As the war in Gaza continues with unabated intensity, pro-Palestinian activists protest in major Western and US cities calling for a ceasefire Human Rights or Politics
Is this "crescendo" of protest motivated by a sense of human rights or does it have a political extension?
The protesters will undoubtedly invoke human rights. But this can be challenged.
If human rights are at the heart of these protest rallies, why are they not talking about the October 7, 2023 holocaust, when Hamas launched a sustained attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, International Media asks, noting:
The Palestinian Sunni Islamist group led the surprise attacks by land, sea and air. The attacks began with a barrage of rockets with more than 5,000 rockets. Hamas-led militants breached the fences with Gaza and entered southern Israel. They killed at least 1,400 people, including children and civilians.
The motive behind the protests
The motive behind these demonstrations is to put pressure on the Biden administration to withdraw its support for Israel after Hamas and its allies failed to contain Tel Aviv's retaliation.
After Israel's decisive action in which many civilian deaths occurred in the Gaza Strip and many Hamas commanders were eliminated, Islamists around the world have called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
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They wanted from Hamas some respite to strengthen their ranks and restructure their tactics to fight the Israeli troops in Gaza. But Israel rejected the ceasefire proposal.
Serious thoughts in extremist Islamic circles about Pakistan's threat to use nuclear weapons against Israel
No one believes that the Islamists would not react since their entire existence-credibility is at stake.
Secret but serious considerations are being made in extremist Islamic circles on how to deal with the situation.
A message has gone across the spectrum that this is a very critical time for the survival of Islamic civilization. Therefore, Islamic leadership of all hues must come together to reflect on the situation on the ground with the Palestinian issue at its core.
The News of December 17 published a shocking report with the caption, "Islamic assembly with Hamas leaders says war would end if Pakistan with nuclear weapons threatened Israel."
Pakistani leaders, in and out of power, have often spoken of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and its willingness to carry out a nuclear strike if circumstances demand it.
The report says that Hamas leaders and Islamist scholars met in Islamabad last week and argued that "Israel's war in Gaza would end if Pakistan, a country armed with nuclear weapons, threatened Israel."
Pakistani newspapers widely reported the discussions of the meeting, which were selected by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
The title of the conference was obvious and candid: "The Sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Responsibility of the Islamic Ummah". The Unity Assembly of the Ummah of Pakistan, a network of Islamic religious organizations, organized it.
The Hamas leader's appeals
Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas boss and one of the prominent speakers, reportedly called on Pakistan through nuclear weapons to play a more powerful role in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"Pakistan is a strong country. If Pakistan threatens Israel, then the war can be stopped," Haniyeh said.
"We have a lot of expectations from Pakistan. Pakistan can force Israel to back down." He considered Jews the biggest enemy of Muslims in the world. Naji Zuhair, another Hamas leader, also attended the meeting. He was reported to have been in Pakistan a few weeks ago.
It is widely rumoured that Hamas volunteers received terrorism training at various training camps in Pakistan and that the Hamas leadership was in regular contact with ISI officials in Pakistan.
Implications-Political benefits for Pakistan
Pakistan is aware of the consequences of taking such a disastrous decision. But the deep state will take full advantage of the situation for political gains
Some Pakistani leaders would find it timely to expose India for supporting Israel.
But is this a solution to the various problems facing Pakistan?
Let us see how Pakistan will try to derive political benefits from the proposal for a nuclear option made by the Hamas leader.
First, Pakistan will use it as a means of lobbying against the US so that the Biden administration will back down on the traditional US support for Israel. The recent joint visit of the Pakistani army chief and the ISI Director General to Washington and their meeting with Secretary of State Blenkin could be interpreted in this context.
Of course, Washington will not change its traditional pro-Israeli policy at the request of the Pakistanis. But Pakistan will project its image as the only Islamic state with nuclear energy and hence its political importance.
Second, by giving wide publicity to the nuclear option, Pakistan wants to send a message to Islamic states that its oldest enemy India is one of the states that support Israel. This could be a ploy to denounce India, particularly in the eyes of Arab states friendly to India.
Pakistan is well aware of the consequences of resorting to the nuclear option. The use of the option will immediately face a backlash from the US, its European allies and India.
People in Pakistan know that their intention behind such a threat is only to emphasise the importance of Pakistan in a divided Uma.
Conclusion
From the above it is clear that Hamas and other Islamic extremist circles are trying to push Pakistan to make a threat to use nuclear weapons against Israel to stop the war in Gaza.
However, this threat will be met with a fierce US-Western backlash that will sink its failing economy.
The point is not to find the mad Pakistani who will press the button, dragging humanity into Armageddon.
