Alastair Crooke on the Al-Aqsa Flood

Underlying context is everything.

Alastair Crooke’s al-Mayadeen column is usually published on Saturdays, but yesterday wasn’t any usual Saturday, and it was clear he needed to write about the operation put into motion by Hamas it named Al-Aqsas Flood; and write he did. Those readers who followed my suggestion and read the articles related to the citations I provided will have an understanding of why the operation was unleashed and know far more than what readers of international media know, especially those limited to NATO media; however, even Russian media was bereft of context in its reports. So, there’s a general media failure to inform—except—for the work of Mr. Crooke. Condemnations came from the usual sources, some revealing their Fascist/Nazi feelings toward Palestinians so soon after Canada’s honoring that same mindset in the personage of an OUN-Nazi who escaped judgment. Other interesting tie-ins were mentioned but not 100% proven as with the use of weapons that were destined for Ukraine to kill Russians and instead found themselves being used by Palestinians to free themselves from their Genocidal bondage. UN Secretary General Guterres showed his partisan colors quickly and joined the West in condemning Hamas when Netanyahu had just appeared at the UNGA last month brandishing a poster map showing no Palestinian regions at all, thus wiping away all UN Resolutions. Great upholder of UN Resolutions and international law is Mr. Guterres. He joins a cast or other well known Anti-Humans. But enough of all that.

Readers should know this was written at the very beginning of the Flood, and Alastair’s in Italy now instead of Lebanon where he was for so many years and isn’t quite as close to the stage. Here’s his column from earlier today:

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood has caught "Israel" and the US by complete surprise. Americans are calling it ‘Israel’s Pearl Harbour’ moment --and an attack on America too). Nikki Haley (running for election) is succinct: To Netanyahu: “Finish them”.

Al-Aqsa Flood is held to be "Israel’s" greatest ‘intelligence failure’. Maybe so, but if Israeli and American intelligence did not see the attack coming, it is because of their Western mechanical, literal way of thinking. If I, and probably thousands of Al Mayadeen readers, broadly knew that this was in the works (but not of course, of its operational details), why was "Israel" blind to it?

The writing was clearly written on the wall. Two years ago, a missile campaign was unleashed from Gaza on "Tel Aviv" in response to the Temple Mount Movement’s religious zealotry and invasion of Al-Aqsa mosque. 

Palestinians rallied to the call to safeguard the Holy Mosque. It was not just Hamas; it was West Bank Palestinians and (for the first time, too, 1948 Palestinians who have Israeli passports) who all rose up to protect Al-Aqsa. Just to be clear, the rallying cry was not for Hamas; it was not for Palestinian nationalism. It was for Al-Aqsa -- an icon that goes to the heart of what it is to be Muslim (Sunni or Shi’a). It was a cry that resonated across the entire Islamic sphere.

Did the West not get it?  Apparently not. It was right under their nose, but super high-tech Intel doesn’t do symbolic meaning. That was true for the 2006 Lebanon war too, by the way; "Israel" could not grasp the symbolism of Hezballah’s ‘Karbala’ stand.

In the intervening period, "Israel" has shattered into two equally weighted factions holding to two irreconcilable visions of "Israel’s" future; two mutually opposing readings of history and of what it means to be Jewish.

The fissure could not be more complete. Except it is. One faction, which holds a majority in parliament, is broadly Mizrahi -- a former underclass in Israeli society; and the other, largely well-to-do liberal Ashkenazi. 

So, what has this to do with Al-Aqsa Flood? Well, the Right in Netanyahu’s government has two long-standing commitments. One is to rebuild the (Jewish) Temple on ‘Temple Mount’ (Haram al-Shariff).

Just to be clear, that would entail demolishing Al-Aqsa.

The second overriding commitment is to the founding of "Israel", on the "Land of Israel". And again, to be clear, this (in their view) would entail clearing Palestinians from the West Bank. Indeed, the settlers have been cleansing Palestinians from swaths of the West Bank over the past year (notably between Ramallah and Jehrico).

On Thursday morning (two days preceding Al-Aqsa Flood), more than 800 settlers stormed the Mosque Compound, under the full protection of Israeli forces. The drumbeat of such provocations is rising.

This is nothing new. The First Intifada was triggered by (then) PM Sharon making a provocative visit into the mosque. I was a part of Senator George Mitchell’s Presidential Committee investigating that incident. Even then, it was clear that Sharon intended the visit to fuel the fire of Religious nationalism. At that time, the Temple Mount Movement was a minnow; today it has ministers in Cabinet and in key security positions -- and has promised its followers to build the ‘Third Temple’.

So, the threat to Al-Aqsa has been building for two decades, and today is reaching an apex.  And yet US and Israeli intelligence didn’t see resistance coming, and nor did they see the settler violence building in the West Bank? 

What happened on Saturday was widely expected and clearly extensively planned. So what’s next?

It is too early (at the time of writing) to say. Netanyahu says he is recruiting for a major ground operation in Gaza: “The IDF will immediately use all its strength to destroy Hamas's capabilities. We will destroy them and will forcefully avenge this dark day that they have forced on Israel and its citizens. As Bialik wrote: 'Revenge for the blood of a little child has yet been devised by Satan'.  All of the places in which Hamas is deployed, hiding and operating - in that wicked city: We will turn them into rubble”.

Doing what Netanyahu threatens will not be easy. There are reportedly some 100-200 Israeli hostages held and dispersed across Gaza who will be at risk should "Israe"l mount a major ground operation into Gaza. And fighting in urban Gaza will be very costly for the IOF.

At what point might Hezbollah intervene? Is it ‘game on’? We do not know. However, “all resistance combat units throughout Syria and Lebanon have been put on war alert”, according to a Hezbollah statement.

The bottom line is that very likely, "Israel" will try to move to an emergency ‘Unity Government’ -- at least for the period of the ‘war’. One aim (strongly advocated in Washington) behind moving to a unity government is to evict the Right from power -- but recall that Netanyahu’s only hope of escaping indictment and prison lies with his coalition partners on the Right.

At present, the liberal press are insisting that the lack of forewarning to Saturday stems from the Israeli Mizrahi Right having egregiously “distracted” the security Establishment from their job. The Coalition members, however, will probably point out that any failure predominantly was in the hands of the Ashkenazi security High Command. 

A Unity Government perhaps, but the underlying internal Israeli rupture will not vanish.

Zionist intel was completely wrong footed; any other stories is merely cover-you-ass crap. Hamas was very inventive. Prisoners taken into Gaza have died in Zionist airstrikes. Local Zionist military bases were assaulted with some remaining in Hamas control. Ben Gurion Airport was shelled, which is the above photo. The situation is very fluid, and hard to get good info. The Zionists have announced they don’t seek war with Hezbollah, and the West Bank appears quiet. Here’s part of the report related to the above photo:

Footage showed the Al-Quds Brigades bombing sensitive military sites in the Gaza envelope settlements using with Sayyad suicide drones.

Al-Quds Brigades launched extensive strikes against the occupied Palestinian territories, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

Earlier today, Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed to Al Mayadeen that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is still proceeding as planned by the Qassam Brigades leadership highlighting major achievements revealed for the first time.

Hamdan said that the Resistance took advantage of all the information retrieved following the takeover of the “Erez” outpost liberating Palestinian territories.

Among the documents were those denoting the names of Israeli agents in Gaza and across Palestine as well as plans laid out by the Israeli occupation.

The Hamas leader said that “there are more than 7 points where Resistance fighters confronted the [Israeli] occupation forces based on the instructions of the Resistance leadership.”

Hamdan continued by saying "We are moving towards the West Bank" hoping to ignite all arenas in the face of the occupation noting that "the chances of that are great," given that "the security coordination project will not have high chances in the West Bank."

Regarding the options of the Israeli occupation government, Hamdan said that it must search for a deal with the resistance regarding the prisoners’ issue, and he continued that the image of “Israel” before the world has reappeared as it is, as an occupying and abnormal entity in the region.

Hamdan further pointed to the possibility of liberating Palestine starting from the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood which demonstrated the fragility of the Israeli occupation forces emphasizing that the operation proved that the Palestinian cause still extends from the river to the sea.

More reports are available via that outlet. Hamas has called “for general mobilization among all Palestinian people to confront the Israeli occupation in all areas.” We’ll know soon if Hamas is alone or not.

Another day will soon dawn over Palestine. Hamas knows Netanyahu will escalate and try to crush them as that was already a given. The big question is how well will their combat formations hold together since greater effectiveness is had when respites are possible due to reserves moving ahead of the vanguard and working in a leap-frog manner. The Palestinians have little to no ISR while the Zionists have NATO data if they want it. Hamas, however, does have a drone fleet to provide it with some eyes. Much depends on what they can capture and effectively use. One last point: Netanyahu needs to be aware that razing Gaza brings forth the great likelihood of the West Bank and Hezbollah becoming engaged.

*
*
*

Like what you’ve been reading at Karlof1’s Substack? Then please consider subscribing and choosing to make a monthly/yearly pledge to enable my efforts in this challenging realm. Thank You!