MUSCAT, 15 March 2004 — Strange are the ways of the world. Positions are so often riddled with blatant contradictions and light years from logic and justice.

The United Nations, the UN Security Council and many other international organizations seem to be fast asleep when a Palestinian is killed. But when an Israeli is killed, the world wakes up from its sleep, and a state of emergency is declared.

Since the first intifada, Israel has had a free hand in the occupied Palestinian lands. It kills unarmed and innocent civilians, children, the elderly and women; destroys houses; confiscates lands; builds walls of racial segregation and lays a vicious siege to the presidential premises of Yasser Arafat.

While all this happens, the world keeps a shocking silence. It is business as usual, as if the blood that streams from the bullet wounds of the Palestinians has no value.

Except for a few cases of condemnation and rejection here and there, the world sees no evil, hears no evil, and speaks no evil. If by contrast a Palestinian resistance fighter blows himself up, if a Palestinian kills an Israeli to defend himself, his house, his land or his honor, all hell is let loose. Words of condemnation in the strongest possible language pour in from all quarters. Calls for revenge and strong actions rent the air. Whatever Palestinians do is terrorism and heinous! Alas, there is no categorical condemnation or outright rejection by the very same world when the Israelis continue their daily massacres.

These double standards of the world and its leaders raise a number of questions. Why is there an absolute silence when horrible Israeli massacres take place but such universal condemnation when an Israeli is killed? What is the difference — is Israeli blood more valuable than Palestinian blood? Where are the human rights organizations? Where is Amnesty International?

Why are they keeping silent when 171 Palestinian women are languishing in Israeli jails without charge, without trial — a shocking truth revealed by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on International Women’s Day? Israel knows rather too well how to portray itself to the world as a powerless victim when, in reality, it is an occupier and an alien body in the region. But Israel has distorted history and mastered the art of winning the world’s sympathy and support. Israel has distorted facts and transmitted its lies to the world, painting the predator as the prey.

There is a serious contradiction in the world’s response to events in the occupied lands. It is a reflection of absolute bias in favor of Israel and an exhibition of double standards. This also shows the success of the Zionist lobby in misrepresentation of facts to gain sympathy of the world by hook or by crook. Amidst all this mayhem, the world continues its sleep.

— Essa bin Mohammed Al-Zedjali is the editor in chief of the Times of Oman.