There is a major international change in favour of the Palestinian cause. This change was brought about by the resistance with its legendary steadfastness in Gaza after decades of international neglect. This led to Israel being dragged to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on January 11 and 12 thanks to the lawsuit filed by South Africa, not the Arab countries, regarding the genocide committed by the occupiers against Gazans.
At the onset of the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip, the occupying entity received great support from its allies with Tel Aviv becoming a destination frequented by Western leaders to support Israel to realise its goals of eliminating the Palestinian cause, an objective that has not been realised and will not be realised.
The 84-page order signalled that Israel’s actions bear the character of genocide. South Africa had succeeded in dragging the Israeli entity to the ICJ for the first time even though the court’s decision was below expectations. The court ordered Israel to take all measures to limit killing and destruction, and ensure humanitarian aid. The atrocities committed by the occupying entity against the innocent people of Gaza have stirred the global waters that remained stagnant for more than seven decades. For the first time, the peoples of the world came together to protest the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in huge rallies in London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul, Washington and other cities.
Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Washington waving the Palestinian flag and chanting slogans: “Biden, Biden, you cannot hide, you participated in genocide,” and “Your hands are stained with blood.” This was not the only demonstration.
Since the beginning of Operation Al Aqsa Flood and the ensuing barbaric Israeli aggression, many Palestinian, Arab, Islamic, and Jewish associations in America have organised solidarity events with the people of Gaza, demanding an end to the Israeli attacks and stopping American support for Israel. In Paris, thousands of protesters marched demanding a ceasefire and raising banners reading ‘Stop the cycle of violence’ and ‘Doing nothing, and saying nothing means complicity.’
In this article, I focused on the important world capitals, whose governments back the Zionist entity to indicate that the peoples of the world became fully aware of the game and that they were deceived by misleading media.
Recently, in an unprecedented step more than 800 officials from the US and Europe signed an open letter which included harsh criticism of the Western policy towards Israel and Gaza. They accused their governments of possible complicity in war crimes and considered that there is a danger that their governments’ policies contribute to violations. The signatories accused their governments of failing to hold Israel to the same standards it applies to other countries and of weakening their moral standing in the world. It called on their governments to use all their influence to reach a ceasefire.
The letter says it was coordinated by civil servants in EU institutions, the Netherlands and the United States and endorsed by staff in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. It does not indicate the names of its signatories, despite its widespread circulation in the international media.
How right were the authors of that letter in saying “the operation did not contribute to Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas, but instead strengthened the acceptance of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other actors”. They attribute this change to Western support for Israel even as the global sympathy with the Palestinians is now at its highest since 1948. The letter also reveals that the pro-Israel policies among American, British and European leaders are opposed by civil servants including many of those who implement the foreign policies of their governments according to the New York Times which published the letter.
The letter came at a time when an opinion poll by the Associated Press and the National Center for Opinion Research in January showed that half of American adults believe that Israel has gone too far in its war against the Palestinians.
Western official opinions have also begun to move against Israel. For instance, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that his country could officially recognise the Palestinian state after the ceasefire in Gaza without waiting for the outcome of the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar disclosed that he is in the process of holding talks with other member states of the EU to review whether Israel violated the human rights clause of EU-Israel Association Agreement.
We read more than one statement from the EU member states on the possibility of joint recognition of the Palestinian state after the end of the ongoing conflict. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth confirmed that the issue caused diplomatic tensions between Israel and Britain after the Scotland Yard opened a probe into accusations that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza.
The London Police hung banners at airports in the UK reading: ‘If you are in Israel or the Palestinian territories and are witnessing or being a victim of terrorism, war crimes, or crimes against humanity, you can report to the British police.’ Certainly, this step is considered an important development in the efforts made to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinians and comes after years of pressure from activists, human rights advocates and influencers.
The steadfastness of the resistance in Gaza showed the Western peoples that there is injustice and crime against the Palestinian people. It also showed the double standards of the West.
The question that should be raised is: Did the Arabs exploit these variables?
(Translated by Khalid Abdullah)
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
