Critical Analysis

By Emmet O’Reilly

Saturday 3 August 2024

Emmet O’Reilly is an Irish-Iranian history student at NUIG (University of Galway)

This piece will address an increasingly problematic narrative I have been seeing in news media and discussions in apparent “left-wing” outlets in the West, there is also a huge conglomerate of leftist content creators who promote these same narratives some examples to keep an eye out for are Richard Medhurst, ”SaveSheikhjarrahnow”, Max Blumenthal. They all share the following views that I write about in the following sentences. I am referring to the common misrepresentation of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a bulwark against imperialism and Western hegemony. This is a disturbing interpretation of what has been, since its inception, a sexist, xenophobic, sectarian theocratic dictatorship, which hijacked a popular anti-monarchy pro-democratic revolution in 1979. It is important during this turbulent time in the world, that we have moral clarity and not let ourselves slip into un-nuanced and simplistic narratives. We need to call out hypocrisy and lies where we see them, whether it be from traditionally “friendly” media or the establishment.

The perspective I am writing from is one of a wish for freedom for all peoples, including the Palestinians, by liberating themselves from the apartheid genocidal state of Israel.  

By the same logic, I am calling for “Women, Life, Freedom,” the slogan of the Iranian uprising of 2022. The reason I say that Palestinian liberation and the liberation of all groups in Iran are not mutually exclusive is that the statement is often seen as contentious by a portion of the Western left, who see the Islamic Republic of Iran as a counterweight to Israeli influence in the middle east and that if the Islamic Republic ceased to exist so would armed Palestinian resistance. 

I hope in this piece you will see how this is a false narrative and that Palestinian resistance will only harm itself by associating with the Iranian regime. In addition, it is important to mention the irony of leftists supporting a regime that is notorious for holding leftist political prisoners or in many cases the open execution of them. The primary example of this is during the war with Iraq when the opportunity was taken during the chaos of the conflict to execute thousands of Iranian Marxists, many of whom were charged with moherab (war against God) by the recently deceased Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, also known as the Butcher of Tehran. 

You will often hear from a section of the Western left, “I don’t agree with everything Iran does, but Israel must be opposed.” I really think we need to start challenging these arguments openly because It only takes the use of the same moral hypocrisy in an Israeli context to understand how ridiculous it sounds. If someone says they don’t agree with all Israeli policies concerning Gaza but still supports the occupation of Palestinian land in the West Bank, would this be acceptable? Of course not! So why don’t we apply our condemnation of authoritarianism consistently? This speaks to a larger problem of double standards within the left around condemnation, and nonsensically defending totalitarian dictatorships whether it be the Chinese Communist Party, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Assad’s Syria, or Russia, solely based on the fact they are in opposition to Europe and the United States.

The Islamic Republic of Iran supports resistance to Israeli tyranny in the form of various armed groups, Hamas being the most prominent. But is this support genuine?  I argue it is not genuine or consistent. The Islamic Republic has no other interest but to further its own ideological influence over the Middle East. We see this in the case of Iraq, which has a majority Shia population (as does Iran), where the tentacles of the Iranian regime spread its influence greatly, using the excuse of religious connection. This is leading to the risk of Iraq becoming a proxy of the Islamic Republic which already has powerful militias in the country like Haashd al-Shabi as well as Iraqi Hezbollah. This is the same outcome that the Islamic Republic wants for Palestine – it is purely an alliance of convenience. 

The Sunni group, Hamas, does not share an ideological or religious basis with Tehran. If a real independent Palestinian state was created tomorrow with a Hamas government that wanted to retain sovereignty and cut ties with the Islamic Republic, Iran would attempt some form of state interference. The Islamic Republic has no compassion for the Palestinian people because it only sees them as tools for its ambitions. One only needs to look at the horrific treatment of Iran’s domestic population to see this, through the complete denial of ethnic minority rights whether they be Ahwazi Arabs, Kurds (Sunni), or Baloch (Sunni).

The Iran-Iraq war provides stark examples of the illegitimacy of the Islamic Republic’s solidarity towards the Palestinians. In the eight-year war (1980 -1988), Saddam Hussein, using weapons sold by the Americans, attacked the newly formed Islamic Republic. Between 1981 and 1983, the Israelis sold $500 million worth of weaponry to Iran. Ranging from parts for F-4  fighter jets, as well as tanks. Interestingly, although at the time, the Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, was referring to Israel as an “enemy of Islam,” he still approved the weapon sales, though of course, he denied this. In 1982, Former Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, acknowledged the fact that Israel sold weapons to the Islamic Republic so they could destabilize the perceived threat to Israel by Saddam Hussein, it is important to note that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) at the time were actually fighting alongside the Iraqis against the Islamic Republic.

For fear of this becoming a personal rant, I will reiterate my core point, which is that championing the Islamic Republic in supposed support of the movement for Palestinian liberation is not only counterintuitive but a waste of misplaced energy.

How we will achieve lasting change is not by endorsing any specific group but simply by showing support for Palestinian people to have their self-determination without any outside influence. If the democratic choice made by the Palestinians is Hamas, then it is Hamas. If it is Fatah or another group, then the world must accept this process of democracy, regardless of our individual qualms with any specific political party. 

In the same light, we should support Iranians, especially Iranian women, in their fight for liberty and real democracy. We should listen to them and take them on as our leaders. We must fight with veracity to uphold the values of equality, solidarity, and democracy. 

I will end with a quote from the inspiring women’s rights activist, Fannie Lou  Hamer, that encompasses what I believe, “Nobody is free until everybody is free.”

By Nikola B. Karin

Friday 10 November 2023

There is a new name for the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden. Ironically it harkens to the exact same name Biden tossed at Vladimir Putin right after his invasion of Ukraine¹. Throughout Belfast, right after American envoy Joe Kennedy III visited the city, the shouts, “Butcher Biden” filled the air². At this point, over 7500 civilians had been massacred in Gaza by Israeli forces with American-funded weaponry. The same cries have been heard all throughout Ireland, from major cities to tiny towns to busy streets, it has been whispered in workplaces and shouted out across college campuses. What is especially important to note is that this, however, is not the first sin of “Butcher” Biden, and it is far from his last.

Joe Biden’s Track Record

Joe Biden was elected to the senate in 1972 on an anti-war, progressive platform. But his opposition to the Vietnam war was not based on any sort of loyalty to the working class, or moral outrage, it was a purely calculated position. To Biden, the war was nothing more than “lousy policy.”³

Biden’s lack of moral fibre would become evident quite soon with his hawkishness on the drug war. Joe Biden could in fact be described as nothing less than an architect of the American drug war. Biden constantly criticised president Carter for not taking business as usual in the war on drugs⁴, and during the 90s authored a major crime bill that would accelerate the war on drugs. Largely as a result of the drug war in America, roughly 2 million Americans are in prison – as a proportion of the population this is the highest in the world. In spite of this, the amount of drug-related deaths in America since the beginning of the war has only increased. It is arguably clear then, that Biden neither has the heart to be in opposition to draconian measures or the brain to be talking about, “lousy policy.”

In 2002, Joe Biden was one of 77 senators to vote in favour of the Iraq war. Over 280,000 have been killed in Iraq ever since the war⁵. During the war itself, over 150,000 were killed, and the escalation in violence in the region can be placed on the war as well.

While Joe Biden was vice president, the POTUS, Obama escalated the usage of drone strikes by tenfold. In 2016 alone, Obama’s drone strikes in Afghanistan for example, killed over 1000, in Somalia, which America never even declared war on, over 200 were killed⁶. Over 100 were killed by American drone strikes in Yemen.

Under Obama, weapons sales were agreed upon with Saudi Arabia during its invasion of Yemen. After almost two years in office, despite his thorough lambasting of prince Mohammed bin Salman and his promise he would not cut arms deals with Saudi Arabia⁷, more arms sales were approved. Over 150,000 have been murdered since the start of the war. 

Biden’s Relationship With Zionism

Joe Biden’s support for Israel is nothing more than a cold and calculated position. In 1986, after praising America’s aid to Israel as one of the best investments ever made, Joe Biden infamously said, “Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel.”⁸ Of course, Israel was also a largely British and European invention of settler colonialism. Regardless, for Biden, all that matters in a deal is that more profits flood in for the war industry, no matter how much blood is needed to oil the wheels. This is clear from the approval of an over 14 billion dollar aid bill to Israel during its terrorist invasion of the statelet of Gaza.

The Plans For Gaza Must Be Opposed

Despite Israel’s increasingly wanton acts of violence in Gaza, the mass bombing of hospitals, of United Nations shelters, of schools, and of even graves (Perhaps the IDF has concluded that using the miraculous technology at their disposal Palestinian fighters have begun recruiting zombies), Biden’s support of Israel has not changed. 

Where Biden has differed on Netanyahu is very important to highlight, as Israel is the junior partner in their bloody alliance. Joe Biden has made comments recently in support of putting the Palestinian Authority in charge of Gaza after the war, saying “There needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state.”⁹ Only a day ago, the Palestinian Authority said that they would be interested in playing a role in Gaza if the US properly backs a 2 state solution¹⁰. 

Biden is attempting to paint this as a necessary change to keep “extremists”, such as Hamas out of Palestine. But, we should be absolutely clear, Hamas has become synonymous with the entire opposition force of Palestine. Every single political party, group, etc which is not part of the increasingly isolated Fatah camp has been either branded a terrorist or lumped together with Hamas to paint Palestinians as bloodthirsty Islamists similar to ISIS fighters. Such comparisons are absolutely shameless, we should note that extremists such as ISIS do not even support Palestinian liberation because they do not recognise the moral authority of any modern Arab nations. 

The Palestinian Authority has become an unchecked dictatorship that regularly murders and silences any opposition. Edward Said rang the alarm bells even in the 1990s, describing Arafat as increasingly becoming a dictator¹¹. Fatah has not even won an election for decades, they have roughly the same level of support as Hamas – by no measure of democracy is the Palestinian Authority the body that should be ruling Gaza or anywhere. There has already been an assassination attempt on Abbas since the start of this war and a mutiny by P.A. security forces¹². The rank-and-file of Fatah itself is unhappy with Abbas’ and the leadership’s compromising attitude towards Israel, even at this time.

If the P.A. is put into power in Gaza, it will be put into power, once again, as a junior partner of the Zionist regime, it will be put into power upon the mass graves of the entirety of Palestinian political society, ranging from opposition groups within the PLO itself, within Fatah itself, and as well as those outside the PLO. The expansion of settlements will not end, and as the war floats once again into the background, much of the world will forget. Palestinians will suffer as the slow genocide rolls on. There is only one solution: A secular, democratic Palestine, from the river to the sea, and we must vigorously push against Netanyahu or Biden’s plans for Palestine.

1. Daniel Boffey, Shaun Walker, Philip Oltermann. “Biden: ‘butcher’ Putin cannot be allowed to stay in power,” The Guardian, 27 March 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/26/biden-butcher-putin-cannot-be-allowed-to-stay-in-power
2. Christopher Woodhouse & Press Association. “There should be ‘no red carpet’ for US Special Envoy in Belfast, Palestine rally told,” Belfast Telegraph, 28 Oct 2023. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/there-should-be-no-red-carpet-for-us-special-envoy-in-belfast-palestine-rally-told/a972496916.html
3. Jeremy Scahill. “1970S: Vietnam War”, The Intercept 27 Apr 2023. https://theintercept.com/2021/04/27/joe-biden-vietnam-war/
4. David Stein. “The Untold Story Joe Biden Pushed Ronald Reagan to Ramp up Incarceration Not The Other Way Around,” The Intercept, Sep 17 2019. https://theintercept.com/2019/09/17/the-untold-story-joe-biden-pushed-ronald-reagan-to-ramp-up-incarceration-not-the-other-way-around/
5. Neta C. Crawford. “Blood and Treasure: United States Budgetary Costs and Human Costs of 20 Years of War in Iraq and Syria, 2003-2023”  Costs of War, Mar 15, 2023. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2023/IraqSyria20
6. Jessica Purkiss, Jack Serle. “Obama’s Cover War In Numbers: Ten Times More Strikes Than Bush,” Jan 17 2017. https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2017-01-17/obamas-covert-drone-war-in-numbers-ten-times-more-strikes-than-bush#:~:text=Obama%20embraced%20the%20US%20drone,to%2057%20strikes%20under%20Bush.
7. Jeff Abramson. “Biden Urged to Halt Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia,” November 2022. https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2022-11/news/biden-urged-halt-arms-sales-saudi-arabia#:~:text=At%20the%20start%20of%20his,months%20of%20the%20Trump%20administration.
8. Middle East Eye. “Joe Biden’s long history of pro-Israel statements.” YouTube, uploaded by Middle East Eye, 21 May 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Nrv5izaTs
9. Peter Baker. “Biden Warns Israel Not to Occupy Gaza,” New York Times Oct 15 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/us/politics/biden-israel-gaza.html
10. Mark Landler. “Palestinian Authority Open to Gaza Role if U.S. Backs 2-State Solution” New York Times Nov 9, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/09/world/middleeast/palestinian-authority-gaza.html
11. Edward Said. “Edward Said interview (1994).” YouTube, uploaded by Manufacturing Intellect, 6 June 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAu-52feMS8
12. Palestine Chronicle Staff. “24 Hours Ultimatum to Mahmoud Abbas – Who are ‘Sons of Abu Jandal’?” Palestine Chronicle Nov 6, 2023. https://www.palestinechronicle.com/24-hours-ultimatum-to-mahmoud-abbas-who-are-sons-of-abu-jandal/