In almost everything I write on the Arab-Israeli conflict, I place special emphasis on the role of the Western nations in solving the conflict. This is for three reasons: 1. The West played a major role in creating this conflict in the first place. 2. The Western nations are the only party that can help solve the problem. 3. The Western nations always take the moral high ground when it comes to freedom, human dignity, democracy and liberty.
But after 40 years of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, the balance sheet showing the Western countries’ role in the conflict is absolutely negative. There is no balance, in fact; the role of the West has been and still is very negative.
This has caused tremendous hardship and difficulties to the Palestinian people, caused them the loss of their land and property, and most important of all, cost them their freedom, dignity, liberty, and allowed the Israelis to trample upon their humanity.
Currently, Western economic sanctions are causing the near collapse of the Palestinian economy, increasing levels of poverty to levels of starvation in Gaza, helping Israel implement its agenda and giving it the pretext not to hand over Palestinian tax money, so far in excess of $850 million that Israel collects on behalf of the PA. This has deprived 160,000 Palestinian government employees of their monthly salary for the 16th consecutive month.
While Western governments, on certain occasions, give some lip service objecting to the illegal Israeli Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and sometimes shyly criticize the apartheid separation wall Israel builds on Palestinian land, European civil society organizations, human rights groups, trade unions, and others are more courageous in identifying and reporting the realties of what is going on the ground in the occupied territories, protesting Israel’s atrocities and taking real steps to pressure Israel to stop its brutal actions and end its occupation. A “divestment from Israel campaign” in the US and some European countries, in addition to academic and trade union boycotts of Israel is on the increase.
The burning question in the writer’s mind is the stark difference between European civil society groups’ unequivocal stand on the side of peace and justice in Palestine and that of the negative role of Western governments acquiescing and accommodating Israel’s illegal occupation and cruel treatment of the Palestinian people.
On Monday, coinciding with the 40th year of occupation of the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem, Amnesty International issued a damming report calling on Israel to:
— End the regime of closures (on the Palestinian people) in its current form, as well as other forms of restrictions on freedom of movement of people and goods, that result in collective punishment.
— Stop the construction of the fence/wall inside the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which results in unlawful restrictions on the right to free movement of Palestinians and the arbitrary destruction or seizure of their homes and property, and which undermines other rights, including the rights to adequate housing, to work, to an adequate standard of living and to respect for family life. Sections of the fence/wall already constructed that violate these rights should be removed. Israel only has the right to build a barrier between Israel and the West Bank.
— Immediately stop construction or expansion of Israeli settlements and related infrastructure in the OPT as a first step to removing Israeli civilians living in such settlements in the OPT.
— Stop immediately the destruction of houses, land, and other properties without absolute military necessity as prescribed by international humanitarian law. Anyone whose property has been unlawfully destroyed without adequate prior notification and the effective opportunity to challenge the decision before a court of law should receive reparation and be allowed, where possible, to rebuild their property in the same place.
— Cancel all demolition orders of unlicensed houses in the OPT. Responsibility for planning and building policies and regulations in the OPT should be removed from the Israeli authorities and placed solely with the local Palestinian communities. All those whose properties have been destroyed in violation of international law should be granted effective redress. Israel should ensure reparation to those whose houses were unlawfully destroyed.
— Ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians and their property against violence by Israeli settlers by instructing the Israeli Army and police to arrest Israeli settlers who assault Palestinians or destroy their property, by carrying out prompt, detailed and thorough investigations of complaints of settler violence submitted to them, and by deploying patrols to protect Palestinian schoolchildren and other civilians in areas where there is a danger of settler violence.
— Ensure proper investigation of alleged violations by Israeli forces, and bring to justice anyone found responsible in fair trials.
Morality, justice, and being correct to one’s declared principles, Western governments can enforce and second the recommendations made by Amnesty International.
Forty years of Israeli occupation are enough to pollute and corrupt almost everything in Palestine. The Israeli occupation is unique in its severity, and has a devastating psychological effect on the Palestinian people, particularly as Israel’s media machines, supported willingly and sometimes more aggressively by the mainstream media in the US and some European countries, are turning the occupied Palestinian people into the aggressor and the occupier — Israel — becomes the victim.
The irony of the situation is that Western governments are supporting Israel as the victim, and punishing the Palestinian people as the aggressor. If there is a travesty of justice, then this Western behavior is it.
— Walid M. Awad works for the Central Media Commission, Ramallah, Palestine.
