Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 21
Seven months into the wave of devastation and death orchestrated by the state of Israel in Gaza and broader Palestine, we witness that the arc of moral universe bends towards injustice. There is no possible scenario of redemption for Israel.
The excuse of Hamas and hostages in continuation and expansion of the assault is too old now. Hostage families are down in the streets of Tel Aviv denouncing Netanyahu. Bibi is under pressure from his own administration for having no post-war strategy, perhaps because he does not plan on stopping the war any time soon.
The occurrence of justice is rare, perhaps only limited to the plea of a utopia, or script of a play or of an idealised past. As we lament, a high-tech and well-oiled genocide unfolds.
But the optics of visible solidarity for Palestine is important because it shows that the world is witnessing and recording this blatant act of outright dehumanisation.
Israel has been allowed to operate beyond international rules and norms for so long that we are accustomed to it seeking retribution, which entails taking thousands of Palestinian lives. The rules created by the “West” are no longer catering to its needs. Right after giving a mild threat of withholding arms as Rafah came under fire, the US planned for a $1 billion arms sale to Israel. America’s strategic relation with Israel is complicated by staunch pro-Israel lobbying and zealous prophecies that are central driving force of American politics and foreign policy. The Biden administration is ever ready to express condolence, but its advice or threat does not hold much weight in the grand scheme of the catastrophic war that has been enabled by the same administration. Whatever movements have happened, have happened because of the power of the global public opinion, ultimately expressed through purchase power and voting behaviour. But it takes massive amount of collective effort to make the slightest movement. The power lies in the collective, which also leaves chances for free riding. Not doing anything is safer, but would we rather be safe, or would we rather be right?
