Palestinian conflict: A unique resistance

Dr Farooq Hasnat & Dr Zamurrad Awan
THE NATION, PAKISTAN
July 08, 2021

Although the Palestinian conflict has by now become the oldest conflict, i.e., apart from Kashmir, its various dimensions emerging in new accretions continue to present a challenge for regional as well as international security. This is a typical feature of chronic conflicts where no serious efforts are made to resolve the very basics of the contention. The wishful desire of both the Israeli and Indian extreme right leadership that somehow the resistance would disappear has further created complications and aggravated the agony of the people as well as presents a new trial, nearly on a daily basis. It is a well known reality that if the fundamentals of the basic issue are not resolved on an equitable footing, it generates a variety of more lethal dimensions. This is exactly what we witnessed in recent months in the land of Palestine—an old conflict but with a diverse resistance, not seen before.

The founders of the Europe-based Zionist movement, supported by the British, in particular, in the late 19th century argued that they desire to establish a Jewish state in Palestine, arguing that thousands of years ago, this region was the land of Prophet Moses. The Zionists based their arguments primarily on religious injunctions of Judaism and called it a “Holy Land”. If we examine even these premises of the Zionist movement little ground holds for that “rationale”. Three of the Ten Commandments of Prophet Moses were: (1) Thou shalt not murder; (2) Thou shalt not steal; (3) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house. Ever since their existence in 1948, the state of Israel has flouted these Commandments and thus have lost the rationale of establishing a state on religious grounds, that being the only reason on which they lay their justification for a Jewish state.

A glaring example of Israeli “violation” against the Commandments of Prophet Moses came on May 10 of this year, which happened to be the holy night of Ramadan 27. The Zionist war machine pounced upon the praying defenseless Palestinians, men, women and children, at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets.

When the Palestinians responded with homemade benign rockets from besieged Gaza strip, the Zionist regime mercilessly bombarded, day and night with the sophisticated US-made bombs—killing 220 Palestinians, including about 63 children. The origin of this particular Israeli manslaughter came after the Israeli colonial force evicted 6 Palestinian families from their ancestral homes of Sheikh Jarrah (located in East Jerusalem). Their stolen houses were to be given to the migrant Jewish families from Europe.

Although Israel’s illegal settlement of Palestine (land theft) has been going on since 1948, the recent aggression is Israel’s fourth major audacity in the last five years. The European and American conspiracy to resettle European Jews in Palestine since World War II has led to the illegal eviction of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland. Between 2008 and 2021, 5,734 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far, including 22 percent children and 10 percent women. In comparison, only 251 Israelis have died. By forcing them to flee, they have also deprived the Palestinians of basic amenities, including education, health and livelihood opportunities, by restricting them to overcrowded ghettos. Today Israel remains the only example of the worst kind of apartheid colonial entity, where the subjects are treated worse than insets. Not only that, there are countless obstacles and checkpoints, making it a humiliating and painful experience for the Palestinian families, even if they have to visit relatives or require medical treatment in a nearby village. In the West Bank alone, there are 700 barriers and 140 checkpoints. In other words, the worst kind of Palestinian Holocaust is enforced

Although,as noted earlier, Israel has a long history of brutality against the Palestinians, its recent cruelty is unparalleled in the way social media has now exposed it. That is why solidarity with the unarmed Palestinians has become an international campaign. Expressing solidarity has become a universal campaign. Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia, i.e., non-Arab Muslim countries have openly condemned Israeli aggression, calling it Israeli war crimes. Apart from that, some important political figures in the United States Congress raised their voices against the recent brutal Israeli terrorist act.

Although Israel has declared a ceasefire under international pressure, it remains to be seen how the issue can be resolved. The recent shade of outburst provides us with at least three dimensions. First, after a long delay, the Palestinians of the West Bank joined hands with those of the Gaza Strip. Second, the Palestinians have sent a strong message that Al Quds is the red line and the Zionist occupying force must not cross it. Third, the defenceless Palestinians have demonstrated that even without an air cover against the most sophisticated American supplied war machine, they will resist with whatever meagre defence they have. Fourth, the support to the suffering and besieged Palestinians came through the ever-growing Social Media, overshadowing the powerful pro-Israel Western media which is highly biased and on all accounts, justifies the gross atrocities of the Zionist apartheid colonial regime and its barbaric actions. And the most important message coming from the land of Palestine is that its inhabitants would continue their struggle till they are decolonised. History provides us with similar examples in the war of independence of Algeria and South Africa.