While the regional tensions today are high, particularly since October 7 and the war on Gaza, the scene is very clear. After nearly ten months of war and the tragedies it has caused, the lines have been drawn, and there can be no more lies or wishful thinking.
There is no need, today, to explain the motives behind Hamas' decision on October 7th, who was behind it, and that it did not yield any gains or even superficial benefits. It was clearly another episode in a series of mistakes that have been made over the course of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
There is no need to explain Iran's position either, especially after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, or the positions of the armed sectarian militias operating in four regional capitals and their actions. The same is true for Hezbollah’s position and goals.
I am referring to the period since the war on Gaza began. As for Iran and Hezbollah's positions, they have been clear for decades, despite all the efforts of some Arab media outlets, and now by social media platforms, aimed at distorting reality and deceiving the public.
This also applies to the Muslim Brotherhood, which tried to build its standing by exploiting the war on Gaza but saw its efforts significantly undermined by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
While the picture is clear, the recent escalation in media rhetoric has been remarkable. We have seen the circulation of false and misleading leaks aimed at tarnishing the image of moderate states, particularly Saudi Arabia, which is leading the drive for reform and development. There has also been a campaign of vulgar insults and accusations of betrayal on social media platforms. So why is all this happening?
In my view, these attacks can be explained by the clarity of the situation. We have reached a stage at which "the ideologies are being shaken" after the ideologues had sought to exploit the Gaza war to consolidate their positions, like Iran, or to recalibrate, like the Muslim Brotherhood.
This has engendered political confusion in some states and apprehension among militias. The groups that had sought to benefit from the Gaza war have realized that, as the conflict nears its end, severe blows are imminent.
Here, I am not talking about winning or losing in Gaza. Rather, I am referring to those who had been planning to leverage the Gaza war in certain Arab capitals: Damascus, Beirut, Sanaa, and Baghdad, and to undermine the authorities in Riyadh, Cairo, and Amman.
The ideologies are shaken because of their fears of losing public support, among both ordinary people and elites, as well as losing the influence they had built through incitement and disinformation in the West, from Europe to the United States, where they continue to make futile attempts to deceive the world.
Today, everyone can see the consequences of the war in Gaza. Hamas is in disarray, choosing Sinwar to lead the movement following the shock of Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Iran. In Tehran and within Hezbollah, we find confusion over how to retaliate against Israel, especially given what Netanyahu is doing to Hezbollah's leadership, for fear of the repercussions.
All of this has shaken the ideologies because the blow has been unsettling on multiple fronts. These are facts, this is where they find themselves. The victims of Gaza are the last thing on their minds. No voice of reason has emerged among them, nor has there been any attempt to mitigate losses. Instead, there all we see are flimsy accusations, insults, and sentimental rhetoric.
