Israel is Defiant: America is Pliant

March 23, 2010
Israel is Defiant: America is Pliant
By Saeed Qureshi

Israel has always been stubborn in her gross violations of the basic human rights committed by it in the land of Palestine. But it is lucky that it has been abidingly supported and abetted by a post world war II super power known as the United States of America. Israel, not only, incessantly inflicts the wounds but rub salt to these as well, conveying the stern message, “I don’t care if the humanity at large is aghast at the indignities I am subjecting the besieged Palestinians to.” Israel’s every act in regard to the Palestinian dispute looks like a slap on the face of the rest of the mankind inhabiting the earth. Ironically, yet, its every infringement of moral, human and established international principles of civilized conduct are simply overlooked and rather condoned by mighty America and the western democratic polities spewing out ceaselessly their concern for the fundamental human rights, civilized behavior, sublime norms of morality, ethics, equal rights and rule of law and so on. The international politics is bereft of morality and morality itself is applied selectively.

All these superlative decencies and magnificent ideals are neither binding nor applicable to the rogue state of Israel but to the poor, enslaved impoverished Palestinians who are in a state of pitiable Diaspora and are forced to live in degrading and wretched enslavement. Does the world have a conscience and qualms and sensibilities that should see this duplicity in that the powerful usurper keeping the real occupants of the land in bondage and making their lives unbearable with every passing day?

The simple question is: do the Palestinians have a right to live in their land which was taken away from them by fraud, deceit and via an international conspiracy in 1948? I would not oppose the existence of the state of Israel and wish its citizens a happy and peaceful life. Rather
I support it. But I would not close my eyes to the woeful plight of several million human beings to be living in a state of crippling siege for six decades now. If the U.N. Security Resolution 242 binds the international arbiters and brokers and the state of Israel to give a piece of land to the Palestinians as well, then why this right is being kept in a state of perpetual abeyance?

The Palestinian leadership had to drastically abandon their laid down pledge of destroying Israel and finally recognizing its extience as a legitimate state. But this change was tagged with a similar reciprocation by Israel to accept the two state principal and demarcate the land promised to the Palestinian nation. Instead of facilitating the process to create a separate homeland for the Palestinians, the overbearing Israel has been unleashing oppressive and punitive military forays to keep this hapless segment of humanity in a perpetual agony and affliction.

The Jewish nation in history itself has gone through such abject phases and therefore must be cognizant of the sufferings of the Palestinians. The policy of depriving the Palestinians from having a state of their own cannot work for all time to come. Equally, the state of Israel cannot remain a marooned land surrounded by the hostile states for ever. Ultimately it will have to honor the commitment that it made at the United Nations with regard to the creation of a separate state of Palestine. Militarily and physically it may keep holding on to her immoral ground but the question is how long? Times change and the changed conditions bring along reprisals of horrendous import. If today America lifts its patronage of Israel, how Israel is going to survive?

Although all the American administrations have been trying to mediate between the two belligerent nations of Israel and Palestine, and with commitments to resolve this most vexed issue of the present times, nothing has been done on the ground. These pledges have remained mere pious platitudes. Even the roaring claims of Obama administration for pressing the establishment of the Palestinian independent state seem to have lost their vigor. The American abetment has emboldened Israel to daringly keep the Palestinians in a perpetual state of suffocation and indignities. It would wantonly break solemn pledges. The latest being the plan to build 2500 more houses in the occupied land.

The hawkish prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is in the United States. He is spitting fire against Palestine and Iran in a bid to sidetrack the real and central issue of an independent state for the captive Palestinians. While he has publically vowed to defy and brace against America’ castigating stance over the new settlements, he has no intention even to talk about the inalienable rights of the dispossessed Palestinians families living in slums and in most inhospitable conditions.

The murder of a Hamas leader Mahmud al-Mabhuh in Dubai by the Israeli hit men and forgery of passports of Australia, French, Germany and U. K. has drawn normal and muted reaction from the western capitals and from the United States. It was a blatant and most horrific act of terrorism but has been watered down both by the Western governments and the media. One can imagine how earth and heaven would have shaken if an Israeli bigwig had been killed by the Arabs.

It’s time the United States as the arch supporter of Israel should adopt a non partisan and neutral posture between Israel and the poor Palestinians so that both these nations can live together in mutual peace and spirit of co-existence. This should be the unequivocal message and unmistakable advice that America should give to the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 adopted unanimously on November 22, 1967 following the six day war between Israel and Arab states led by Egypt, offers a just and legitimate resolution to the lingering conflict between the two nations of Israel and Palestine. It calls for the “political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."

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