I wrote this article last year on May 17, 2021 because right now, the Russian Ukranian War has villifed Russia to levels that chalk out clear favoritism as very few world leaders condemned the attack of Israel on civilians and children. Hitting out at innocent civilians and children are a strike on human rights , no matter what the cause, and one should not give the green signal for one nation and red blinking lights for another and this inequality is causing bitterness around the globe.
Israeli warplanes have struck massive airstrikes at several locations of Gaza City. Detonations jolted Gaza early on Monday morning. At least 153 people have been killed in Gaza since Monday, including 42 children, a Reuters report said. Israel has reported 10 dead, including two children. The Israeli airstrike bombed a high-rise building in Gaza City housing offices of several international media organizations and residential apartments and the UN expresses anguish by the increasing number of civilian casualties.
The secretary-general gently reminds all sides that any random targeting of civilian and media structures violates international law and must be avoided at all costs, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Saturday. Earlier Saturday, an Israeli airstrike blasted a high-rise building that housed The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and other media after warning that it was being targeted.
The violence of Israel is condemnable, striking at civilians and children too, in the name of attacking “terrorism.” Presently, nations have used the word “terrorism” to their political advantage and tyrannized “weaker” nations. On the third front, there are a group of nations playing “diplomats” for political gain, so they keep silent, watching even “mass murders” with hushed interest. The United Nations has lost the purpose for which it was created, lost its significance because it became a pawn in the hands of powerful nations. Perhaps the United Nations should be dissolved in its political front and just be a body to help the world during global calamities.
India understands the game of villainization better than any country. One saw this vilification of Muslims during anti-CAA protests, saw it happen in Kashmir when the BJP government struck a 3-year lockdown and many youths who had no terrorist affiliations were branded as terrorists, India saw communities targeted, thus the situation in Israel looks similar, brand a community with the tag of terrorism, and then attack it.
The Oxford dictionary defines terrorism as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
The Oxford dictionary defines terrorism as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
In view of this definition, let the world analyze which country presently is acting more like a “terrorist” attacking civilians, children, and even press houses, which signifies a symbol of attacking the freedom of speech. One cannot villify one act and in the same breath glorify the same crime calling them freedom fighters and heros protecting their country.
This move is cowardly and Israel appears to be taking advantage of their favored situations. Perhaps hard lessons learned through ancestors were forgotten too soon. It is paradoxical that history is repeating itself but with a strange twist of fate, now Isreal is vilifying the Palestinians the same way the Germans did to them.
One would have thought that the Jews and Palestinians would live together in peace, but within the Israeli and Palestinian society, their struggle generates a wide variety of views and opinions that are deep and complex with roots in their society, belief, religion, culture, with zones of lands regarded as sacred by both so none can give up.
Presently, the Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), headed by Mahmoud Abbas cannot solve any differences. Benjamin Netanyahu’s dictatorial strikes will trigger physical and emotional damage in the Gaza strip scarring emotions that once again will take decades to heal.
Engineering bigger battles over decades are their armies, paramilitary groups, terror cells, and individuals. Victims have not been restricted to the military, with a large number of deaths are in the civilian population on both sides.
Powerful personalities have gotten involved in different nations, sparking off rows either pro Palestinian or Pro Israeli. The recent pro-Palestinian marches by Kashmiri youth got them arrested by the BJP government in India.
The majority of Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have communicated an inclination for a two-state solution, but due to Mutual distrust of either nation, with notable conflicts over basic issues, with fear that that the other side would break its commitment prevents solid moves being formed for a two-state solution.
Nations negotiating in the middle have failed and since 2006, the Palestinian side has been splintered by the conflict between two major factions: Fatah, the traditionally dominant party, and its later electoral challenger, Hamas, which also operates as a militant organization.
After Hamas’s electoral victory in 2006, the Quartet modified future foreign assistance to the Palestinian National Authority (PA) on the forthcoming government’s commitment to non-violence, recognition of the State of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements. However, Hamas rejected these demands, which resulted in the Quartet’s suspension of its foreign assistance program, and the imposition of economic sanctions by the Israelis.
A year later, following Hamas’s seizure of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, the territory officially recognized as the PA was split between Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The division of governance between the parties had completely resulted in the fall of the bipartisan governance of the PA. However, in 2014, a Palestinian Unity Government, composed of both Fatah and Hamas, was formed. The latest round of peace negotiations began in July 2013 and was suspended in 2014.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presently has spoken over the phone with President Joe Biden urging the US to intervene in the conflict and put an end to Israeli attacks on Palestinians.” The official Palestinian news agency Wafa says Abbas on Saturday updated Biden on the escalations across the Palestinian territories and said he was working to halt the Israeli aggression against our people and to reach a cease-fire. The report says Abbas also told Biden that security and stability will be achieved when the Israeli occupation ends, adding that Palestinians are ready and willing to work toward peace with international mediators.
THE OFFICIAL PALESTINIAN NEWS AGENCY WAFA SAYS ABBAS ON SATURDAY UPDATED BIDEN ON THE ESCALATIONS ACROSS THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AND SAID HE WAS WORKING TO HALT THE ISRAELI AGGRESSION AGAINST OUR PEOPLE AND TO REACH A CEASE-FIRE. THE REPORT SAYS ABBAS ALSO TOLD BIDEN THAT SECURITY AND STABILITY WILL BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ENDS, ADDING THAT PALESTINIANS ARE READY AND WILLING TO WORK TOWARD PEACE WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS.
Pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, and other U.S. cities on Saturday to demand an end to Israeli airstrikes over the Gaza Strip. Thousands of people shut down traffic on a major thoroughfare in west Los Angeles as they marched two miles from outside the federal building to the Israeli consulate. The protesters waved signs that said free Palestine and shouted long live intifada, or uprising.
Politicized religion is toxic for the world. No religion teaches violence on innocent lives, let alone any lives, and God is not in the “game of politics.”
Politically, Israel’s moves are wrecking the globe. In India, while thousands are dying from COVID, Muslim neighborhoods are helping Hindu brothers in all ways possible including helping to cremate Hindu dead bodies because some Hindus due to poverty were unable to do a conduct a decent cremation.
The recent moves of Israel have sharpened polarization in the world. Certain groups of Hindus in India and even the USA taking sides with Israel suddenly started attacking Muslims as they stand for Palestine. This in turn has hurt Muslim sentiments, especially when Muslims have been helping Hindus in India during the COVID catastrophe, Christians mostly went pro Israel and vice versa Muslim groups went emotionally pro Palestine sparking wars of words between all. I even got blocked by some Christians on Twitter for condemning Israel, such are the charged sentiments at the moment!
What happens in the Middle East always affects the globe like the tremors of an earthquake. Different people started standing for Israel or Palestine, but as we always say, this is not a cricket match we are watching, precious lives are at stake, children, and citizens. The strikes against Palestine is not a war against terror as a certain radicalized stream are chanting, but a very personal feud that fueled into a raging violent ugly war but it is stunning that the world is watching while civilians and children, especially in Palestine, are being killed.
It is easy to vilify the Palestinians as “terrorists” in broad terms without even understanding who one is fighting. A feud for a property dispute suddenly became inflammatory on the eve of Eid, and it makes one wonder why the date for this court hearing was set at the threshold of Eid, was it to fan a war?
The USA, UK along the UN, should work to stop Israel from upsetting the globe, sparking off little wars all over the globe, in the middle of the heat of the most deadly toxic pandemic which is sweeping nations taking millions of lives in a fatal blow. It is time that nations stop this madness.
THE WORLD WATCHED SILENTLY WHILE ISRAEL STRUCK KILLING 153 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 42 CHILDREN. I CONDEMN THE VIOLENCE OF ISRAEL’S BRUTE FORCE KILLING CHILDREN AND CIVILIANS AND I DO NOT STAND WITH ISRAEL IN THIS…I REITERATE THAT POLITICIZED RELIGION IS TOXIC FOR THE WORLD.
Rita
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