لحظة ادراك

 

War of Legends

It is six o'clock in the morning on October 7, 2023, by the time of creeping hell across the Middle East, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the War of Legends. Blood has been flowing heavily since the dawn of this day, continuing without pause, on the anniversary of a year that has passed—a year that unveiled the ugliest side of humanity, filled with scenes and events that have shamed humankind. The memories of that year are still vivid, lingering in both sight and hearing. The combatants have delved deeply into sacred texts to find fitting titles for the symphony of death that will be played by the orchestra of those toying with life. This marks the beginning of another chapter in a seemingly endless war.

In their deep exploration, both sides of the conflict found symbols of floods and swords, later reinforced by arrows—neither Eastern nor Western, but Northern this time—dreaming and deluded by a new order that legitimizes the mass killing in battles of sound and image. These battles have ravaged people, stones, trees, and animals, and before all else, they have struck a fatal blow to all meanings of moral and human values. The world, which has become all too familiar with such scenes, is now weary of witnessing them. Much of it no longer desires to see these horrors, some unable to stop them, while others are unwilling to do so. The war's weight has now shifted to Lebanon, politically branded with the slogan of "returning the northern residents to their homes." This has become one of the declared objectives of the war, called "Northern Arrows," prior to completing the announced goals of the "Steel Swords" war on the primary front, driven by international, ideological, and opportunistic interests set by the government of legends led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a dramatic scene worthy of a spy novel, an unprecedented cyber war erupted. Hezbollah’s communications systems were bombed twice, covering Lebanon and the areas in Syria where the party’s cadres and elements are present. A third strike followed, targeting a highly secret meeting of the leadership of the support and disruption front, known as the Radwan Forces, the crown jewel of Hezbollah's power. Within seventy-two hours, thousands of Hezbollah leaders, cadres, and key members were out of service, either killed, blinded, amputated, or surviving only to grieve the loss of their wives and children. The shockwave reached even the ambassador of the resistance axis in a country governed by the reality of a state within a state. The losses, still hidden, are undoubtedly far greater.

The death machine accelerates to claim the crown jewel—what is referred to as the "Master of Resistance," a man of grand, yet fragile theories, including "Haifa and beyond Haifa," who has shattered the hearts and backs of a wide audience from a nation searching in vain for someone to lead it. After a long, embarrassing wait, the head of the axis responds with a festival of cross-border rockets, numbering over two hundred, killing none of their intended targets. Instead, one person from war-ravaged Gaza, who had taken refuge in the West Bank after Gaza’s crossings were closed, was killed when debris from an Iron Dome-intercepted missile fell on him. The West Bank streets, rooftops, and balconies were filled with people lost in illusions, celebrating the death festival that claimed none but their own.

Thus, in the cycle of actions and retaliations, while awaiting new meaningful targets for the combatants, the death spiral continues—until the conflict’s patrons decide otherwise.

It was incredibly difficult to defy the familiar instincts of a frenzied and unconscious audience from your own people, supporters, and religious allies, who glorified the lust for killing and the raging, suppressed instincts of vengeance from a century of conflict. From the earliest hours of this new chapter of the War of Legends, live broadcasts of a grim mixture of resistance operations and black-flagged massacres were shown: killings, dragging of elderly women and children into death tunnels, and voice recordings detailing how many of the enemy’s citizens were killed in the "death zone" around the miserable Gaza Strip. These scenes made it abundantly clear that we had just slid into the furnace of a major catastrophe, one that will dominate sight and sound, not from a soothsayer's perspective, but from a deep, accurate understanding of how the other side perceives and defines the events unfolding and how it will act in light of this historical, unrepeatable opportunity under the government of legends and the far-right’s deep-seated racism and extremism, bolstered by unprecedented support in the early hours and days of the war. One of the leaders of reality in this region declared on behalf of a people suffering for a century, saying to a deaf, blind, and mute world: "It’s me and my enemies, and whatever may come, even if it’s the flood that will sweep the region into this inferno."

In whispered conversations with close confidants amidst the unfolding events, there was an attempt to visualize the scene’s outcome and the overwhelming jubilation of your people. However, in truth, the imagined scenes of bodies in the streets, with no one to rescue them, entire neighborhoods flattened, and mass displacement far from their homes seemed far worse than anyone could have anticipated. The traditional mediators and extinguishers of past black chapters are now paralyzed. The sheer enormity of what happened exceeded anything that could have been imagined, lacking only an accurate measure of the hatred stored within the other side’s populace—a hatred that far exceeds that of your own people. Thus, the fires of death rain down, wielding the latest in mass-destruction technology, marking the start of a fierce war, one of pure hatred, a war of attrition, existence, religion, and ethnicity—call it what you will.

In this war, proportionality between action and reaction has no meaning. The vast disparities in numbers and equipment hold no value. Whether you believe it or not, this is the reality. Ladies and gentlemen, a single faction ruling the Strip of Misery through the language of de facto power, led by a man named Yahya Sinwar, who spent more than two decades in the prisons of his enemy, has decided, outside all known strategic texts worldwide, to ignite a major battle, calling it the "Al-Aqsa Flood." He dismissed all the knowledge humanity has accumulated in military sciences, instead embracing delirium and mystical beliefs that a divine promise would intervene, believing himself to be the exclusive agent of heaven. Yet, we do not know if he understands that the first revelation to Muhammad, peace be upon him, was, "Read in the name of your Lord who created…" Did you, as a leader, read any chapters on the strategies of modern warfare, its consequences, and how to manage it with the least possible losses to achieve the great victory you promised your people, a victory that has mesmerized the masses? They blindly followed you, beating the drums of war, while many still refuse to believe that we have suffered a great national catastrophe.

They continue to await a divine promise, convinced it is certain to come, as if divine promises are fulfilled solely through prayer, after minds, science, and logic have been suppressed and disabled. How did he convince himself to use religious texts to sanctify a battle doomed from the start by the standards of science and logic? What guarantees that the enemy would not interpret it in the same way, which indeed happened? The government of legends now seeks to turn it into hundreds of battles in an open-ended war, a religious war of existence. Did you know beforehand the language of religious wars and their requirements, risks, and consequences for your people, and the entire nation behind them? If you didn’t know, religious wars are among the most brutal and vile recorded in human history. You should look back at history—although we doubt you know much beyond what’s in the black-flagged texts that fill your memory.

What means of resilience did you provide for your people, aside from the land crossings you attacked on the morning of October 7th, knowing full well they are the lifelines for the miserable people you claim to rule in God’s name? Water, electricity, medicine, food, clothing, and fuel all pass through them. Even if you are relying on your Arab neighbors, they are well within the death machine’s reach, on land and in the sky. You won’t even be able to reach them by foot, let alone trucks, even if all the borders are wide open on the other side. Is your sole plan to open the airwaves for screaming, wailing, and lamentation the only strategy you have?

What did you prepare to counter the firestorm raining from the sky? Death comes so swiftly from the warplanes that you neither see nor hear it until it is too late. These planes are operated by legitimate governments acting for the benefit of their people. If you are relying on the death tunnels you built for yourself, leaving your people to face their fate on the earth’s surface, then this is another matter altogether, one unheard of in the history of nations fighting to defend their people and their legitimate rights. Even these tunnels, used so selfishly and recklessly at the expense of human lives, have now lost their effectiveness. You are now competing with those fleeing death for shelter, hiding among them like a shepherd who seeks refuge with his flock.

How did you plan your strategy to confront the ground machine advancing across the scorched earth, which had already been hammered by the sky’s firepower? What you possessed was clearly insufficient to halt this vast invasion of the Strip of Misery. Most areas across the Strip have been trampled by tank treads. Even in regions that haven’t yet been overrun, you know, your enemy knows, and the wretched citizens now also know that they are merely on hold, awaiting the conclusion of the first phase of any potential hostage deal, if that even happens at all. Then they will be herded from death to an open desert.

What plans have you prepared for forging alliances and opening battlefronts that will engage in the sacred jihad when one of the allies faces a deadly war? Or is it just night talk that disappears by day, while you confront death alone? And when the fleets moved in the seas and the heavy sticks were raised, they dispersed from around you. At best, they were kind enough to activate one of them as a distraction and support front, rising and falling according to the proximity of a broader war or the distance from it. Even this support and distraction has remained stagnant, hesitating until the rolling machine of death turned fully toward them. Now, under fire, they are between two bitter choices: either the scenario of Gaza, with all its scenes that surpass the darkest of black dramas, or turning back with all the geopolitical consequences for a sectarian project that billions have been spent on. Or perhaps they will wait for a missile or march from a few thousand kilometers away from another seasonally activated support front controlled by the interests of the Guardianship of the Jurist or an operation coming from the West Bank.

What plan have you prepared to exit the war and force your enemy to stop it, other than the hundreds of hostages you hold, whose number has dwindled to a hundred, more than half of them dead? They are now part of the costly price of war in the eyes of the "government of myths." They are now a means to kill, not stop the killing. What has happened and will happen in the endless negotiations is only to mislead because the mission of decisively ending the cause of a people fighting for a century has not been completed yet.

This is how war strategies are built according to the logic of charlatans, those detached from reality who continue to be obstinate, waiting for a miracle from the sky in an age when miracles have ceased. This is the price for not recognizing that science is the only way to solve problems. Science does not care about our suffering, groans, hopes, prayers, or good intentions. Wrong assumptions, poor judgment of probabilities, and ignoring the facts while relying on emotional biases will inevitably lead to impulsive decisions. The outcomes will certainly be catastrophic and tragic, as we have experienced.

The social media mobs, disconnected from reality, will pounce on you, moving the discussion from a high-level debate based on facts, which are evident, to a low-level one filled with accusations of treason, conspiracy theories, and insults. As if any of that would contribute to resolving the catastrophe and tragedy we’ve slid into. Pointing fingers at the Arab regime and the Arab armies won’t solve the problem—it’s an escape from taking responsibility. No Arab regime or army ever promised you anything and didn’t fulfill it. Openly, they call for the establishment of a Palestinian state according to international legitimacy resolutions and internationally sponsored negotiations. You can argue or hold them accountable within the framework of what they advocate for, questioning whether they've exerted enough effort. Not to mention that the lifeline extended to Gaza and its people comes largely from the very Arab regimes that the herd directs curses and insults at day and night. But, if you have the moral courage, direct your blame toward the head of the resistance axis you’ve joined under the banner of the Guardianship of the Jurist, who loudly speaks of sacred jihad. It has resulted in nothing but a distraction front from southern Lebanon by Arab members, who, despite sharing religious beliefs, have neither prevented killing nor stopped wars. Now, with the machine of death turning toward them, they need something to lean on, in a state within a state on the verge of collapse, kept alive by Western oxygen after Arab support has been cut off due to alignment and polarization. They cannot afford to lose an airport, port, or even a single bridge, with their response to the killing of their Chief of Staff Fadi Shaker deemed weak and feeble, except for those who refuse to see the facts. The truth of leadership assassinations and sabotage has been confirmed through incidents such as communication system bombings and assassinations of leaders. Meanwhile, the head of the axis, having lost the symbolic leadership of your project in the very home of the Guardianship of the Jurist regime, is still "studying his options." Lebanon, once the crown jewel of the axis, is now receiving fatal blows, while the promised fire messages have turned into messages and offers of peace and coexistence in the face of fleets that roam the surrounding seas. After a long wait and securing the necessary international consultations and clarifications, the response came as we saw it. Still, no blame can be placed on them—this is a country that took 14 hours and outside help to find its missing president on its own soil. Hundreds of its elite scientists and military leaders have been killed inside and outside its borders, and its nuclear archive has been seized. What more could be expected? Their only fault is entertaining the dreams of the naive and the gullible. As for throwing the ball of fire toward the leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority, it is another form of escaping responsibility. Quite simply, someone might ask: since when have you acknowledged its existence or respected it at all, or any of the efforts made to unite the political system and reunify the homeland? Your media constantly undermined them, morning and night, casting doubt on their options and struggles while downplaying all efforts to mobilize the world to halt the war. The head of the Palestinian Authority has, in no uncertain terms, completely rejected your actions, having anticipated the outcome before it even occurred and warned against it repeatedly, but to no avail.

As for blaming the United States and the West in general, it’s one of the most absurd jokes anyone could hear. If this is your perspective, then you’re either in a coma, unaware of what’s happening around you, or you know the truth but are hiding it from those who have been detached from reality and continue to orbit your sphere. If you’re aware, God bless you, then you should know that Israel is the 51st state of the United States. It’s the most important and reliable advanced base in the Middle East, and the U.S. will not allow its defeat, even if it means going to war on its behalf. Not to mention, you’re already listed as a terrorist by them, and they classify your actions as terrorism, justifying the need to eliminate and uproot you. Their only difference from your enemy is in asking to reduce civilian casualties and bring in more aid for civilians. Even this, they blame you for using civilians as human shields and accuse you of stealing incoming aid. After all this, do you still bury your head in the sand, refusing to see the facts as they are?

As for Jordan, if you think you’ll establish a foothold for your axis of resistance there, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood’s supporters to create chaos, know this: the Jordanian dinar is pegged to the U.S. dollar as a protective shield. If you don’t understand what that means geopolitically, then God help us. It’s internationally, regionally, and even religiously unacceptable to destabilize Jordan. It won’t be a base for you, no matter how much you’re misled by the scenes of protests outside the Israeli embassy or at the Husseini Mosque following Gaza’s bloodshed.

5. The pivot made by the occupying forces, shifting the main focus of the war toward the northern front, was based on three main factors. The first is practically closing the door to negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal, keeping it open in appearance only. This relieves internal and external pressures, maintains the cohesion of the "Government of Myths," which would never pass a prisoner exchange deal under its watch, and shifts the narrative and event away from the core of the crisis. The second factor is ending the threat emerging from the north at its roots, treating it not merely as a distraction or support front, as significant intelligence and data have become available, enabling them to do so. Hezbollah has become an open book, and this golden opportunity will not present itself again. A lot has been achieved on the southern front, and the final resolution there can be delayed until focus shifts back, with favorable internal and external conditions. The third factor is relieving the heavy burden on the "Government of Myths" regarding the scene of the displaced from the north and the heavy political, economic, and moral costs associated with it.

6. A precise reading of the current fronts where the occupation forces are engaged indicates that they are pursuing absolute resolution, like someone chasing a mirage. Despite the achievements of the military and intelligence apparatus across all major fronts opened so far—achievements that cannot be doubted—they still require a politically viable framework to maximize these military gains, rather than allow them to be wasted in a prolonged stalemate. The ideological framework of the "Government of Myths" cannot comprehend or accept political solutions to these crises. The pursuit of absolute military resolution encounters a deadlock and fierce resistance from the other side, defending its existence and legitimacy after suffering massive losses. The idea of subjugation through firepower has limits that, in the current situation, cannot lead to absolute resolution on any front. On the northern front, to which the focus has just shifted, it is clear that Hezbollah has suffered deadly blows at all levels—human, material, and otherwise. Even if the occupation forces enter southern Lebanon, a single missile could be fired daily from any part of Lebanon by Hezbollah remnants, signaling that the conflict is far from over, preventing any settlers from returning to their former homes. The only solution is a political one, involving the return to Resolution 1701 and its provisions. The occupation forces, which accepted this resolution 18 years ago, are now seeking to return to it with all the necessary guarantees to prevent Hezbollah from circumventing its terms, under the pressure of military advances. Despite the military achievements on the ground—particularly the decoupling of the northern and southern fronts, something Hezbollah is unwilling to accept, at least publicly—Hezbollah cannot accept this after suffering such losses. To do so would invite criticism from both its enemies and allies, unless the decision comes from the leadership of the Resistance Axis or the system of the Supreme Leader. As for the southern front, which remains the main theater of conflict, with a final resolution pending the conclusion of the northern front, there are only two options: pursuing a partial prisoner exchange deal that could be palatable and marketable to both sides of the equation within Israeli society, or pivoting again to fully engage the southern front, in line with the vision of the "Government of Myths." This would involve advancing into the central areas of the Gaza Strip, completing the comprehensive destruction, and resolving the hostage crisis militarily, which would likely result in the death of most remaining hostages. This would also enable the execution of the grand plan for the future of the Gaza Strip, despite all the associated costs. However, even then, they may discover that the existing threat has not been fully eliminated.

As for the other fronts, they will react to what is happening, as peripheral conflicts, fluctuating in intensity depending on developments. No decisive solutions will emerge, as all are awaiting the grand settlement sought by Iran's new leadership at the negotiating table with the United States and the new administration of Kamala Harris, aiming to address Iran’s domestic needs and those of its proxies, even with minimal compromises. But will these expectations align with reality, given the multitude of players and conflicting interests? Such alignment is unlikely. The existential battles being fought by Benjamin Netanyahu and his "Government of Myths" will thwart any such efforts, and the status quo will persist until internal changes occur within Israel, which is the essence and beginning of the conflict.

7. The heated U.S. election campaigns and their potential outcomes are among the most critical factors intertwined with everything happening in the Middle East. They are central to the calculations of all parties involved in the conflict. On one side is Kamala Harris, who has taken a carefully measured distance, in both form and substance, from the Biden administration’s support for the "Government of Myths"—of which she remains a part—desperately needing to maintain the discussion of a hostage deal without allowing the war in the south to expand into a decisive confrontation. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent pivot, a hasty move forward to avoid the consequences of any prisoner deal, goes against the wishes of the current U.S. administration and its presidential candidate, which seeks to prevent a broader regional war. On the other side is Trump, the ideal choice for the "Government of Myths." He implicitly agrees with Netanyahu’s view that the Biden administration should not be granted any image of success, which could give Kamala Harris an advantage in the intensely competitive race, with thousands of votes at stake, especially in swing states where the Arab and Muslim vote will have a significant impact and where there is a desire to see the war come to an end.

Trump, with his promise to give Netanyahu’s government free rein in all directions to resolve the conflict across all fronts with unwavering support, may or may not follow through. However, his stance is more realistic, given the current U.S. electoral landscape. This is the reasoning behind the recent pivot toward the north, under the pretext of allowing settlers to return to their homes, while keeping the southern front at a moderate level of conflict, with limited air and ground operations. At the same time, the door remains open for a hostage deal, with new obstacles being created whenever mediators make progress, all while eyeing a postponed resolution that lacks Biden's administration's approval—at least for now—and without upsetting Trump, Netanyahu’s preferred option, by giving his rival Kamala Harris any political points.

In light of the upcoming anniversary of the "War of Myths" and just weeks before the U.S. elections, all the forces involved in the conflict, directly or indirectly, will be held accountable by their respective audiences. This includes the "Government of Myths," which must account for the declared objectives of the war: ending the primary threat from the southern front, eliminating Hamas as a military entity and governing system, recovering the hostages, restoring normalcy to the "death zone" around Gaza, addressing the emerging threat in the north, and enabling the return of tens of thousands of displaced individuals. The hostage issue remains unresolved, and the situation in the West Bank is on the verge of widespread escalation. Additionally, there is the cross-border threat from Iran, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq.

To address all this, Netanyahu employed political maneuvering, temporarily shifting focus to the north. This strategic pivot did not lead to a ceasefire, a broad war, a resolution of the hostage crisis, or any accountability. It merely postponed the reckoning until the results of the U.S. elections are clear. Regardless of the election outcome, Netanyahu is preparing for military resolution on both the southern and northern fronts. If Kamala Harris wins, Netanyahu believes she will be unable to prevent this, as his actions have not outwardly harmed her chances of victory. Conversely, if Trump wins, Netanyahu will find himself in an even more comfortable position, having not given the Democrats any political points at Trump's expense. He will have continued the war, left the hostage file unresolved, and thus ensured that he has a free hand, with greater political and military support than ever before.

In this scenario, we are heading into the second year of the "War of Myths," which the other side aims to use to decisively eliminate the Palestinian survival project in all its forms and alliances. So, what are we going to do? Has the time not come to stop lying and start calling things by their true names? Has the time not come, after all this suffering, to stop the denial and refusal to face the facts on the ground? Yasser Arafat set sail in 1982 when his presence became a burden on his popular base, despite the heavy cost of that decision. However, compared to the death and destruction that would have befallen Beirut and its people, it was a less costly approach. Shouldn't we now consider formulating a Palestinian-Arab-international approach based on dismantling all armed factions in Gaza and the West Bank, implementing a hostage deal with the known conditions, handing over weapons to a Palestinian-Arab force under international supervision, and ensuring the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza? Wouldn’t this, combined with the reopening of the crossings under Palestinian-Arab-international oversight, pave the way for the reconstruction of Gaza? Shouldn’t we be this clear, without ambiguity or avoidance? Or will we bury our heads in the sand and remain motionless, awaiting the worst that we can already foresee? Do we need another ten thousand martyrs, thirty thousand wounded, the destruction of what's left of people's homes as winter approaches, the reoccupation of Gaza, the death of the remaining hostages, widespread destruction in the West Bank, tens of thousands of victims, detainees, and the dismantling of the last remnants of the national project?

The same fate awaits Lebanon. It will fare no better than Gaza, as it too is caught in a grim situation that cannot be salvaged by rehashing slogans like "If I had known." This line of thinking will not save anyone.

We are filled with doubt, bordering on certainty, that those in power are incapable of seizing any opportunity, as they continue down the path of lies, illusions, and internal conflict. Their slogans, sacrifices, and tunnel vision will only lead to one outcome, given the horrific cost of inaction. Where are the visionary minds and leadership capable of turning this tide? Where are they?

Note: This translation aims to capture the essence of the original text, while ensuring clarity and coherence in English.