The Palestinian cause is a central issue for the Arab and Islamic countries, with the main reason being the long years of Palestinian grievances that remained open to the options of war and peace throughout the modern history of Palestine. This issue has lost all the bets, consecutively, on resorting to war, despite the slogans raised by the Nationalists, Leftists and religious groups.

Instead, the Palestinians preferred the peace option and all the Arab countries supported them in this. These are historical facts that must be recalled before commenting on the events that unnecessarily keep recurring from time to time. However, I will give my viewpoint on what is taking place now.

Who has heated up the political scene in Palestine? And who fired the missiles towards Israel? Why did they choose the end of the holy month of Ramadan, to carry out this act? Who is fanning this instigation towards confrontation and war? Are they serving the Palestinian people and the Palestinian state or some other quarter?

These are not just random questions, but are queries of great importance so as to create a realistic and pragmatic way of dealing with this recurrent uncalled-for scene.

Whoever kindled this uncalled-for scene knew very well that it would cause scores of deaths and injuries, threaten towers and destroy properties, as a service to the Iranian regime’s agenda and its constant method, since the Khomeini Revolution, in exploiting Palestine to serve that theocratic, fundamentalist regime.

And it is the Iranian regime that is in need today to heat up the Palestinian scene, so as to raise the Jerusalem (Al-Quds) slogan and revive the concept of “resistance” (Al-Muqawamah) that has become exposed before the Arab peoples. They have come to know its goals and intentions. All these have become crystal clear in the aftermath of numerous crises in the near past.

The Iranian orders were clear — to launch a barrage of locally-made missiles with a big intensity towards Israel, with the objective of improving the conditions for Iran at the negotiation table in Vienna, and use Palestine as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations in the region. Actually, what Iran wanted took place but at the expense of the Palestine people, and their security and life.

Targeting Israel with the explosives-laden missiles is part of the Iranian regime’s strategy in the region. However, it was not with the objective of fighting Israel, but to wage a war against the Arab countries and kill and destroy the Arab peoples in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. This is an openly declared strategy that has been tested by some of the servants and soldiers of the Iranian scheme in the region.

The orders of another country that has its own scheme on Palestinian soil was carried out. Furthermore, this state is neither concerned about the Palestinian people nor their cause, except as much as it serves its own interests, and its imperial ambitions in spreading its influence and imposing its hegemony.

In this regard, the pictures of some leaderships kissing the hands and limbs of that “Turbaned Emperor” are filling all space.

In such a tense atmosphere, blind ideologies thrive and empty slogans and zealotry proliferate. This is what Iran and the ‘Political Islam’ groups want, specifically.

In an atmosphere where reason and wisdom prevail and allowing the Palestinian interest to outweigh all other considerations, these zealots will dwindle and disappear to the extent that their place will be in the margins of history.

However, they are very keen that this political ideology, which is blended with religion should survive, at the expense of the life of the last Palestinian child, and that of his mother, sister and family.

On the altars of ideologies, man is sacrificed like a cheap sacrificial animal for the interests of the movement, party and “Political Islam” groups.

This is a usual reaction well known to all, as to who is moving the scene in Palestine against its own people. On their behalf, “an Arab elite hypocrisy market” is set up, where some intellectuals and writers express the tragedies of Palestine and the aggrieved Palestinian people.

They hurl insults at Israel for its atrocities. They attract more followers on the social media. They register a bravado stance and then return to practicing their normal lives, provided with luxuries by their countries. And leave the Palestinians under the mercy of airstrikes and utter destruction.

“The Iranian regime” is a more hostile regime towards the Arab countries than Israel. It is an occupationist, colonial regime that is more dangerous than Israel. Furthermore, some of the terrorist organizations in Palestine have alliances with this regime. They serve it and work for it, and make Palestine and its people hostage to this regime’s ambitions and strategies that have extended widely in the region.

This is a fact that ought to be recalled by all who deal with this recurrent scene in Palestine, which will recur in the coming years if these movements are not forced to submit to the will of the Palestinian people, and the interests of the Palestinian state and the Arab countries.

Some of the zealots from some political currents among the Palestinian people, are holding Israeli nationalities, are working for the Israeli government and are receiving their monthly salaries from it. They sign contracts with the Israeli government, for building and construction.

Some of them represent official political parties in the Israeli state structure. Then they hurl insults at the Arab peoples, because they “sold” the Palestinian cause and have become traitors against Palestine. Then they go back to receive their other monthly salaries from the Arab countries as well as generous donations from these peoples, who they insult.

According to the logic of history, this is called “frivolity” (deliberate tampering). It has no relationship with realism or pragmatism. This “deliberate tampering” and indulging in it has started inciting young Arab generations against Palestine and the Palestinian cause.

It is not because it is a lost cause and does not deserve sacrifices, but it is some of its own people who have converted it into a well-studied, planned and methodological “deliberate tampering” meant to hurt and harm their Arab brethren — both countries and peoples.

Becoming overzealous about just causes is counter-productive and the loss is great and cannot be compensated.

I will give here some quick examples of causes some Arab peoples are suffering from. I will ask about the stances of some Palestinian factions that have become addicted to zealotry. Among the reasons, is that this will cross the “T”s and dot the “I”s and pose serious questions about the slogans, and becoming overzealous.

What is the stance of these zealots vis-à-vis those members of the Iran-backed “Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi” militias, who killed Iraqi people on the basis of their identity cards?

What is the stance of these zealots vis-à-vis the groans of the bereaved and the wailing of orphaned children in Syria, who are being killed by the Iranian militia? What is their stance towards the war crimes being committed by the Houthi militias against the Yemeni people? What is their stand towards the humiliation of the Lebanese people by Hezbollah militias, destroying their economy and turning their country into a failed state?

The researcher and follower can monitor any stance, statement or sympathy by these zealots towards these pressing and urgent humanitarian and political issues, but he will return empty-handed.

Every Palestinian or Arab zealot must beware of the major geopolitical changes taking place in the region. He should see where he is standing vis-à-vis these changes. He should know very well that some of his political stances, even if coated with alleged humanitarian sympathy, right and conscience, would be swapped politically as a service to the enemies of the Arab countries, and their hostile strategies and schemes.

Whether they know — and these are the majority — or not, they are harming their country, people and interests.

Finally, the Arab countries are moving towards exiting the shells of the past, and its slogans and falsehoods, which were the main cause for Arabs losing all the wars. These slogans and falsehoods deepened the wounds and tragedies.

Furthermore, the Arab countries possess mega projects for developing the Arab countries and their peoples. They are also confronting with all firmness all the hostile schemes in the region. In no way will they remain hostage to terrorist groups, however, much their slogans are coated to give the impression of purity, humaneness and the right.

— Saudi writer specializing in political and cultural affairs, and a researcher on Islamic movements and currents

— This article was originally published in Asharq al-Awsat.