After 74 years of Israel’s repressive, racist occupation of Palestine and its people, the eleven-day conflict at Gaza Strip (May 10-20/2021) showed the ruthlessness and cruelty of Israeli government against the occupied Palestinian people which played out throughout the world. The world independent media reported that war casualties at Gaza, on the side of Palestinians, was as follows: Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed to 212, including 61 children and 36 women, and more than 1000 wounded besides destroying the government, humanitarian and media institutions. Israel is still engaged in provocations at Al-Aqsa Mosque Site, Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood, and other places after cease-fire that could ignite another cycle of war.
Israeli army was using the latest American most lethal war machines such as fighters, missiles, artillery and tanks on an area 280 sq. Kilometers (Gaza Strip with population slightly over two million). More alarming, besides United States wielding veto power in favour of Israel at the United Nations Security Council, president Biden and Secretary of State, Blinken, constantly say in interviews that Israel has the right to defend itself and that United States will help Israel update their defensive weapons disappointing Islamic World as well as the rest of the World that love freedom and respect for human rights.
The question is: Is there a strong country other than occupied weak Palestinians that is in conflict with Israel to justify that Israel has right to defend itself and that it deserves more weapons for defence? Does not that imply that Israel has the right to defend its occupation of Palestinian land and people and for that reason they need more weapons from United States to continue protecting the occupation? Don’t Palestinians have the right to end the Israeli occupation and have their own independent state on their land?
The ruthlessness of Israeli military at Gaza and the supportive language of the leaders of the United States of America doesn’t help the efforts of the international community to create two states living side by side to end the cycle of violence and wars. The root cause of Israeli/Palestinian conflict is the Israeli occupation and that is what needs to be addressed. Any other political attempt to solve the conflict is futile and exacerbate the situation.
If the United States doesn’t show the world that it is honest broker in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in the Middle East and committed to end the occupation, it may lead to three outcomes unfavourable to the global power of the United States in future, which are:
- Continuation of violence and wars and the beginning of regional deadly arms race (including weapons of mass destruction) which is not good for the most resourceful region of the world.
- The conflict may turn into regional religious conflict dragging other countries into it.
- Likely losing Arab and other Muslim Allies tilting the geopolitical balance toward China or Russia because of displeasure with the United States long-time political stand on the Middle East Conflict.
These three scenarios are not good for the United States in the long run unless United States shows the world that it is real honest broker in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict and that it is ready to end the 74 old Israeli occupation of Palestine creating two states living side by side as the best solution to restore genuine peace and stability in the Middle East. It is the interest of both Israel and Palestine to live in peace, stability and prosperity in future. It is the interest of the United States to exert its global power for solving the dragging conflict in the Middle East Region.
By Ibrahim Hassan Gagale