AFRICA

Netanyahu Provoking Iran, He’s Determined To Have A War, Says Bolaji Akinyemi

Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is provoking Iran in a deliberate effort to start a war.

Akinyemi said this in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday while discussing the tensions that arose in the Middle East after an airstrike was carried out on the Iranian Embassy in Syria, an attack that Iran blamed on Israel although Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack.

The former Foreign Affairs minister said that he was at a loss as to what was happening between Israel and Iran. He said, “There were calls for countries to stop supplying weapons to Israel, even the United States was making noises in that direction. And then a few days later, what do you have? The United States saying it will back Israel to the hilt. So, I don’t understand what is going on in the Middle East. But one thing is clear- Netanyahu, I think he’s determined to have a war, he is determined to have a war. He is provoking Iran and Iran allies in order to pull them into attacking Israel. And when that happens, all other countries will join in.”

He said if Netanyahu’s aim in this war is to protect Israel, he’s going about it the wrong way because even though Israel has nuclear weapons and Iran does not, Iran still has the capacity to inflict significant damage on Israel.

Speaking further on the security situation in the Middle East, Akinyemi said, “Who is provoking who in this particular issue that we are talking about? Israel killed, if you remember, those 7 innocent people who had been there to help aid the hungry, they killed them. Israel bombed the embassy of Iran in Syria, the greatest violation of international law if I remember my international law, they bombed it. Then, Israel killed three children, and I believe four grandchildren of the Hamas leader.

“Now, I ask you, if it were the children of Netanyahu who got killed by Hamas, all Western leaders would be in Tel Aviv by now, commiserating with Netanyahu. Instead, what do we have? The United States saying it will back Israel to the hilt if Iran hits back in retaliation. I mean, if somebody had killed the child of Biden, the United States would have levelled that country by now.”

Akinyemi was then asked if he saw a potential resolution to the ongoing conflict, to which he said, “I don’t see an end to this crisis because each time you think we’ve moved close to a rational end, Netanyahu does something else. If Iran does not retaliate- if you were the leader of Iran, would you want your people to see you as a toothless bulldog that Israel hits wherever it wants to? I think Iran will hit where it wants to hit and when it wants to hit.”

Akinyemi was then asked if he believes the United States is pushing Israel to start a war, with him responding, “President Biden is confused, he is a confused man. I believe that it’s a bad example for eighty-something year old men, speaking from both sides of the mouth. I was having a conversation with an ambassador who visited me just yesterday, and he came up with a theory. He said has it ever occurred to me that the United States may be pushing Israel into actually starting a war, rather than the other way around, that we all thought that the tail was wagging the dog, that has it occurred to me that from the things that President Biden said, and to his supply of weapons, that actually, he may behind the scene pushing Israel.

“I don’t know what the United States may have to gain, but he suggested that I should look at the position of China, that China has kept out of this, has kept quiet, is as quiet as you can come, and that the United States may actually want a war to stop China from overtaking the United States and becoming the number one superpower in the world. Well, I’ve been rolling that around in my head because nothing that President Biden is doing makes sense to me.”

On the threat of a possible war if the situation with Israel and Iran blows out of proportion, Akinyemi said, “All of us should be worried, including China that has stood aside and allowed Russia, the United States, even Iran, probably hoping they will burn themselves out, It’s only a misstep that constitutes a mistake that will lead the world into war. People may think that they are managing this crisis, they are not managing this crisis. How could you be managing the crisis when you deliberately go and kill three children of your opponents? Are children now targets of war? Even Hitler didn’t do that. Well, Hitler killed everybody, but at least he was mad, and maybe Netanyahu is the new Hitler that we have, which will be very unfortunate to use that term.”

However, the former Foreign Affairs minister said that the UN Security Council still should be on standby although it seems the situation has spiralled out of their control.

He said, “I feel so sorry for the Secretary General of the United Nations because he’s done his best. Are we now close to that situation where the League of Nations now became irrelevant? Are we close to the Security Council of the United Nations becoming irrelevant? Yes, we are close, however, that doesn’t mean that the security council should now go home, no.

“I think that in several capitals of the world, people are probably wishing and hoping that the Security Council will just throw one of its resolutions. Maybe people who are involved in this will be tired and will be looking for a face-saving institution, and that’s where the security council will come in. The security council has to be on standby. It is in standby mode now, hoping that somebody will not whisper into its ear.”

Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi