Israeli brutality goes unchecked

The POST, Sun, Jan,27, 2008.

Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema

For the last ten days the Israeli inhumanity has once again caught the attraction of international media despite the fact many powerful TV channels and important news papers and magazines are owned either by the Jewish organizations or groups known to be sympathetic to Israel. But inhuman pursuits invariably find way to the headlines both in the electronic as well as print media.

For almost two weeks the Israeli government decided to tighten its savage siege around Gaza with the intention of punishing 1.5 million Palestinian civilians. Not only the Israeli authorities cut off fuel and power supplies to Gaza but also other essential supplies including food stuff and medicines were blocked. In addition, the Israeli air strikes continued to break the will of courageous Palestinians and to subdue them. The blockade resulted in undesired deterioration of overall situation and especially its impact on hospitals was certainly devastating.

Israeli authorities ensured that no humanitarian aid reaches the Palestinians despite the fact it is well known that a large majority of people in Gaza are dependent upon humanitarian aid. While the UN officials have protested over this blockade, their protests seem to have fallen on deaf ears of Israeli officials. Even UN Secretary General’s expressed concern over the closure of crossing point could not move the Israelis. Perhaps that is why even some western commentator question whether the Israeli have stones in place of hearts.

Cognizant of rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza an emergency meeting of the Security Council was called. The inhuman treatment extended to besieged Palestinians invoked strong sympathetic streaks in many countries including some western nations. Whether or not the UN censure would have some influence over the Israeli policies remains to be seen. As far as the Islamic world is concerned almost all of them reacted rather strongly to these brutal tactics.

This is not the first time that the Israeli atrocities caught the headlines all over the world; it has repeatedly indulged in such activities with immunity. The Israeli massacre of the Palestinian refugee livings in Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps is still fresh in the minds of many. The brutal killing of the innocent refugees by the Israeli army invoked strong reaction but only for few weeks. Not only murderers of innocent Palestinians at Sabra and Shatilla were hailed by the Israel as heroes but even the commander was later elected as the prime minister of Israel.

While one sympathizes with the Jews who suffered at the hands of Nazis and condemned the atrocities committed against them in Germany and other Nazi controlled European areas during the Second World War, this does not imply that the Jewish state of Israel be allowed to repeat the brutal and atrocious acts against the against the Palestinians. What the Israelis are doing in Gaza is in no way different than what happened to them in the WWII.

One major result of this siege has been the breech of border wall with Egypt. It is difficult to blame the Palestinians who poured into Egypt after breaking the wall in search of food and fuel. Once the wall was breached flood of Palestinians rushed to it. One estimate is that roughly around 200,000 people crossed into Egypt. The breech of wall presented the Palestinians a rare opportunity to leave Gaza which often referred as giant jail. Consequently Egyptian authorities are forced to take a new look with both Israel and Palestinian Authority at their respective border agreement.

It is a shame that Israel continue to flout UN convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the international community unashamedly continue to ignore their violations. Israel has been repeatedly inflicting collective punishment upon the innocent Palestinian civilians violating the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel has never cared about its responsibilities under the Geneva Convention. Ever it came into existence; Israel has demonstrated a complete disregard for the UN Security Council’s resolutions as well as that of international law.

It seems when it comes to the rights of the Palestinians, Israel has so far shown utter contempt for them. Far from treating them as human beings, they tolerate them as something less than humans. Palestinians are living in miserable conditions. Besides Israel has never extended any respect to international norms or law if it clashes with its self interests. It violates world community decisions with immunity.

Israel commits almost all the crimes that are listed in the law books all over the world under the cover of ‘security’. It seems the major yardstick for security success revolves around of number of Palestinian killed by the Israelis soldiers. In many ways the death toll is main measure of Israeli successes. The achievement are measured by the number Palestinian killed by the Israeli security officials.

An important world leader once said that 5000 Jews are ruling the world. Ostensibly reference appeared to have been based on how Israel ignores not just internationally accepted norms but also how contemptuously it treats the UN resolutions. A close scrutiny of Israel’s history clearly reveals that it has been gradually expanding its territory at the cost of Arab/Palestinian territories and no amount of pressures have been able to cause the desired return of those acquired territories. Israel has employed all methods including wars and settlements to take over the Palestinian lands in the name of security requirements.

The only country that has some influence over the Israeli leaders is the US but it is a known fact that the powerful Jewish lobby has been effectively controlling policies towards Israel. This is an election year in Americans and therefore the US is unlikely to do anything to restrain the Israelis although one does not rule out a mild verbal criticism.

It makes a mockery of American policies when one realizes that in some parts of the world the Americans are pressurizing incumbent governments to introduced democracy and when democracy elects and brings the undesired groups to power then the policy abruptly changes.
It is no secret that Hamas came into power through a free and fair election but this result was not really appreciated by the west. Consequently both the US and EU began to insist that Hamas to recognize Israel otherwise face financial isolation.

The international community should take a critical view of the situation in Gaza and try to influence the Israeli policy maker to be more realistic and more humane. A concerted and a collective pressure could pay desired dividends provided the Americans also side with the collective decision of the world body. It is imperative that Israeli authorities, clearly and in no uncertain terms, are communicated that such inhumane acts would be tolerated by the international community any more.

The writer works for Islamabad Policy research Institute.