Maravi

Sad pictures from Gaza

Sad pictures from Gaza
Written by Editor

Israel’s right to defend itself does not justify the country’s extravagant use of military force to kill so many Palestinians. And where are the condemnations of these massacres from the United States and Europe, the defenders of human rights?
Where are the nations and world politicians who made so much noise when Russia swiftly responded to Georgia’s invasion of South Ossetia?

These nations seem to be deaf and blind when the victims are Palestinians, they rush to show solidarity and they easily find harsh and strong words of condemnation when the victims are Israelis. All human life should be valued the same way.

The Israeli war jets are continuing to roll over the skies of the Gaza Strip and no Palestinian individual or organisation could do anything to stop it or prevent it. Those Israeli war jets are bombing and killing Palestinian people every day, whether they are resistance fighters, children, women, the elderly or families.

They are pursuing them the way the target in a computer game is pursued. And the Palestinians have no way to resist the Israeli war jets and no way to defend themselves and their families. If the Palestinians had the means to defend themselves, they would have used it to protect themselves and their families and not let their people be massacred in such large numbers.

The Palestinians have only their own flesh and blood – themselves, their families and their children – and nothing to defend themselves with. That is why they are killed every day by the Israeli pilots of lethal war machines. These pilots look like human beings but they behave like monsters. These pilots must be monsters because who can believe that a person who fires at children is not a monster?

This world hypocrisy and double standards should be changed. It is time for the world to act responsibly and condemn Israel – the world should stop condemning Palestinians, whose land is occupied by Israel and who are weak. The world spoke loudly when it wanted to stop aid and blockade the Palestinians, so Palestinians are waiting to hear loud condemnation of the Israeli massacre.

The United States and other nations should be doing everything in their power to stop this slaughter of Palestinians. We know that the whole blame is being put on Hamas firing rockets into Israel. But we should all know that Hamas is a relatively new organisation when one looks at the history of the problem of the Palestinians and Israeli occupation. Although no killing of any human being can be justified, the firing of those very poorly designed and manufactured rockets into Israel is a very desperate form of resistance.

It should be clear to everyone that there is no way the Palestinian occupied lands will be liberated with such poor weaponry. But desperate people do desperate things or resort to desperate methods. After so many years of struggle, desperation has set in. It is this desperation that has even led Palestinians into blowing themselves up. There is need for the world, as it condemns and tries to stop the firing of rockets into Israel, to justly and honestly address the root causes of this conflict.

If peace is to be established in Gaza, the primary requisite is to eradicate the cause of conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. But for many years, serious attempts at resolving this conflict have been undermined by those with veto privileges at the United Nations who support Israel regardless of whether it is wrong or right.

There is need for meaningful dialogue – dialogue that is rooted in the nature and dignity of all human beings – over this conflict. And dialogue, listening to each other and sharing beliefs, should not be a choice for the Israelis and Palestinians. It is a must if this conflict is to end and for them to live in peace and harmony with each other. Let those involved in this conflict humbly accept their wrongs and do that which is right.

The world should decry the endless bloodshed in this part of the world and urge an end to this violence, to this massacre of innocent human beings. The deaths of so many innocent people, the wounding of so many helpless people, the destruction of property in such a poor nation, the suffering and wailing of so many helpless people every day should move the world with indignation.

Hamas and the Palestinians will not liberate themselves through the firing of rockets into Israel and killing ordinary people in that country. And Israel will not end Palestinian hostilities towards it by trying to raze the whole of Gaza or even by the elimination of Hamas. They can succeed in eliminating this Hamas but in no time, another Hamas will emerge. There is need to build consensus around this problem and resolve it in a manner that is just, fair and humane. We know that Israel is well armed.

It has got a strong air force, thousands and thousands of tanks and the most modern military technology. But this will not help it stop Palestinian resistance. No fire power will succeed in crushing the aspirations of the Palestinian people for the return of their land. History has repeatedly shown that where there is a just struggle, no amount of force has ever succeeded in stopping it.

The only way out of this problem is to give to Caesar that which legitimately belongs to Caesar. But in doing so, Caesar must also recognise the need or right for his neighbour to exist or survive. If giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar leaves the neighbour with no means to survive, Caesar will have no peace because survival instincts will force the neighbour to take even that which is not his. Let justice, fairness, humaneness prevail.

Labels: ISRAEL

posted by MrK @ 7:24 AM