Press TV has interviewed Joe Catron, a member of the International Solidarity Movement in New York, to discuss the remarks made by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani who said Israel is reaping the benefits of the continuation of insecurity and instability in the Middle East.
Following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: How would Israel benefit from instability in the Middle East?
Catron: Well I think it is very clear. Through the continuing turmoil around it, Israel has been able to freeze a status quo that works very much to its advantage. It is able to continue its theft of Palestinian lands, its attacks at will on Palestinians throughout the occupied territories and its attacks on neighboring countries like Lebanon and Syria with complete impunity while those regional actors and the world at large are distracted with the conflicts taking place elsewhere.
This is something that works to Israel’s advantage simply because it distracts attention from Israel’s crimes and makes it much less likely for international bodies and foreign countries to apply any real pressure over its ongoing, its continuous aggression against … the Palestinians ...
Press TV: So given this fact, what can be done to stop the instability in the Middle East in order for Israel not to exercise for example what is doing in the occupied Palestinian territories?
Catron: Well I am afraid I am not smart enough to tell you how to bring the current conflict in the Middle East to a halt, I wish I were. I think the most important thing that any of us can do is to keep up the pressure on Israel while seeking opportunities for peaceful resolutions of these conflicts. Israel cannot be allowed to continue its attacks without paying any cost as it has done for too much of the past few years.