Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, celebrates his 100th birthday Tuesday.
MONDAY 10/1/24
It's War -- Iran launched missiles toward Israel about 7:30 pm local time Tuesday, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed, according to The Hill. Iran's attack came just after the US warned that one was imminent.
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Israel’s Incursion – It’s not all-out war in Southern Lebanon yet, as the Israeli military pushed its ground incursion there to target Hezbollah militants that it says pose an immediate threat to Northern Israeli communities, NPR’s Morning Edition reports.
Meanwhile … The US has expressed support for Israel’s “limited operation” and continued to push for a diplomatic resolution, Haaretz reports. At the same time, Russia has strengthened ties with Hamas, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
While Blinken and the US are determined to prevent all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, some analysts believe it is too late for that, especially because of the positive effect last Friday’s airstrike killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has had on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity among Israelis.
--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa
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MONDAY 9/30/24
Friends, Enemies, Interests
By Todd Lassa
America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests. – Henry Kissinger
If Israel is not a permanent “friend” of the United States, it has been a close interest for a very long time, 76 years, and in turn it has been dealing with the same enemies in its region for much of that time.
Last Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations he had intended on staying home where he had a war to fight rather than attend the annual General Assembly, but “after I heard the lies and slanders leveled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight. I have decided to come here to speak for my people. …
“The truth is, Israel seeks peace. Israel yearns for peace. Israel has made peace and will make peace again,” he continued. Shortly after, the Israeli Defense Force began dropping bombs on Lebanon. The next day one of those bombs killed Hassan Nasrallah, feared and much-hated leader since 1992 of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia group backed by Israel’s greatest enemy, Iran.
Nasrallah’s death will not be lamented by anyone who shared that UN podium with Netanyahu. A terrorist in the eyes of Israelis, and not just the hardliners to Netanyahu’s right, Nasrallah wanted every Muslim to join in the struggle to destroy Israel as a nation, according to his obituary in The New York Times. Already, his death at the hand of Israel has boosted Netanyahu’s standing and popularity there, according to NPR’s Morning Edition, which points out that two weeks ago, Hezbollah had a stronger army than Lebanon’s.
Escalation of Israel’s attacks on Southern Lebanon to all-out war is, explicitly, what the Biden administration does not want, as these bombings distract from Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza. Although Iran is said to prefer to avoid direct conflict with Israel, its leaders have pledged revenge on Nasrallah’s death.
Realpolitik dictates it is not in the Biden administration’s interests to sanction its friend/interest Israel with any meaningful withholding of arms deliveries. Netanyahu knows he will not see change whether the next administration is led by Donald J. Trump or Kamala Harris.
Elsewhere in New York last Friday … Ukraine does not enjoy such a luxury. At Trump Tower Friday, the ex-president, with an uncomfortable-looking President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his side, said if he wins the November 5 election, repeated the campaign pledge that he will quickly negotiate a solution that is “good for both sides.”
Trump spoke to the press at his tower before the two entered a private meeting where the Ukrainian president outlined his plan for ending the war with Russia.
“We have a very good relationship,” Trump continued. “I also have a very good relationship with President Putin, and you know, I think we’re going to get it resolved very quickly.”
Zelenskyy tried to assert that Trump’s relationship with Ukraine is better than Trump’s relationship with Russia, but the Republican president let it be known where his interests — his friendships? — lie: “Ah, I see. But it takes two to tango.”