When Will It End? Steve Williamson welcomes Paul Lenze, Senior Lecturer for the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University, back to the show to discuss Israel’s expanding military conflict in the Middle East.
More than a year after the horrific attack by Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 were taken hostage, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has killed at least 42,000 Palestinians, nearly obliterated Gaza, and has more recently attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.
“It’s effectively a low-grade regional war at this point with the United States supporting Israel in its efforts to defend itself against terrorist attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah,” says Lenze. But he notes that Israel, as well as the United States, is concerned about Iran. The U.S. does not want to see Iran gain further influence in the Middle East.