Palestine crisis remains

What is happening in Lebanon today requires constructive intervention from the international community mainly the United States to stop Israeli injustice once and for all. At the same time, what is happening in the Palestinian occupied territories with Israel actually escalating its attacks on innocent civilians since the war started in Lebanon is equally as dangerous and must be dealt with at once.

It seems international attention and world media has concentrated mainly on the onslaught against Lebanon. Israel is using the opportunity to carry on with its attacks on the Palestinian territories without anyone criticising or even watching its savage actions.

Not to mention the economic crisis that continues to unfold in the Palestinian territories, due to the economic embargo by the US, EU and Israel.

Viciousness

In the past month Israel has killed more than 150 Palestinians including a large number of children. The international community did not even criticise Israel or comment on its viciousness. Similar to their fighting style in Lebanon, Israel has demolished vital parts of Palestine's infrastructure, including bridges and a power station.

There is also a psychological war taking place. Palestinians are constantly feeling terrorised, not knowing when the next Israeli shelling will occur or where. Israel argues that it has been shelling civilian areas because that's where the militants are hiding.

But does this justify the killing of innocent people? Based on this line of thinking, Palestinians can get away with killing Israeli civilians if they argue that they've targeted military personnel. But would the world be silent or would they call them war criminals?

By now, countries serious about reaching a lasting peace in the region should be aware of the fact that unless the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved, there will be no peace in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Ramallah last week showed that the international community is still unable to capture the essence of the conflict.

Main obstacles

That is, treating the Palestinian people as partners and solving the main obstacles to peace (i.e. occupation, right of return, fighting an illegal war and Occupied Jerusalem) will guarantee a peaceful resolution. Instead, Rice has pressured the Palestinian side for the release of the captured Israeli soldier. There was no talk of a reciprocal ceasefire or an exchange of prisoners.

It seems there is no depth to the US's diplomatic interventions in the conflict. What we have is a set agenda that reflects both Israeli and American demands.

By anyone's logic, this cannot and will not establish a long lasting peace. A distinction must also be made between the two current conflicts.

The Israeli war on Lebanon must end immediately. At the same time, however, this terrible situation should be turning world attention to Israel's other brutal actions in the Palestinian occupied territories where Palestinians have been living under perpetual fear for decades.