First lesson of Al-Aqsa Storm: One enemy, one solution
As the first anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm arrives, amidst the brave and resilient resistance of the people of Gaza against the child-killing Zionist regime and numerous Western countries, alongside the silence and incompetence of international organizations, one major lesson emerges from the past year’s developments. Recognizing this lesson could provide a strategic pathway to end the current situation in the region and potentially the world.
A careful review of the past year’s developments in Palestine, from Gaza to the West Bank and the occupied territories, as well as the wider region, reveals a significant and undeniable truth: the enemy of Palestine, the region, the Islamic world, and even humanity is one and the same. In pursuit of its domineering interests, this enemy is willing to kill millions and wreak havoc across the world.
The root cause of the genocide in Palestine, the aggression against neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran, the assassination of leaders like Haniyeh and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, as well as Hezbollah commanders, the crisis in Afghanistan, and the turmoil in Egypt and Jordan, is the same. It is the system of domination, embodied by the Zionist regime, which has perpetrated numerous atrocities to ensure its own survival.
Experience has shown that the oppressors and aggressors of the world always pursue a consistent policy: “Divide and rule.” They have implemented this policy of division in the Islamic countries through various tricks and continue to do so. The result has been the misunderstandings and tensions that have either led to conflicts between Islamic nations or allowed enemies to exploit the situation by creating terrorists that threaten security. Alternatively, this division has caused neglect of the true enemy and the plots aimed at dominating the region’s resources and wealth. The enemy that sows division between Shia and Sunni, promotes Arab versus non-Arab, and encourages Asian versus African Muslims, is the same enemy that for 75 years has turned Palestine into a scene of crime and occupation. It is the same enemy that once occupied Afghanistan, then invaded Iraq, launched terrorism against Syria and Lebanon, and devastated Libya and Sudan. This enemy has also plunged countries like Egypt and Jordan into looting and stripped them of their rightful role in the region. It uses economic and security terrorism to attack Iran and continues these tactics step by step against other Islamic countries to ultimately weaken the Islamic world, which, united, could wield enormous capacity and wealth to play a global role.
In simpler terms, the enemy of the Iranian people is the same as the enemy of the Palestinian people, the Lebanese people, the Iraqi people, the Egyptian people, the Syrian people, the Yemeni people, the people of Sudan and Libya, and other Islamic nations. The enemy is one, but its methods differ from country to country: psychological warfare in one place, economic pressure in another, war and slaughter in yet another, while in some places, it uses smiles and promises, international laws, or chaos and division.
Although the tactics vary, the war room is the same, and the orders come from the same place. Over the past year, this trend has been evident. Global oppressors and bloodthirsty forces, namely the Zionist regime and its supporters, have not only orchestrated genocide in Gaza but also plunged the entire region into chaos and insecurity. While the Zionist regime appears to be the one destabilizing the region, the real source of the crisis lies in the presence of foreign forces, who, for their own interests, provide comprehensive support to the ruthless and apartheid Zionist regime.
The events in the region during the recent decades clearly demonstrate that the United States and its allies’ focus on ensuring the security of the Zionist regime is a cover for their policy of turning this regime into a tool for controlling all the region’s resources and using it in larger global conflicts. The energy wars and the struggle over vital resources form the core of the major power disputes, and the US and its partners seek to turn the Zionist regime into the sole gateway for energy and goods in the region and the world. This would ultimately force regional countries into compliance, making them dependent on these conditions and driving them to submit to the regime and the US.
In other words, the enemies of the region aim to create a new West Asia where all regional countries become submissive players with no independence. This plan was tested in 2006 with the attack on Lebanon and in 2011 with the imposition of terrorism on the region. However, the resistance front, especially the steadfastness of Hezbollah under the leadership of Martyr Nasrallah in the 33-day war, and the involvement of Martyr Soleimani in battles in Syria, thwarted this conspiracy.
A year ago, the enemy attempted to repeat this plot with reconciliatory schemes and efforts to eliminate the resistance. But Operation Al-Aqsa Storm thwarted these attempts, and the yearlong resistance of Gaza and Lebanon, coupled with the awakening of the people in the region and around the world, has altered the regional dynamics in a way that counters the enemy’s desires. The events of the past year clearly show that every blow to the Zionist regime, regardless of the source, serves the entire region and even humanity, influencing global dynamics. In short, the major problem in the region is foreign intervention. Yet, the governments of the region, through cooperation, can establish peace and stability.
The barbarism perpetrated by the Zionists and their supporters in Gaza and the West Bank, the killings in Lebanon, including the assassination of resistance leaders, and the crimes and aggressions against other countries in the region are actions intended to prevent this very role and impose excessive demands on the entire region and the world.
The key point is that Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and the clear revelation of the Zionist regime’s fragility, weaker than a spider’s web, and the inability of its supporters to impose their will against the resistance highlight a vital truth: the only way to end this situation is for the nations and governments of the region to remain resilient and not succumb to the plots and terrorism of their enemies.
The lesson from Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, alongside the recognition of the enemy, is that if any nation wishes to avoid being encircled and destroyed by its enemy, it must stay vigilant and view the world of Islam as a whole, not just through a narrow lens. In other words, when a country sees that the enemy is targeting another nation, it must stand in solidarity with that oppressed nation, assist it, and collaborate to prevent the enemy from succeeding. If the enemy succeeds there, it will surely move on to the next target, and the cycle will continue, as the wolf-like enemy has shown an insatiable appetite for dominance over all nations.
Thus, the unified approach to developments from Afghanistan to Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, and other Islamic countries must be grounded in Islamic unity and cohesion under the banner of the Qur’an and its teachings.
Based on the principles and laws of Islam, and even the international laws crafted by organizations, every nation has the right to defend its land, home, and interests against aggressors. This is a right that belongs to the Palestinian and Lebanese people, just as it does to other nations, and no one, no country, or international body has the right to deny them this.
As we approach the anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, it is crucial to recognize that the enemy of all Islamic nations and humanity is the Zionist regime and its supporters. Therefore, any action against them is justified and righteous, and it will thwart the schemes of the oppressors. The way to achieve this is through unity and solidarity, as Operation Al-Aqsa Storm reignited global awareness of the Palestinian cause and exposed the criminal nature of the Zionist regime and its allies. This awakening has even reached American and European universities and academic institutions, whose governments are at the forefront of the Zionists’ crimes.