JOE Biden, a staunch supporter of Israel’s warmongers, has suddenly turned peacemaker. On Friday, the American president presented a three-stage peace plan for ending

     Israel’s horrific onslaught in Gaza. It would not be wrong to assume that Mr Biden’s sudden proclivity for peace in the occupied territory is not driven by any sympathy for Palestinians — over 36,000 of whom have been slaughtered by Tel Aviv to date. More likely, it is cold, hard electoral calculus that has informed his decision. The American president faces a tight contest in November, and a continuing, messy war in the Middle East may cost him the election. Already, many Americans, particularly the young, are appalled by their country’s involvement in Israel’s genocidal campaign, while even members of his own administration have quit Mr Biden’s government over his handling of the crisis. Whatever the motivations for this peace plan, it is difficult to see the scheme succeeding. It envisages an initial six-week pause in hostilities, as well as prisoner exchanges and the free flow of aid to Gaza. While Hamas has welcomed the move, Israel has said it will continue the war, with Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that Tel Aviv will continue to seek “the destruction of Hamas” — ie, Gaza’s destruction. If this is the Israeli attitude, then Mr Biden’s grand peace plan may be dead on arrival.

What is needed is a genuine ceasefire in Gaza, in which all sides — particularly the bloodthirsty Israeli state — pledge to silence their weapons indefinitely. Anything short of this is an illusion. Moreover, peace without justice will be impossible to achieve. Israel’s leaders must be brought to justice for the tens of thousands of innocents they have killed and maimed in ostensible war crimes. Regarding the ‘day after’ in Gaza, it must be the Palestinian people’s decision who will govern them. Tel Aviv and Washington have no right to impose their will on the occupied territories.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2024