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Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, October 8, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
By Stephen Ndegwa
That Israel and Palestine have been at loggerheads for the longest time is a fact the world has learned to live with. The delicate relationship between the two sides has acted as a barometer for measuring the levels of tension in the world's peace and security.
Therefore, the recent conflagration between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas last week has raised a red flag in the international community. Reports indicate that the shocking and unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas has resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and the abduction of scores of Israelis.
The response by Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu was fast and furious. He termed the Hamas attack as a declaration of war and has rallied his citizens for what he termed as "mighty vengeance." It is anyone's guess how this fluid situation will unfold in the coming days if it is not nipped in the bud.
Conspiracy theorists and experts alike are still interrogating how the ever-vigilant Israel was caught flat-footed in the surprise attack. In addition, how did Hamas manage to bleach one of the most heavily surveilled borders in the world along the Gaza Strip? Anyway, the new flare-up gives respite to Netanyahu, whose presidency has been faced with a serious constitutional crisis at home this year.
Due to the geopolitical ramifications of a full-blown war between the two sides, it behooves the international community to step in and resolve the current conflict immediately before it escalates. But the United States and China have offered divergent formulae for the cessation of hostilities in the short and medium term and a permanent solution to the perennial conflict.
Shortly after the attack, U.S. President Joe Biden offered his unconditional support to Israel. This is not news, with Israel being the superpower's top ally not just in the Middle East, but even globally. But offering to arm Israel to the teeth to carry out its avowed revenge further proves that the U.S. is an incorrigible warmonger.
Let us not get it twisted though. No one can begrudge Israel's right to defend itself. It owes its citizens security against internecine attacks. But in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." The U.S. has repeated the same mistake it has made by arming Ukraine against Russia, a war whose deadly consequences have become extremely apparent.
The Western media usually makes matters worse in such circumstances. In the current crisis, all cameras seem to focus on developments in Israel, thus creating a one-sided narrative. Who is telling the other side of the story as told by the Palestinians? It is these frustrations that have sustained the Palestinians' war of attrition against its neighbor.
Wang Yi (C), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a closing meeting of the talks between the Saudi delegation led by Saudi Arabia's Minister of State Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban (L) and the Iranian delegation led by Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Admiral Ali Shamkhani in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
That peace in the Middle East is possible, and is in everyone's interest, is a fact that China has constantly drummed up. Its influence in the unprecedented rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March demonstrated that with sincerity, impartiality, and the right approach, peace and understanding are achievable between the decades-old foes.
In a statement on October 8, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called for restraint and the immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Palestine. Contrary to the impression given by the one-sided narrative in the Western media, China's statement recognized the fact that both sides were hurting deeply from the hostilities, and "the recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot last."
In the statement, China reiterated its vision that the only way out of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is by implementation of the two-state solution, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. But the country is not doing it alone. The statement appealed to the international community to act with greater urgency, step up input into the Palestine question, and facilitate the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
No doubt enduring peace between Israel and Palestine could be achieved shortly if the U.S. agreed to join hands with China in searching for a non-violent solution.
Countries that have experienced the struggle for freedom and independence will empathize with Palestine's predicament and longing for self-determination. On the other hand, some support Israel's historical claims to the land it occupies. It is a dicey scenario that needs a thawing of the hardline positions by both parties and a full diplomatic approach by those with the best interests of either ally at heart.
Stephen Ndegwa, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is the executive director of South-South Dialogues, a Nairobi-based communications development think tank.
