This is the transcript of a video interview with Mehran Mostafavi, a political commentator and professor of chemistry and physics at Université Paris-Saclay in France. The interview was published on October 14, 2024 on the Persian-language website of Zamaneh Media. It was translated by Frieda Afary.
The situation of the Palestinian people today is painful. What is happening in Gaza, with the murder of more than 41,000 people by the Israeli army, and the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu are unfortunately the results of the historical trajectory of Israel’s policies on one hand and Iran’s on the other.
Since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, the Likud Party has been determined to erase the Palestinian Question. In other words, erase an entity called Palestine or the Palestinian nation, and gradually allow Israel to continue its existence by incorporating the territories on its borders: Gaza, the West Bank, and, according to some, even southern Lebanon, part of Syria, and part of Jordan. Netanyahu and his party have never accepted a Palestinian nation or the two-state solution set forth by the United Nations.
Therefore, what Israel, the Likud Party, and Netanyahu have had in mind and have executed over the past 20 years has been what they themselves consider to be the Final Solution. This is reminiscent of what Hitler wanted to do to the Jews with the horrendous murders he committed and from which humanity still suffers. Netanyahu and the Likud’s Final Solution for the Palestinians is to push them out of their land and take it over. If you look at the United Nations map of Palestine, you will see that from 1970 to today, not much is left.
On the other hand, there is the solution promoted by the Islamic Republic of Iran: hiding its strategic policies under the guise of defending the Palestinian people. The so-called “Shi’a Crescent” brings together Pakistan, southern Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon around Iran’s policies. The Islamic Republic’s policies have not been about defending the rights of Palestinians. How could it defend the rights of the Palestinian people when it suppresses its own people’s rights? Instead, its goal is to guarantee its own stability. This stability was originally created through crisis and war, including the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in 1979, the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), the ongoing nuclear crisis, and Iran’s military interventions in the region to justify its own existence.
In effect, the policies of the Islamic Republic and those of Netanyahu have both weakened the Palestinian people. These policies have been compatible, even though ostensibly they promote clashes between the two countries. Netanyahu announced that the Islamic Republic is an existential threat to Israel, a country that has 200 nuclear bombs and receives around-the-clock support and the largest amount of assistance from the U.S. Even when Netanyahu represses the Palestinians, he claims they are agents of the Islamic Republic. He does not state his true aim, which is to repress the Palestinians simply because they are Palestinians. Instead, he connects Palestinians to Hamas and Hezbollah, stating that since they are agents of the Islamic Republic and members of the Axis of Evil, he must repress them. He even tells Westerners that he is defending humanity, arguing that without Israel’s presence on the front lines against the Axis of Evil of Iran, the West will be harmed. In the meantime, he continues to bomb Palestinians and the people of Lebanon to achieve his goal: the Final Solution, i.e., ending the existence of the Palestinian nation. He wants this entity to go into the dustbin of history, be forgotten, and never have the possibility of realization. Even when the Americans ask Netanyahu about the possibility of a two-state solution, he claims that if a country named Palestine is created, it will be an instrument of the Islamic Republic and a danger to Israel. Thus, we see how the Palestinians are paying the price for the policies of the Islamic Republic.
On the other hand, Khamenei needs an enemy—namely, Israel and the U.S. To justify himself and recruit forces that align with the Iranian regime, he needs to clash with Israel. If Israel accepted the rights of Palestinians, Khamenei would be disarmed. However, Netanyahu needs Khamenei, and Khamenei needs Netanyahu. Both are regimes. Both speak the language of religion. The Islamic Republic wears that identity in its name. Israel considers itself a state for the Jewish people and Judaism and does not honor the rights of others. As we have seen in the invasion of Gaza and southern Lebanon, what is taking place is a human catastrophe.
At the same time, we are facing the moral collapse of the West, especially the U.S., Germany, and Britain, which are helping Israel by supplying arms. On one hand, they call for a ceasefire, while on the other, they send Israel 1,000-pound bombs, tanks, and billions of dollars in aid.
Thus, we see that the Palestinian people are the main victims of Israel’s policies and the collateral victims of the Islamic Republic’s policies. This conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic, which has led to military clashes, exists at a level that allows a weak Islamic Republic to persist for Israel. For the Islamic Republic too, it is important for Netanyahu to stay in power. That is why the Islamic Republic has supported right- and extreme right-wing forces in all Israeli elections. Whenever the Israeli Labor Party had a chance to come to power, the Islamic Republic would organize or assist terrorist attacks to shift Israeli public opinion towards the extreme right.
Now, unfortunately, the Middle East is caught in the clash between these two powers. What is different is that when a clash occurs between two unjust powers, such as the Islamic Republic and Israel, it is the more powerful unjust side that will likely win. Israel possesses greater military power, intelligence, U.S. and Western aid, economic strength, and a populace that, for whatever reason, supports its government. In contrast, the Islamic Republic does not have the backing of its people, nor does it have Chinese or Russian support in its conflict with Israel. Its weak economy means its conflict with Israel will only lead to further deterioration.
However, in the clash between Israel and Palestine, we witness a confrontation between the just and the unjust. The just side is Palestine, which has a right to its land and nationhood. In the war between just and unjust sides, even if the unjust side has overwhelming military might, it will ultimately be defeated. That is why, after a year of mobilization, destruction, and murder, Israel has not been able to resolve the issue of Gaza. Now it is mired in Lebanon.
Both strategies, by Israel and Iran, have been deadly. They have aimed at destroying the Middle East and have practically eradicated democratic forces in Muslim-majority countries. Now in Iran, we see that some align with Khamenei, while a much smaller group supports Israel and applauds Netanyahu.
It is incumbent upon democratic and justice-seeking forces to stand up to injustice. They need to oppose the policies of Israel and the militarism of Netanyahu. They need to say no to Khamenei. This is the fundamental issue. I hope political forces in Iran will deeply understand this situation. The current circumstances could push Iran into a more dangerous state. For Israel, it is easier to have a weak and dismembered Iran than a democratic, independent, and developing one. We need to raise our voices against these policies and promote the project of democracy in Iran.
*Mehran Mostafavi is a professor of chemistry and physics at the Université Paris-Saclay in France.
Watch this interview in Persian:
