Daily News Analysis

THE OLD MIDDLE-EAST WILL NOT BE BACK

stylish_lining

Why in the News?

Israel has launched intense airstrikes in Gaza after the territory's militant rulers carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel killing thousands and abducting hundreds of people as captives.

“Old Middle East” will not be back:

  1. Though terror attack by Hamas on Israel can have an impact on the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, it shall be only short-term.
  2. It is unlikely to hold over the long term because for several reasons:
    1. Hamas cannot fight a long-term war with Israel
    2. Regional powers except Iran, have shown little inclination to escalate the conflict.
    3. Iran’s increasing influence in the region will make Saudi Arabia more vulnerable, pushing it closer to the US.
  3. Divided support to the Palestinian cause by the states of West Asia:
    1. The Hamas’ attack was to terrorise Israel and galvanise the West Asian states in repositioning the Palestine problem.
    2. Though it was achieved, it has unified the fractured Israeli government which was facing fractures due to internal political strife.
    3. Presently, Israel gained advantages of:
      1. Mobilised its society
      2. Garnered Western support
      3. Ready to dispatch ground forces which might change the status quo in Gaza strip, as Israel is determined in collapsing the governance and sovereignty of the Hamas organisation.
  4. Hamas’ ability to sustain the conflict rests entirely on the backing of Hezbollah and Iran.
    1. Iran has held that Palestine has a right to resist occupation and blamed Israel squarely for the incident.
    2. Tehran is working in a full-fledged manner to galvanise support in the Arab world.
  5. The Hamas-Hezbollah-Iran connect development has alarmed the Saudis. 
    1. Though Saudi provides unequivocal in their support for Palestinian statehood, it has hard ties with Hamas owing to the latter’s proximity to Iran and Turkey.
    2. Saudi is also under the pressure amidst the growing wave of anti-Israel sentiment in the region to break all ties with the Jewish state. 
    3. Riyadh has suspended its negotiations with Israel, but its vulnerability has multiplied.
    4. The Saudis cannot depend on China and Russia for their security as Iran has stronger ties with these nations and hence, it is likely to remain close to Washington.
  6. US is likely to remain engaged in the region:
    1. It is taking extensive measures to contain the crisis by deterring Hezbollah and Iran.
    2. It has deployed nuclear-powered USS Dwight D Eisenhower and the USS Gerald R Ford carriers in the Eastern Mediterranean.
    3. Antony Blinken visited Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt to assure civilian protection to these states.

India’s Import Curbs on Jute Products from Bangladesh

India has imposed immediate restrictions on the import of jute and allied fibre products from Bangladesh. These apply at all Indian land and seaports except Nhava Sheva in Maharash
Share It

GPS Interference

  GPS interference refers to deliberate or unintentional disruption of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, which are crucial for navigation in aircraft, ships, and ground transport sy
Share It

India’s Civil Nuclear Law Reform:

  India is revising its civil nuclear laws—the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA), 2010—to: Attract private and forei
Share It

Secondary Pollutants

A recent study has shed light on an important aspect of India's air pollution crisis: secondary pollutants, which now contribute to nearly one-third of PM2.5 pollution in the country. These pollut
Share It

Myogenesis

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s Myogenesis experiments on the ISS represent a major leap forward in India’s space research efforts, focusing on the formation and regulation of muscle fib
Share It

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS)

A scholarship scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) initiative by the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education. It Provides financial assistance to m
Share It

Khasi People

The Meghalaya High Court has admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the tribal certificate issuance for the Khasi community.This PIL challenges a government decision that has halted th
Share It

Similipal Tiger Reserve

Odisha High Court issued a notice to the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) over a ban on Munda tribals from accessing Jayara, a sacred grove inside the tiger reserve.This raised concerns ove
Share It

Begonia nyishiorum

A fascinating new species of flowering plant, Begonia nyishiorum, has been discovered in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, further highlighting the rich but underexplored biodiversity of
Share It

Asiatic Wild Dog

Asiatic Wild Dog A new study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has confirmed the return of the dhole (Asiatic wild dog) to Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL) in Assam, after being beli
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS