The political world's indifference to Palestinian suffering

Gaza has been turned into a ghost town following Israeli’s genocide campaign Photo Twitter/@Timesofgaza

Palestine – “They’ve turned the concentration camp into an extermination camp. That’s a very true statement. Sadly, Palestinians are paying an extremely heavy price for being Palestinian and for daring to stand up. What is equally tragic is the fact that the world is completely ignoring this. The world is looking the other way allowing Israel to get away with genocide.”

Over the course of seven decades, the Palestinian people have endured unfathomable hardship, marked by a relentless struggle spanning generations. This enduring fight has witnessed the systematic erosion of fundamental rights, including access to education and freedom of movement. They have endured this fight while the world watched doing nothing, said Israeli Miko Peled, author of The General’s Son. The way the world has acted towards the atrocities against the Palestinians will be “a dark stain” that will be remembered for eternity.

“We don’t see demands for sanctions. We don’t see capitals around the world kicking out the Israeli ambassadors and calling their ambassadors in. We don’t see any of the diplomatic measures that one would expect when a state behaves in such a savage, brutal way towards other people, towards human beings. Millions of people are under the brutality of the Apartheid regime.”

Peled is not unknown to the struggles of Palestinians. His father, Mattityahu Peled, was a veteran of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and a general in the Six-Day War of 1967. Following the Israeli cabinet’s dismissal of his inquiry into an alleged war crime in 1967, he turned into a proponent for Israeli engagement with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Initially mirroring his father’s path, Peled enlisted in Israel’s Special Forces after high school, attaining the coveted red beret. However, he quickly came to regret his choice. He relinquished his prestigious status to become a medic. Deeply disillusioned by the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon war, he symbolically buried his service pin in the earth, signifying his profound dissent.

The Inhumane Cruelty

Since 7 October more than 2 000 Palestinians, mainly in Gaza, have been killed by the Israeli Defence Force, more than one third of them being children. With over 55% of the population being children in Gaza, the cruelty is multifaceted. From daily harassment by soldiers and settlers to the constant fear of losing their homes due to bombings, the torture is ceaseless. The world’s silence is a betrayal of humanity. However, the suffering endured by Palestinians transcends mere statistics. It’s a daily reality of life stripped of basic human rights.

“The cruelty towards Palestinians is a daily occurrence, it’s a daily reality. It’s the cruelty of knowing that you’re Palestinian and your life doesn’t matter. It’s a cruelty of being harassed by soldiers, police and settlers. It’s the cruelty of knowing that if you walk down the street, then you are clearly a target and anybody can shoot you because they think you’re a terrorist. The cruelty of not knowing if your home will be there when you return from school as a child, if your parents will be alive, if your parents or siblings will be imprisoned knowing that you have a sibling or a parent in prison and unable to see them and knowing full well that they’re being tortured. The torture of Palestinians goes on on every facet of life.”

SMread: “Second Nakba” as Israel orders 1.1 million Gazans to flee

Media bias and political manipulation

While the brutality of Israel unfolds before the global audience, residents of Gaza are bravely exposing the savagery they endure. However, an alarming trend emerges as several media outlets increasingly favour Israel and its Defense Force (IDF), portraying them as victims in this crisis. Moreover, these media channels persist in disseminating misinformation, such as the debunked tale of 40 Israeli children being beheaded. Major news organisations like CNN continued to broadcast this false narrative even after its falsehood had been confirmed, perpetuating a disturbing pattern of misinformation. Media bias in favour of Israel was glaringly apparent when CNN’s senior political correspondent, Abby Philips, conducted an interview with an IDF soldier. The soldier claimed Israel’s genocide campagin “is not just with Hamas, it is with civilians” and framed it as a battle between good and evil. Surprisingly, Philips did not challenge or question these statements.

Betzalel Taljah, an Israeli army officer, says “the war is not just with Hamas, but with all the civilian [Palestinian population].” pic.twitter.com/1V0JbpUwwA

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 16, 2023

This uncritical approach by news outlets has transformed them into platforms for disinformation campaigns, distorting the reality of the situation. Peled pointed out this skewed portrayal creates a false image of heroism while ignoring the lives lost on the Palestinian side. Such media bias perpetuates Israel’s victim narrative, eliciting global sympathy, despite the undeniable brutality exhibited in Israel’s genocide.

“The problem is that people get sucked into the stories that Israel is perpetrating. They’re sucked into the discussion that Israel puts forward as opposed to saying Israel you have no voice right now. You have no right to sit at the table. You are a criminal state. You are a criminal regime and you will pay the price for this.”

To further push their agenda, IDF soldiers have been captured threatening journalists who are reporting on Gaza and the atrocities committed within the world’s largest open air prisons.

“We will turn Gaza to dust!”

An Israeli policeman threatens a reporter live on air before turning to face the camera.

The face of fascism.pic.twitter.com/iGbb1Z5plv

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) October 15, 2023

The role of the United States

Antony John Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, has undertaken diplomatic visits to several Arab nations and Israel under the banner of a peace mission. Despite this facade, the contradiction in US actions is evident. While claiming to pursue peace, the US continues to supply military aid to Israel, raising questions about the sincerity of its peace efforts. The US, a historical ally of Israel, must confront its complicity in these crimes before they can even think of being a facilitator of justice.

“Blinken has gone to Arab countries. It means that negotiations are coming up and negotiations are inevitable. It’s all a question right now of who’s going to have the upper hand when they start negotiating. The United States is complicit with these terrible crimes. There’s no other way to describe it and this entire idea that somehow they are able to be intermediaries is absurd. One would hope though that when we do get to the point of negotiations, the Palestinian stance would have enough support to really get some real political gain as a result of this operation. Hopefully they will be able to get some serious political gain but they’re going to need the support of the world.”

Global conscience vs. political indifference

As the world bears witness to this tragedy, it is a test of global conscience. The suffering of the Palestinian people demands action, not mere words. Political leaders globally have demonstrated a disheartening lack of action. Despite public sentiment favouring Palestine, governments have been slow to condemn Israel’s atrocities and in some cases, backing it. Countries like the US, Uk, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even the European Union released a statement supporting Israel.

The stark contrast between public sentiment and official political positions underscores the politicians’ prioritisation of their image in the political arena, rather than genuinely considering the opinions and concerns of their constituents. Once more, it reveals their disconnect from the people they are meant to represent.

Peled raised a pertinent query about the normalisation of ties between Muslim countries and Israel. He also questioned why African nations, including South Africa and others that endured Apartheid and dictatorships, continue to support Israel—a nation that historically backed the Apartheid regime and numerous dictatorships.

“People in the streets protesting is very nice but that doesn’t change anything. This particular government or that particular government expressing solidarity is not going to do anything. Diplomatic missions of the State of Israel need to be shut down. Their ambassadors need to be kicked out in shame. States around the world need to bring their ambassadors back home from Tel Aviv. Sanctions have to be discussed … There needs to be zero tolerance to Israel everywhere and anywhere … it needs to be starved. It needs to be brought down very similar to the campaign that took place against Apartheid in South Africa.”

Humanitarian crisis: Impending catastrophe

The recent developments, including the forced evacuation of Palestinians, hint at an impending humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s intent to flatten entire regions signifies a deeply troubling escalation. While there were reports of a nine hour ceasefire to ensure aid to be brought into Gaza and allow foreign passport holders to leave, Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, has denied such an agreement has been reached saying, “There are no such efforts underway at this time. If anything changes we will inform the public”.

Israeli troops and tanks are already massed on the border preparing for a ground invasion. However, Peled believes the attack has not taken place as Israel is worried.

“Israel has refrained from putting ground troops into the Gaza Strip because in 2014, once again, the Palestinian fighters have shown themselves to be superior to the Israeli fighters. The Israeli ground forces suffered heavy casualties and so they have refrained from that. What they want to do now is, they want everybody to get out so that they can bring in their ground troops safely so there’s no resistance … I would suspect that if Israel puts ground forces into the Gaza Strip, they will be hit very hard.”

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