Palestinians have been on the wrong end of a Zionist-fuelled holocaust train intent in erasing the last blood of Palestinians of their land. Beginning 68 years ago, forcible dispossession of their lands often through violent means resulted in a catastrophic cycle that has led to the execution of a relentless and ongoing holocaust on the Palestinian people. In recent years, violence has been upped several notches in daylight executions in cold blood of innocent civilians by Israeli forces, especially in Gaza.
It is not just the brutal aggression against the civilian population that is distressing. It is coupled with persistent humanitarian woes and humiliating measures patterned to break the spirit of resistance. Today, the American NGO, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has raised another alarm on more unsettling news.
JVP, whose mission is inspired by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice, equality, human rights, and respect for international law opposes anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab bigotry and oppression. JVP seeks an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and occupied East Jerusalem; security and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians; a just solution for Palestinian refugees based on principles established in international law; an end to violence against civilians; and peace and justice for all people of the Middle East.
In a communique, JVP states that “the Gaza Strip, power is expected to be cut down to two hours a day. Two! This should be big news — just think about what your life would be like: 22 hours with no refrigeration or lights, 22 hours a day without power even in hospitals. There’s silence over a crushing humanitarian and political crisis in Gaza”. JVP says, “This is wrapped up in a bigger question we shouldn’t even have to ask: What will it take for the Israeli government to respect Palestinian human rights in Gaza? Israel’s control over Palestinian life deepens, Palestinians are asked to ‘negotiate’ for human rights, and then blamed if they refuse.”
Today, more than 1,200 Palestinian children sit in Israeli prisons. The Apartheid Wall continues to snake its way through Occupied Territories, annexing ever more land and prohibiting Palestinians’ freedom of movement. The siege on Gaza with the daily killings will soon render that area uninhabitable and more than 50 discriminatory laws in Israel deprive Palestinians from 1948 areas of their rights. Israeli occupation policies are choking Palestinians.
The organisation that consists of peace-loving activists, which include Jewish artists, academics, NGO members, and staff have been organising around-the-clock protests to demand justice for some of the movement leaders such as Dareen Tatour, Omar Barghouti and Imad Barghouti. On a broader term, JVP wants to help “dismantle the status quo of apartheid and occupation that daily visits such injustice on all Palestinians”.
JVP has a fight on its hand. Against the massive machinery upholding Israeli occupation, they intend to build strength one by one. Jews and allies, students and academics, artists and authors — people from coast to coast coming together to build a movement strong and loud and unstoppable enough to take on the might of the Israeli lobby and win. They have been marching to embassies and calling the United States State Department, and meeting with their representatives to bring the plight of the hapless Palestinians to light.
America’s deafening silence
The role of the US in how Israel conducts its affairs can never be underestimated. It had argued long and hard against Iran and North Korea’s development in the nuclear field, yet has remained deceitfully mum on Israel’s arsenal of nuclear weapons. While demanding that democratic principles be applied in every other country, the US looks the other way while Israel violates every norm of humane behaviour against Palestinians. This deafening silence is why the Israeli policies of aggression have remained unchecked for so long.
And yet, thanks to NGO groups such as JVP and others, the realities of Israeli policies have become increasingly evident to a previously uninformed public. There are more voices rising in support of Palestinian rights across the United States by common Americans who have come to know the facts past the smokescreens that the Zionist supportive media had led them to believe.
The Arabs too, who are more embroiled in the fight against Daesh, must come together and join hands with all those Jews who are standing for justice and equality for Palestinians, and who stand in condemnation of the policies of apartheid that has been executed by the Israelis. Shoulder to shoulder they must carry out the message that they are united in the quest for Palestinian justice.
Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@talmaeena.
