Russian Views of the Hamas-Israeli Conflict

Based on a report from Moscow by John Helmer

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova asked:

“How did it happen that in a year; that’s how much time the operation was being prepared for, then carried out now in a few days, the United States as Israel’s closest ally did not warn about this? They have satellites everywhere, appropriate tracking devices, military bases, including in the region. There are all the possibilities to carry out, not just monitoring, but surveillance — the facts speak for themselves — of all information circulating on American-made equipment (hardware and software). For the whole year of preparing such a large-scale operation, the United States with all the power of its special services did not transmit anything to Israel as intelligence…How did it happen that during the whole year of preparation of the corresponding operation in the Middle East, the United States did not transmit any information to its partners in Israel?”

Moscow security affairs analyst Yevgeny Krutikov says the huge amount of weapons used in Hamas’ attack “could not fall from the sky.  How did they get there (Gaza)?”  

The publication Vzglyad, a platform for Russian military thinking, published an article that concluded that Hamas’ attack “destroyed the myths around Israel’s defense systems” and achieved for Hamas a more important moral victory than the military success of the attack. 

Israel’s support for Ukraine against Russia has caused the Kremlin to rethink its relationship with Israel.  Vzglyad reported that the Israeli government has become Russia’s adversary: 

“The time has come to take a new position on the Palestinian issue . . . to take a more pro-Palestinian position in the Middle East Conflict. To stand on the side of those who help Russia within the framework of their own interests (Iran, Saudi Arabia) against those who help our enemies. And thereby to send a very clear signal to the world – a signal that Russia will treat its partners exactly as they treat it. To help supporters – and not to act in the interests of opponents.”

It is possible that Israel’s military has been corrupted by too much American money, has been getting by on past successes, and has underestimated the Arabs.  Washington is no longer the uni-power in the Middle East. The Russians, Turks, Syrians, Iranians, Saudis, and Hezbollah in Lebanon could all go to the aid of Palestine.  Hezbollah alone has twice defeated Israeli invasions of Lebanon.  Netanyahu’s invasion of Gaza could put Israel’s existence in jeopardy. 

In other words, Netanyahu’s plan to complete the conquest of Palestine could result in Israel’s destruction.  On the other hand, the enmity among Muslims could again result in Muslim impotence and Israel’s success. 

My initial view was that Hamas’ attack would result in the disappearance of Palestine and no one would interfere.  Now I am unsure.  Netanyahu could be setting off a wider conflict from which Israel would not emerge a victor and Washington would have to choose between accepting defeat and using nuclear weapons.

https://johnhelmer.net/the-silence-of-the-bears-russia-is-reorienting-towards-the-arabs/print/ 

Russian Views of the Hamas-Israeli Conflict