What does Israel think of the United Nations (UN), the Human Rights Watch and the children of Gaza? It is crystal clear that Israel does not find itself accountable for its actions and that is the prime reason for its exceptionalism. Now, another headline has appeared in newspapers to tell the tale of Israeli exceptionalism.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu indicates that Israel will not cooperate with a UN probe on Gaza’s oppression. He even lashed out at the UN Human Rights Council, accusing it of granting “legitimacy to terror organisations” like Hamas. Israel’s history of occupation shows that nothing is new in this statement. History knows that in 2008 to 2009, Israel had dropped white phosphorus on Gaza. It was an open violation of the fourth Geneva Convention’s prohibition to use chemical weapons on a civilian population. Indeed, there was no accountability for the conflict in 2008, 2009 or 2012. In 2008, there were 1,050 Palestinians martyred. Then what happened? Nothing!
Now, history seems to repeat itself. There is a repeated destruction of Gaza and a repeated parroting of Israel’s right to defend itself. No justice seems to bring a smile on Gazans’ faces. Why are truths wrapped in contradictions like “antisemitism” and “conspiracy theory”? Because there are no international organisations to challenge or question Israeli exceptionalism. Therefore, the world must know the facts about Zionism and why super powers have no explanation for Israeli crimes.
Israel’s exceptionalism is not only a threat to the Middle East, but to the entire world. Palestinian scholar Edward Said once said that “Israel is unique in the world for the excuses made on its behalf”. Mohammad Shahid Alam, a Pakistani economist, social scientist and a professor of economics at Northeastern University, US, wrote in his book: ‘Israeli Exceptionalism: The Destabilizing Logic of Zionism’: “They (Zionists) would constantly remind the Jews that they are ancient people, divinely favoured, uniquely talented, racially superior, and undefeatable, who deserved more than any other people to make history as a great nation. The Zionist would have to construct an ideology of Jewish exceptionalism.”
There is a lot more evidence that defines Israeli exceptionalism elaborately. Moreover, Israel’s actions speak for themselves. Indeed this is pure racism, baseless and a self-deceptive belief, which is unacceptable. What option is left for Palestinians and a peaceful world? Ramzy Baroud, a Palestinian scholar wrote that, “in the case of Gaza, armed resistance has become the main language that can possibly be understood by Israel, as some of its officials and media are openly advocating genocide”.
— The reader is a Pakistani journalist based in Karachi, Pakistan
