Azmi Bishara Discusses Iran War, Shifting Western Views on Palestine, Israeli Elections

Azmi Bishara, Director General of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, analyzed key regional issues including the "war on Iran," evolving Western perspectives on the Palestinian cause, and upcoming Israeli elections. Speaking at the opening of the fifth "Season of Seminars" organized by the Qatari Ministry of Culture, Bishara described the conflict with Iran as an "aggression" orchestrated by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He argued that this conflict is primarily a US-Israeli-Iranian war, not a regional one, and noted Qatar and Oman's long-standing efforts for peaceful resolution, emphasizing Iran's integral role in regional security.

Bishara characterized Iran's post-revolution foreign policy as driven by sectarianism, impacting its relations in Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf. He suggested that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) might pragmatically lead future reforms in Iran, drawing a parallel with the KGB's role in the Soviet Union. He posited that the IRGC, being more aware of the country's socio-economic conditions, would likely initiate reforms to address the current crisis.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, Bishara observed a growing humanitarian and democratic shift in Western, particularly US and European, public opinion, fueled by social media bypassing traditional media narratives. He believes this trend, driven by younger generations of Arab immigrants in the West who engage with Western political systems, is difficult to halt. Bishara urged Palestinian leadership to leverage this evolving sentiment by presenting the Palestinian cause through a humanistic and democratic discourse.

Concerning Israeli politics, Bishara predicted a continued rightward shift in Israeli society, even if opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot were to become prime minister. He suggested Eisenkot's premiership might present a "peace-seeking" image to some Arab leaders, despite Eisenkot's lack of explicit peace proposals and his stance against a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. Bishara anticipates Eisenkot would focus on consolidating settlements within existing state lands rather than private lands, and that removing far-right ministers would ease pressure on Palestinians, as Eisenkot lacks Netanyahu's explicit expulsion policies.