Israel Helpless Against Wildfires, Rushes to Blame ‘Terrorism'
Doha – Massive wildfires swept across central Israel on Wednesday, exposing the state's inability to protect its settlements despite its advanced military capabilities.
The blazes, described by officials as 'possibly the largest in Israel's history,' have forced thousands to flee while authorities predictably rushed to blame Palestinians without evidence.
The fires, spreading rapidly through wooded areas near Jerusalem, have overwhelmed Israeli emergency services, forcing the self-proclaimed regional military power to beg for international assistance from European countries to battle flames on its own territory.
'We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,' admitted Shmulik Friedman, Jerusalem District Fire Commander. 'We are far from having control,' he conceded as the fires continued to rage unchecked.
True to form, Israeli officials immediately began suggesting 'terrorism' as the cause, despite having no evidence.
An unnamed Israeli security source claimed to The Media Line that 'terrorism is suspected' and that 'several arrests have been made' – following Israel's well-established pattern of attributing any national emergency to Palestinian resistance.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority hastily reported the detention of three Palestinians from Jerusalem, while extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees the fire department, explicitly accused Palestinians and called for their execution – all without investigation.
These accusations came even as the head firefighter Friedman explicitly stated: 'We do not currently know what caused the fire, we have absolutely no clue, and we are not yet dealing with this.'
The same state that boasts about its military superiority found itself paralyzed by natural fires. Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to support firefighters while declaring they were 'in a time of national emergency.'
Read also: Israel Releases Sole Survivor of Its Deliberate Attack on Paramedics in Gaza
Despite deploying 120 firefighting teams and 12 aircraft according to local reports, Israel was forced to request assistance from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Italy – a stark contrast to its ability to deploy hundreds of aircraft for offensive operations against Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
Israeli affairs expert Ismail Al-Muslimani told Al Jazeera that Israel's request for European assistance demonstrates its failure to manage such crises despite its claims of technological superiority.
Al Jazeera correspondent in Jerusalem, Elias Karam, noted that 'Israel possesses hundreds of aircraft capable of starting fires in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, but lacks sufficient resources to extinguish fires within its own territory.'
The fires have shut down Route 1, the main highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, stranding travelers who abandoned their vehicles to escape on foot.
Television broadcasts intended for Memorial Day ceremonies were replaced with footage of Israelis fleeing along smoke-filled highways.
At least 22 people have been treated for injuries, primarily smoke inhalation, with 12 requiring hospitalization. Hadassah Medical Center began evacuating non-critical patients as precaution.
Eight settlements west of Jerusalem were evacuated, with authorities issuing evacuation orders for additional communities as the fires spread. An Israeli military base was reportedly surrounded by flames, with soldiers trapped inside according to local media reports.
The fires forced the cancellation of many events planned for Israel's Independence Day celebrations. Minister Miri Regev announced that the main event scheduled for Wednesday evening in Jerusalem would not proceed due to the emergency.
As darkness fell, firefighters remained far from containing the blazes, with Commander Friedman warning that expected winds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour could further spread the fires through the Jerusalem Hills.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials continued their baseless blame game rather than focusing on the emergency at hand.
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