By Abiola Olawale
Renowned Nigerian International relations scholar and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has criticized what he called the attitude of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
This is as Akinyemi, a renowned figure in the field of international relations and former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), declared that Netanyahu should be given the ‘’Nobel Prize For Evil’.
Akinyemi, who spoke during an interview with Arise Television pointed out that Netanyahu’s strategy was allegedly designed to drag Iran into a broader conflict, not just with Israel but with the United States.
He said: “I think we are looking at a full-fledged regional war. If it is possible to have a Nobel evil price, Netanyahu should be given that. This is what all his life, the strategy he has been working on, to drag Iran into a war, not against Israel but against the United States. It is not just Iran, but even the United States have fallen for it.
“Openly, Netanyahu disgraces the United States and yet you continue to supply them with weapons, and now Netanyahu has dragged Iran into open confrontation with the US, what he has wanted all his life, and it is a pity those two countries have fallen for it. I don’t think we are going to get any peace move that will work at this time.”
The former foreign Affairs minister opined that the likelihood of a ceasefire or any substantial peace initiatives shortly is not visible, cautioning that the situation is expected to worsen, particularly with the onset of the U.S. election cycle.
However, he expressed optimism that a potential victory by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris could result in a “more equitable policy” that may apply pressure on Israel.
He added: “But between now and the November election, or even the election, I think we are in for a regional war.”
The New Diplomat reports that Israel announced that it would enter a state of war against Hamas after an attack on 7 October 2023 by Palestinian militants.
More than 690 Palestinians have been reportedly killed since then, the Palestinian health ministry says, as Israeli forces appear to have intensified their nearly daily search and arrest raids.
In Gaza, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been reportedly killed as a result of Israeli military action, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
It would also be recalled that the Israeli military recently announced the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party, Hezbollah.
The Israeli military claimed it killed Hezbollah’s leader in an air attack on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.
The death of Nasrallah has sent shockwaves throughout Lebanon and the Middle East, where he has been a dominant political and military figure for more than three decades.
