Al Jazeera Analysis April 15, 2024: (Scroll down that page 2/3)
… Stephen Zunes, a professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, said the US is trying to “calm things” in the Middle East following Iran’s retaliatory attacks against Israel. While the US has “allowed Israel to engage in some pretty horrific war crimes against the Palestinians”, expanding to an international conflict of this magnitude, especially against a relatively powerful opponent like Iran is something the US will try and prevent, he said.
For the Israelis, however, there are more “hawkish elements” at play, he said. This includes Netanyahu looking to have the international community focus on Israel versus Iran, where he can garner more sympathy compared with Israel versus the Palestinians. The Iranian regime, at this point, can gain politically by not escalating, Zunes added. Israel’s actions in the war on Gaza, with US support, have alienated many non-Western nations and made them less likely to normalise relations with Israel, he said….