Israel: A Prelude to A Wider War? Prof. Jeffrey Sachs Explains

➡ Concerns exist that a full-blown attack on Gaza by Israeli Defense Forces, possibly assisted by the US Navy, might lead to an international conflict involving prominent Middle Eastern nations, and violate international law as per warnings from the UN Secretary General Guterres, potentially escalating a vicious cycle of bloodshed, hatred, and polarization.

Are you worried that if the Israeli Defense Forces go too far and literally level Gaza, and if the United States Navy shells Gaza either directly or through jets that are on the Air Force Carrier, that Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Jordan, Egypt are not going to sit still? Yes, I think that if there is a full blown attack on Gaza, there will be a wider war. Iran and others would probably call for that, and there would be probably some reaction in that way.

In other words, a full blown attack against millions of people trapped in this very small, extremely densely settled enclave would be a prelude quite possibly to a wider war. Secretary General Guterres said today he called on Israel to abide by international law, by international humanitarian law, by international law of warfare. He said that besieging Gaza. Cutting off all food, water, power would violate international law. If I heard correctly, the quick tape, remember, I’m halfway around the world, so I’m just hearing parcels of information.

But clearly the Secretary General warned specifically about that kind of overreaction. And not only that it would be a deep violation of international law and a humanitarian catastrophe, but I think that we have to judge that it could absolutely lead to a wider war. Here is the UN Secretary General in New York. Earlier today. With a 56 year long occupation and no political end in sight, it’s time to end this vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred, and polarization.

Know him, you’ve advised him, you talk to him, just like you and I are talking now. Without cameras and microphones, is there little more he can do than make public statements? I’ve advised three secretaries. General. It’s an incredible and unique job being Secretary General. All the problems come to you, but all the power resides with the major powers. And so he embodies international law. He embodies the decisions made by the global community, but he can’t enforce any of those.

That depends on the United States, China, Russia, UK, France, the permanent five members of the Security Council together putting into practice the decisions that have been made by the global community, including the UN Security Council. But what he also noted is this is 56 years onward of this occupation, and there is no two state solution in prospect because a significant part of the Israeli politics, led by the current Prime Minister Netanyahu, and a significant part of the US politics that supports Israel, has never wanted it.

And certainly the current government in Israel doesn’t want it. And so this impasse is not something that UN Secretary General can resolve. But what he is saying is that without a resolution of the underlying politics, there is no peace. Know, I think this is the main lesson that I see for Ukraine, for Israel and Palestine and for so many other conflicts. A very, very famous saying by the theorist of war, von Klauswitz.

His most famous saying is that war is the continuation of politics with other means. This is important for people to understand when you see conflict. This is not madness almost ever. It’s politics. .