Twenty-five nations, many of them allies of Israel, have said in a joint statement that the Gaza war “must end now”. The UK, France, Australia, Canada and others condemned the “drip feeding of aid” that has led to the deaths of more than 1,000 Palestinian aid seekers since May, while more than 100 have died from starvation, most of them children.
As the situation grows increasingly dire, Israel has shown no signs of slowing down its genocide, dismissing global concerns about its policy of forced starvation with a callous “what are you going to do about it?” attitude.
Indeed, despite countless public condemnations from governments around the world over the past 21 months, little has actually been done to force Israel to stop the genocide. Some of the very same governments making these statements continue to supply Israel with weapons and financial aid, enabling its ongoing slaughter of Palestinians.
For nearly two years, we have witnessed a live-streamed genocide. War crimes have been well-documented by journalists, rights groups, doctors and civilians. There’s enough evidence to sift through for decades to come.
Activists and celebrities have reminded the western world of their vow to “never again” allow something like this to happen. Countless social media campaigns have pleaded with the public to keep “all eyes on Rafah” and on Gaza.
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But still the genocide persists. Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have become more brazen and violent than ever.
Why is this happening? It’s not because Israel is a small beacon of democracy in the Middle East surrounded by enemies. Rather, it’s because Israel is a rogue state surrounded by capitulators who have allowed this to unfold.
Rhetoric and excuses
Nations around the world, no matter how big or powerful, are apparently only capable of mustering up rhetoric and excuses. If the UK, EU, Canada, Australia and others truly wanted an end to the war, they would take concrete actions against Israel’s genocide in Palestine.
These governments are capable of various consequential actions – arms and trade embargoes, sanctions, severing diplomatic ties, arresting Israeli war criminals within their borders – that could lead to real pressure on Israel to stop its genocide. Such actions would be consistent with public opinion across the West.
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On Sunday, Belgian authorities arrested two Israeli soldiers facing accusations of war crimes in Gaza, advancing the goal of isolating war criminals around the world. But this is just one small step that needs momentum to continue – and most western nations have not taken this approach.
The UK is instead busying itself with arresting octogenarian protesters, apparently deeming them a greater threat than the genocide they are opposing. And an investigation by Israel’s Channel 13 revealed that behind the scenes, the Biden administration did not actually attempt to end the Gaza genocide – an unsurprising finding, since the US has provided a continuous flow of aid and weapons to Israel since the start of the war.
This is the callousness of a world order that emerged from the ashes of World War II on the slogan of “never again”, with a public commitment to the principles of democracy and human rights. But as this new world order emerged, nearly a third of the world’s population was still living in colonised territory, many facing immense violence and brutality at the hands of their colonisers.
Israel’s starvation of Gaza is a cruel display of the impunity of power
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The UN, held up to the Global South as the barometer for ethics, human rights and peace, was created by some of these very same colonisers.
Israel today is merely an extension of this world order, masquerading as a beacon of modern values. It is thus no surprise to see western nations hiding behind meaningless condemnations, while ensuring that Israel continues to serve their imperial interests in the region. Until Israel faces real diplomatic and financial pressures, it will not cease in pursuing its goal of eradicating Palestinians from their land.
No change has ever been effected by asking politely. As activists push towards Gaza by land and sea, and protesters around the world engage in acts of opposition to Zionist violence, we must think about where each of us fits in all of this.
Palestinians face an unprecedented existential crisis. Radical action is necessary to end it. Our actions – whether by boycotting, protesting, lobbying or other tactics – must push our governments to enact sanctions, embargoes and diplomatic isolation. The fear barrier between the world and Zionism has been broken, and we must begin to think beyond ourselves, our jobs, our money, our friends and our own public image.
Those who remain silent should come to a sombre realisation: if you do not stand up now for Palestinians, a people facing total eradication, you will likely never stand for anything meaningful again.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
