Does the sight of dozens of children’s bodies in Gaza, innocent and bloodied to death by Israeli gunfire since it launched its attacks against the Palestinians on July 7, tear apart the world’s heart? Of course it does. Every day, as the deeply shocking and disturbing images of children being killed by Israel’s brutal military flood the eye, the world wipes off a few tears as its conscience is nicked, and gets back to its business.
And beyond the breaking news, Israel is left free to continue with its outrageous and untenable brutality against a people it has systematically killed and marginalised for decades after blatantly usurping their land and populating much of it with its own.
The latest crisis precipitated by Israel against the people of Gaza is more proof of its insularity in the world community, a privilege it is thoroughly undeserving of. But its benefactor thinks otherwise. Why else did US President Barack Obama, last week, invite Israel’s virulently racist ambassador, Ron Dermer, to be a first speaker at a White House iftar supposedly for Muslims?
Why did Obama, while speaking on the Russia-Ukraine political crisis in the aftermath of a passenger jet being shot down last Thursday, stoutly defend Israel’s right to retaliate? This is iron-clad evidence of the Faustian deal the US has struck with Israel.
It is as unacceptable as is US Secretary of State John Kerry’s declaration that the US is doing everything it can to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The deaths of dozens of children in Gaza on an ongoing basis surely blows that posturing to bits.
Under the circumstances, the hope for a ceasefire that can end hostilities seems to be more of the type of delusional thinking that promotes Israel as an aggrieved party.
A ceasefire without Israel’s concession to the greater freedom for the people of Gaza is ineffectual and Hamas must not be painted into a corner for its refusal to accept such a leaky deal. Knowing Israel, a ceasefire will be a temporary band-aid for Palestine. What it needs is something to stop the bleeding once and for all.
