https://arab.news/54tjz
Back in February, in the course of a meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the US and Israel have the same enemies alluding to Muslims. He said: Our war is your war. Our victory is your victory.
But this is not new; Israel has always tried to present itself as a defender of the West. During the Cold War, Israel presented itself as the surrogate fortress to prevent the Soviet Union from reaching the oil fields. After the Berlin Wall fell, this narrative lost its relevance. However, Israel found in Sept. 11 renewed relevance as it was able to position itself as the partner against Islamist extremism.
Israel is portraying its suppression of Palestinians as a clash of civilizations, between the civilized and the barbarians, between darkness and light. Unlike 20 years ago, this tagline is not selling anymore. However, as it is getting desperate, Israel is doubling down on the narrative. Social media is flooded with pro-Israeli posts trying to show Islam in a negative light.
Last September, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Israel, he inaugurated a contentious archaeological site in East Jerusalem. The site is operated by Elad, an Israeli settler group. The excavations supposedly track the route that pilgrims took during the Roman era to reach the two biblical temples. The tunnel starts at Mughrabi Gate and stretches for 600 meters beneath Palestinian homes and the Old City walls, ending close to the foundations of the Western Wall. Hence, it is around the periphery of the Haram Al-Sharif. Critics claim the excavation might result in cracks in the ground structure holding the mosque, and therefore, it might lead to parts of the structure collapsing.
