One question that has been nagging at me since Israel launched its genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza is this: Where are the Islamic State (IS) and others of its ilk who claim to be fighting the enemies of Islam? Has the genocide targeting Muslims in Gaza escaped the attention of these self-proclaimed warriors of the faith? The Houthis in Yemen have acted. Hizbullah in Lebanon has acted. Yet not a peep has been heard from IS, which seems to have lost its voice or vanished. One cannot help noting that all the victims of IS and other mysteriously funded terrorist groups were Muslims or Arabs living peacefully among Muslims. None of the victims were Israelis who have been on a killing spree against Muslims and non-Muslims in Gaza.

Perhaps one funding source is not that mysterious. Hillary Clinton let us into the secret when she admitted, referring to her government, that “we are the ones who created IS.” The reason that funding stopped is because a new phase of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began when the genocide shifted to full throttle on 7 October. At that point, IS and company suddenly stopped moving, like marionettes whose puppeteers let go of the strings.

This is a recurring story. We saw it play out when the US funded Al-Qaeda to counter the Soviet presence in Afghanistan. Then, after the terrorist organisation served its function, the US turned against it and accused it of committing the World Trade Centre attack in New York. In like manner, Israel once funded Hamas directly and indirectly through some Arab countries. Bear in mind that, until the eve of 7 October last year, Israel was transferring to Hamas its monthly budget which covers the salaries of the current leaders in Gaza. Netanyahu has openly acknowledged that Israel funded Hamas to undermine the Palestinian National Authority, which is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Then Israel turned against Hamas as it turned against IS, which has disappeared now that the conflict has entered its genocidal phase and the terrorism is being undertaken directly by a state actor.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly