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Hamas and Israel’s black year

Following on the Sheikh Jarrah post, we see that the current bombings and air strikes in Israel and Gaza are more than a flash in the pan or an isolated event. This is the end result of interventions in the region of the Levant and the larger region of West Asia that have been ongoing for at least a century, having possibly reached the end of their line in Israel, now in the throes of what just might well be the final showdown between the Palestinians and the Zionists. If events go according to plan – yes, there is a plan – the peoples of West Asia will no longer have the Zionists to meddle in their affairs, which means the Western powers will no longer have their ‘land-based aircraft carrier’. What follows will not be easy to read, as events have gone beyond any reasonable hope of a peaceful resolution to the current crisis, the reason for saying so to be outlined in this post. But in understanding the strategies working out, a door opens to a brighter and peaceful future for the region. Continue reading “Hamas and Israel’s black year”

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Sheikh Jarrah

Since the 6th of May this year, Israel has experienced the worst violence it has seen in years. It began between Palestinian protesters and Israeli settlers and police over a planned Israeli Supreme Court decision regarding what would have been forced evictions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, East Jerusalem. The violence has coincided with the holidays of Laylat al-Qadr and Jerusalem Day, the former being an Islamic holy day and the latter being an Israeli holiday. Jerusalem Day is opposed by left-wing Israelis and Palestinians. It is marked by the ‘Dance of the Flags’ through the streets of Jerusalem to the Western Wall and has often provoked violent clashes. This year was exceptional in terms of the escalation of violence, escalating at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel currently faces an uncertain future, shown in its astrology and in the current events. Continue reading “Sheikh Jarrah”

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Fakhrizadeh: What his death really means

On 27 Nov 2020 Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent Iranian physicist, was murdered in what can only be described as a professionally executed act of state sponsored terrorism. It was a pre-planned assassination that has been roundly denounced, if not condemned, even by a US official. We don’t have any birth details on Fakhrizadeh himself, and in our considerations to follow, it doesn’t matter anyway. What is important is what his assassination means to the wider world, the region, and specifically Iran, the US and Israel, the latter two being blamed for the event, and for obvious reasons, to be outlined as we go along. This post will be the first of several on the matter, as this event is a very significant event in the history of Israel and Iran, and the influence of the Zionist lobby in the United States. Continue reading “Fakhrizadeh: What his death really means”

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Lebanon

Following on from the previous article about Lebanon, that nation is at another crossroads, which is easy to see. The warehouse area of the port of Beirut, Lebanon’s major port, through which most of its food was imported, is now gone. One of the richest areas of Beirut is in ruins. The nation is the site of an emerging great power competition, as those great powers (Russia, China and the US, and Iran as well) vie for ultimate influence. The outcome of that struggle will determine Lebanon’s future for the next few years at least, but also for the wider Middle East, as well as for the great powers. It will be of Lebanon’s choosing. To know what to expect next, we needed a working chart for the nation. In this post we look at that chart and then at what is in store astrologically for Lebanon and Western Asia in the immediate years ahead. Continue reading “Lebanon”

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The 2020 Beirut port explosion

At 15:08:18 UTC a massive blast rocked the city of Beirut, originating in the port. As of this writing 157 people were killed in the blast and over 6000 were injured, most from the blast wave and flying glass. It has also left upwards of 300,000 people homeless. The cause of the blast has been the subject of some wild speculation on the net, with fingers automatically pointed at Israel. The blast comes at the worst possible time for Lebanon, whose economy is cratering, which has been rocked by protests and is rife with corruption. Speculation is also that this event could spell the end of Lebanon as a state. To be certain, the blast and the crisis will be played to the maximum effect by all parties. The big question, especially if it was sabotage or an attack, is cui bono? We will look at that here, along with the causes of the blast and where it may be likely to lead Lebanon into the future. Continue reading “The 2020 Beirut port explosion”

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A typical summer in Iran

Iran has had a run of incidents of late that have many people pointing fingers at Israel and the US for sabotage. There have been fires and explosions reported on nearly a daily basis since 25 June, one at a missile production facility and one at the Natanz nuclear facility. There have been others at non-military installations. Activity on the internet after each of these incidents has led to wild speculation as to the causes, but no conclusive proof. For pro-regime change people it would seem to be a move toward a dream-come-true. But what is really taking place and is this a concerted effort to spread panic through Iranian society in hopes of overthrowing ‘the regime’? Or is it something else? Continue reading “A typical summer in Iran”

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Is this Bibi’s swan song?

On 17 Sep 2019 Israel held its 2nd election in a year after the dissolution of the Israeli Parliament in April. The election was cast as a contest between Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter having tried for a fifth term as PM. In reality, though, it was a vote on whether or not Bibi was still fit to hold office. Neither of the candidates’ parties scored enough seats to form government. The final count was Gantz at 33 seats to Netanyahu’s 31. Even then, Bibi had to cobble together his seats from a far-right coalition. Since then there have been calls for formation of a unity government between Likud (Bibi’s party) and Blue and White (Gantz), with Lieberman cast as the kingmaker. Gantz has refused, and now the Joint List (Arab) party has endorsed Gantz as their man to be PM. The question on everyone’s mind is now: Is this the end of Bibi Netanyahu? Continue reading “Is this Bibi’s swan song?”

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Let’s Make a Deal!

Finally, we get to see it, after all the hype, and besides knowing basically what was in it anyway. On Saturday afternoon, DC time, the Trump/Kushner/Netanyahu ‘Deal of the Century’ for the Palestinians was revealed. The first PDF version was put online at 20:09 UT on the White House site. It is 40 pages long and resembles a brochure advertising for a housing estate. Other commentators have said as much. That will be significant a little later. That is not what is interesting about it, though. Continue reading “Let’s Make a Deal!”

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A storm coming for Israel?

Israel is finding itself in an increasingly difficult position as the years pass. On 3 Mar 2019 Israel’s Attorney General decided to move forward with Netanyahu’s indictment on fraud charges. In election mode and under increasing pressure, his latest move is to talk of blocking Iranian oil shipments with the Israeli navy, not explaining how. Many people will no doubt cheer his indictment. But then, it becomes a case of being careful for what one wishes. Whoever takes his place if he is removed from office may well be worse, i.e. even more hawkish. Even that could take several years. But that is not the thing that is of interest so much. Rather more to the point, what do we see happening with Israel in general in the next years? This indictment (or moves toward it) may well signal the evolution of larger events. It will also have large effects, probably, on peace or moves toward war in the Middle East. Continue reading “A storm coming for Israel?”

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The deal of the century and Gaza

Are you ready for the deal of the century? Well, it’s coming, reportedly on the 1st of December, and if recent events in Gaza are any indication it will not fly with Palestinians. The Palestinian leader Abbas has seen the deal and wants no part of it. The Palestinians want adherence to the terms of the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem. The US has said that like it or not, the deal is done. Such rhetoric will only serve to unite the Palestinians more strongly, further inflaming tensions. All of a sudden there seems to be a lot of interest in Gaza from the White House. If the deal is announced on December 1st as is purportedly planned, then it could be quite an explosive day. And in the midst of all this, Netanyahu is about to lose government due to his defense minister having just stepped down because of Netanyahu’s actions with regard to Gaza. Interesting times in old Palestine. Continue reading “The deal of the century and Gaza”