Restoration of peace in the Middle East (ME) remains a far cry. Israel is continuously massacring the non-combatant Palestinians with full impurity. The post-October attacks situation in ME is worsening and the bloodbath in Gaza seems unstoppable. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the USA the previous month further assured the unconditional American support to Tel Aviv during the Gaza war. Bloodshed and violence in Gaza are too one-sided to be called a war. Israeli forces are targeting the residents of Gaza without discriminating between the fighters of Hamas and non-combatant civilians.
The appropriate title for this merciless bloodshed is “Genocide”. More than 40,000 deaths included men, women and kids. Member states of UNO have approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop the genocide of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces. Hearings are taking place in ICJ at a time when Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory has already been declared illegal by the same court in another case. This becomes amply clear that the brutal use of force by Israel in Gaza lacks legitimacy and moral standing..
Global South is raising the loudest possible voice in solidarity with the Palestinian victims of genocide. Public sentiments in the Muslim world are boiling and critical questions are being raised about the so-called neutrality and efficacy of UNO and UNSC. American support to Tel Aviv in all weathers is viewed as a partnership in war crimes against Palestinians. The first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump further exposed the deep-rooted Pro Israel approach of both Democrat and Republican camps. While differing on every point, both presidential candidates made strong statements to prove their unflinching and most sincere support for Israel.
Ironically, none of them felt sorry for the thousands of Palestinian lives lost due to the war crimes of Israel. It is generally believed in ME that peace can never be restored without depriving Israel of the Western support gathered by the USA in terms of arms, ammunition, missile shield, financial aid and favorable veto at UNSC. The credibility of the USA and its Western allies is highly questionable on the issue of human rights violations and violence in Gaza.
The silence of Western quarters once viewed in contrast with the extraordinary biased reporting of the Gaza tragedy, reveals the true hypocritic side of the powerful global players. Most of the time Western media has been trying to downplay the war crimes of Israeli forces. Blatant smoke screening of the Palestinian plight in the hands of the genocidal regime on Western Media is the reflection of Islamophobic double speak.
Netanyahu’s address to US Congress was also counted as another unpleasant episode exposing the blatant biasedness on the part of American decision-makers. Neither the US legislators nor the so-called free media could make Netanyahu accountable for the ongoing war crimes including genocide in Gaza. Undeniably, the rogue conduct of Israel is the product of questionable unconditional Western support. Netanyahu has got a license to kill from those powers who matter decisively in international affairs.
What transpired in Tehran with the assassination of Ismael Haniyeh is the worst outcome of American support to every illegitimate activity of Tel Aviv. Hollow statements of US officials about a vague ceasefire in Gaza and peace dialogue carry zero weightage. How ceasefire can be ensured once Israeli forces are targeting the unarmed civilians, hospitals, refugee shelters and administrative structures in Gaza. Illegal occupation of Palestinian territory remains the bone of contention.
ICJ ruling has given enormous legitimacy to the claim of Palestinians. Unfortunately, the case for the occupied territories is overshadowed by the brutal genocide. Israel is playing with the fire without realizing the disastrous consequences in the region. Frequent violations of aerial boundaries of Iran, Lebanon and Syria have become a new norm for Israel. The extension of the Israel-Hamas war in the region is being predicted by many of the analysts and officials of the global players.
Questions rightly arise that how the UNO is going to avert the brewing crisis. The ongoing genocide in Gaza, unquestioned aerial violations and high-profile assassinations on the sail of a sovereign country are extremely illegitimate proactive activities on the part of Israel. Saner quarters in the Western world have started criticizing the criminal support of their governments for Israeli war crimes.
Peace in the Middle East is directly dependent on the response of the Western world. Genocide in Gaza is more brutal and illegitimate than the invasion in Ukraine. There should not be duplicity in dealing with the invaders and the genocidal regime.
