Israel’s security cabinet has approved a proposal, made by hardline nationalist ministers over the weekend, to designate large areas of the West Bank as “state property” for the first time since the occupation began in the aftermath of the Six-Day War.

The move builds on last week’s cabinet decision to make land registries in the area public rather than private, making it easier for Jewish settlers to purchase real estate.

The group of eight Muslim-majority nations—Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—condemned Israel’s action in a joint statement on Feb. 17.

They argued that the move constitutes a blatant violation of international law and breaches multiple UN Security Council resolutions, “foremost among them Resolution 2334,” which calls on Israel to halt settlement activities in the West Bank.

“This illegal step constitutes a grave escalation aimed at accelerating illegal settlement activity, land confiscation, entrenching Israeli control, and applying unlawful Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the statement reads.

The eight nations urged the international community to immediately take “clear and decisive steps” against Israel to halt its illegal activities and protect Palestinian rights. Shortly after the Israeli government announced its decision, the Palestinian presidency strongly condemned the move, stating that it effectively voided multiple signed agreements and openly contradicted UN Security Council rulings.

Hardline Israeli nationalists have welcomed the cabinet decision as a “true revolution” destined to accelerate the settlement process and to restore “order and governance” in the West Bank. “The State of Israel is taking responsibility for its land and is acting according to the law, transparently and decisively,” one of the move’s sponsors, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has said. 

The Israeli government has long been seeking to annex the West Bank despite widespread international opposition to the move and the position of its main ally, the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned West Jerusalem against the move, insisting that the annexation “is not going to happen.” (RT.com)

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The collapse of the al-Assad government on Dec. 8 brought mixed reactions and uncertainty about what a new Syria would look like for its 22.9 million people and the turbulent-filled region.

The speed of the downfall left Mideast watchers astonished, and Syria in a complicated “flux” of moving parts, including the meddling presence of foreign actors like the United States, Türkiye, Israel and other proxies with diverse agendas. The future of Syria hangs in the balance, say analysts and observers.

“I think that it is still way too early to make any determinations,” said Wilmer Leon, political scientist and commentator. “Recent developments in Syria is past prologue,”

He told The Final Call, meaning the current situation is tied directly to the immediate history of Syria’s civil war, starting in 2011. The conflict was wrought with multination meddling, particularly America, aiming to remove Bashar al-Assad from power.  

“This is once again, the United States engaging in regime change,” opined Mr. Leon. “As the United States was in Iraq … in Libya … a number of other places where this has happened,” he continued.

“But I use those two as examples, because the United States engages in regime change, creates a power vacuum, and then does not really know how to manage the power vacuum once it has been created,” he expounded.

Questions loom whether the rebels that toppled President Al-Assad is about a “better Syria” or a wider agenda.

On Dec. 9 Israel, while continuing a genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza, and the Occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, sent hundreds of missiles into Damascus and other areas of Syria.

Without resistance, Israeli occupier forces increased their presence in Syria’s Golan Heights effectively expanding its occupation there. In the days-long bombardment, Israel claimed it destroyed 80 percent of Syria’s military capabilities, including naval bases. 

However, the Israeli invasion of Syria can be understood in the context of establishing what they call “Eretz Israel” or “Greater Israel,” which includes Palestine, Egypt and Syria and their plan for a “new” Middle East. 

Such an agenda was forewarned about early this year by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam in his annual Saviours’ Day message entitled, “What Does Allah The Great Mahdi And The Great Messiah Have To Say About The War In The Middle East?” delivered on Feb. 25.

“Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu has a vision of Eretz Israel. Several states over there, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, they intend to annex that to what is called ‘Greater Israel,’” said Minister Farrakhan.

“Do you know about that? That man already has over 400 nuclear bombs sitting in the desert in Dimona, Israel,” Minister Farrakhan continued. “That’s a lot of weapons. And they, now, feel that they are the power in the Middle East, and they are,” he said.

A decade earlier Minister Farrakhan warned the expansion will ultimately fail.   

“Eretz Israel” is not for you, present Israelis!  It is for us, the true ‘Children of Israel,’ he cautioned. “So Allah is going to use your blood to purify that area of the world for The Messiah to come back and bring back with him The People of God’s Choice, for The Holy Land, Mecca in particular.

Will be The Headquarters of The Mahdi and The Messiah!,” said Minister Farrakhan, during Part 34 of his weekly lecture series called, “The Time and What Must Be Done” in 2013.

In the same broadcast, he discussed Syria’s 2011 “civil war” and “America’s Errant Foreign Policy.”

“This was not a “civil war” in which the people inside Syria were rising against their government, alone—no! They were rising, but they were rising against their government with great help from the outside!”  

“So now we learn that fighters from all over the Middle East are now in Syria, armed by America through her proxies in Qatar and the United Emirates, and other states,” he continued, referring to the uprising for social and government reform that morphed into calls for regime change at the time, Minister Farrakhan said, in Part 34 of the series.

In Part 16 of the series, Minister Farrakhan spoke about what retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark revealed about America’s ultimate objective.  General Clark learned of plans to “clean out” the Middle East and take over Muslim regimes.

A decade before the 9/11 terror attacks on America in 2001, Gen. Clark said he was shown a Pentagon memo describing a plan “to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and then Iran—five years and seven countries.”

“This was being planned to ensure that the control of the riches of that area would always be available to America and her allies,” said Minister Farrakhan.

Citing a 2011 article by researcher and historian, F. William Engdahl, the Minister said the ultimate goal of America is to take the resources of Africa and the Middle East under military control and block economic growth in China and Russia, thus controlling the whole of Eurasia.

According to GlobalEconomy.com, Syria has 2.5 billion barrels of oil in its fields as of 2021, and through 2023 produce 90.84 thousand barrels per day. America maintains 900 troops in Northeastern Syria where 40 percent of Syria’s oil reserves are located. These fields have been a focus for control and conflict by various actors like the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Force and others vying for control.

In remarks on Dec. 8 while lauding Mr. al-Assad’s ouster, U.S. President Joe Biden said the 900 troops are staying, but under the guise of preventing terror groups like ISIL from reemerging in the aftermath of al-Assad’s removal from power and he said that the U.S. had dropped bombs over 75 targets in Syria. The current events may be another play in the wider geopolitical agenda.

“So, it is more than Assad being a “cruel leader” and a “dictator” that caused America to want him out,” Minister Farrakhan said, in words from 2013 that stand true today. Minister Farrakhan and his teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad have warned America about her errant foreign policy for decades.

Others also blamed outside mischief-makers for the rebels that brought Syria to this moment.

“What happened in Syria was mainly planned in the command rooms of America and Israel. We have evidence of this,” said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, adding, “A neighboring government of Syria was also involved.”

Mr. Khamenei made the remarks in a speech reported by Iranian state media. Although he did not name the “neighboring government,” it had a “clear role and continues to do so,” he said.

Days before Mr. al-Assad’s removal, other countries also blamed foreign interference. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea condemned the aggression by what it called terrorist organizations supported by external forces.

“The recent incident is a product of the vicious plots of hostile forces to ‘demonize’ the legitimate government of Syria from A to Z,” said a statement by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Dec 5. The statement said the attacks aimed to “create uneasiness and horror in Syria” to reproduce a scenario like the massacres in Gaza and Lebanon, thus escalating regional turmoil to a catastrophic level.

 “We strongly denounce the reckless military moves of terrorists in Syria and the sinister intention of the behind-the-scenes forces conniving at and fostering them,” said the statement.  

The rebel groups re-emerged on Nov. 27 and were rooted in the civil war that killed over 306,887 people in 13 years of fighting. That war drew in multiple nations, some backing Mr. al-Assad’s government and others backing the rebels. Middle East watchers called it a complex geopolitical situation. America, Israel and Türkiye, have been deeply involved.

In a foreign ministry statement on the current state of affairs, Iran said Syria’s fate is the sole responsibility of Syrians without foreign imposition.

“In order to achieve this important [issue], it is necessary to end military conflicts … prevent terrorist acts … initiate national dialogue … form an inclusive government that represents all Syrian people,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, foreign powers and their proxies continue military engagement in Syria. Israel, the United States and Türkiye—through its proxies—have been committing airstrikes in Syria.

President al-Assad and his family were granted political asylum in Russia. For Syrians at home and abroad, there is great uncertainty. 

“Syria is at a crossroads—between peace and war, stability and lawlessness, reconstruction or further ruin,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees in a statement on Dec. 9. “There is a remarkable opportunity for Syria to move toward peace and for its people to begin returning home,” he explained.

“But with the situation still uncertain, millions of refugees are carefully assessing how safe it is to do so,” said Mr. Grandi.   

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The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (Commission) is calling for action at the UN in accordance with a July 19 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the matter.

The Court said Israel’s continuing presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful. Moreover, the Court said the UN General Assembly and Security Council must establish precise modalities and actions to “as rapidly as possible,” end the unlawful presence of Israeli settlers and settlements.

The Commission welcomed the ICJ’s opinion as a significant development toward Israel’s accountability, which the group has raised particularly since 2022.  

“The Commission has always stated that the root cause of the protracted conflict and cycles of violence is the occupation,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission in a statement on Oct. 17.

“The Commission, concluded in its report to the General Assembly in 2022, that the occupation is unlawful under international law. The Commission welcomed the historic advisory opinion from the highest court in the United Nations system,” said the longtime legal scholar from South Africa.

The Court’s opinion was given at a hearing on the “Legal Consequences Arising From the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”

Along with the Commission’s legal analysis, the 12-page document included bold recommendations to Israel, UN Member States, the General Assembly and the Security Council on implementing the ICJ advice. It implores Israel to:

•       Implement a comprehensive plan of action to dismantle settlements.

•       Evacuate all settlers from occupied territory.

•       Return land, title and natural resources to the displaced Palestinians.

•       Repeal all restrictive and discriminatory laws and policies.

The Commission finds that all States have an international legal obligation not to recognize the occupation as lawful.

“Israel’s internationally wrongful acts give rise to State responsibility, not only for Israel but for all States,” said Ms. Pillay. “All States are obligated not to recognize territorial sovereignty claims made by Israel over the occupied territories,” she stated.

The South Africa-based lawyer added that States must “distinguish” in their dealings between Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. For instance, a State must not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or place its diplomatic representatives to Israel in Jerusalem.

“States must not render aid or assistance in maintaining the unlawful occupation. Aid and assistance includes financial, military and political aid or support,” said Ms. Pillay.

In addition, the Commission in line with the ICJ says States must also work towards the full realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

The position paper provides the Commission’s view concerning state responsibility and how the General Assembly and Security Council can identify and implement ways to bring an end to the unlawful occupation.

However, there are shades of pessimism that the effort will be effective and more of the same, because of a history of pushback on the occupier state at the UN, only to be frustrated by the United States using its veto power to block any vote critical of Israel.

“In some ways, I do view it as more of the same,” said investigative journalist and activist Eugene Puryear.  He told The Final Call that while rulings from bodies like the ICJ are significant, the lack of enforcement from the UN renders these efforts “hollow” in practice.

However, “for the International Court of Justice to make the point was a milestone,” said Mr. Puryear, referring to the ICJ Advisory Opinion.

“But we still see the biggest issue is that the United Nations has to enforce it, and just like they haven’t enforced multiple resolutions that have laid out that the Israeli settlements are illegal,” he argued.  “I think it has a certain hollowness to it.” 

Even the U.S. government is on record saying they’re against settlements, Mr. Puryear added but said he is skeptical that actors like the U.S. and Europe will take serious action against Israel, based on their record.

He does not see a clear path for the international community to effectively pressure Israel to dismantle the occupation or end illegal settlements.

He believes the focus should be on continuing to shift global consciousness and public opinion against Israel’s actions. Worldwide, beginning in October 2023 with the current Israeli war, hundreds of thousands of people protested in condemnation of Israel’s atrocities.    

It is more realistic now more than ever before to talk about totally dismantling the State of Israel regardless of the intent of any individual actor, whether it is a human rights group, the ICJ, or a “hypocritical statement from a head of state,” said Mr. Puryear.

He reasons that the magnitude of what has been widely revealed in the genocide like the tens of thousands of deaths, injuries and displacements, has garnered unparalleled global support. Notwithstanding, was the wide exposure of genocidal statements from Israelis themselves in government and on the streets.

“They can see,” reasoned Mr. Puryear. “There probably is no way to have the two states side by side,” he stated, referring to the oft-repeated “two-state solution” idea. “This settler movement is too extreme,” he added.

For decades the Zionist State of Israel has enjoyed impunity for rights abuses, governing a colonial settler state, illegal land grabbing, and systematic repression of marginalized people.

Despite international condemnation and legal actions against wrongdoing, its perpetration of unabated evil continues.  For multiple generations of Palestinians, the horror story goes back decades with the influx of European Zionists relocating to historical Palestine.

Then came the policy of Nakba (catastrophe), ethnic cleansing through armed aggression, displacing 700,000 Palestinians into exile and refugee camps in neighboring countries.

Although numerous UN resolutions passed documenting Israel’s brazen disregard of international laws, just as brazen was the complicit posture of world powers like America, Britain, and others.

Despite international law and lip-service by America condemning illegal settlements, and overwhelming civilian carnage in Israel’s yearlong onslaught on Palestinians, Washington continues massive arms flow and military backing.

Adding to the warships and aircraft carriers and the thousands of U.S. troops in the region, approximately 100 more troops are deploying to Israel to operate a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery system being sent.

Non-stop bombardment in Gaza continues, and illegal settler aggression in the Occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem, continues.

Tens of thousands of mostly innocent lives were taken, with more added by the day as Israel expands its war fronts into Lebanon and Syria. The conflict has brought mass displacements, a dire humanitarian crisis, and actions many have charged as genocide.

The Commission’s paper pushing for serious action on Israel’s illegal occupation coupled with the unprecedented ICJ opinion is redolent to forewarnings to America and Israel by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and his National Representative, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam.

“The war in the Middle East will get very, very bloody,” said Minister Farrakhan, on February 25 of this year in his Saviours’ Day message titled, “What Does Allah The Great Mahdi and The Great Messiah Have To Say About The War In The Middle East?”

He warned that Israel and America will lose in the region and pay a price for their violations.

“What I gave is prophecy that you can find in the Bible and the Qur’an that Israel is not going to stay; America is not going to stay in the Middle East, and when that war triggers all of the countries that it will trigger, the war of Armageddon will be all over the earth,” said the Minister.

To view “What Does Allah The Great Mahdi and The Great Messiah Have To Say About The War In The Middle East?” in its entirety, visit media.noi.org.

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