Israel is an apartheid state; peace in West Asia is far off: Gideon Levy Premium

Gideon Levy discusses Israel's militarism, the Palestinian question, and the challenges of achieving peace in West Asia.

Israel is waging a war against Iran and has launched a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Gaza, despite a ceasefire, continues to witness Israeli assaults, while settle violence goes on in the occupied West Bank. “For Israel, the military option is not the last option, but the first option,” says Gideon Levy, Israeli journalist and author. In a freewheeling conversation with The Hindu, Mr. Levy said Israel’s militarism “is very destructive, and it also shapes the mindset of people in this country.” He also spoke about Israel’s decapitation strategy, the status of the Palestine question and the scope for peace with Iran. Edited excerpts.

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Let’s start with the ongoing war on Iran. Do you think Israel and the U.S. are winning the war or they entirely miscalculated the Iranian response?

As it seems now, there will be no clear victory in this war. There will be a heavy price which is being paid already now. Both parties, the United States and Israel, launched this war without having any idea. The cause of changing regime in Iran might be a legitimate cause and the needed one for the security and the freedom of the region, but I’m not sure it can be achieved all by force. And even if, let’s say, a miracle happens and the regime in Iran falls; and then what? Does anyone have any clue who will replace this regime in Iran? We are facing the same problem with Hamas in Gaza. Israel does not want Hamas. Hamas is really a bad organisation, but nobody has a clue who can replace Hamas. So if you don’t have an endgame, a clear endgame, don’t start wars. And we are now in the stage in which it gets more and more complicated, more and more bloodshed, more and more destruction, more and more countries joining. I mean, there are already almost half of the region is in war. Who will benefit out of it except of the arm dealers and arm industry?

Israel has always used decapitation as a strategy to achieve its objectives. Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed on February 28. Just now, Ali Larijani was killed. Do you think such killings have helped Israel become a safer country?

Not at all, with a capital letter. First of all, I have my doubts about the legitimacy of such actions. You don’t kill heads of states, I mean, unless you are facing a Hitler, which is not the case [here]. But let’s put aside the moral and the legal question. What did Israel achieve out of all the assassinations throughout the years? The replacement is almost always more radical than the predecessor. What do you think that the son of Khamenei will be more moderate than the father, or the contrary? So I don’t think it’s legitimate. I don’t think it’s legal, but above all, it doesn’t serve any purpose because finally you have to think who is going to replace all those leaders.