German analyst: Intifada, a struggle for sovereignty

German political analyst, Manuel Ochsenreiter says as long Ankara and Riyadh are capable to present themselves as “protectors of Palestinian interests” no change will happen in the Palestinian situation.

The analyst remarks in an interview with the Qods News Agency (Qodsna) the full text of which follows.

Qodsna: What are the motivations that the ongoing Third Intifada has prolonged in the occupied Palestinian territories for such a long time? Do you think that protests against the failure of peace talks are the motivation behind the current Intifada as some suggest?

Ochsenreiter: We should interpret the Intifada not just as the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation but as the Palestinian struggle for sovereignty and the self determination – both of which are collective human rights.

The problem is deeper than just some failure in talks.

As long Israel and its allies refuse any real change in the region, the Palestinian struggle will go on as any other people under occupation fight for their independence, sovereignty and self determination.

Qodsna: You see the double behavior of Western countries towards the death of a Western citizen (along with hue and cry) and the daily killing of Palestinians (blatant silence). How do you assess the hypocrisy and double standard?

Ochsenreiter: There is indeed a very obvious double standard. But this should not surprise us as the whole western-liberal cultural foundations are based on such weird standards.

When Palestinians die under Israeli rockets, when Lebanese die in bomb explosions in Beirut or when Syrians die in the Syrian war, the Western compassion is very limited.

When people in Paris die in terrorist attacks, all politics and media in Europe and the US start a huge and noisy campaign.

Q: Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia have built up relations with Israel. At the same time, the recent Saudi-led coalition against ‘terrorism’ with Turkey involved means that Israel is no more a terror state. What is your opinion about the issue?

Ochsenreiter: The situation in the region can be only understood if we take a closer look at the complex geopolitical patterns: - Saudi Arabia is an open Western proxy in the region.

The West accepts any action of Riyadh as long it coincides with the transatlanticist interest.

We see it with the Saudi terrorist support in Syria and with the war in Yemen.

The Saudi monarchy is also driven by a political minority complex when it comes to the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Riyadh wants to play the role of the Sunni counterpart of Shia Iran.

The West supports Saudi Arabia in that mission because Washington and Brussels conduct an aggressive containment policy against Iran.

Saudi Arabia is one of the geopolitical tools for this policy.

There is a deep logic in the friendly and supportive relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel because both are Western proxies.

The anti-Israeli statements coming from Riyadh are just rhetorics to please the anti-Israeli sentiments of the Arabic and Muslim population in the region.

Taking all these points into consideration, we can say: Saudi Arabia and Israel are natural partners under the roof of Western domination.

- Turkey is a long-term ally of Israel, since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 the most important “friend” of Tel Aviv.

This has always been a stable alliance despite the anti-Israeli rhetoric of Erdogan in the past.

It was, like in Saudi Arabia, just rhetoric to please especially the Sunni Arabs in the region.

Turkey is a Western proxy in the region.

Like Riyadh, also Ankara is driven by a minority complex: Turkey sees itself as one of the major powers in the region.

The ambitious “neo-Ottoman” plans of Ankara cannot be realized without being backed by the West and Israel.

Ankara knows that very well.

The whole Turkish aggression against its neighbor Syria fits in that pattern.

Ankara created a zone of influence by opening the Turkish-Syrian border for masses of terrorists.

The West accepts and even supports this aggression.

Turkey, the West and Israel share the same geopolitical aim: the complete disintegration of Syria.

- Israel itself is a Western proxy in the region.

In Washington and Brussels influential strategists see Israel as the future power in the region which brings the order of a “New Middle East”.

Tel Aviv is the only nuclear armed power in the region as well.

But Israel cannot act against all states in the Middle East at the same time; it needs strategic allies.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia are the most important of these.

The nature of the Israeli state is to be an occupation power as the entity was founded on occupied land.

Even if Israel would like to be something else, it can´t.

Even if Israel pleases the Palestinian population instead of oppressing it, it still would be a colonial settlement project.

Occupation and oppressing sovereignty rights of Palestinians is part of the “genetic code” of the Israeli state.

That means: any ally of Israel has to accept its policy against Palestinians as it is not disputable.

Discussing Israel´s occupation means automatically discussing Israel´s existence.

The realities are: Ankara, Riyadh and Tel Aviv are natural geopolitical partners in the Middle East.

They share similar aims and they all understand that for the realization of these ambitious plans for a New Middle East the Palestinian occupation by Israel is not just a “political waste product” but one of the main conditions.

For Turkey and Saudi Arabia the rights of Palestinians are less interesting than the influence of Israel and the West.

Qodsna: You are in touched with Nigeria developments and the mass killing of Muslims a few days ago, indeed. Sheikh Zakzaky, the Secretary General of Nigerian Muslim Movement who was targeted in the mass killing had never hidden his pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel sentiments. Field reports too say Israeli training was behind the repression last year of a major march that left 3 of his sons dead. What is your assessment about the developments and the possible Israeli role?

Ochsenreiter: It is not a secret that Israel is strongly engaged in Nigeria.

There are around 50 Israeli companies active in the African country, there are strong business and political ties between Abuja and Tel Aviv.

As with any other country Israel conducts a policy against the national, regional or religious motivated anti-Israeli sentiments.

The fight against anti-Israeli groups in other countries is in the eyes of Tel Aviv an absolute political necessity to secure the existence of the Israeli state.

Israel can only exist if it is able to prevent any international isolation.

The oppression – even with violence – of anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups is in this context part of the business.

Qodsna: We are at the end of year of 2015, how did you see the Palestinian issue in this year and what is your prediction about the issue in 2016?

Ochsenreiter: I personally don´t expect too many changes.

Palestine does not exist as an independent and sovereign state in 2015 and it won´t exist as one in 2016 as well.

The reason is again to be found in the geopolitical patterns of the Middle East: A real Palestinian state cannot be created with the geopolitical conditions of today.

It needs a full change in the region.

As long Saudi Arabia and Turkey are backing Israel, as long the Turkish and Saudi media-war-machine is capable of throwing sand into the eyes of a huge number of Arabs (including Palestinians!), and as long Ankara and Riyadh are capable to present themselves as “protectors of Palestinian interests” no change will happen.