Israel’s unilateral war against Hamas following the terror outfit’s attack on its soil in October 2023 that claimed hundreds of Israeli lives as well as hostages, mostly youth attending a music festival, not only triggered direct combat in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, resulting in extreme consequences for millions of people, but as of yesterday (26) there is now a distinct possibility of nuclear power Iran being dragged into what is transforming into a deadly regional conflict with massive global undercurrents.
It is regrettable that Israel’s hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite relentlessly bombing Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon back to the stone age for over a year with casualties running into hundreds of thousands, has paid scant regard to global outrage, including numerous United Nations (UN) resolutions, calling for a ceasefire.
The unprecedented carnage inflicted on Gaza, disregarding even the most fundamental of conventions, has spared no space, including schools, places of worship, and hospitals, rendering the usually vocal human rights lobby mute and incapacitated. Consequently, despots in other parts of the world have by default piggybacked on the conflict and cashed in on the virtual licence to follow in Netanyahu’s footsteps.
Even though thousands continue to protest on the streets of Tel Aviv against the hawkish actions of their own Prime Minister, Netanyahu’s continued aggressions in baiting new actors into the conflict that began over a year ago has now evolved into war against every entity the Prime Minister deems as a threat to his nation. Israel’s unilateral air strikes in countries like Lebanon, which it continues to bomb as it pleases on the pretext of striking Hezbollah targets with zero accountability, and now Iran on the same excuse, have blurred the rules of engagement and created an unhealthy precedent, while the UN and the rest of the world watch helplessly.
Israel’s eagerness to open up multiple fronts however may prove futile, resulting in it having to defend too much – especially its interests beyond the war zone. Besides, Israel’s continued aggression is unlikely to win it many friends and even those whom it counts as allies will sooner or later be compelled to reconsider their stance in deference to their own domestic political compulsions.
It is such considerations that appear to have prompted even its closest ally, the US, to take the unprecedented step of disassociating itself from the latest attacks in Iran. The US, which usually offers tacit support for attacks on terror targets, has in the recent past been furiously working behind the scenes to preempt any Israeli attacks in Iran, for obvious reasons. It appears that Netanyahu’s disregard for US cohesion has not pleased its biggest ally. While the Americans have maintained diplomatic radio silence over Israel’s long campaign in Gaza and Lebanon, it took just a matter of minutes to officially disassociate American involvement in Saturday’s attacks in Iran.
It appears that even though Netanyahu seems impervious to the notion that modern warfare is not limited to war zones, its strongest ally appears to think otherwise and is aware of the danger it portends by way of an ever-increasing threat of collateral damage. It is in this respect that Sri Lanka was compelled to raise its security level in areas known to be popular with Israeli tourists over the course of the past week, making those areas literally look like war zones.
It has been reported that intelligence reports emanating from a foreign agency dating back to early October had suggested an imminent threat to Israeli citizens in the country, specifically referring to Arugam Bay in the east coast, which is dominated by Israeli tourists as well as Israeli owned and operated business establishments. Furthermore, other tourist hotspots frequented by Israelis such as Ella in the central highlands and Ahangama in the southwestern coast have also been placed under heightened military vigilance stemming from the foreign intel.
This latest episode has rekindled dark memories of the yet unresolved Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, which too was brought to the attention of the security establishment well ahead of the attacks by the very same foreign intelligence agency. Multiple commissions of inquiry have found that it was the failure of those in charge of security at the time that enabled the attacks to be carried out. Having been once bitten, it is unfathomable that local intelligence had to be once again tipped off by a foreign agency on a plot that appeared to be hatching right under its nose.
Be that as it may, subsequent action by law enforcement resulted in three suspects being arrested over the suspected terror conspiracy in the Arugam Bay area. There is also much controversy over the US Embassy in Colombo being the first to publicise the security threat followed by a travel advisory. The US action has had a ripple effect, with other key tourism source markets also deciding to follow suit. The collective move is likely to impact the peak winter tourist season.
Responding to a query as to why the Government failed to inform the public of a security threat – a repeat of the Easter playbook – and leaving that duty to the US Embassy in Colombo, the President, who is also the Defence Minister, stated that there was no necessity to do so. The negative fallout of that thinking is now clearly visible and reeks of political immaturity.
Security agencies have subsequently emphasised that any possible threats have been neutralised following the arrests. However, with the deadly Easter attacks yet without resolution a good five years later and three different governments in office during that period, all of which promised justice but are yet to deliver, prevention is always better than cure. That, at least, is the people’s perception.
No matter the assurances and from wherever they emanate in the world, the fact of the matter is that Israel’s continued aggression against whom and what it unilaterally perceives as a threat to it, has extended the borders of the conflict to way beyond the theatre of war and into such places as a sleepy fishing village in a remote part of Sri Lanka, thousands of miles away from the war zone. It appears to be in recognition of this reality that for the first time the US has distanced itself from Israel’s warmongering.
It is no secret that thousands of Israelis mostly in their youth have fled the country for two very specific reasons: one, to avoid conscription, and second, to get over the nightmare of having fought in the war. Sri Lanka Tourism, in its blind pursuit of quantity over quality in order to showcase arrival numbers, has left the gates wide open for Israeli nationals to enter the country in their thousands on tourist visas. The issue is that unlike other tourists, these tourists don’t return that easily.
It has been discovered that Israeli nationals have not only opened up businesses exclusively catering to their fellow citizens while locals are discriminated against, but even gone on to dominate the hospitality and entertainment sectors in specific areas such as Arugam Bay on the east coast and Ahangama on the west coast, catering to both tourist seasons, leaving locals fuming. It seems that the conflict in the Middle East has finally succeeded in exposing these illegal activities with the majority of these foreign-owned businesses not paying taxes nor dealing in local currency, with transactions taking place directly between overseas banking institutions, offering little or no benefit to the local economy, other than boosting arrival numbers.
It is therefore up to the new regime to revisit the tourism strategy of the last one in embracing ‘war tourism’ and welcoming those fleeing war zones, especially in Israel, Ukraine, and Russia. Even if such tourists are entertained as the tourism authority is obsessed with numbers, their movements need to be strictly monitored not only for the purpose of safeguarding the local economy but, more importantly, for safeguarding the security of this nation – for it should not become collateral damage for wars it has nothing to do with.
With an all-important General Election due in a little over two weeks from now, the new regime will have to play its cards right and tread cautiously on delicate terrain if it is to continue to maintain domestic peace and enjoy minority support.