In response to the criminal Israeli attack on its embassy in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on April 1, Iranian forces launched 350 devices (drones and missiles) against the State of Israel on April 13 with 72 hours’ notice.
By: Fábio Bosco, from São Paulo (SP)
The U.S. Armed Forces directly took over the defense of the Zionist State, with the direct support of the United Kingdom and Jordan, and the indirect support of other countries such as Saudi Arabia. Its defense system shot down 99% of the drones and missiles in the air.
The legitimate Iranian counterattack caused panic among Israelis. The sense of security that existed among the Zionist population evaporated after the Hamas-led Palestinian resistance offensive on October 7 and the Hezbollah bombings on the northern border, and has now taken a leap forward with the Iranian counterattack. The general perception is that Israel’s security is more fragile than ever, which has meant an increasing exodus of thousands of Israelis to Europe and the United States.
The Palestinian people were initially enthusiastic about the Iranian counterattack, but were disappointed when Iran announced the end of the attacks. The Palestinian people have been waiting for six months for Iran to open a new military front against Israel. The 72-hour warning was also disappointing because it facilitated the interception of drones and missiles by the imperialist defense system.
The Counterattack has Contradictory Effects and Deepens Instability
The Iranian regime took advantage of the weakness of the Zionist state to launch its first direct attack against Israel in history. This gave it prestige in front of the Arab regimes, which have avoided any action against the Zionists for fear of Israeli reprisals.
A Theatrical Attack
On the other hand, the 72-hour notice was criticized as a “theatrical” action and, worse, the statement that the action would not continue beyond the initial phase made it clear the Iranian regime will not attack Israel to defend the Palestinians, but only to defend itself.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu succeeded in taking a step towards his goal of generalizing the war in the Middle East and he also succeeded in re-acquainting himself with his imperialist sponsors. Another of the goals achieved was to postpone the genocide in Gaza and thirdly, the Zionist settlers’ pogroms (actions of persecution and lynching) against the Palestinian population in the West Bank.
On the other hand, the counterattack exposed the fragile security of the Zionist state and has subjected Netanyahu to intense pressure from the far right and the Israeli population to attack Iran and the city of Rafah in Gaza, which would again distance him from his imperialist backers.
Potential for Escalation
The U.S. and European imperialism succeeded in guaranteeing Israel’s air defense against an announced attack, but exposed their inability to prevent Israel from expanding the war to the whole Middle East, which could have a strong impact on oil prices and drag the world economy into a recession. Moreover, their hypocrisy was exposed once again by denouncing the Iranian counterattack, but remaining silent in the face of the Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
Russian and Chinese imperialism have pushed for the Iranian counterattack to be only symbolic in order to avoid a war with Israel that would affect their business in the world market. But the Iranian action itself points to a possible escalation in the region.
Collaborators
The Arab regimes, including the Palestinian Authority, who have been totally discredited, continue to lose their prestige. Considered as cowardly or collaborators, the Arab regimes, especially the Jordanian one, may face a new wave of workers’ and people’s revolutions like the one that took place in Tunisia in 2010.
As we can see, the Iranian counterattack, although symbolic, has brought more instability and uncertainty to the regional and world imperialist order and must be supported. Defeat Israel and liberate Palestine from the river to the sea. The central issue is that the genocide in Gaza continues, and in recent days, pogroms (destruction of property, physical violence and lynching) by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have dramatically increased, resulting in six deaths.
The Palestinian resistance in Gaza is already doing what it can despite the huge military disparity. And the West Bank may be moving toward a generalized intifada throughout the territory.
Opening a military front in northern Palestine and east of the Jordan River would divide the Zionist forces and alleviate the genocide in Gaza. However, the Iranian, Syrian, Jordanian and Hezbollah regimes do not want to go to war against Israel. Assad, the Jordanian regime, and Hezbollah will not allow the Palestinians in the diaspora to arm themselves and attack the Zionists.
The only Arab force showing effective solidarity with the Palestinians are the Yemeni Houthis. The Iranian regime has already made it clear that it will attack Israel only in the event of a new Israeli attack on Iran. In other words, it will not attack Israel in support of the Palestinians.
The mobilizations in neighboring countries must put pressure on their governments to open new military fronts against the Zionists. But we must have no illusions. Uprisings and revolutions are needed that put the defeat of Israel and the Arab regimes that collaborate with Israel or remain silent at the center of their objectives.
Protests and Solidarity
Solidarity actions in the United States, through street blockades in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle, point to a new form of effective solidarity. They are joined by marches, the campaign for an arms embargo against Israel, and other actions in what is already the largest wave of solidarity with the Palestinians in several countries to end the genocide.
This combination of a Palestinian intifada with new revolutions in Arab countries and mass mobilizations around the world could defeat Israel and achieve not only a cease-fire and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but could also mark a move toward the liberation of all of Palestine from the river to the sea.
