crisis, devastating wars, terrorism, the of israeli lobby, crackdown, diplomacy, israel postalaxa flood. make sure to join the show through facebook, twitter, only on press tv.

in

hello and welcome to press tv's spotlight. i'm marsia hashimi. thanks so much for being with us. four days of a ceasfire have passed in a two-day extension has been announced. this after 48 days of an israeli genocide on palestinians in gaza. hamas and the israeli of regime have agreed to release more hostages and hamas has announced that it is willing to release all of the captives. if israel releases all of its palestinian hostages, which of course israel calls prison. there

are up to 10,000 palestinian prisoners or hostages currently being held in israeli prisons. this is a reality for palestinians living under an occupiing force, whether we look at gaza or the occupied territory, the regime tries to create hell for the native palestinian population. is there any choice besides resistance? i'd like to welcome my guests to the spotlight. george samulei, research fellow global policy institute, london metropolitan university of budapest, harley schlinger, spokesman la rus organization out of germany. thank you both for being with me. i'll start it off with george, now the ceasefire has been extended for two days. i want to start here, i want to get your opinion about the fact that there is even a discussion about if and when this gen is. site will continue, i mean, how can there

even be debate, why isn't israel just told, it's over, no more, it won't be allowed, well, ideally, that's what um, should happen, uh, there's only one power in the world that can do that, that can that has any influence, and sway over israel, and that of course is the united states, the united states is not willing to do that. but the united states is of willing to exert some pressure as face saving exercise because ultimately this is huge embarrassment for the united states, there is revulsion throughout the world um about what israel is doing and revoltion particularly among america's european allies so um given that this the anger that is being directed at

israel is being now directed at the united states as israel's enabler, the biden administration has to do something, it has to come up with a formula face saving formula whereby he can be seen to be uh on the side the good guys, on the side of the victims, the innocents, while at the same time enabling israel, so it's a very delicate and of course a dishonest fine line that the united states is drawing, but um that's that's the situation, so this these um kind of extensions of the ceasefire, they are being facilitated. and enabled by the united states. well, harley, i mean looking at this onslot that took place as genocide that took place in gaza. what did israel get out of it? what has it accomplished? well, first of all, i have to realize that netanyahu has a

commitment beyond getting back the hostages. netanyahu's commitment is the ethnic cleansing of gaza. netanyahu is a greater. israel fanatic and his intention is not to stop and to allow these pauses because he's under enormous pressure internationally and even within israel, but he said and he's made clear he's going to intend to continue the war as soon as the seasfire or the temporary truce ends. he said the other day when he was asked about this kind of image of israel, he said history does not favor jesus christ over gengas khan. history favors the strong, so his view is that he's going to be strong, he's going to carry this out. now what your other guests said is absolutely true, the us could stop this. i just wrote an article about how eisenhower intervined in 1956 in the sues crisis, when israel, england and

france invaded egypt, and isenhower threatened to use the economic power of the united states against the british, threatening to dump the us holdings of pound sterling bonds if the british didn't end this invasion and within 24 hours the brits, the french and the israelis pulled back, so the us does have the power, the question is, how do you overcome the insanity in the u.s. congress, which is largely controlled by the military industrial complex which wants more wars and we have to have a bigger mobilization in the united states to put pressure on the congress and on biden. okay. well, george, um, do you think that the israelis have discredited themselves in so many ways? i mean, if we look at from a military perspective, we're talking about the fourth, powerful, most powerful military in the world, allegedly, and and this regime has

been up against resistance force, which has no air force, it has no navy, no sophisticated weapons, yes, israel has inflicted lot of pain. on the civilians, but that doesn't take much um um military expertise to to drop these bombs on civilians, but from that military perspective, uh, why have they really and not been effective? well, probably because israel isn't militarily particularly effective and its intelligence services are not particularly effective, the israeli mith has been a si cultivated by obviously the israeli government, the israeli propaganda machine and israel lobby in the united states, and so they've been basking in this glory of what happened in 1967, which is now almost 60 years ago, and but ever since 1967, none of

israel's military venture have been particularly successful, they've gone from one fiasco after another, the several wars in in lebanon um and then of course you you had the um war in several wars in gaza and they never um come to any successful conclusion and of course we know about their intelligence failures that volunted massad which supposedly can get any terrorist anywhere they almost always miss they almost always kill innocents and claim we've got the plo terrorist and never do it um so israel just isn't that. um powerful, what is israel is very good at doing is at propaganda, i mean he's very, very good at controlling uh the narrative, it's very good at controlling uh the political debate in the united states, i mean it takes some doing, when you look at the polls, some 70% of americans want to

sease fire, and about 5% of congress wants to cease fire, that takes some doing, and that you have to say, no one other than israel can pull something like that off, right? well, what about that? let's let's talk about that narrative that george said, because israel's forte has been hasbar um controlling that narrative, but it does seem that in this this genocide, we have seen massive demonstrations across the world and unbelievable amount sharing information as if people and many of them were, it was the first time that they had heard about the roots of the israeli regime, what this is all about, that palestine is occupied, and your take on on this part of it and how significant is it? i'm living in germany now and i see how they're playing this in germany that israel was the victim the nazis and it can never happen be allowed to happen again, and therefore germany should be providing weapons

for israel along with the united states. this is the narrative of victimology, but if you look at the actual situation in palestine, you see who the victims have been, the palestinian civilian population and the uh ability to function as national entity. the israelis won't allow it. now in the united states, most of the major media is controlled by a group of five companies, basically a cartel, which is very much influenced by the money coming in from uh american zionists, although i will say that there there is beginning to be a little bit of a shift in that, even the washington post and a couple of other pro war publications have had to for to report. that israel did not prove the case that there were tunnels in a command center under the al-shifa hospital uh, even that's

beginning to crack. look, there have been large demonstrations, there were 10 to 20,0 people marching in berlin on saturday. i think the key is that fighting to get the true story out of what happened after 1967, after the un resolution 242, and effort after effort for revolve. resolving the situation has been sabotaged by israel, which of course says that it's the palestinians who have sabotaged it. well, george, in your perspective, i want to look at your idea of uh globally, uh, we're talking more about governments and even a lot of the people, how israel was looked at prior to october the 7th, and since that time, what has changed? well, of course, there has been a global consensus pretty much since 1967 as to the

outline of a lasting middle east settlement, which is the two-state solution, and the palestinian state would constitute the west bank and gaza, which uh was only 20% of the historic palestine, the british mandated palestine, so it would be very substantial concession. on the part of the palestinians, but nonetheless that was the um global uh consensus that was shared by the soviet union that was shared by most of um europe, and of course asia and africa, um, the united states um, has supposedly gone along with this, um, you know, it has supported resolution 2:4:2 in public, but in actual fact, it has basic turned a blind eye and has generally supported israel's undermining of resolution

242 which began immediately after the end of the sixth day war with the building of the settlements just went on and on and on 56 years of settlement building the united states could have put an end to it any time it uh chose not to so that was the view before october the 7th what october the 7th has shown is such savagery on the part of... israel, i mean if one looks at the let's say the casualties, let's say 14,000 dead in gaza, and we know it's at least 40% children, so if we assume that of the rest of the so if they're children, that means they innocent by definition, they had nothing to do with october the 7th, and if you look at the the remaining 60%, if you say that of that number 50% of hamas fighters, i don't think it's anything like that, but nonetheless let's just assume that's the case. that means 70% the debts that israel has committed are

civilians, are innocents, 70% are innocent, that is a staggering number, and i think that has really shaken the public opinion in in countries, i mean certainly even in the united states, but definitely in europe, that's that of course is different so the governments, the governments are a different matter, because the governments like to keep in with the americans, that you know that... that's that's another issue, but that you know, but that, but as far as the public opinion is goes, that has been very, very impactful, well, harley, when we look at this: situation um with uh of course this genocide and the one hand taking place in gaza, the regime also had to handle the southern border uh or it's northern border dealing um with hazbullah and then of course the southern border uh dealing with hamas and the situation, i mean this is something that the regime hadn't faced in this way before. what type of role do you think that having a

double front played in uh adding frustration to the regime? well i think you also have to consider the west bank where we see settlers running wild uh attacking innocent palestinian civilians there, but i think look, if if the us sent the fleet, the large fleet, the two aircraft carrier strike groups and and other ships, with the idea that this was to deter iran, it makes no sense, the the us show of force is not going to stop hezbollah or hamas, because the in fact the these ships may become sitting ducks for hezbollah if they decided to to fight them, so what we're facing is the danger of an expanded war, which comes largely from israel, and from the united states foolishly saying, we'll support israel uh to the end,

a sense the same thing says about supporting ukraine to the end, the americans are discredited internationally. look at the global south, look at the united nations general assembly. 120 nations voted for a ceasefire and only 14 against it. so we're looking at an overwhelming part of the world which has chosen to defend the rights of the palestinians over the greed of the israelis to grab all the land. so the only question that that really remains and by the way, netanjahu may extend the truce a couple of days, but he's not going to stop uh. his blood thirsty uh attack on the palestinians, that does have to come from the outside, and it's going to have to come from the united states. in the short term, it's not going to happen because of the congress, but in the longer term, biden's up for reelection. he's facing catastrophe in ukraine and a public relations catastrophe with the israel gaza

situation, so there is a chance that this can be turned around, but it's going to depend on the american people. showing a little bit of gut and grit and going out and and learning what the the real story is in in palestine and taking that into the street and against the warhawks in washington. well, george, how has this genocide not only reveal the truth the israeli regime for those who didn't know, but but also the the whole uh western hegemonic front, that silence for so long, um, not only silence, we saw uh western. leaders uh going to israel and um giving their support, their thumbs up to netanyahu in the middle of the genocide? well it's quite remarkable, um, you know, biden who notoriously didn't go to east palestine, with after the train derailment and which was huge

environmental catastrophe, he just didn't even bother to go visit, there was a horrific fire. in hawaii, he didn't go, couldn't be bothered to um, interrupt his holiday, to go, i mean, finally, after several weeks, he decided to show up for few hours, um, yet when he came to israel, he uh, just rushed off and uh, gave a bare hug to uh netanyahu, and he's now given, i don't, how many addresses to the american people on the subject of uh israel again he seems to be taking uh the plight of israel and you know what israel is enduring as far more important for him than uh what americans are enduring and that you know it's a reflection of um america's political elite now in the case of europe europe is now so totally subordinate to the united states i mean they now

essentially just the vassals of the americans the european union is just simply and appendage of nato, so whatever their personal feelings may be, and emmanuel macron, the french president has, blurted out in a number of interviews, um, how how disgusted he is by what israel is doing, nonetheless, publicly he follows the americans, the german case is very interesting, i mean they are as my colleague pointed out, they they're saying, oh, because we have a special responsibility towards israel because of the holocaust, what you can argue it the other way, which is that the palestinians have had to suffer as a result of what the germans did, i mean it was, it is, it is actually quite mindboggling, it's quite mindboggling when we look at this, okay, so all right, it started, well, we can say it started with the british

or whatever, but with the germans doing what they did, so the palestinians have had to pay the price, and then we see the way germany has stood steadfast with the israeli regime against the palestinian it is absolutely mindbockly, and while we are in germany, let me cross back over to harley, i mean harley, the german. are just a whole different case, i mean it's it's quite really, it is quite mindbockly to see the reaction coming out of germany to all of this, when basically the palestinians had nothing to do with this to begin with, but they're the one suffering. well, there's been a real brainwashing done on the german people around the nazi period, the idea that that all germans are guilty and therefore germany must never assert is itself as national sovereign nation. but just in the last days, the the german council on foreign relations has called for a massive increase in military production in germany, a massive

increase in the numbers of people in the bundesver, the german army, and a change in the mentality of the german people to become quote, war ready, unquote. now as our colleague just said, what's mindboggling about this is that germany is not threatened by anyone, a realistic assessment of the situation, if they had it, the germans would be very responsive to what's happening to the palestinians and and many of them are upset about it, but they're terrified by the reaction from the united states and so they're continuing to send weapons into ukraine, and by the way, you talk about ironies, the germans are supporting a government in ukraine which has nazis and its defense and security uh uh positions, yeah there there's just lot of things going on with germany. you guys couldn't even protect yourself with the nordstream - it's it's a mind box didn't even raise it didn't even raise peep about nordstream yeah which was terrorism conducted by the united states

against ally so so now what's what's key now because we only have like a minute left and going back to the subject at hand when we see the europeans the way they're reacting we see the the whole western hegemonic front and and the way they're acting what needs to happen not only to have a permanent sease for. but really to end this siege and to end the occupation? well, the only thing that could make a difference is a change in attitude on the part of washington. we haven't seen any evidence of this, but you know, biden knows that much of his base, you know, is kind of leftish progressive base is very unhappy about this, he's doing terribly in the poles. he's facing a very difficult re-election next year, he can't afford to have anyone staying home sitting on their hands and this might

have some effect, think it is having some effect on biden um, in putting pressure on israel just to bring this thing to to an end, because the longer it goes on, the more difficult it's going to be for me, because biden and the americans are being blamed for this with very good justification, so i think um that... short term that's one thing that could change if the americans really start putting pressure on netanyahu knock it off remember you know ronald reagan did this with manahin began during the 1982 invasion of lebanon there was a point at which reagan said enough is enough i got on the phone to began and said knock it off and bagan knocked it off there haven't been too many presidents since then have been ready to do that with israel all right and on that note thank you both for being with me george. samourier research fellow global policy institute, london, metropolitan university, budapest, harley schlinker, spokesman of the russia organization, postam germany, and thank you

viewers for being with us for another spotlight, i'm signing out for myself and all the crew right here in tehron, hope to see you right here next time. بوده پدر این شهرای هسته ای ما بوده. این ها نشون دادن این دشمنان ما که چقدر شقی و در این راه حتی از کشتن دانشمندا هم ابایی ندارد.

headlines and press tv, palestinian resistance movement hamas confirms it's agreed to extend the seas fire with the israeli regime for two more days under the existing terms. tehran blames washington for backing the tel aviv regime and calls for permanent seasfire and an end, the israeli crimes against palestinians, and iran displays more defensive capabilities with new indigenous made frigate.