Between the United States, Syria and Iran

The U.S. administration insists that Israel must be the only country in the Middle East in possession of nuclear and strategic weapons: any other country in the region is forbidden to possess any weapons, even if the objective is to defend their land and their existence.

The U.S. defense secretary reiterated two days ago in Washington — at a press conference held with his Israeli counterpart — his accusations to Syria and Iran of providing Hezbollah with Scud missiles and other sophisticated missiles. He also accused Hezbollah of possessing an arsenal of weaponry not owned by some governments.

The U.S. defense secretary, who is directing accusations towards the two countries, knows very well that Israel has been occupying Palestinian and Arab land by force since 1967. He knows that Israel has been killing Palestinians daily, maintains hundreds of checkpoints between Palestinian cities and towns, burns farms, holds more than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners and has surrounded the Gaza Strip for over three years. The Palestinian land is the only land in the world that is still under occupation. Despite this knowledge, the U.S. defense secretary has not released any statement condemning Israel or its actions. Israel is the one obstructing peace talks with the Palestinians while continuing the settlement of Palestinian lands, despite Barack Obama’s request on several occasions for Israel to stop construction and settlement in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disregarded all of these requests.

For the past several months, Israel — along with the U.S. — has been trying to create a tense atmosphere in the region by accusing Syria of providing or previously providing Hezbollah with advanced Scud missiles. Israel has been conducting maneuvers on its northern borders as if preparing for a new attack on Lebanon. The U.S. Department of Defense, along with its ally Israel, does not have a single shred of evidence that Iran and Syria have provided Hezbollah with missiles. Even if that was true, is it not Hezbollah’s right to possess weapons through which they can defend their country and homeland?

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan has warned more than once that peace and stability in the region will only be attained through Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Arab and Palestinian lands, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state feasible on land occupied by Israel with Jerusalem as its capital, and the granting of Palestinian refugees their legitimate rights.

The United States insists that Israel is the unique state in the Middle East that can possess nuclear weapons and other types of advanced weaponry, while denying that same privilege to the rest of the region. Iran is trying to obtain nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but is accused of seeking to build nuclear bombs and is therefore considered a renegade state by the U.S. Though Iran has denied this claim numerous times, there are continuous threats from the U.S. of imposing economic sanctions. The option of taking military action against Iran is also on the table and could be used at any moment.

The tension that Israel has been stirring up in the region — beating the drums of war — is not conducive to the peace process. Israel will be the only loser if a war were to occur. Israel may win once, twice and ten times, but if it lost this war once, it will be the end for them. Israel is well aware that Arabs have tremendous human potential with vast economic capabilities. Though this potential is still untapped and unrealized, the time will come when this potential is properly channeled and its consequences will be disastrous for Israel.

Stability in this region will be achieved only through peace and through giving the Palestinians their full, legitimate rights, as claimed by His Majesty King Abdullah II on more than one occasion. Otherwise, Israel will be the only loser, and it will pay a high price for its stubbornness, arrogance and insolence.