Iran's Plans to Control a Palestinian State

by Khaled Abu Toameh
May 9, 2016 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8007/iran-palestinian-state

Translations of this item:

The Iran nuclear deal, marking its first anniversary, does not appear to have had a calming effect on the Middle East.
Iran funnels money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad because they share its desire to eliminate Israel and replace it with an Islamic empire. The Iranian leaders want to see Hamas killing Jews every day, with no break. Ironically, Hamas has become too "moderate" for the Iranian leadership because it is not doing enough to drive Jews out of the region.
More Palestinian terror group leaders may soon perform the "pilgrimage" to their masters in Tehran. If this keeps up, the Iranians themselves will puppeteer any Palestinian state that is created in the region.

The Iran nuclear deal, marking its first anniversary, does not appear to have had a calming effect on the Middle East. The Iranians seem to be deepening their intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general and in internal Palestinian affairs in particular.

This intervention is an extension of Iran's ongoing efforts to expand its influence in Arab and Islamic countries, including Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon and some Gulf states. The nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers has not stopped the Iranians from proceeding with their global plan to export their "Islamic Revolution." On the contrary, the general sense among Arabs and Muslims is that in the wake of the nuclear deal, Iran has accelerated its efforts to spread its influence.

Iran's direct and indirect presence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon has garnered some international attention, yet its actions in the Palestinian arena are still ignored by the world.

That Iran provides financial and military aid to Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad has never been a secret. In fact, both the Iranians and the Palestinian radical groups have been boasting about their relations.

Iran funnels money to these groups because they share its desire to eliminate Israel and replace it with an Islamic empire. Like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas and Islamic Jihad agreed to play the role of Tehran's proxies and enablers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Iran used to funnel money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad because they share its desire to eliminate Israel and replace it with an Islamic empire. Relations between Iran and Hamas foundered a few years back, when Hamas leaders refused to support the Iranian-backed Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad. Pictured above: Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal (left) confers with Iranian "Supreme Leader" Ali Khamenei, in 2010. (Image source: Office of the Supreme Leader)

But puppets must remain puppets. Iran gets nasty when its dummies do not play according to its rules. This is precisely what happened with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Relations between Iran and Hamas foundered a few years back over the crisis in Syria. Defying their masters in Tehran, Hamas leaders refused to declare support for the Iranian-backed Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad. Things between Iran and Hamas have been pretty bad ever since.

First, the Assad government closed down Hamas offices in Damascus. Second, Assad expelled the Hamas leadership from Syria. Third, Iran suspended financial and military aid to Hamas, further aggravating the financial crisis that the Gaza-based Islamist movement had already been facing.

Islamic Jihad got it next. Iranian mullahs woke up one morning to realize that Islamic Jihad leaders have been a bit unfaithful. Some of the Islamic Jihad leaders were caught flirting with Iran's Sunni rivals in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Even worse, the Iranians discovered that Islamic Jihad was still working closely with their erstwhile allies in the Gaza Strip, Hamas.

Iran had had high hopes for Islamic Jihad replacing Hamas as Tehran's darling, and major proxy in the Palestinian arena. But here were Islamic Jihad leaders and activists working with their cohorts in Hamas, in apparent disregard of Papa Iran.

The mullahs did not lose much time. Outraged by Islamic Jihad's apparent disloyalty, Iran launched its own terror group inside the Gaza Strip: Al-Sabireen (The Patient Ones). This group, which currently consists of several hundred disgruntled ex-Hamas and ex-Islamic Jihad members, was meant to replace Islamic Jihad the same way Islamic Jihad was supposed to replace Hamas in the Gaza Strip -- in accordance with Iran's scheme.

Lo and behold: it is hard to get things right with Iran. Al-Sabireen has also failed to please its masters in Tehran and is not "delivering." Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip say that Iran has realized that the investment in Al-Sabireen has not been worthwhile because the group has not been able to do anything "dramatic" in the past two years. By "dramatic," the sources mean that Al-Sabireen has neither emerged as a serious challenger to Islamic Jihad or Hamas, and has not succeeded in killing enough Israelis.

So Iran has gone running back to its former bedfellow, Islamic Jihad.

For now, Iran is not prepared fully to bring Hamas back under its wings. Hamas, for the Iranians, is a "treacherous" movement, thanks to its periodic temporary ceasefires with Israel. The Iranian leaders want to see Hamas killing Jews every day, with no break. Ironically, Hamas has become too "moderate" for the Iranian leadership because it is not doing enough to drive Jews out of the region.

That leaves Iran with the Islamic Jihad.

In a surprise move, the Iranians this week hosted Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shalah and senior officials from his organization, in a renewed bid to revive Islamic Jihad's role as the major puppet of Tehran in the Gaza Strip. Islamic Jihad officials said that the visit has resulted in the resumption of Iranian financial aid to their cash-strapped organization. As a result of the rift between Islamic Jihad and Iran, the Iranians are said to have cut off nearly 90% of their financial aid to the Palestinian terror organization.

Some Palestinians, such as political analyst Hamadeh Fara'neh, see the rapprochement between Iran and Islamic Jihad as a response to the warming of relations between Hamas and Turkey. The Iranians, he argues, are unhappy with recent reports that suggested that Turkey was acting as a mediator between Hamas and Israel.

Other Palestinians believe that Iran's real goal is to unite Islamic Jihad and Al-Sabireen so that they would become a real and realistic alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Whatever Iran's intentions may be, one thing is clear: The Iranians are taking advantage of the nuclear deal to move forward with their efforts to increase their influence over some Arab and Islamic countries. Iran is also showing that it remains very keen on playing a role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- one that emboldens radical groups that are bent on the destruction of Israel and that share the same values as the Islamic State terror group.

Iran's latest courtship of Islamic Jihad is yet another attempt by the mullahs to deepen their infiltration of the Palestinian arena by supporting and arming any terror group that strives to smash Israel. For now, it seems that Iran's scheme is working, largely thanks to the apathy of the international community, where many believe that Iran has been declawed by the nuclear deal.

But more Palestinian terror group leaders may soon perform the "pilgrimage" to their masters in Tehran. If this keeps up, the Iranians themselves will puppeteer any Palestinian state that is created in the region. Their ultimate task, after all, is to use this state as a launching pad to destroy Israel. And the Iranians are prepared to fund and arm any Palestinian group that is willing to help achieve this goal.

Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.

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Comment on this item

16 Reader Comments

Franck Prissert • May 13, 2016 at 10:09

Not much of the above would have happened if it was not for Russia on Iran and Syria's side, and this Administration playing into its hand. Syria is somewhat strategic to Russia because of its Black Sea Fleet support base in Tartus. But why Iran? Russia is no Islamophile, last I checked? So, why Yemen either? And why Turkey, while I am it? Not that Putin loves Erdogan, but Erdogan sure is trying (forget the plane shooting, it's part of the posturing). There is one very simple answer, and it's called the Route To India, essential to Russia's goal to conquer Eurasia. It needs to control the Turkish Straits, the Suez Canal, and the Straits of Aden and Hormuz. Iran is its proxy, the tree that hides the Russian Forest (btw, in case you missed it, Ukraine is a piece of the puzzle, and next will be Georgia). Now, if anyone thinks conspiracy theory here, let me know and I'll refer you to two books, one written for the Russian Military Command in 1997, which speaks, among other things, of the Russo-Islamic Alliance, the other one written as a counter in 1998. Here is the real question, then. If I know this, why is the Obama Administration letting Russia expand its sphere of influence? If it is succesful, soon we'll reach a point of no return, and Russia will have followed the 1997 script. It spells the end of the North Atlantic Alliance.

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Zvi Lando • May 10, 2016 at 02:33

The people of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Egypt and Iran are already paying the price of the Manchurian President - now comes the bill to the Palestinians.

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Mike • May 9, 2016 at 13:40

In conclusion, the Iranians are finding it just as hard to deal with the Palestinians as the Israelis do.

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EH • May 9, 2016 at 12:37

U.S. recent insider White House commentator claims Obama was not successful in making any deal with the Iranians, at all! Claimed that such a deal was for public consumption and a total lie. Why then, and under what personal arrangement is the Obama government sending billions of dollars to Iran?

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Kieran • May 9, 2016 at 09:36

While it is wise to be wary of Iran in these times of increasing sectarianism in the Muslin world, how would it be possible for a Shia state like Iran to control an overwhelmingly Sunni community like Palestine?

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Dr David Zuck • May 9, 2016 at 09:30

How long will Jordan last as an independent state if sandwiched between two Iranian clients, Syria and 'Palestine?'
What will history say about the legacy of Obama's diplomacy?

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Ora

Dr David Zuck • May 9, 2016 at 14:35

Dr. Zuck, you ask,"What will history say about the legacy of Obama's diplomacy?" Well that depends on who writes the history or re-writes it. Either a hagiography or the exact opposite. I tend to favor the exact opposite.

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Norm • May 9, 2016 at 09:00

This is what we have to thank Obama and his cohorts. He will go down in history as the worst President of the USA.

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Mickey Oberman • May 9, 2016 at 08:14

This terrible imbroglio in which probably many hundreds of thousands or even millions will die is part of Obama's legacy.

Thanks Yanks.

Don't forget his successor, Hillary Clinton.

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Josephine Bacon • May 9, 2016 at 07:21

I remember the days when Iran was pilloried by the Arab states because the Iranians were not Arabs! This fact, and the Shia-Sunni divide should drive a wedge into the cosy relationship between Hamas and Iran who surely do not trust each other?

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Frank Adam

Josephine Bacon • May 10, 2016 at 05:15

Ref Josephine Bacon's comment, Hamas and Iran have already been in and out of bed together more than once.
When it suits, people stomach their distastes - remember Churchill making it up with USSR 1941 to 45.

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Josephine Bacon • May 10, 2016 at 06:35

The Arabs can't live in their own countries without killing each other. Even if they receive help and get relocated they cant integrate. They receive religious instruction to demolish any other religion except their own. Shia, Sunni in open war.

If we focus on the above, and look at the success ratio involved in the plan set by the mullahs to turn the world into Muslims, it looks to be a non starter.

The only problem in that is on its journey into oblivion many millions will be slaughtered.

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Elena

Josephine Bacon • May 12, 2016 at 13:33

The mastermind of world chaos continues blithely on, playing golf and retreating into his world of make believe. And his minions in the U.S. shout his praises. I guess they think THEY will never receive the bill for this evil.

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Frank Adam • May 9, 2016 at 07:11

Hitler got away with re-militarising the Rhineland, the Sudetenland at Munich then the Anschluss and the rest of Czechoslovakia. Understandably he exhausted his trick cycling and Poland brought the house down on him -let alone his braggartly invasion of Russia.

So far Hamas and Hizbollah have got away with a number of teases (?) over Gaza and the Lebanese border - but if they trigger another 1948 that could be the end of any Arabs, "Between the River and the sea."

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Frank Adam • May 10, 2016 at 06:58

Absolutely, the hard line mullahs and politicians are being mollycoddled at present, based on their present free run as pretend refugees along with the diabolical assistance of Obama, Kerry and other such notables who will go down in history with the Stalin and such like.

The powers that be in the Muslim world are forgetting that different races and religions have lived together for aeons, that is not going to change, and if the Arabs maintain their pursuit for world domination, at some point people are going to get wise and retaliate. It is and will be a terrible process.

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Shloime

Frank Adam • May 11, 2016 at 12:16

Some say that chess was invented in Iran. Whatever the historical truth, the mullahcracy seems to be pursuing a policy of pushing its pawns, as a means of controlling the board that is the Middle East, at minimum risk to themselves.

One aspect of this policy means that they are willing to fight Israel, "to the last Lebanese". But unlike actual chess pieces, these pawns have feelings, and some won't agree to be used. Even if Hezbollah can deliver the Shiites, they are still a minority in Lebanon, and the majority are even less supportive of Iran's ambitions. Hamas, because they are Sunni, possibly even less so.

The second weakness in their strategy is that there is no guarantee that Israel, or America, will play by the rules. Real life isn't like chess. Sooner or later (hopefully sooner) someone will get tired of pushing pawns around the board and strike at the head of the snake.

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