That it took nearly 700 Palestinian deaths in Gaza for the United Nations to finally consider an independent inquiry into “purported violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” just goes to illustrate how cheap human life is. Kyung-Wha Kang, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator brought out the disturbing fact that “In Gaza, 443 or 74 per cent of the killed are civilians,” stating, “One third of civilians killed so far are children. One child has been killed each hour in Gaza over the past two days.” Unfortunately, even after this official acknowledgement of the exceptionally high percentage of innocent Palestinian casualties, the inordinately belated decision to hold an independent inquiry taken by 47 nations was not unanimous, but had 17 abstentions (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Austria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Gabon, Ireland, Montenegro, Romania and the Republic of Macedonia). There was also one negative vote, expectedly cast by the US. This only reveals that even the horrific news and graphic images of the gargantuan human tragedy emerging from Gaza has failed to arouse the conscience of many a nation states. And this is indeed very disquieting as many of these are countries otherwise lose no opportunity to wax eloquent on the issue of Human Rights and their lofty ideals!
Israel has defended its actions by blaming the Hamas for having precipitated the present crisis in Gaza. Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council prior the voting, Israel’s ambassador Eviator Manor had claimed that “Hamas is the aggressor. Hamas is the one committing war crimes” and asked the international community to “Open your eyes to reality.” Even if Hamas is the “aggressor,” is targeting of an entire population merely for the alleged ‘war crimes’ of a handful, lawful? Can any provocation, no matter how grave, justify the annihilation of innocent men, women and children through disproportionate use of force in retaliation as is being done by Israel? Ambassador Manor also asserted that “Throughout the entire escalation of events, Israel has always acted with maximum restraint, fully committed to international law in general and the laws of armed conflict.” Would the honourable Ambassador kindly explain as to how the killing nearly 700 and injuring more than 3,500 innocent people can ever be passed- off as the consequences of “maximum restraint?” One would also be curious to know under which “international law in general and the laws of armed conflict” is such wanton punitive acts against innocents permissible? And if by attacking innocent Israeli civilians, the Hamas is indeed guilty of “war crimes,” then what grants Tel Aviv ‘immunity’ when it is also openly targeting innocent Palestinians?
With President Obama reiterating his “strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself,” Tel Aviv has no reasons to get unduly worried about any serious consequences for its inhuman actions in Gaza. However, it is not only America which is Israel’s well wisher. I’m sure that no one in a right frame of mind would ever grudge Israel the right to defend itself, but then, there has to be some sanity in the approach it adopts for ensuring the same. So, can Tel Aviv please tell us as to why does its ‘right to defend itself’ necessitate mass killing of innocent Palestinians including women and children? Are we expected to believe that the only way Israel can exercise its ‘right to defend itself’ is by annihilating of the entire population of Palestinian? While Israel must never be forgiven for being so paranoid about its own concerns that it has no qualms about snuffing out innocent lives, we must also expose the countries which by abstaining from voting or voting in favour of Israel are in effect only encouraging Tel Aviv to commit gross human rights violations in Gaza and other occupied territories. However, since doing so would mean antagonising nations that are both rich as well as powerful and could well invite their wrath, the international community considers it prudent to sacrifice morals and ethics on the altar of expediency and thus, no nation or organisation dares upset the applecart!
So even though Gaza may be fast turning a veritable graveyard, the international community doesn’t seem to unduly perturbed or suffering from a sense of guilt for doing nothing meaningful to put an end to the sufferings of the poor Palestinians. On the contrary, every nation, including those who abstained or voted in favour of Israel, is claiming that it is seized with the problem and remains committed towards playing a ‘responsible’ role in diffusing this crisis. These nations will surely make-up for their abject apathy towards the sufferings of Gaza residents and console their conscience by providing generous aid to those Palestinians who are lucky enough to survive The citizens of such countries too must not feel guilty for failing to buildup requisite public pressure on their respective governments to admonish Tel Aviv for its barbaric acts of violence. They have taken time off their hectic schedules to protest against Israel’s atrocities and thereby expressed their consummate solidarity with the people of Gaza. Haven’t we all been condemning Tel Aviv’s medieval form of retribution in the strongest of words, shedding copious tears and even holding funeral prayers in absentia for the innocent men, women and children who have been blown to bits by Israeli rockets and bombs? Haven’t we also pledged not to buy anything produced by Israel? So, even though killings in Gaza may go on unabated and the nights there continue to be punctuated with the sound of bomb explosions followed by shrieks of the dying and the wails of their grieving family members, we can still be at peace with ourselves and sleep blissfully with a clear conscience. After all, by organising protests, vociferously condemning Tel Aviv for slaughtering innocent Palestinians as well as burning American and Israeli flags, haven’t we all played our role ‘responsibly’ and thus done our bit?