THERE is no let-up in death and destruction caused by free for all aggression by Israel against defenceless Palestinians who are being killed, maimed and their homes razed to ground but the international community is criminally witnessing all this as a silent spectator.
What is happening in Gaza is the worst example of war crimes as death toll of about 200 also includes over 50 children and more than 30 women with Israel deliberately targeting residential homes and buildings but ironically the vested interests are describing this naked aggression as Israeli-Palestinians ‘violence’, equating stone throwing and stray rocket firing with deadliest bombing by Israeli fighter jets, missile strikes and artillery bombardments.
The inertia of the world community as witnessed during the last eight days of the Israeli aggression is a classic example of double standards by champions of human rights in general and the United Nations in particular. T
he inability of the UN and its most relevant organ – the Security Council – to take any meaningful cognizance of the Israeli brutalities against Palestinians has once again highlighted the fact that the present global order and the UN system have been rendered irrelevant as far as Muslims are concerned, who are being treated differently even if they face planned, systematic and worst kind of genocide.
How can one expect justice from the world body when its chief (Antonio Guterres) too uses the term of ‘violence’ and launches an appeal to both the aggressor and the victim to end “senseless cycle of bloodshed, terror and destruction” and return to negotiations for a two-state solution of the conflict.
There are numerous examples when the UN platform was manipulated and used with lightning speed to safeguard rights and interests of other communities but the system does not work when it comes to saving life of Muslims.
The lopsided behaviour of the world body became more obvious on Sunday when all members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), who participated in an emergency meeting on the situation in Palestine, urged Israel not to make demographic and territorial changes in the occupied territory and immediately cease its hostilities but miserably failed to take any practical measure to realize this objective.
Like before, the UNSC members also underlined the need for a two-state solution, with Palestinians having an independent state with internationally recognized borders but issuance of mere statements amounts to encouraging the Jewish state to persist with its policy of genocide of Palestinians and their uprooting from their ancestral land and homes.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China, who chaired the session, showed mirror to the Council when he said it shouldered the primary responsibility for safeguarding international peace and security but “regrettably, simply because of the obstruction by one country, the Council hasn’t been able to speak with one voice”, a reference to the Israeli patronage of the United States, which, last week blocked even issuance of a statement by the Council that was intended to express only “deep concern over the latest situation in Gaza and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities”.
Chinese Foreign Minister presented a plan of action that offers short-term and long-term solution to the crisis.
It seeks ceasefire, humanitarian assistance for Gaza and international support for a two-state solution.
The attitude and complicity of the United States is a stark reminder to all those who fell prey to its machinations and warmed up relations with the Jewish State at the cost of rights and interests of Palestinians.
They must feel ashamed of what they did to the cause of Palestinians and review their policies forthwith.
It is also regrettable that both the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League have become paper organizations as they miserably failed to do what they are required to do under their Charters to safeguard and promote rights and interests of Muslims around the world.
Though the OIC has condemned Israel’s ‘systematic crimes’ against Palestinian people, calling for an immediate ceasefire but the forum miserably failed to represent true feelings and sentiments of the Ummah on the latest developments.
More pragmatic was the separate statement issued by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei that called for an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly.
The OIC members should, at least, move in tandem to make their voice heard from the forum of the UN and also seriously work for holding the Jewish State accountable for its war crimes by taking the issue to the International Criminal Court as proposed by Turkey.
The Israeli aggression and brutalities against Palestinians pose a serious challenge to the leadership of the Muslim Ummah and pathetic plight of Muslims would persist until and unless OIC member states sink their differences and harmonize their policies and strategies for the collective good of the Ummah.
