Iran sent a ‘clear message’ with Israel attack, says Palestinian envoy in Dhaka

He discusses the current situation on the ground and other issues related to it in bdnews24.com’s Inside Out

With a barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israel, Iran wanted to send a message, and they sent the message very clearly, the Palestinian Ambassador in Dhaka Yousef SY Ramadan says.

The message, according to Ramadan, is: “We can reach you anytime we want.”

The ambassador discussed with bdnews24.com the many aspects of the ongoing Gaza war, which has seen more than 34,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military in six months, in the latest episode of Inside Out on Sunday.

The situation has evolved over this time, with the UN stepping in with resolutions and a vote on possible Palestinian membership.

There's also been conflict between Israel and other neighbours such as Lebanon and Iran.

Ramadan said Iran, since the 1979 revolution, has a clear position. They do not recognise Israel, the existence of Israel. They have different parts of the Palestinian Resistance Movement – Lebanese resistance, Houthi, Yemen and others.

But there was never a direct Iranian attack on Israel. In the wake of the recent provocation by Israel through the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria, Iran had to retaliate in a similar way, believes Ramadan.

“Otherwise, if they don't, nobody will ever believe them. Nobody will ever trust them and nobody will ever respect them. So they have dignity and they acted,” he said.

He described Israel as the “spoiled baby of whoever is in the White House”.

“Like they are the first class, not first class citizens, but first class human beings. They shouldn't be fired at. They can do that to you, but you can't reply. They can act the way they want, anytime they want, in any way they want, but you cannot react, no reaction.”

Asked whether Iran’s strike was enough to protect its image in the Middle East, Ramadan said: “Iran wanted to send a message, and they sent the message very clearly. The message says ‘we can reach you anytime we want’. That was a clear message from the Iranians, very clear – today we have done with certain small rockets we sent to you, and it reached 5 percent, 7 percent, 1 percent, but it did.

“Iran is capable of doing much, much more; 10 times, 100 times more. So this message was clear to the Israelis and to the Americans. They sent the message, and that was their job, to send the message only. Because they don't want any escalation.”

Ramadan said Iran also wanted to avoid escalation because that would have given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the chance to drag the US and its European allies like the UK into a direct conflict with Iran.

“And maybe other countries will be involved. That's exactly what Mr Netanyahu wants.”

‘GO FOR THE HEAD’

Ramadan described the violence and subsequent settlement by Israelis at the West Bank as “ethnic cleansing”.

The US, which says it supports the two-state solution to end the crisis, has imposed sanctions on some Israeli settlers for attacking Palestinians in the West Bank.

“Is that enough? No, no, no,” Ramadan said, “It's a drop in the ocean. That's what it is. Because look what happened since the sanctions started on a few people.

“On the other side, they've increased their activity, increased the violence, increased the killing. So what is the use there? This is not the way to do it.

There is a way, according to Ramadan: “You don't sanction a few people. You sanction, first of all, you sanction the people who's helping them, who's instigating them, who's paying them, who's putting this idea into their head, who's mobilising them.”

“All this is done by the state of Israel. So you want to sanction? You sanction the head. If you want to kill the snake, you go for the head. You don't touch the tail,” the Palestinian envoy remarked.

Instead, on Saturday, the US House of Representatives approved a $26 billion aid package for Israel, citing concerns over Iranian threats and despite genocide allegations Israel in the Gaza war.

“Whatever Israel is doing, the Americans are supporting them in full. Today, they decided to giveIsrael $26 billion,” Ramadan said.

“For what? To continue to kill the people of Palestine, to continue to confiscate the land of the Palestinian people, to continue to make life hell for the Palestinian people, to continue to support Israel in all means?” wonders Ramadan.

“You have one country or one state or one entity called the Israeli entity occupying the Gaza Strip, killing the people in Gaza Strip, starving the people in Gaza Strip, making life hell for the people in Gaza Strip.”

“And the US is supplying Israel with bullets, with rockets, with everything. We are killed by American weapons. Our people are dead as a result of the American support.”