From May 6, 2021, while Hamas, a radical Palestinian group has launched missiles on Israelis on the issue related to Al Aqsa mosque, Israel has launched close to a full-scale attack on Palestinians. In this conflict, the causalities and destruction have reportedly been more on Palestinian side with the death of nearly 200 people including 60 children. While on Israeli side, ten people including one child have lost their lives. The destruction of buildings housing media centres in particular by Israel is a grave and tragic event.

The perpetual Al Aqsa mosque issue has been projected to be the cause of these acts. The major issue of installing Zionists and carving out Israel as an outpost of America near the oil rich zone of the world needs to be understood. The creation of Israel after the second World war, on the ground that Jews need a country of their own, as they have been tormented in different countries, was the pretext in which the US and Britain in particular planned the area for the Jews in Palestine. As such Israel is a case of settler colonialism, military occupation and land theft.

Palestine has been a country for long. It is not only the Muslims who have been the citizens of this country, Christians and Jews have also been part of the citizenry of Palestine. The area carved out for Jews, and linking it to historical roots of origins of Judaism in this area was the logic proffered for the same. Jerusalem has been the centre of importance for three Abrahmic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

As such the first global meet of Jews, led by Zionists had taken place in 1897 in Germany. They asked for a separate state for Jews. Let’s first understand the difference between Zionism and Judaism. Judaism is a religion of Jews, while Zionism is a politics in the name of Judaism. This is quiet akin to Islam as a religion and Islamic Fundamentalism (Taliban for e.g.) or Hinduism as a religion and Hindutva as politics. While the meeting passed the resolution for a separate country for Jews, there was a great opposition to this resolution from a large section of Jews scattered all over. Their argument was that with such a resolution the Jews will face discrimination and Jewish traders will have to face many problems in their professional life.

The attempt for Jewish state got another shot just before World War I. The German holocaust which targeted Jews gave another shot in the arm to the idea of separate state for Jews. Many of the Jews from Germany itself were opponents of this idea, as they realised that such a state built around the identity of one religion will become as authoritarian and oppressive to other identities as Germany herself became with Nazis in power.

The formation of Israel took away lots of territory of Palestine. And Lakhs of Palestinians were forced to leave their home and hearth. The newly formed state was armed to the teeth, particularly by America. The idea was very clear that western imperialist powers were keen to have a place of strategic importance in West Asia. More so when the politics of control over oil resources began these powers articulated that ‘oil is too precious a commodity to be left to Arabs’. On one hand the US-Britain had designs to strengthen Israel on the other the affluent Jews control many of the power centres within America in particular.

After the 1967 attack by Israel, it grabbed large tracts of Palestine. This led to lakhs of Palestinians becoming refugees in nearby countries. The atrocious, aggressive behaviour of Israel was opposed by the UN. Through various resolutions, the UN had been calling for giving justice to Palestinians, and urging Israel to withdraw from the areas occupied illegally. Israel defied most of UN resolution. Israel could get away with violation of global and human norms mainly because America has been backing it thoroughly.

Religion has no role to play in this dynamic. The real issue is the control of oil resources and military-political domination in the area. Recently the UN Security Council wanted to pass a resolution calling for cease fire by both sides. America with its veto power blocked it and Israel’s defence minister stated that the war will go on till they achieve their goal.

Anti Israel demonstrations are underway all over the world. There is a call for a halt to the attack by Israel. There is no justification for the shelling by Hamas, but in such an oppressed and tortured community few extremist groups do come up and get nurtured because of the extreme injustices hurled on a particular community.

India has consistently taken a pro-Palestine position all through. Starting from Mahatma Gandhi who wrote, “My sympathy for the Jews does not blind me to the requirements of Justice. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the Arabs”, down till the leaders like Aral Bihari Vajpayee and Sushma Swaraj who took a pro-Palestine position and criticised the Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land. Lately with the sectarian nationalism growing in India, Indian Government is tilting towards Israel, and demanding justice for Palestinians is taking a back seat.

The area has been a hot-spot for the last several decades. It is time that all the global powers follow the resolutions of the United Nations and restore to Palestinians their rightful land and rights. We can’t ignore the rise of Israel as a country also. Keeping in mind the current realities; a solution for demarcation between Palestine and Israel by the United Nations needs to be done and adhered to. The gross violation of human rights of Palestinians is a matter of worry for all those looking forward to a peaceful world order. For this America-imperialists should be made to overcome their ambitions of controlling the lust for oil-power and favour justice for all the people of the Middle East.  

* Views expressed are the author’s own. Dr. Puniyani is a human rights defender and a former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay). 

Other pieces by Dr. Puniyani:

Bid Curb Inter-faith marriages: Ruse to Restrict Women’s Freedom

Charlie Hebdo Cartoons and Blasphemy Laws in Contemporary Times

Was Mughal Rule the period of India’s Slavery?

Kashi- Mathura: Will temple politics be revived?

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The clashes involved the Israeli army and police as well, who opened fire and brutally assaulted Palestinians, leading to scores of injuries.
On February 19, the Israeli army carried out the unusual step of shutting down Al-Rahma Gate, which leads to a section of the Al-Aqsa compound that has, itself, been shut down by the Israeli army since 2003.

The provocative decision to seal the gate was clearly made in advance, and the lock and key have the fingerprints of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

It is quite typical for Israeli politicians to carry out confrontational measures against Palestinians shortly before general elections are due. The nature of these measures is determined by the kind of political constituency that Israeli leaders aim to appease.

However, a war on Gaza, at least for now, is too risky an option for Netanyahu as it would take place too close to the April 9 elections date. Moreover, a botched Israeli attack on the Strip on November 11 caused Netanyahu a major embarrassment, forcing him to shelve the Gaza option for now.

That said, if the Israeli Prime Minister’s political standing grows too desperate in the coming weeks, a Gaza war may, once again, be placed on the table.

Indeed, the political union between Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid, which was declared on February 21, has certainly upped the ante for Netanyahu who has assumed that his election victory is a foretold conclusion.

Gantz and Lapid merged their two parties into one election list called Kahol Lavan (“Blue and White”), the single most serious electoral challenge for Netanyahu in years.

For the time being, Netanyahu has decided to appeal to the most messianic religious segments of Israeli society in order to keep his challengers at bay. This should come as no surprise as the religious, ultra-national far right has been backbone of the Israeli leader’s coalitions for a decade.

In fact, weeks before the Gantz and Lapid union, Netanyahu had taken several measures to show signs of goodwill towards his religious constituency.

One such overture was made on January 28, when Netanyahu ordered the UN unarmed international observers to leave the Occupied Palestinian city of Al-Khalil, where a few hundred armed Jewish settlers have been a constant source of violence. The Jewish settlers of Qiryat Arba’a live under the protection of a massive Israeli army contingent. Both groups have worked together to terrorize the Palestinian inhabitants of the city for many years.

A joint statement issued by several humanitarian organizations, including Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Save the Children warned of the terrible fate awaiting the Palestinian community as a result of Netanyahu’s decision in Al-Khalil.

“Hundreds of civilians, including children, will see their safety put at risk by the withdrawal of international observers deployed in the city of Hebron,” the statement read.

True to form, attacks by Jewish settlers followed, as media and rights group reports point to a surge of violence against Palestinian civilians in the city.

By unleashing the wrath of Jewish settlers in Al-Khalil, Netanyahu wanted to communicate to his supporters that he remains committed to their settlement project, an unworthy cause that violates international law and comes at the price of protracted human suffering.

Similarly, the Israeli decision to shut down Al-Rahma Gate on February 19 was a pre-calculated move, aimed at uniting the entirety of the Israeli right, including the most extremist of all religious and settler groups behind Netanyahu’s leadership in the coming elections.

In fact, a trend began a few weeks earlier. On January 9, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowment documented a sharp increase of Israeli violations, involving the Israeli army and Jewish settlers at holy Palestinian sites throughout the month of December. According to the Organization, over 100 such violations were reported, including 30 different incursions into Al-Aqsa itself.

A raid on Al-Aqsa on January 7 involved more than the usual suspects, but was led by Israeli Agriculture Minister and a strong ally of Netanyahu, Uri Ariel.

This type of politically-motivated and highly militarized ‘visits’ to Al-Aqsa are reminiscent of the infamous ‘visit’ by late Israeli right-wing leader, Ariel Sharon in September 2000. At the time, Sharon wanted to increase his chances of becoming Israel’s next prime minister, and to ensure that his arch-rival (then, interestingly enough, the very Benjamin Netanyahu) did not win the Likud Party nomination. The gambit worked. Sharon sparked the Second Palestinian Uprising (2000-05), leading to the deaths of thousands and, of course, securing his seat at the helm of Israeli politics for years.

Netanyahu, ever studious and resourceful, has, indeed, mastered the art of political manipulation as his mentor and, once again, Al-Aqsa is the platform for this sinister Israeli politicking.

Netanyahu’s decision to strike an alliance with Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) – the rebranded party of the extremist late Meir Kahane – further demonstrates how the current surge of violence around the holy Palestinian sites is a pre-calculated political move by Netanyahu and his government.

The fact that Netanyahu would bring into his future coalition groups that are the ideological mutation of the Jewish Defense League – which is classified as ‘terrorist organization’’ by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – speaks volumes about the changing relationship between the US and Israel. Thanks to Washington’s blind support of Israel, Netanyahu feels politically triumphant and invincible, even above US’ own laws.

However, to achieve his pathetic dream of being Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, Netanyahu should be wary of the bloody consequences that his reckless action is sure to yield. Indeed, Netanyahu may be provoking the kind of violence that is much bigger than his own ability to contain.

Al-Aqsa Mosque has served not only as a religious symbol for Palestinians, but a national symbol as well, representing their coveted freedom and serving as a source of hope and unity over the course of generations.

While the blood of Palestinians is irrelevant in Netanyahu’s quest for political dominance, the international community should take immediate measures to prevent what could become an Israeli-induced bloodbath in the coming weeks.

– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of Palestine Chronicle. His latest book is The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story (Pluto Press, 2018). He earned a Ph.D. in Palestine Studies from the University of Exeter, and is a former Non-Resident Scholar at Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, UCSB.

Courtesy: Counter Currents
 

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