WHILE much of the world may have forgotten the plight of the Palestinians, the people of this occupied land continue to pay with their blood for raising a voice for their rights, specifically the right to return to the land of their forefathers. On Friday, Israel butchered at least seven Palestinians in Gaza as protesters had taken to the streets to call for lifting the suffocating Israeli blockade of the coastal strip. Among the dead were teenagers and a 12-year-old child. However, it seems the international community can do little to stop this frequent slaughter, principally because Tel Aviv has important friends in the world willing to whitewash its crimes. The US heads this list; while American administrations have always been beholden to Israel, the current incumbent of the White House heads one of the most openly pro-Israel administrations in recent memory. In fact, the ‘deal of the century’ that Donald Trump is championing to bring ‘peace’ between Israel and the Arabs is anything but — as per details available in the public sphere, it is a plan to legitimise the occupation and confine the Palestinians to Bantustans.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his recent speech at the UN General Assembly painted a grim picture, describing where his people currently stand. He was critical of the recently passed Israeli ‘nation-state’ law, terming it a racist law designed to erase the Palestinians’ link with their homeland. While criticising Israel and the US, he put on a brave face, saying that “Jerusalem is not for sale”. Indeed, the American decision to recognise the disputed city as Israel’s capital, and to shift its embassy there, flies in the face of global opinion. As he has proved on multiple occasions, Mr Trump is not particularly worried about world opinion. However, the situation for the Palestinian people is appalling. Confronted with frequent bouts of Israeli violence, seemingly abandoned by the world community and left with little option but to resist the occupation, the end to their suffering is not in sight. If the Americans go ahead with their so-called peace plan and try to impose it on the Palestinians with the help of regional Arab countries, to Israel’s delight, another intifada may well be in the offing. There is also the danger of greater communal violence if fanatical Jews bent upon building the Third Temple by destroying the Haram al-Sharif continue with their provocations.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2018