In the wake of the Iranian strikes on Israel, some anti-war activists are wringing their hands, anxious to condemn anyone who asserts that Iran has a right to defend itself. While it's certainly good practice to oppose all state-sanctioned violence and to be mindful of the image you project, let's not lose sight of the most pressing issue which is Israel's genocide, the historical reasons for conflict in the Middle East, and how they relate directly to Israel's attacks on Gaza and Iran.
Israel was created after a non-binding U.N. resolution in 1947. Prior to the modern day creation of Israel, that land was inhabited by Muslims and Christians. Zionist militias and activists fought the native Palestinians and drove them out of their land until the U.N. negotiated a ceasefire. The United States government played a significant, supporting role in the Israeli government's violent origin story. Fighting between Zionists and natives continued sporadically until 1967, when Israel took more land in the Six Day War, and shamefully, the West has looked the other way as Palestinians have been driven from their homes decade after decade.
There are still Palestinians alive who lost their homes in 1947 and 1967, and their resentment toward Israel is understandably strong. Palestinians have essentially lived as refugees all this time, while the Israeli government has soaked up financial aid from the United States and expanded its borders.
Neighboring Muslim-majority countries also resent the Israeli government's questionable beginning. Various rebel groups and militias have popped up all over the Middle East to push back against what they perceive as U.S. control and influence through Israel. Hezbollah was formed in 1982 to fight Israel's invasion and occupation of Lebanon. Osama Bin Laden famously condemned the United States' occupation of the Arabian Peninsula and their alliance with Israel in his infamous 1998, Declaration of War Against Jews And Crusaders.
Have these groups used violence and terror to advance their agendas? Absolutely. Has the Israeli government also used violence and terror to expand their reach and advance their agenda? Absolutely.
If the relationship between Israel and Iran is strained, the relationship between Iran and the United States is outright poisoned. In 1953, the United States government orchestrated a coup d'état to overthrow the democratic government of Iran and install the shah—a U.S.-backed monarch. Like many other regime change efforts, that coup backfired spectacularly in the 1970s and Iran has been an "enemy" of the United States ever since.
Currently, the United States government sends over $3 billion of aid to Israel on an annual basis. Israel relies on that funding to bomb and attack Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon. Iran is one of the most heavily sanctioned countries by the United States. In the wake of all this violence and destruction, the United States government is looking for ways to increase sanctions on Iran instead of seeking ways to de-escalate and prevent a war that can be traced back to its meddlings in the Middle East.
None of these entangling alliances are healthy, and war is detrimental to everyone—especially the innocent civilians who are trapped in the crossfire—both literally and economically.
Presently, Israel has launched a genocidal war against the Palestinian people in response to Hamas' attack on Oct. 7. Tragically, Hamas killed over 200 people and took innocent hostages, but Israel's response to those actions was to lay waste to Gaza, kill thousands of innocent women and children (which they are still doing), and attack Iran and Lebanon.
Yes, protesters who are aware of the history of this conflict are angry. People are lashing out at the governments of the United States and Israel, and rushing to the defense of Palestinians and Iranians. While some of the rhetoric is too vitriolic for my taste, I will reserve my ire for the real killers, not the protesters.
If we should be outraged or wringing our hands over anything, it should be over the warmongering, genocidal actions of the Israeli government, and the role the United States government has played in destabilizing the Middle East and pitting these countries against each other. The fog of war tends to obscure everything around an issue, including the history of these conflicts.
Angela McArdle is chair of the Libertarian National Committee.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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