The Russian invasion and the ‘lie’ of containing Israel

It sometimes occurs to me to watch, with regret, the exaggerated celebrations of Russia’s military might and it strategic implications for the region. Unfortunately, this does not have anything exclusively to do with the complexities that Russia’s military presence will add to the already complicated scene in Syria.

Russia’s military presence in the region is arguably not concerned with the approaching end of the bloodshed of the Syrian people. Instead, it works to undermine the dignity of the Syrian nation, first at the hand of the regime and its military and security services under the pretext of resistance and conspiracy, and second at the hand of the extremists who want to establish their version of God’s order on Earth by means of crushing, burning and beheading the Syrian people.

The Syrian nation and people are undermined a third time by the hesitant international community that is controlled by the interests of influential forces rather than by standards of human rights and dignity. All of this undoubtedly regrettable.

However, my greatest regret is born from the womb of the miserable theory that the Russian military invasion of Syria will contain Israel, will restore the balance lost in the region and will revive hope for a peaceful settlement.

I have heard a number of mostly left-wing politicians, officials and activists speaking this language, as if President Putin, or “Abu Ali Putin”, as the Jordanian poet Arif Al-Batoush dubbed him, is preparing to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque, bring justice to the Palestinian people and establish a Palestinian state.

One again, there are superficial and naïve sentiments that are trying to hint that the main Arab issues in the region will somehow be resoled once Russia’s Red Army becomes involved in the region.

This same naïveté assumes that Putin alone is capable today of re-defining Israeli social delirium and bringing justice to the Palestinian people, as well as contributing to restoring whatever is left of our lost Arab dignity.

I have heard all sorts of analyses in this regard, which attempt to take us back to a clean slate with Russia in its support for the Palestinian people and to Israel’s dependence on the US, as well as Moscow’s role in educating and teaching the Palestinians when the world turned on them.

The goal of these assumptions, which I believe have not even occurred to the Kremlin, is to praise Russian boots on the ground and to that its military presence in Syria will restore matters to normal, especially with regards to the Palestinian issue.

Those promoting these beliefs disregard, either intentionally or ignorantly, the Russian leadership’s own interests and priorities regarding geopolitical alliances and the battle for natural energy resources and trade routes.

They also overlook the fact that “Abu Ali Putin” met with Netanyahu before anyone else and sought his permission for the Syrian incursion, and that Moscow signed an agreement to coordinate their military operations with Israel.

Most importantly, those peddling such views disregard everyone’s convictions that Russian military presence in the area would not have been possible if it were not for the American cover. This is consequently an Israeli cover and it serves Israel’s historical purpose, with which we are all too familiar.

I trust in the theory of the intellectual and professor Dr Amin Mahmoud regarding the success of Israel, or rather of Zionism, in turning all its opponents in the region into little more than monkeys and apes that clap or dance according to Israel’s wishes and whose only political opposition is manifested in ineffective acrobatics that serve to reinforce the balance of power in the region.

I believe that a political thinker and expert in Israeli affairs of the calibre of Adnan Abu Odeh knows what he is talking about when he suggests that there is no true expert in the Zionist mentality and its structures, making it difficult to expect that Israel will be contained by the Russian tanks.

Dr Mahmoud points out that the bleakness of the scenario that assumes Russia is capable of being militarily present in the Arab region without coordinating with America, or that Israel could actually feel concerned because the regional scales have tipped in manner that it not in their favour after Russia’s military intervention.

We can only read such scenarios and assumptions with sorrow and regret, as many indicators suggest that the American administration is leaving the region militarily (but not strategically) for its own reasons, but that it tendered the contract to Abu Ali Putin to take over the task of prolonging the military conflict in Syria.

I am also confident in the theory that supposes Israel is a strategic partner of Putin in the details of the scene and that the intervention of Russian military forces in a country such as Syria will inevitably end in the launch of peace and settlement negotiations, specifically within the scope of trade-offs between Moscow, Tel Aviv and Washington.

When this peace process reaches the foothills of the Golan Heights, under Russia’s military-imposed peace, it will not be on the terms the late Hafez Al-Assad talked about.

The peace process will not be based on the theories of resistance and defiance, but is likely to be a political process in which the US and Moscow will divide their influence according to Israel’s compass at the expense of the Palestinian and Jordanian people. It will end with the settlement of the Palestinian issue in accordance with Zionist standards, i.e. without a state, the right of self-determination, the right of return, or even the right of compensation.

Based on this, there are matters that suggest that the price of the ultimate goal will be paid by the Palestinian people and no one else. The suffering and destruction of the Syrian people was for the sake of preserving the interests of the ruling clique in Damascus that looted the country and robbed the people.

Therefore, I do not see any reason for the Arab left-wing to celebrate the Russian military invasion of Syria – we have seen Netanyahu shaking hands with Putin while he remained seated.

I also do not see any reason for the moderate camp to celebrate the lie of restoring balance to the peace process and mitigating American negativity by providing an opportunity to pressure Israel with the weight of Russia. The Americans are no longer a credible party in managing the peace process and the opportunity is now available for someone to sit on the chair of illusion of peace for several years – but under the Russians’ terms this time around and through the door that leads to Syria.

Translated from Al Quds Al-Arabi, 4 November 2015

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.