“I always have believed that we should not call it an Arab-Israeli issue or a Palestinian-Arab dispute or a peace negotiation. I think we should call it what it is: an occupation of Palestine, full stop. This is not a popular position in mixed company.”
― Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Blankets become Jackets
Imam Khomeini stated from the start of Iran’s revolution that one of his goals was to liberate Palestine from its occupying government. Following the revolution, all official ties to Israel were severed, and the Palestinians were granted access to Israel’s embassy in Iran. He issued a message in support of the Palestinian nation and cause on August 7, 1979, which coincided with the 13th of Ramadan 1399 AH and the renewed attacks of the apartheid regime and the Zionist occupier in southern Lebanon, and named the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as International Quds Day. Al-Quds Day is dedicated to Palestine and the complete freedom of Muslims’ first qibla. Also, this day is dedicated to the awakening of Muslims and the unity of the Prophet’s Ummah (PBUH).
Why does the world (not only Muslims) need to stand in solidarity with Palestinians?
The racist and occupying Zionist regime has escalated its outrageous measures against Palestinians in recent years. These include mass punishment, which is the most important factor in violating the Palestinians’ “principle of self-determination”, the siege of Gaza, the completion of the barrier, the expulsion and forced relocation of Palestinians from their homeland, the deportation of Israelis to Israel in fertile areas, the assassination of Palestinian commanders and fighters in other Arab and Islamic countries, the destruction of agricultural lands in the Gaza Strip, the assassination of Palestinian commanders and fighters, etc.
Continued Jewish settlements, demolition of Palestinian homes, and increased military-security presence and monitoring in East Jerusalem are all part of the process of Judaization of Jerusalem. The prohibition of Palestinians’ movement in Jerusalem, revocation of their identity cards, and revocation of permanent residence permits for Palestinians living in Jerusalem violate international law and agreements, as stated in Article 43 of the Hague Convention and Article 4 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The Zionist authority regularly commits gross and systematic breaches of human rights including violations of children’s rights. Hundreds of thousands of people have been detained indefinitely and arbitrarily by Israel’s apartheid dictatorship. Since 1967, more than one million Palestinians have been held in prison centers around the world.
To normalize, the “Provisional Zionist regime” uses the concepts such as peace and security, regional stability, and comprehensive development, to its advantage.
West is Biased
Because of their prejudiced viewpoints, Western governments and key international organizations have failed to address the Palestinian issue, and all proposed solutions have proven null so far. The Islamic Republic of Iran suggested holding a ‘National Referendum’ in Palestine – a democratic and reasonable plan for settling the Palestinian conflict that has also been registered with the UN Secretariat. According to this plan, Muslims, Jews, and Christians of Palestinian ancestry will be able to pick the legal system they would like to live under and will be able to exercise their rights freely and equitably. When seen objectively, it appears to be a better proposal than the ones previously devised.
The United Nations Security Council has so far failed to fulfill its obligation under the UN Charter to terminate the occupation of Palestinian lands. The failure of the United Nations to intervene in violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has emboldened Israel’s regime to carry out even more horrific crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people.
Blinded by self-interest, the bias and ‘acquired’ blindness of the West in Palestine’s case has been more than evident on several occasions. The loss of lives in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is indeed despicable, but, sadly, the West’s heart only bleeds when the victims of war are white-skinned, blue-eyed: those who cannot be conveniently labeled radical or extremist. Israel’s occupation of Palestine is encouraged by the West. The Biden administration, for instance, views the Palestine-Israel conflict alike as two groups with different interests and rights.
Biden said he spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu six times for a few days before the Gaza ceasefire which was announced on May 20, 2021. All in all, Biden’s approach towards the conflict seems a bit lax compared to the Obama administration’s engagements in 2012 and 2014 when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry went to the region to try to arrange a cease-fire. But, Biden’s policy for Palestine is a departure from the Trump administration’s policy of giving Israel broad leeway. David Friedman, a former US ambassador to Israel, reportedly stated that the Trump administration would have given Israel free reign to defend itself.
Some American writers have claimed that the Israelis, not the Americans, govern the US.
Israel receives more than $ 3.8 billion in military aid each year from the United States. Political support for Israel in the United States is similarly widespread and unconstrained. One can see how the US approaches the Human Rights Council, UNESCO, and international resolutions against the Palestinian cause.
But, it can all change only if…
Countries like the US and other major powers in the world need to look at the Palestine-Israel conflict from a human rights lens. Palestinians have the right to self-determination and they belong to the land of Palestine, not Israel. The West’s self-imposed oblivion on the issue can make things worse for Palestinians as they would continue to be persecuted and oppressed by the Zionist regime. The UN’s role of being a bystander in this has catalyzed the occupation of Palestine even more severely. The proponents and advocates of human rights and democracy are sitting in the West (apparently), and it is about time they apply all those ‘core’ human values to the Eastern world too.
