Dina Abdel Fattah Throughout history, humanity has often borne the heavy cost of rulers' obsessions. These leaders, whether afflicted by severe psychiatric issues or driven to madness, have left millions of people as victims of their destructive behaviour. While some may blame the public for enabling these lunatics to take or maintain power, I see these maniacs as nothing more than a test from Allah. They behave similarly to pandemics or natural disasters, devouring the people. The only difference is that the persons behind these calamities are well-known to us. I begin this piece with this preface to emphasise the reality that the acts of these maniacs' and their consequences are unexpected. Because of the horrors committed by these rulers, history is rife with incidents verging on mythology. Strangely enough, these rulers find someone who believes in them and supports their existence. These are regular human helpers. They may be driven by fear of becoming victims of these rulers' persecution, or by a desire to profit from the state of chaos generated by these madmen, even if it means counting the corpses of others. Before I go any further, I'd want to point you a few examples of tyrants who subjected mankind to various forms of torture, injustice, and violence without batting an eyelash. Human cost of rulers' obsessions The Pharaoh of Egypt stands at the top of history's pages as he ordered the death of all newborn boys so that no opponent could challenge him for the country's sovereignty. He commanded that his servants construct a stairway to reach the Lord. His people experienced various forms of torment, murder, and famine. Caligula, a descendant of the family of the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, declared himself a god, made the people taste the colours of hell, murdered children in front of their fathers, and committed many types of abominations until dawn brought him to install his horse in charge of the state and forced the people to submit to this strange command. Another example of a tyrant is Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, who murdered academics and burned literature. This is in addition to other insane activities, such as castrating males and turning them into slaves. History remembers figures like Genghis Khan, whose conquests left a trail of civilian death in their wake. He remains one of history's most destructive rulers. Timur Lenk, founder of the Timurid Empire, followed a similar path. His brutality extended beyond the battlefield, with gruesome displays of executed enemies – their heads adorning the tops of minarets as a chilling warning. The savagery goes beyond the battlefield victors. The notorious Roman Emperor Nero serves as a terrifying example. He took pleasure in destroying the city by burning it down. From Pharaohs to Modern Leaders In contemporary history, there are several examples. There is Joseph Stalin, the builder of the Soviet Union's economy, who deported and murdered millions of people just for disagreeing with his ideals. He oversaw the longest famines seen by the Soviet people in order to strengthen the economy. He is one of modern history's dictatorial emblems. And the Führer Hitler, who devised new techniques of cruelty and violence for himself and revived the concept of human holocausts and genocide in contemporary history, was the originator of the Holocaust and the instigator of the racist war based on hatred for all other races. Benito Mussolini, one of the key founders of the Italian fascist movement and dictator of Italy during World War II, will not be forgotten by history, despite his claims to be a man of the people. This title is unsurprising given that the people picked him as a savior to restore their country's dignity and attain economic stability, but he subjected them to all types of political violence and disregard for democracy, leading his country into a crazy war fueled by hatred. All of these guys led mankind to suffer in a variety of ways, including loss of life and property. Colours of madness The lines of this article or the pages of the newspaper will not be long enough to enumerate the names of these mad and dark monarchs and kings suffering from various psychiatric ailments. Rulers who were initially popular but later turned against their subjects. They shouted slogans like justice, safety, and prosperity. And the people who always wished to live trusted them, but things turned out differently, turning these rulers into an unending torment. In fact, I frequently found myself unable to explain the people's emotions to these rulers, whether via acceptance of cruel behaviour or forbearance with the insane crimes they did. Every time I read a book on the specifics of any of these tyrants' reigns, a burning thought comes to mind: how could the whole world allow them to commit such atrocities? Why did the world tolerate these rulers in prior historical periods? Why did the people remain silently and let the levels of brutality, genocide, and crime to continue for so long?! Netanyahu's aggressive stance The present offers an explanation that has perplexed me for many years. What we see now of brutality, aggression, and madness perpetrated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and all Western rulers against the brave, occupied Palestinian people is a vivid translation and clear explanation of those who accepted crime, violence, madness, and brutality in the past. Over the span of 198 days of battle, approximately 35,000 individuals were slaughtered in front of our eyes, with over 77,000 injured. According to a United Nations study released on March 1, "International Women's Month," Israeli troops in Gaza have murdered 9,000 women since the beginning of the slaughter. This figure is likely to be an underestimate since Allah knows how many people are buried under the debris. The number of youngsters slain surpassed 13,000 martyrs. Furthermore, the humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip is disastrous, with approximately 2.4 million Gazans abandoning their homes due to a lack of access to food, water, and fuel. According to a World Health Organisation estimate, the Israeli invasion destroyed 70–80% of Gaza's infrastructure. Repairing this harm will take decades, and removing rubble from Gaza would take 3 to 12 years, according to United Nations Environment studies. According to World Bank and United Nations studies, the cost of destruction to Gaza's key infrastructure is predicted to be $18.5 billion, or 97% of the West Bank and Gaza Strip's GDP in 2022. Will Netanyahu's craziness, Western rulers' backing, and international leaders' quiet come to an end? The answer is "no". Israel will launch a ground operation in the city of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, whether long or short. From my point of view, this operation will be as quickly as possible, as more than 1.5 million Palestinians are gathering in this area, most of whom are displaced from different areas in the Gaza Strip after the brutal Zionist aggression stripped them of all hope for life, leaving only a limited area of land for these people to live on. The Philadelphi Corridor In the case of an attack on Rafah, the casualties might be in the hundreds of thousands of people, given the region's congestion, which exceeds any recorded population crowding rate. Instead of the entire world taking steps to isolate and try this lunatic, "Netanyahu," and for the peoples to reconsider their positions on their allegedly democratic ruler, interest has shifted to the following question: Will Egypt accept opening its borders to the displaced people of Rafah if Zionist aggression bombs this region? This scene, in its entirety, explains why previous generations accepted injustice and brutality, witnessed the loss of lives and destruction, and accepted the madness that comes with power without making any progress toward establishing justice, achieving security and safety, and preserving human rights. Unfortunately, we have made significant progress in terms of technology, science, and human development. Despite this, the brutality of early atrocity remains the most prevalent on the ground. The current situation in the Middle East is deeply concerning. The actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coupled with Western authorities' involvement, signal a precarious turning point. It's increasingly clear that the entire region is teetering on the brink of an all-out war. Recent events underscore this tension. Iran, for the first time, publicly announced its use of military drones to strike Israel in retaliation for an Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The attack resulted in the loss of Iranian military commanders' lives. In response, Israel launched further raids, targeting the Isfahan Governorate in central Iran. Fortunately, these subsequent attacks did not cause significant damage. Although some describe the recent military moves as a "poorly made charade," I do not agree with this opinion, because major wars break out for reasons far less important than the recent Israeli-Iranian skirmishes. Given the state of craziness that controls the Zionist entity entrenched in the heart of the Middle East area, I do not rule out the possibility of the situation escalating further. I am really concerned, and I hope that the repercussions will not be severe. I hope that the Egyptian government will elevate its demands when negotiating with international institutions, leveraging high-caliber negotiators. The economic and security implications for the state due to ongoing regional events are substantial. We anticipate further discussion on this matter in future editions.
