The Mainstream Media (MSM) and the Alt-Media Community (AMC) have hitherto pushed the same narrative about Russian policy in West Asia by misportraying it as anti-Israeli, each in advance of their own ideological interests, the first because Israel is the US’ ally and the second because it’s Iran’s enemy. That’s why it’s so surprising that Newsweek, which is one of the most globally known MSM outlets, just published a piece that corrects popular perceptions of Russian policy towards Israel.
Titled “At War in Ukraine, Putin Emerges as Potential Peace Broker in Middle East”, the most important part is the first third where they quote former Israeli Deputy National Security Advisor Orna Mizrahi. She now serves as a senior researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies and can be considered an authoritative source on this subject given her impressive professional experience. Here’s what she told Newsweek regarding reported plans for a new UNSC Resolution to reduce arms flows to Hezbollah:
“We always prefer the Americans, but we understand that, because of [the Russians’] really good relations nowadays with the Iranians, maybe they can provide something that will contribute to this for the stability of any arrangement in the future.
Another point is the fact that they are part of the United Nations Security Council five and if we get to the point that we have some kind of a new resolution about the ceasefire in the United Nations Security Council, we would like that the Russians will approve it.
…
[They have an] astonishing level of appreciation for Israeli military capabilities. I think that this plays a very significant role in their policy towards Israel and this is one of the reasons that they are not doing anything against the Israeli attacks in Syria, although they could do a lot, of course.”
The rest of their article is just contextual filler with some commentary from comparatively much less important figures whose professional backgrounds don’t come anywhere near Mizrahi’s. Before going any further, it’s important for the reader to understand exactly what Russia’s regional policy has been all along, ergo the need to share ten background briefings so that they can understand the narrative significance of Newsweek’s article. They’ll then be concisely summarized before continuing:
* 10 May 2018: “President Putin On Israel: Quotes From The Kremlin Website”
* 12 October 2023: “Russia Has A Balanced Approach Towards The Latest Israeli-Hamas War”
* 19 October 2023: “Russia’s Ties With Hamas Are Pragmatic & Shouldn’t Be Spun As Endorsement Of The Group”
* 21 October 2023: “Russia has a Policy of Principled Neutrality Towards the Latest Israeli-Hamas War”
* 19 October 2023: “Lavrov Revealed That Putin Has Been A Lifelong Supporter Of ‘Ironclad Security’ For Israel”
* 31 December 2023: “Clarifying Lavrov’s Comparison Of The Latest Israeli-Hamas War To Russia’s Special Operation”
* 26 September 2024: “Lavrov Reminded The World That Russia Is Committed To Ensuring Israel’s Security”
* 4 October 2024: “Russia & The Resistance Axis Will Always Fundamentally Disagree About The Future Of Palestine”
* 11 October 2024: “Russia Sells Processed Oil Products To Israel & Facilitates Kazakhstan’s Oil Exports To It”
* 19 October 2024: “Why Do False Perceptions About Russian Policy Towards Israel Continue To Proliferate?”
In a nutshell, Russia condemns 7 October as a terrorist attack and wants to secure the release of all hostages, especially dual Russian-Israeli citizens. It also, however, equally condemns what it considers to be Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinians. Russia remains committed to seeing the implementation of UNSC Resolutions calling for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, but such must live in peace with Israel. Russia is also against unilateral sanctions against Israel.
Israel appreciates this balanced policy and has reciprocated by refusing to impose unilateral sanctions against Russia or arm Ukraine, the latter policy of which is part of an informal quid pro quo for Russia not allowing Syria to use the S-300s against Israel whenever it bombs the Arab Republic. The “close, personal relationship” that Putin formed with Bibi, which Newsweek also informed their readers about despite this previously being taboo among the MSM, plays a key role in maintaining this pragmatic arrangement.
Having concisely summarized Russia’s actual policy towards the region, it’s now time to resume discussion about the narrative significance of Newsweek’s article. Their piece serves to correct the false perceptions that many had on this subject by relying on Mizrahi as the most authoritative expert given her previous role as Israel’s Deputy National Security Advisor. It also suggests that Russia isn’t as internationally irresponsible as the MSM claimed seeing as how Israel is interested in its mediation role.
About that, no other country has earned the trust required by both sides to mediate between Israel and the Iranian-led Resistance Axis, and meditation would indeed be required to resolve the latest regional war since none of the latter’s members have any formal ties with Israel. Iran-Hezbollah and Israel rely on unknown third parties (which some speculate involves Russia) to convey messages to one another, Hamas depends on Egypt in this regard, while the Houthis have no known dialogue with Israel at all.
It would be most efficient for Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis to work through a single mediator, which is the role that Russia can play since all four already trust it enough to agree to this in principle. Israel also trusts Russia, while the US would be forced by these diplomatic circumstances beyond its control to acquiesce to Russia’s inclusion in any forthcoming talks if it wants to actually achieve anything from them. This formula represents the best possibility for negotiating a solution to the conflict.
Russia would represent the Resistance by mediating their talks with Israel and the US per a prearranged framework for representing their interests as a whole as well as each associated member’s. For that to happen, the US must first correct public opinion by getting Americans to no longer view Russia as driven by purely conspiratorial anti-Israeli interests or being internationally irresponsible, thus explaining the purpose of Newsweek’s piece. Mizrahi’s authoritative views on this subject are the means to that end.
Prevailing opinion among the AMC will probably never be corrected though due to how indoctrinated many of its members have become as a result of “Potemkinism”. This refers to the calculated creation of artificial realities about Russian policy for strategic purposes, especially those that contradict Russia’s official policies and are pushed by members of Russia’s global media ecosystem. It was elaborated on in this piece here debunking the false claim that Russia was responsible for the recent Modi-Xi meeting.
Its relevance in this context is that so many members of the AMC sincerely believe the “Potemkinist” narrative that “Russia is secretly anti-Zionist and working with Iran to militarily liberate Palestine” that they’ll consider any such mediation to simply be a “5D chess master plan to psyche out the Zionists”. Their opinion doesn’t matter though since Russia doesn’t formulate its policies based on public opinion, neither at home nor especially from abroad, unlike what the US does on occasion.
The Russiagate hysteria of the last eight years and especially the demonization of Russia over the past two and a half years since the latest phase of the already decade-long Ukrainian Conflict began greatly impedes the ability of American policymakers to pragmatically cooperate with Russia in West Asia. That’s why it’s imperative to begin correcting public opinion through Newsweek’s latest article, which relies on Mizrahi’s authority and expertise, in order to advance the scenario described in this piece.
Nothing might ultimately come of these diplomatic proposals since a lot depends on whether Iran retaliates against Israel for its latest attack, which could lead to an all-out war, but this narrative intervention nevertheless begins the lengthy process of correcting perceptions of Russia. This is required to facilitate the US’ inevitable compromise with Russia for ending the Ukrainian Conflict so it’s opportune that the process has already begun with respect to correcting perceptions of its policy towards Israel.
The overwhelming majority of congressmembers remain pro-Israeli despite a sea change in support for the self-professed Jewish State at the public level so they’re expected to warm up to the idea that Russia’s inclusion in any forthcoming West Asian peace process is integral for ensuring Israel’s security. That would in turn make it much easier for whoever the next president will be to negotiate the abovementioned compromise with Russia over Ukraine and thus more confidently avert World War III.
It’s anyone’s guess when that might happen, but what’s most important is that the MSM has begun the lengthy process of correcting perceptions of Russia as proven by Newsweek’s article that aims to do precisely this with respect to Israel, which the American political elite considers to be their top ally. With time and depending on how everything unfolds, more MSM outlets might join Newsweek’s efforts, which would greatly speed up the process of reaching an agreement to end the NATO-Russian proxy war.
