countries around the world blame Israel, as the South African foreign ministry put it, for its “illegal occupation of Palestine land, continued settlement expansion, desecration of the Al Aqsa mosque and Christian holy sites, and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only major leader from the Global South to stand unequivocally with Israel.